November 2 – USL League One – a third tier professional league in the US – will make its entrance with 10 teams playing a March to October season in 2019.
“This is an exciting moment for the league, as the competition format for the first season in USL League One history was approved by the Board of Governors today,” USL League One Senior Vice President Steven Short said. “Kickoff is nearly four months away, so fans and followers of the 10 clubs set to compete can expect many major announcements in the next few months, including the full schedule release.”
The league’s regular season will consist of 28 games and kick off the weekend of March 29-31 – each club play eight clubs three times, and one club four times.
Play-offs begin October 11-13 and will feature the top four league finishers with the final matches being played October 17-21.
The tenth team to complete the first season line-up is still to be announced. Confirmed teams in the league are South Georgia Tormenta FC, FC Tucson, Greenville Triumph SC, a Madison-based team, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, Toronto FC II, Orlando City B, Lansing Ignite FC and the Richmond Kickers.
USL CEO Alec Papadakis said in August that the league has a target of 24 teams by 2021, the league’s third season, with discussions already ongoing with ownership groups for the 2020 season.
“This is a landmark moment not only for the United Soccer League but also soccer as a whole in North America,” said Papadakis. “Over the past several years, alongside the effort to elevate the USL to Division II, we developed the plan to launch a new, competitive and exciting professional third-division league that would further the growth of soccer across the U.S. The new league is announcing teams in ten thriving markets that exhibit a proven demand for the professional game.”
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