USSF Division 2 Professional League
Introduction The '''USSF Division 2 Professional League''' ('''D2 Pro League''') was a temporary professional soccer league created by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) for the 2010 season. The twelve-team league was formed as a compromise between the feuding United Soccer Leagues (USL) and the North American Soccer League (NASL). The D2 Pro League was the second tier of the United States soccer league system below Major League Soccer. The league also included two clubs from Canada and one club from Puerto Rico.
History On August 27, 2009, Nike agreed to sell their stake in the United Soccer Leagues to investment company NuRock, instead of Jeff Cooper, who had aligned with a group of USL First Division team owners. Disappointed with the sale and state of the league, the ownership group broke away after the 2009 season with the intent to form a new incarnation of the North American Soccer League. The leagues sued each other, but ultimately withdrew their lawsuits and agreed to mediate with the United States Soccer Federation.The USSF found that three of the NASL teams (NSC Minnesota Stars, Rochester Rhinos, and FC Tampa Bay) had binding contracts to play in the USL First Division in 2010, leaving the NASL with too few teams to be sanctioned. However, this left the USL First Division with only six teams, also too few for sanctioning. The USSF stripped the USL First Division of its sanctioning, and denied sanctioning to the NASL. After a week of negotiations among the three, the USSF agreed to run a 12-team interim league for 2010.The six extant teams in each league would each occupy their own conference, but teams belonging to both leagues would play each other.
Teams  Team City Stadium Founded Head Coach USL Conference Austin Aztex Austin, Texas House Park 2008 Adrian Heath NSC Minnesota Stars Blaine, Minnesota National Sports Center 2009 Manny Lagos Portland Timbers Portland, Oregon PGE Park 2001 Gavin Wilkinson Puerto Rico Islanders Bayamón, Puerto Rico Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium 2003 Colin Clarke Rochester Rhinos Rochester, New York Marina Auto Stadium 1996 Bob Lilley FC Tampa Bay Tampa, Florida George M. Steinbrenner Field 2008 Perry Van der Beck (interim) NASL Conference Carolina RailHawks FC Cary, North Carolina WakeMed Soccer Park 2006 Martin Rennie Crystal Palace Baltimore Catonsville, Maryland Ridley Athletic Complex 2006 Jim Cherneski Miami FC Miami, Florida FIU Stadium, Lockhart Stadium 2006 Daryl Shore Montreal Impact Montreal, Quebec Saputo Stadium 1992 Marc Dos Santos AC St. Louis Fenton, Missouri Anheuser-Busch Center 2009 Dale Schilly Vancouver Whitecaps FC Burnaby, British Columbia Swangard Stadium 1986 Teitur Thordarson
Competition format ===Pods===It was announced that the season would be centered around what are called ''pods''. The pods were constructed around geographic regions and did not follow conference lines. Teams within the same pod played each other four times, twice at home and twice away. Teams played one team outside of their pod four times, twice at home and twice away, and played the rest of the teams outside their pod twice, once at home and once away. This resulted in a thirty-game season for each team, and had the additional advantage of reducing travel costs. The season ended a playoff format to crown a league champion.Pod  Teams1  2  3  ===Playoff format===At the end of the regular season, the top teams in each conference qualified for the playoffs as the top two seeds. In addition, the remaining six teams with the highest point totals, regardless of conference, also advanced to the playoffs.Each round of the playoffs was a two-game aggregate goal series (the away goals rule was not applied as a tie-breaker). In the event that the aggregate score is tied after the second game of the series, the teams played two 15-minutes periods of extra time. If the score is still tied after extra time, the series was to be decided by a penalty shootout.
