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Promotion? The USL-2 Champions will play in USL-1 next year. Usually we don't run USL stories on here unless they have a direct connection to something MLS related. This is the exception. We present it only because it is interesting and the information present disappeared not long after it was originally posted by our friends over on GoalSeattle. You see, just as MLS has had its Board of Governors meetings this week, USL has had its own pow-wow of a not too different sort which, coincidentally falls on the same week.
It appears Cleveland's USL-2 club which won the USL-2 Championship and had a great run during the 2008 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup before being eliminated by the Chicago Fire are moving on up to USL-1 in a form of psuedo-promotion. Also we get some idea about the USL participation in the 2009 Open Cup. From the now removed post....
Friday November 21st
Friday morning started bright and early with the first USL 2nd Division specific meeting. On the agenda were:
1. The loss of the Cleveland City Stars, who will move to USL-1 in 2009.
2. 2009 Team Alignment
3. 2009 Competition Calendar
4. Notes from the USSF Referees
5. Changes to the Playoff Travel Pool
6. Changes to the Winner’s Pool Prize Money
7. US Open Cup Qualifying Format – all 8 US USL-2 teams will qualify for the Open Cup.*
(*=USL-2 will have 9 clubs in 2009, 8 from USA and also the Bermuda Hogges.)
8. The potential to insert USL Live.com for USL-2 matches.
The Opening Lunch presented by Demosphere allowed us to meet with several USL-2 teams, Crystal Palace Baltimore, Charlotte Eagles, etc. who seem genuinely excited about the leagues’ expansion plans. These teams have been more than helpful in answering questions, and we will continue to correspond with them throughout the process.
As I write this, I am currently sitting in on the USL PDL Meeting. Hot topics so far are:
Changes to the Playoff system, which will include a 24 team format, and
Expanding the foreign player rule to allow 8 foreign players within a team’s pool, and all 8 to be allowed to dress in any one match.
And, later this afternoon, the Wolves will observe the following presentations:
· “The West Ham Way”
· “Developing International Club Partners by Beswicks”
· “Hall of Fame Awards Dinner presented by Fox Soccer Channel”
… more to come tomorrow.
Cleveland has had great success for an expansion team... their service component is great but the religious stuff has got to go.