European Super League 2021-22

Update May 28, 2022: Final Standings are below.

Earlier this year, some of the the richest clubs of European football announced (and then stepped back) a closed European Super League. They have previously made noise about permanent spots in the UEFA Champions League, as well. If there were a Super League, I would prefer it to be open, with promotion and relegation with the domestic leagues.

Since there are too many "big" clubs for one twenty-team league, I created a twenty-team Super League and a second division with forty teams, split into East and West Leagues. To pick which teams are placed in which leagues, I used the UEFA Club Coefficients from the end of the 2014-15 season. Since then, each season, teams were relegated from the Super League to Division 2, replaced by the East and West champions. Beginning with this season, the two second-place teams of Division 2 will also be promoted to the Super League. Four teams from each Division 2 league will be relegated, replaced by the eight teams that progress the furthest in the Champions League and Europa League. (Ideally, this would just be the final Champions League teams, with the relegated teams automatically qualified for the next season's Champions League so they have the potential for promotion as soon as possible.)

After the previous season, Ajax and Borussia Dortmund were relegated from the Super League to Division 2 West. Salzburg were relegated from the Super League to Division League East. Galatasaray, Sevilla, and RB Leipzig were promoted from Division 2 to the Super League. Schalke 04, Basel 1893, Wolverhampton Wanderers, İstanbul Başakşehir, Fiorentina, and Copenhagen were relegated to their respective domestic leagues. Borussia Mönchengladbach, Granada, Molde, and Rangers were promoted to Division 2 West. Berner Young Boys and Crvena zvezda were promoted to Division 2 East. AC Milan were moved from West to East.

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

Below are the final standings.

The standings include only games against teams in a team's division (Super League or Division 2). The first tiebreaker is the number of games played. The second tiebreaker is the UEFA club coefficient rankings.

The teams that will be promoted from the domestic leagues for the 2022-23 season are the eight teams (that aren't in these international leagues) who progress the furthest in the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League. These teams are Sporting Portugal, Real Betis, Real Sociadad, Sheriff Tiraspol, West Ham United, Feyenoord, Leicester City, and PSV Eindhoven.

Flag of Maine

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. Maine's typifies this, with just a tiny coat of arms in the center. I'd base the flag off the shield in the coat of arms, a tricolor of blue, green, and blue, for the sky, forest, and water. I'd keep the tree and moose, because moose are cool. I'd also add the star emblem from atop the coat of arms, because that's a nice state symbol. No words, though. Mainers will have to remember "Dirigo" without it on their flag.

Flag of New Hampshire

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. For New Hampshire, I'd take the scene from the center of their seal: a ship on stocks on the beach, with the rising sun in the background. Perhaps I should simplify it a bit more, but who doesn't like a flag with flags on it?

Flag of Connecticut

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. Connecticut's coat of arms doesn't provide much to work with, but I used it anyway. A vineyard with a gold border. There you go. That will be easier to recognize from a distance.

Flag of Vermont

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. For Vermont, I'd take the image from the coat of arms and expand it to the entire flag. A pine tree flanked by the Green Mountains. This particular tree is taken from the state seal instead of the coat of arms, since it's more distinctive.

Flag of Virginia

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. Virginia's great seal is rather basic, as well, with just Virtue standing over Tyranny. To jazz up the flag, I added the reds from the flowers as a border, then divided the field in half with blue and white, because why not?

Flag of Pennsylvania

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. Pennsylvania's coat of arms already has a basic tricolor in the shield, so I'd use that and remove the emblems to make it more easily reproducible.

Flag of New York

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. For New York, I'd simplify the flag by taking the sun, mountain, and water from their coat of arms and expanding it to the entire flag. That looks impressive, right?

Flag of Kentucky

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. Kentucky exemplifies this. They obviously learned flag design from their motherland, Virginia. Kentucky's great seal is also rather plain. A frontiersman and a statesman shaking hands, with sprigs of goldenrod. I moved them hoistward just to jazz it up a bit.