2010 season ===NASL Conference standings======USL Conference standings======Playoff standings======Match results===Abbreviation and Color Key:Austin Aztex – AUS • Carolina RailHawks – CAR • Crystal Palace Baltimore – CPB • Miami FC – MIA • NSC Minnesota Stars – MIN  Montreal Impact – MTL • Portland Timbers – POR • Puerto Rico Islanders – PUE • Rochester Rhinos – ROC • AC St. Louis – STL  FC Tampa Bay – TAM • Vancouver Whitecaps FC – VANWin  Loss  Draw  HomeClubMatch123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930Austin AztexMTL STL ROC MIN TAM CPB TAM MIA CPB PUE POR VAN MIA MIA PUE ROC STL MIA TAM PUE CAR POR VAN MIN PUE TAM STL STL CAR MTL2–02–11–22–12–22–13–33–12–02–10–01–23–12–11–10–02–03–14–20–23–21–12–22–01–31–11–24–21–30–2Carolina RailHawksSTL MIN ROC MIA TAM PUE MTL POR VAN CPB MTL STL PUE MTL ROC ROC VAN MTL ROC CPB MIA AUS TAM PUE CPB POR MIN CPB PUE AUS2–00–11–11–11–22–12–01–11–11–12–22–02–00–11–00–12–22–00–21–22–12–32–12–33–00–00–14–22–13–1Crystal Palace BaltimoreTAM PUE STL VAN POR AUS ROC POR AUS MIA ROC CAR MIN MIN PUE ROC MTL STL MTL MIA MTL CAR ROC MTL POR CAR VAN CAR POR TAM0–11–30–10–01–01–21–02–10–23–31–21–11–31–00–20–02–10–11–10–10–02–10–20–50–30–30–32–41–33–6Miami FCROC VAN TAM CAR MIN MIN AUS PUE MTL CPB POR AUS AUS TAM POR VAN PUE TAM AUS CPB PUE TAM CAR ROC STL MTL ROC STL ROC PUE1–10–01–11–11–11–01–32–41–13–31–01–31–21–10–21–31–10–21–31–01–13–31–21–31–32–12–14–21–01–1NSC Minnesota StarsVAN CAR PUE TAM ROC AUS MTL MIA MIA TAM STL ROC MTL POR POR CPB CPB TAM STL PUE VAN STL POR VAN POR AUS STL CAR VAN TAM0–21–01–31–00–31–21–21–10–11–33–20–01–01–00–23–10–11–02–21–11–12–22–20–10–10–23–01–01–03–1Montreal ImpactAUS POR PUE MIN VAN POR CAR MIA MIN TAM ROC CAR VAN ROC STL CAR CPB STL VAN CPB CAR CPB ROC CPB ROC PUE MIA TAM VAN AUS0–21–11–02–10–01–00–21–10–12–11–12–21–21–20–31–01–23–00–11–10–20–01–25–02–02–11–23–01–02–0Portland TimbersROC STL MTL VAN CPB STL MTL CPB CAR AUS MIA MIN MIN TAM VAN MIA VAN STL TAM ROC MIN STL MIN AUS CPB PUE CAR PUE CPB VAN1–03–01–12–10–11–10–11–21–10–00–10–12–01–00–02–02–10–32–20–12–21–01–01–13–01–00–01–03–12–2Puerto Rico IslandersMIN CPB MTL CAR TAM MIA AUS STL VAN TAM ROC AUS CPB CAR TAM MIA MIN ROC MIA TAM AUS STL CAR POR VAN MTLAUS POR CAR MIA3–13–10–11–21–24–21–20–11–11–00–31–12–00–20–01–11–13–11–11–12–01–13–20–10–01–23–10–11–21–1Rochester RhinosMIA POR AUS MIN CAR STL CPB VAN VAN MIN CPB MTL PUE MTL AUS CPB CAR TAM PUE CAR POR CAR MTL CPB MIA MTL TAM MIA MIA STL1–10–12–13–01–12–10–10–22–10–02–11–13–02–10–00–00–11–01–31–01–02–02–12–03–10–23–01–20–12–1AC St. LouisCAR AUS POR VAN CPB ROC POR TAM MIN PUE VAN CAR VAN MTL