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 and the United States Adult Soccer Association. The USL is headquartered in Tampa.
The Milwaukee Rampage is a former professional American soccer team, that was located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which played in the A-League.
California Jaguars were an American soccer team that played in Salinas, California at the Salinas Sports Complex.
The San Francisco Seals were a soccer team based in San Francisco, California. The team began as the senior team of the San Francisco United Soccer Club founded in 1985, a 501(c)(3) organization. The club is based in San Francisco. In 1992, the SFUSC youth team started playing as the "All Blacks" in the top tier of the USISL when Cal North Soccer, the governing body of youth soccer closed the youth program by blocking the movement of players across boundaries. The team played its home games at Negoesco Stadium on the campus of the University of San Francisco. The team's colors were black, red and white. After the first season and for five straight seasons the Seals dominated soccer on the West Coast winning 5 division titles, 3 regional titles and went to 3 national championship finals. In 1997 the Seals was called the "Team of the Year" by USA today after beating the Seattle Sounders, the Kansas City Wiz, and the San Jose Clash in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Seals continued in the A-League until 2000 when the franchise stopped professional soccer and returned to youth development. The Seals continued as members of the Y-League and expanded their youth development to include college level players in 2006 by entering the PDL. Since 2009 the Seals have concentrated on youth development from U6 to U23 soccer.
North Carolina Fusion U-23, formerly known as Carolina Dynamo, is an American soccer team based in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
Cocoa Expos was an American soccer team, founded in 1993. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2007, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.
The New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers was an American soccer club that competed in the USISL from 1993 to 1999. Based in New Orleans, Louisiana, the club was renamed the New Orleans Storm in 1998. The team folded after the 1999 season.
Detroit Wheels were a United States soccer team based in Detroit, Michigan that played in the USISL for two seasons. Owned by Antonio Soave and Greg Reynolds, the team was established in 1994. At the time the ownership intended to move up to the American Professional Soccer League for the 1995 season. However, mounting debts and a smaller than expected fan base saw them remain in the USISL. Wheels played the 1994 season in Wisner Stadium and were coached first by Mark Christenson and then by Mike Francis. The team was captained by Steve Burns, the current men's head soccer coach of the University of Michigan. The team was replaced in the USISL in 1996 by Detroit Dynamite.
The Reno Rattlers were an American soccer team based in Reno, Nevada from 1994 to 1998. The club began in the USISL and moved to the USL Second Division in 1995. The team moved up to the USISL Select League in 1996, but returned to the Pro League the next season. The Rattlers disbanded following the 1998 season.
The 1996 United States Open Cup was the 83rd edition of the tournament, and the first Open Cup to include Major League Soccer teams.
David Kramer is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played professionally in the USISL and Major League Soccer. He is currently Director of Soccer and Business Development for Real Colorado Edge Soccer Club. He was the 1994 ISAA Goalkeeper of the Year.
Tayt Ianni is a former U.S. soccer defender.
Eddie Soto was a U.S. soccer forward who spent five seasons in the USISL and has served as an assistant men’s and women’s collegiate soccer coach for eight seasons.
Pat O’Kelly is a former Irish soccer defender who was a two-time first team All-American at Seton Hall University. He played two seasons in the American Professional Soccer League and at least four in the USISL.
Sterling Wescott is a retired U.S. soccer midfielder who played in the USISL, National Professional Soccer League, World Indoor Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and two games with D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He has coached at the high school and professional levels.
Richard Weiszmann is a retired Czechoslovakian-American soccer defender who played for the New England Revolution in 1996. He also spent five seasons in the USISL. He is currently the Director of Boys Coaching with the Diablo Futbol Club (DFC) and is a research scientist at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory.
The USISL Select League was a professional men's soccer league which featured teams from the United States, which existed for just one year in 1996. During its single season in 1996 it shared Division II status in the American soccer pyramid with the A-League, before the two leagues merged in 1997.
The A-League was a professional men's soccer league which featured teams from the United States and Canada. The A-League emerged from the restructured American Professional Soccer League in 1995 and operated until 2004, after which it was re-branded the USL First Division. During its first season, in 1995, it was the de facto top professional soccer league in both countries, before it was replaced at the top of the United States soccer pyramid by Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996.
Greg Petersen is an American soccer coach.
The 1996 USISL was the 9th season, and 6th outdoor season of the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues season.
