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.