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Canwest News Service
The United Soccer Leagues and breakaway North American Soccer League have reached an agreement on a second-tier structure for 2010.
The U.S. Soccer Federation – which has sanctioning power – announced the temporary 12-team league on a Thursday conference call, ending months of bitter dispute that followed Nike Inc.’s August sale of the USL to NuRock Soccer Holdings.
The Vancouver Whitecaps will be part of the six-team North American Soccer League (NASL) Conference, along with Crystal Palace Baltimore, Carolina RailHawks, Miami FC, Montreal Impact and AC St. Louis.
The six-team USL Conference features the loyalist trio of Austin Aztex, Portland Timbers and Puerto Rico Islanders – the only three USL-1 teams from last year to remain on side with that league while others tried to break away – along with Minnesota Thunder, Rochester Rhinos and Tampa Bay Rowdies.
USSF president Sunil Gulati stressed that this is simply a temporary solution for 2010. The USSF will serve as the umbrella organization of this league – named USSF D2 – and be intimately involved with scheduling, marketing, officiating and dispute resolution.
A board of directors will feature one representative from each team and there will also be a five-person executive committee to handle “issues that come up.”
All outstanding litigation has been dropped.
The schedule isn’t set, but Gulati said there will be inter-conference play and that teams will likely play between 28 and 34 games.
Franchises in Atlanta and New York were not ready to be up and running by 2010 but could join in 2011. Also on the radar for 2011 is Edmonton, who could take Vancouver’s place when the Whitecaps jump to North America’s top tier Major League Soccer.
Nike’s sale of the USL to NuRock was controversial because several team owners wanted a large role in the governance and marketing of the league.
Two owner-backed bids, first led by Miami FC’s parent Traffic Sports, then by Jeff Cooper and St. Louis Soccer United, were rejected in favour of NuRock, creating a rift.
Eight days ago, the USSF announced it wouldn’t sanction either league, rather sending the squabbling sides back to the table to hammer out an agreement for 2010.
mweber@theprovince.com
