The addition of the Portland Timbers this season saw the renewal of a Pacific Northwest rivalry between them , the Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps which dated back to the North American Soccer League . Although Vancouver was not new to the league , this was the first season they competed in under the Whitecaps name . Beginning with their founding in 1986 through the 2000 A-League season , Vancouver had operated under the 86ers name . An ownership change in August 2000 brought a revival of the old Whitecaps name for the 2001 season . At the end of the regular season , the Richmond Kickers topped the league with seventy-six points . The post-season was marred by two tragedies . First , the September 11 attacks forced the league to reschedule the first-round games which had been set to begin on September 12 . Then , Mickey Trotman , a starter for the Rochester Rhinos , was killed in an automobile accident two days before the team 's first semifinal match with the Milwaukee Rampage . In the end , the Rhinos overcame the Hershey Wildcats to take its third league title in four seasons
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
2001 USL A-League