Flag of Indiana

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. Indiana's is very good, but I did make one little change...

Flag of Michigan

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. I would base Michigan's flag on the shield in their coat of arms: a lakeshore with a sunrise and a waving man. Isn't that pretty?

Flag of Wisconsin

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. For Wisconsin, I'd base the flag on the shield in the center of their coat of arms. It's almost too much for a flag, but the remaining items are fairly equal, so what's to be removed?

Flag of Louisiana

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. Louisiana's flag is good, with a distinctive pelican and nest, but I think the ribbon and text are unnecessary clutter.

Flag of Minnesota

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. For Minnesota, I'd propose basing the flag on the symbols in their seal. White sky, green plains, brown tilled field, with a blue vertical bar for the river and evening sky. I'd keep the Native American riding away to the setting sun, but the farmer is unnecessary for their symbolism. The star-of-stars, L'Etoile du Nord, isn't in their state seal, but around it, but it's worth keeping, I'd say.

Flag of Oklahoma

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. Oklahoma's flag isn't too bad, however. Other than deleting the name of the state, I'd keep it basically as is. The shield, pipe, and olive branch are distinctive enough on their own.

Flag of Kansas

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. For Kansas, I propose a flag based on the image in their seal ... but without the color gradients. A beautiful sunset over a river and farm, with 34 stars in the sky for the 34th state.

Flag of Nebraska

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. Nebraska's seal is actually more colorful than the seal depicted on the flag. I propose taking the colors from the full-color seal and basing the design of the flag on those hills and rivers. Simple, clean, distinctive.

Flag of South Dakota

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. South Dakota used to have a sun without the state seal, so I propose returning to that, deleting the text, and making the sun larger.

Flag of North Dakota

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. North Dakota's is worse than most, since without the text "North Dakota", it would look like a variant flag for the whole USA. This is a shame, since the North Dakota has an awesome coat of arms. I propose basing the state flag on this coat of arms.

Flag of Montana

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. Montana's flag has a colorful seal, so I'd just expand those colors to the entire flag and keep the tools.

Flag of Utah

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. For Utah, I would base the flag on the shield in the center of the seal. To keep from changing a "symbol on a blue sheet" flag to a "symbol on a white sheet" flag, I've added a thick gold trim taken from the shield's edge.

Flag of Idaho

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. For Idaho, I propose a flag based on the design of the shield in the center of the seal. Mountains, river, tree. Simple.

Flag of Oregon

Too many US states have a state seal or something similar centered on a blue flag. Currently Oregon's flag has a different image on the front and back. I propose to take the beaver from the back, enlarge it, and put it on both sides. It would still be an emblem on a blue flag, but at least it would be recognizable.

US Combined Soccer Leagues 2021

UPDATED February 1, 2022: Final standings.

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 to 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 have.

In 2021, the USSF has 79 professional men's teams. After the 2020 season, Reno 1868, Saint Louis, Portland Timbers 2, Orlando City B, and Philadelphia Union II folded. New teams added to Division 3 East are Maryland Bobcats and New Amsterdam, while Austin FC is added to Division 3 West.

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

Here are the final standings:

Since a wonderful home-and-away round robin doesn't actually happen in each league above, I substitute that with ranking the teams by points-per-game, including each team's league and cup games played in 2021, only counting games against teams in its division (Division 1, 2 or 3).

Four teams will be relegated from Division 1, while the best two of each Division 2 league will be promoted.

Due to the large number of new teams added in 2022, a Division 4 will be added. In conjunction with this, Division 2 will reduce to one league. One team will be promoted from each Division 3 league.

B teams must be in a division below their A teams (unless both are in Division 3), so if an A team is relegated from Division 1 to Division 2, then the B team will be relegated from Division 2 to Division 3, no matter its place in the table. Fort Lauderdale is Inter Miami's B team, so Fort Lauderdale will be relegated if Inter Miami isn't promoted.