US Soccer Combined Leagues 2014

Just suppose that many years ago, the US Soccer Federation required all professional teams to play in the same league system. Just suppose that they decided that it would be best to always have two equal leagues, east and west, and then divide teams vertically into Division 1, Division 2, etc. Just suppose that, each year, they promoted the best teams from Division 2 and relegated the worst teams from Division 1.

And here's the big leap. Just suppose that we didn't have any more teams playing than what we actually had and have.

In 2014, the USSF had 43 professional teams. Two teams folded after the 2013 season (Antigua Barracuda and VSI Tampa Bay), while several new teams joined. In the West, LA Galaxy II, Oklahoma City Energy, and Sacramento Republic entered Division 2. In the East, Indy Eleven and New York Cosmos entered Division 2.

Here is a map of the teams. Click the tabby rectangle thing in the upper left to get to the list where you can deselect the separate divisions.

And here are the final standings at the end of the 2014 season.

Since the wonderful home-and-away round robin didn't actually happen, I've substituted that with ranking the teams by points-per-game, including each team's league and cup games actually played in 2014, only counting games against teams in its division (Division 1 or 2).

At least one team from each Division 1 league is relegated. Four teams from each Division 2 league are promoted due the influx of new teams for 2015, to balance out between Divisions 1 and 2.

It's curious that the two last-place teams in these charts actually ceased professional soccer in real life.