NASL Regular Season Opens April 10

NINE NASL TEAMS BEGIN PLAY APRIL 10th IN TWELVE TEAM LEAGUE
MIAMI, FL — Each of the nine NASL teams has announced its 2010 home and away schedule. Participating teams will play a total of 30 league games, while competing, in the 2010 USSF Division II. The Regular Season will begin on April 10th and conclude on October 3rd. Each team will host 15 home games and contest 15 away games.

Each US based NASL team will also play at least one game in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on June 15 or 16 with the home venue and opponents to be determined at a later date. The two NASL Canadian based teams will compete in the 2010 Nutrilite Canadian Championship.

In conjunction with the release of the schedule the USSF has also unveiled details of the playoff format for this season. The 12-team league, consisting of two conferences of six teams, has adopted the following format:

• The first place team (based on total points, at the conclusion of the regular season) in the USL Conference and NASL Conference will become the top two seeds in the playoffs.
• The next six (6) best teams, based on total points, will round out the playoff field.
• The four teams with the fewest total points in the regular season are excluded from the playoffs.
• Playoffs will begin during the week starting Monday, October 4.
• Quarterfinals will be a two-game, home-and-away series determined by total aggregate goals.
• Semifinal round will be a two-game, home-and-away series determined by total aggregate goals.
• Championship will be a two-game, home-and-away series determined by total aggregate goals.
• Exact dates for playoff games are TBD.

Complete NASL Schedule (pdf)

THE IMPACT BEGINS DEFENSE OF ITS TITLE APRIL 11
MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact revealed Monday its 2010 schedule in the USSF Second Division. The Impact will begin the defense of its title Sunday, April 11 against the Aztex in Austin and will be hosting the Portland Timbers for its season home opener at Saputo Stadium on April 25. The 2010 season will be lengthened by a few weeks compared to previous years. The season will start earlier and finish later, which will offer a more balanced game schedule. Generally, the Impact will only play one match per week with no more than two games slated on the same week.

Once again this year, Impact games at Saputo Stadium will mainly be played in the afternoon on Sundays (eight matches) and Wednesday evenings (five matches).

In 2010, the Impact will face three new expansion clubs that joined the NASL ranks: AC St. Louis, Crystal Palace Baltimore and Tampa Bay Rowdies.

All 12 new league teams will be matching up in a 30-game calendar where each club will face the eleven other teams twice during the regular season. Each club will then be playing another home-and-away series against four of these teams. The Impact will therefore play four games against some of its major rivals: Vancouver Whitecaps, Rochester Rhinos, Carolina RailHawks, as well as Crystal Palace Baltimore.

Montreal will be facing its Canadian rivals and their 2009 final playoff opponents, the Vancouver Whitecaps, June 30 and July 28 at Saputo Stadium, as well as May 15 and September 24 at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby.

The Impact will play its last season match October 3 against Austin at Saputo Stadium.

In 2010, the top two teams from both divisions will become the top two seeded teams. The first eight teams in the general standings will advance to the playoffs, which will start on October 4. The quarterfinals, semifinals and championship final will be played in an aggregate goal, home-and-away series.

2010 Impact Season Tickets
2010 season tickets are currently on sale and include 15 regular season matches, two Nutrilite Canadian Championship games, two playoff matches (if the Impact qualifies), as well as an international game on September 4 at Saputo Stadium. The Montreal Impact’s opponent will be announced at a later date.

Mini-season tickets are also available for purchase for five matches, starting at $50, or ten matches from $100. Individual tickets will be on sale starting March 29 at 9 am, as well as individual tickets for the Nutrilite Canadian Championship. Dial 514-328-3668 or visit impactmontreal.com for further details.

WHITECAPS UNVEIL 2010 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps, in conjunction with the United States Soccer Federation Division 2 (USSF D-2), have announced the details for the 2010 regular season. For the third consecutive year, the Whitecaps will play a 30-match regular season schedule, with 15 home matches at Swangard Stadium and a further 15 games on the road.

The Whitecaps kick off their final season at Swangard Stadium when they host NSC Minnesota Stars on Sunday, April 11. Teitur Thordarson’s side will play the 30 regular season matches over the course of 26 weeks – two weeks longer than the 2009 United Soccer Leagues (USL) First Division campaign. The ‘Caps will also have at least 48 hours between each regular season match this year, with kickoff times to be confirmed in the near future.

For the 2010 regular season, the Whitecaps will play all 11 USSF D-2 clubs home and away, plus four regional rivals (Minnesota, Montreal Impact, Portland Timbers, and AC St. Louis) in additional home and away contests. Coupled with their home and away matches versus the Impact in the 2010 Nutrilite Canadian Championship, the Whitecaps will face Montreal on no less than six occasions this season.

The Whitecaps schedule at Swangard includes five matches on a Saturday, five further games on a Sunday, two Wednesday matches, two Thursday games, and one match on Friday, September 24. The ‘Caps lone doubleheader at Swangard takes place on Sunday, July 25, with the Whitecaps Residency squad first hosting rivals Victoria Highlanders FC in the USL Premier Development League. The second match of the day will see the ‘Caps men’s team battle Minnesota. Vancouver’s final regular season match will be on Saturday, October 2, at home to Pacific Northwest rivals Portland Timbers.

The first-place clubs – based on total points at the conclusion of the regular season – in both the NASL Conference and USL Conference will become the top two seeds in the playoffs. The next six best teams – based on total points – will round out the playoff field. Playoffs will begin during the week starting Monday, October 4. All three playoff rounds will be a two-match, home-and-away series determined by total aggregate goals. Exact dates for playoff matches will be determined at a later date.

Complete Whitecaps Schedule.

Whitecaps 2010 Season Tickets
Whitecaps 2010 season tickets are now on sale. Season tickets include all men’s and women’s team regular season and playoff home matches at Swangard Stadium, Nutrilite Canadian Championship home matches against Toronto FC and Montreal Impact, as well as priority listing for Vancouver MLS 2011 in BC Place. For more information on the 2010 season ticket packages, call 604.669.WAVE (9283) or visit whitecapsfc.com.

ABOUT THE NASL
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was established in November 2009 and is comprised of the following active teams: Carolina RailHawks, Crystal Palace Baltimore, Miami FC, NSC Minnesota Stars, Montreal Impact, Rochester Rhinos, AC St. Louis, FC Tampa Bay, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. For the 2010 season, the NASL’s nine teams, together with three teams (Austin Aztex, Portland Timbers, and Puerto Rico Islanders) from the United Soccer Leagues, will play in a second division league established and administered by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). The league will feature two conferences (NASL and USL) of six teams each, with three NASL teams (Minnesota, Rochester, and Tampa Bay) playing in the USL Conference. In 2011, the NASL will be joined by teams in Atlanta and certain other cities to be named at a later date. The NASL and its member teams are committed to building on their long tradition of providing a high level of soccer to fans across the United States and Canada in 2010 and beyond.