MIN AUS MTL CPB POR MIN VAN POR PUE TAM MIA MIN AUS MIA AUS ROC0–21–20–30–11–01–21–10–32–31–00–00–21–13–02–20–20–31–03–02–20–00–11–12–23–10–32–12–42–41–2FC Tampa BayCPB MIN MIA AUS CAR AUS STL MIN PUE VAN MTL PUE POR MIA MIN PUE ROC MIA POR AUS PUE MIA VAN CAR STL ROC AUS MTL MIN CPB1–00–11–12–22–13–33–03–12–10–11–20–10–11–10–10–00–12–02–22–41–13–31–11–22–20–31–10–31–36–3Vancouver Whitecaps FCMIN MIA STL POR CPB MTL ROC ROC TAM CAR AUS PUE STL MTL POR STL MIA POR MIN MTL CAR STL MIN TAM AUS PUE CPB MIN MTL POR2–00–01–01–20–00–02–01–21–01–12–11–10–02–10–01–13–11–21–11–02–20–01–01–12–20–03–00–10–12–2Final regular season results. Based on the results at the  NASL results table and  USL schedule table
Playoffs :''Each round was a two-game aggregate goal series. Home teams for the first game of each series listed at the bottom of the bracket. ''===Quarterfinals======Semifinals======Finals===
Statistical leaders === Top scorers ===RankPlayerNationClubGoals1 Ryan Pore  Portland Timbers152 Eddie Johnson  Austin Aztex143 Aaron King  FC Tampa Bay124 Bright Dike  Portland Timbers10 Maxwell Griffin  Austin Aztex6 Mike Ambersley  AC St. Louis9 David Foley  Puerto Rico Islanders Ali Gerba  Montreal Impact Abe Thompson  Miami FC10 Paulo Araujo Jr.  Miami FC8 Etienne Barbara  Carolina RailHawks Leonardo Di Lorenzo  Montreal Impact Isaac Kissi  Rochester Rhinos=== Top assists ===RankPlayerNationClubAssists1 Luke Kreamalmeyer  AC St. Louis8 Martin Nash  Vancouver Whitecaps3 Leonardo Di Lorenzo  Montreal Impact7 Jamie Watson  Austin Aztex5 Yordany Álvarez  Austin Aztex5 Sandy Gbandi  Puerto Rico Islanders Leonard Griffin  Austin Aztex Maxwell Griffin  Austin Aztex Andrew Hoxie  Rochester Rhinos Lawrence Olum  Austin Aztex Ryan Pore  Portland Timbers Tyler Rosenlund  Rochester Rhinos Cornelius Stewart  Vancouver Whitecaps
Individual awards *'''Most Valuable Player:''' Ryan Pore (Portland Timbers)*'''Defender of the Year:''' Greg Janicki (Vancouver Whitecaps)*'''Goalkeeper of the Year:''' Jay Nolly (Vancouver Whitecaps)*'''Rookie of the Year:''' Maxwell Griffin (Austin Aztex)*'''Coach of the Year:''' Bob Lilley (Rochester Rhinos)===Best XI===*'''GK:''' Jay Nolly (Vancouver Whitecaps)*'''DF:''' Greg Janicki (Vancouver Whitecaps)*'''DF:''' Aaron Pitchkolan (Rochester Rhinos)*'''DF:''' Troy Roberts (Rochester Rhinos)*'''MF:''' Ryan Pore (Portland Timbers)*'''MF:''' Martin Nash (Vancouver Whitecaps)*'''MF:''' Jamie Watson (Austin Aztex)*'''MF:''' Paulo Araujo Jr. (Miami FC)*'''MF:''' Daniel Paladini (Carolina RailHawks)*'''FW:''' Eddie Johnson (Austin Aztex)*'''FW:''' Ali Gerba (Montreal Impact)
References