US Combined Soccer Leagues 2024

UPDATED November 30, 2024: Final Standings are below.

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 2024, the USSF has 103 professional men's teams. After the 2023 season, Rio Grande Valley, San Diego Loyal, Albion San Diego, City Union and Gold Star Detroit folded. New teams added to Division 4 are Rhode Island, Spokane Velocity, Arizona Monsoon, Capo, Georgia Lions, Irvine Zeta and Carolina Core.

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 current standings:

Since a wonderful home-and-away round robin won't actually happen in each league above, I will substitute that with ranking the teams by points-per-game, including each team's league and cup games played in 2024, only counting games against teams in its division (Division 1, 2, 3 or 4).

Three teams will be relegated from Division 1 and three teams promoted from Division 2. Four teams will be relegated from Division 2, while the best two of each Division 3 league will be promoted. The number of teams moving between Divisions 3 and 4 is determined by the total number of teams in 2025. At least one team will be relegated from each Division 3 league.

B teams must be in a division below their A teams (unless both are in Division 4), 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.

European Super League 2023-24

UPDATED June 1: Final Standings below.

In previous years, some of the the richest clubs of European football announced (and then stepped back) a closed European Super League. They have 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 the 2021-22 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, Sevilla and Ajax were relegated from the Super League to Division 2 West. Zenit and Galatasaray were relegated from the Super League to Division 2 East. Leicester City, Porto, Napoli and Borussia Dortmund were promoted from Division 2 to the Super League. Sporting Portugal, Rangers, Braga, West Ham United, Dinamo Zagreb, Slavia Praha, Olympiacos and Sheriff Tiraspol were relegated to their respective domestic leagues. Nantes and Royale Union Saint-Gilloise were promoted to Division 2 West. Fenerbahçe, Ferencváros, Freiburg, Midtyjlland, Union Berlin and Basel were promoted to Division 2 East. Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Monaco were moved from East to West.

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.

Here 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 2023-24 season are the eight teams (that aren't in these international leagues) who progress the furthest in the Champions League and Europa League. These teams are Copenhagen, Brighton & Hove Albion, Qarabag, Rangers, Slavia Praha, Sparta Praha, Sporting Portugal and West Ham United.

US Combined Soccer Leagues 2023

UPDATED February 16, 2024: Final Standings below.

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 2023, the USSF has 101 professional men's teams. After (or during) the 2022 season, California United Strikers, Tucson, Bay Cities, Valley United, and Syracuse Pulse folded. New teams added to Division 4 are Lexington Sporting, One Knox, Club de Lyon, Gold Star Detroit, Savannah Clovers, Austin II, Crown Legacy, Huntsville City, and Los Angeles F.C. 2. St. Louis City is added to Division 3, taking the place of St. Louis City2, which will be in Division 4.

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 didn't actually happen in each league above, I substituted that with ranking the teams by points-per-game, including each team's league and cup games played in 2023, only counting games against teams in its division (Division 1, 2, 3 or 4).

Three teams are relegated from Division 1 and three teams promoted from Division 2. Four teams are relegated from Division 2, while the best two of each Division 3 league are promoted. The number of teams moving between Divisions 3 and 4 is determined by the total number of teams in 2024. At least one team is relegated from each Division 3 league.

B teams must be in a division below their A teams (unless both are in Division 4), so if an A team is relegated from Division 1 to Division 2, then the B team is relegated from Division 2 to Division 3, no matter its place in the table.

European Super League 2022-23

UPDATED June 12: Final Standings.

In previous years, 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 the 2021-22 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, Valencia and Celtic were relegated from the Super League to Division 2 West. Slavia Praha and Olympiacos were relegated from the Super League to Division 2 East. Brugge, Ajax, Zenit and AC Milan were promoted from Division 2 to the Super League. Molde, Granada, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Genk, Spartak Moskva, Dynamo Kyiv, Berner Young Boys and Beşiktaş were relegated to their respective domestic leagues. Sporting Portugal, Real Betis, Real Sociadad, West Ham United, Feyenoord, Leicester City and PSV Eindhoven were promoted to Division 2 West. Sheriff Tiraspol were promoted to Division 2 East. Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund and Monaco 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.

Here 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 2023-24 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 are Fenerbahçe, Ferencváros, Freiburg, Midtjylland, Nantes, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, Union Berlin, and Basel.

US Combined Soccer Leagues 2022

UPDATED March 13, 2023: Final Standings below, updated based on teams in 2023.

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 2022, the USSF has 97 professional men's teams. After the 2021 season, Austin Bold, New Amsterdam, and OKC Energy folded. New teams added to Division 4 are Charlotte FC, Monterey Bay, Central Valley Fuego, Northern Colorado Hailstorm, Bay Cities, Flower City Union, Syracuse Pulse, Valley United, Rochester New York, St. Louis City, and the B teams for Chicago Fire, Cincinnati, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, Houston Dynamo, Minnesota United, New York City, Orlando City, Philadelphia Union, Portland Timbers, San Jose Earthquakes, and Vancouver Whitecaps.

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 didn't actually happen in each league above, I substituted that with ranking the teams by points-per-game, including each team's league and cup games played in 2022, only counting games against teams in its division (Division 1, 2, 3 or 4).

Three teams will be relegated from Division 1 and three teams promoted from Division 2. Four teams will be relegated from Division 2, while the best two of each Division 3 league will be promoted. The number of teams moving between Divisions 3 and 4 will be determined by the total number of teams in 2023. At least one team will be relegated from each Division 3 league.

B teams must be in a division below their A teams (unless both are in Division 4), 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.

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?