The RailHawks are playing for the first and last USSF-D2 Pro League championship. It’s a sanctioned game that will be entered into the record books, but it will be sort of like a king without a country. The U.S. Soccer Federation has done a solid job of maintaining orderly second-division play this year after the breakdown of the old USL-1 league, but nonetheless, it’s been a discouraging seaso—all the more so in that it’s occurred during a World Cup year.
The lower divisions are in turmoil. Of the 12 teams that comprised the second division this year, two are moving to the first-division MLS, two or three clubs are in grave danger of folding and another is rumored to be contemplating a relocation.
Clubs on deathbed:
Crystal Palace Baltimore
NSC Minnesota Stars
Clubs with severe financial pressure:
AC St. Louis
Clubs leaving for MLS
Portland Timbers
Vancouver Whitecaps
Montreal Impact (in 2012)
Clubs associated with USL
Austin Aztex (rumored to be comtemplating a move to Orlando, Fla.)
Rochester Rhinos (formerly a part of NASL, but not part of the latest bid to USSF for D2 sanctioning, not officially USL member)
Clubs solidly anchored to NASL
Carolina RailHawks (but looking for investors)
Miami FC
Puerto Rico Islanders (but looking for investors)
FC Tampa Bay
Incoming to NASL
Edmonton (2011)
San Antonio (2012)
