NASL Sanctioned by USSF
Published on November 22, 2010 under U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 (USSF D-2)
Montreal Impact News Release
TORONTO - The North American Soccer League (NASL) announced Monday that it received a provisional approval by the Board of Directors of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) as the second division league in Canada, United States and Puerto Rico.
The final sanctioning will be approved by the National Council of the USSF at the USSF Annual General Meeting in February, 2011 in Las Vegas.
Eight teams will play in NASL in 2011: the Atlanta Silverbacks, the Carolina RailHawks, the Edmonton FC, the Miami FC, the Minnesota Stars, the Montreal Impact, the Puerto Rico Islanders and the Tampa Bay Rowdies. A team in San Antonio, Texas will join the league for the 2012 season and a team to be announced will join the league for the 2013 season.
The Impact will play a 28-game schedule, 14 matches at home and 14 away. The Montreal team will start the season on April 9 against the Rowdies in Tampa Bay, as part of the league's inaugural opening weekend. The full schedule will be unveiled in the next few weeks.
"It is positive to see that we will play in a competitive league in 2011 in our last season before joining MLS," said Montreal Impact president Joey Saputo. As last year, we knew that the situation was going to be fixed for the best of soccer in North America. The future of this league is very promising."
"This is a historic day for soccer in North America as we officially launch a new Division II league that will seek to uphold its namesake," said Aaron Davidson, Chief Executive Officer of the NASL. "We would like to thank the Board of Directors of the Federation for their ongoing support throughout this process."
The NASL's playoff format will consist of the top six teams, with the first two teams receiving a bye to the semifinal round and the remaining four teams playing in a single-game playoff to advance to the second round. The semifinals and the finals will each consist of two-game home-and-way aggregate goal series.
U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 Stories from November 22, 2010
- Seven Players To Return For The 2011 FC Tampa Bay Season - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- NASL Sanctioned by USSF - Montreal Impact
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