United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States and Canada. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Championship, USL League One, USL League Two and the youth Super Y-League. It is directly affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation, the United States Adult Soccer Association and the Canadian Soccer Association. The USL is headquartered in Tampa.
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a development soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league has 72 teams competing in four conferences, split into eleven regional divisions. Unofficially, it is considered to be the fourth tier of competition, behind Major League Soccer, USL Championship, and USL League One. USL League Two is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
The Atlanta Silverbacks FC was an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1998 as Atlanta Ruckus, the club played in many leagues over the years before folding after the 2015 season. The team played its home games at Atlanta Silverbacks Park, a large soccer complex featuring a 5,000-seat soccer-specific stadium in Atlanta, 15 miles northeast of downtown. The team's colors were red, black, grey, and white.
The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American soccer league commonly recognized as being a fourth tier league although it has been given no official designation by U.S. Soccer. Although the league is officially affiliated to the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup through USASA channels, the league is generally considered to be at the fourth tier of competition in the United States soccer pyramid, behind Major League Soccer (MLS), the USL Championship (USLC), USL League One (USL1), and roughly equal with USL League Two (USL2). It is the successor of the Men's Premier Soccer League, a regional league originally based in the Western United States, which has now expanded nationwide to encompass teams from 29 states. The league's motto is "A National League with a Regional Focus". Some of the clubs are former USL clubs.
F.C. Indiana, also known as F.C. Indiana Lionesses, is an American women's soccer team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 2003, the team is currently a member of the United Women's Soccer league. They play their home games at Newton Park in Lakeville, Indiana.
Daniela Alves Lima, commonly known as Daniela, is a former Brazilian football midfielder who played for professional clubs in Brazil, Sweden and the United States. As a member of the Brazil women's national football team she participated in two FIFA Women's World Cups and three Olympic Games. Daniela was a box-to-box central midfielder who was renowned for her powerful long range shots.
The San Francisco Bay Area, which includes the major cities of San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, hosts seven major league sports franchises, as well as several other professional and college sports teams, and hosts other sports events.
Tampa Bay Hellenic are an American women's soccer team based in Tampa, Florida. Established in 2008, they currently play in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL). They play their home games at the Ed Radice Sports Complex. Their colors are white, red and black.
Lauren Marie Sesselmann is an American-born Canadian soccer defender, former forward and Olympic bronze medalist currently playing for the Santa Clarita Blue Heat. She was also a member of the Canadian national team from 2011-2015, and is also a trainer, producer and host of the fitness DVD program Fit As A Pro with Lauren Sesselmann.
Rebecca Edwards is an American soccer player who plays for Swedish club Kristianstads DFF in the Damallsvenskan. She previously played for Orlando Pride, Houston Dash, Portland Thorns, and Western New York Flash in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) as well as FC Gold Pride and the championship-winning Western New York Flash in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS).
Bradford Evan Rusin is an American retired professional soccer player. He appeared for Bradenton Academics, Ventura County Fusion, and San Fernando Valley Quakes at the semi-professional level, and for Carolina RailHawks, HB Køge, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Orlando City, Tampa Bay Rowdies, San Antonio Scorpions, Miami FC, and Indy Eleven at the professional level.
Niki Cross is a retired American soccer player. She last played for the Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League in the 2015 season; the team acquired her via trade with the Washington Spirit on December 2, 2014. She retired partway through the 2015 season, making her last appearance on August 1 against the Washington Spirit.
Alexandra "Allie" Linsley Long is an American soccer midfielder currently playing for the Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League and the United States women's national soccer team. She made her debut for the national team on May 8, 2014 in a friendly against Canada. She has since made 40 total appearances for the team.
New York Fury was a semi-professional American women’s soccer club playing in the Women's Premier Soccer League Elite, the top tier of women’s soccer in the United States in 2012. It was part of the Fury Soccer Organization which also supports the Long Island Fury. The club, founded in 2011, was a member of Women's Premier Soccer League and in 2012 joined the newly formed Women's Premier Soccer League Elite.
The Women's Premier Soccer League Elite was a women's semi-professional soccer league created by the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) to support the sport in the United States, both from continued interest by WPSL teams in professionalism and as a response to the suspension of the WPS.
Women's soccer in the United States has developed quite differently from men's soccer. Until the 1970s, organized women's soccer matches in the United States existed only on a limited basis. The United States is now regarded as one of the top countries in the world for women's soccer, and FIFA ranked its national team No. 1 in the world after its championship victory in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.
League1 Ontario (L1O) is a semi-professional men's and women's soccer league in Ontario, Canada, and is sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association and the Ontario Soccer Association as a Division III league in the Canadian soccer league system. The 2019 season will include 16 teams in the men's division and 14 teams in the women's division.
The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is a full season, American adult amateur soccer league that was founded in Santa Ana in Southern California, with teams in regionalized conferences throughout the United States. The league was founded in 2011 by Santa Ana Winds FC club owner Leonel López as a regional league for teams in Greater Los Angeles, but expanded to include teams from 32 states as of the 2019 UPSL season.
Rosemary Lavelle is an American soccer player who is signed with the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League. She has represented the United States on multiple youth national soccer teams including the under-18, under-20, and under-23 teams and was called up to the United States women's national soccer team in 2015. She played collegiate soccer for the Wisconsin Badgers from 2013–2016.
Raquel de Souza Noronha, commonly known as Raquel, is a Brazilian football midfielder.
