It looks as if the USL PRO is making some great strides

[foreverthursday]

Especially for those of us in Canada.

http://www.tribalfootball.com/ex-blackpool-star-waiters-joins-usl-1145921

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Somewhat surprising to see Tony Waiters doing that given he has always tended to be a strong advocate of Canada having its own separate pro league and from what I remember has been involved with the CSA in the not too distant past in setting the sanctioning standards for pro soccer clubs.

[foreverthursday]

Don't be suprised. That might be the very reason he is on board with this. Once North America has strong soccer contingencies, and and varies divisions able to financially stand alone then Canada could have it's own CFL of soccer.

[foreverthursday]

The NASL has submitted it's bid to the USSF for sanctioning, but only mentioned six teams. 50% of them are not in the U.S.; Carolina RailHawks, FC Edmonton, Miami FC, Montreal Impact, FC Tampa Bay and the Puerto Rico Islanders.

[url=http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2010/09/29/nasl-submits-bid-for-division-2-sanctioning-for-2011/comment-page-2/]http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2010/09/29/nasl-submits-bid-for-division-2-sanctioning-for-2011/comment-page-2/

So does Francisco Marcos continue his league boxing match with Rob Hoskins and Alex Papadakis or does the NASL teams join the USL Pro, and we get one strong league with many regional divisions, and moderate financial stability?

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Hope NASL happens because I think there's a niche for a D2 league comparable to AAA baseball in addition to a more AA style of D3 league but Rochester not being part of the bid at this point is a bit of a setback. With the Whitecaps, Impact and Timber about to join MLS they will soon return to their former role as the anchor franchise of minor league soccer.

[Macksam]

Is USL pro going to be division 2 as well?

[coppercanuck]

^I'm guessing no. It looks like the USL Pro will focus on D3 and Caribbean.

[Macksam]

Just read wiki. Apparently the USL says USL Pro will present the highest level of competition outside the MLS.

[foreverthursday]

Just read wiki. Apparently the USL says USL Pro will present the highest level of competition outside the MLS.

That could just be verbal jousting with the NASL folks. A bunch of school children all around, acting like little brats. IF the NASL pulls enough teams together in the next month or so that meets USSF standards for sanctioning then they will be Division II and the USL Pro will be Division III.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Just read wiki. Apparently the USL says USL Pro will present the highest level of competition outside the MLS.

Wikipedia is not a credible source of information because anyone with an agenda can go in and change it. USL Pro are already sanctioned as a D3 league (based on USL-D2) and therefore don't need to apply for anything at this point. If the NASL fails to get sanctioned at the D2 level then USL Pro will be the second highest level of the sport by default.

[Macksam]

Wikipedia is not a credible source of information because anyone with an agenda can go in and change it. USL Pro are already sanctioned as a D3 league (based on USL-D2) and therefore don't need to apply for anything at this point. If the NASL fails to get sanctioned at the D2 level then USL Pro will be the second highest level of the sport by default.

So there won't be any D 2 anymore if the NASL falls through?

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Correct. No sure thing at this point by the looks of things with Rochester and Austin not forming part of the NASL sanctioning bid at this stage but I suspect the USSF will be keen to have a D2 league and it will all get sorted out eventually.

[L.T.]

However that quote was pretty much identical to the text in the USL Press Release...

The USL is obviously counting on the NASL bid to fail so they can make this claim without having to actually make the effort meet the standards of a D2 league...

[jedinathan]

I have no clue if this will have any impact on the bid by the NASL, but they announced today that a team from San Antonio will be joining in 2012.

http://www.nasl.com/article/san-antonio-to-join-nasl-in-2012