User:MontanaMako/UL

United League
*Liga Unida*
*Ligue Unie*
*Lig Etazini*
Founded	January 17, 2022
Countries	United States (15 clubs); Mexico (2 clubs); Honduras (1 club); Panama (1 club); Haiti (1 club)
Confederation	NAL
Number of teams	20
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	NAL Championship
Domestic cup(s)	UL Final, Flyer Cup
International cup(s)	NAL Champions League
Current champions	Long Island FC (UL Final); San Diego FC (Flyer Cup)
Most championships	Atlético Panamá (5 titles)

The United League, commonly referred to as the UL, is the highest level of the American football pyramid. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the NAL. Seasons usually run from August to May, with each team playing 38 matches: two against each other team, one home and one away. Most games are played on weekend afternoons, with occasional weekday evening fixtures.

History

Origins

On January 17, 2022, a meeting between seven business owners in the world of sports, as well as Q.C. Medeiros, an entrepreneur and organizer of the meeting, was held. In this meeting, Medeiros proposed the formation of the North American League (NAL), an association football league with clubs across the entirety of North America. All seven businessowners supported the idea of the league and agreed to a second meeting.

"Medeiros Meetings"

The three meetings held after the first were referred to as the "Medeiros Meetings." At the second meeting, officially known as the Meeting to Organize the North American League, Its Teams, Format, and Its Rules, Medeiros and a total of sixteen businesspeople agreed to the following: "The NAL is to have: a total of 20 clubs; a league below it, which is to be discussed at a later meeting; a postseason including the top half (10) clubs in the regular season; and clubs across all of North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean)."

At a third meeting, officially known as the Meeting to Organize the North American League, Its Clubs, and Its Minor Tier League, seven clubs were formally established, as well as the second tier of the American football pyramid. The second tier, then named the NAL Minor, was to have only seven clubs its first year. The original seven clubs in the first tier were New York SC, Los Angeles SC, Miami United, Toronto United, Dallas United (Ager Ludo FC), CF Ciudad de México (CF Ciudad), and Chicago FC.

At a fourth and final meeting, officially known as the Meeting to Organize the North American League, Its Official Clubs, and the Clubs of Its Minor League, the seven clubs of the NAL Minor were established, as well as the remaining 13 clubs in the NAL.

First season

In the North American League's first season, Miami United, one of the "original seven" clubs, won the Flyer Cup. The three teams relegated in the first season were CF Ciudad de México (CF Ciudad), Vancouver FC (Gioco FC), and New York SC.

2023 NAL Final

In the league's first postseason championship, Chicago FC played Philadelphia SC. In the regular season, Chicago had finished 3rd and Philadelphia finished 5th. The match went to penalties with both teaming having two goals scored; in penalties, Chicago won 3–2. The match was nicknamed "The Greatest Soccer Game Ever" by a Chicago newspaper and its commonly referred to as such.

"No-Go Rule"

On July 19, 2034, at the 12th North American Leagues Owners Meeting, Article 6, Section 14, Rule 2, commonly referred to as the "No-Go" Rule, was approved by a vote of 13 to 7. The "No-Go Rule" states:

When a club is promoted to a higher tier or league, in the following season, the club cannot be relegated to a lower tier until at least one season is played. If a promoted club is to finish in a position where the club should be relegated, the next highest club that was not promoted the previous year is to be relegated instead.
— Rulebook of the North American League, article 6, section 14, rule 2

This rule, although impacting all leagues below the North American League, greatly changed the layout of the league. In the first year of the rule being official, SC Atlanta finished 17th in the NAL, in the relegation zone, but because that was their first year in the league since being promoted, Sporting TC, who finished one spot above them, were relegated instead. The following season, SC Atlanta finished 20th and was relegated.

In 2041, three of the four teams in the relegation zone were recently promoted teams. This meant that Portland FC, despite finishing 13th, one spot away from the postseason, was relegated. In July 2054, the "No-Go Rule" was repealed.

Rebranding from NAL to NAL 1

On February 13, 2044, the North American League and all leagues below it announced that they would be undergoing a major rebrand, which included in the name of the top league being changed from the North American League to the North American League One, or NAL 1. The rebrand also included the formation of the NAL 3, now known as NAL League One.

Rebranding from NAL 1 to United League

After the 2057 NASLO bribery scandal, a new organization, the The National Athletic, Transcontinental, and Impartial Organization of North American Leagues (NAL). The NAL, in order to give the American leagues a new look, rebranded the NAL 1 to the United League (UL), as well as expanding the leagues below the UL from ten to 15 clubs. Also during this time, many clubs changed names due to new ownership or the "desire for a rebrand."

Clubs

San Diego

Sporting MH

Guayaba

Derby At River

Providence

Country

Realeza

Tegucigalpa

Chicago

Sporting TC

Ager Ludo

Long Island

Atlético Panamá

Bayou City

Capital

Cancún

Inter San Antonio

Pòtoprens

Niagara Falls

Sporting NVB

The United League contains a total of 20 clubs across North America. Most UL clubs are located in the United States.

2085–86 Club	2084–85 Position	Location
Ager Ludo	11th	Dallas, Texas
Atlético Panamá	13th	Panama City, Panama
Bayou City	14th	Houston, Texas
Cancún	16th	Cancún, Mexico
Capital	15th	Mexico City, Mexico
Chicago	9th	Chicago, Illinois
Country United	6th	Nashville, Tennessee
Derby At River	4th	Louisville, Kentucky
Guayaba	3rd	Tampa, Florida
Inter San Antonio	17th	San Antonio, Texas
Long Island	12th	Hempstead, New York
Niagara Falls	2nd (NALC)	Buffalo, New York
Pòtoprens	1st (NALC)	Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Providence Athletic	5th	Providence, Rhode Island
Realeza	7th	Charlotte, North Carolina
San Diego	1st	San Diego, California
Sporting MH	2nd	Denver, Colorado
Sporting NVB	6th (NALC)	Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia
Sporting TC	10th	Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Minnesota
Tegucigalpa	8th	Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Sporting NVB, despite finishing 6th in the NAL Championship, was promoted to the UL by winning the NAL Championship Playoffs.

Season format

Regular season

Currently, each club in the UL plays a total of 38 games: one versus each team at home and one versus each team at their stadium. All 20 clubs are organized into a table sorted by points. For every win a club gets, the club earns three points; for every draw, a club gets one point; for every loss, a club gets zero. The club with the most points at the end of the season wins the Flyer Cup and are declared regular season champions. The top twelves clubs in the table make the UL postseason. If there is a tie in the table, the tiebreaker is goal difference.

Onvetu

The Onvetu, coming from the phrase "one versus two," is a ceremonial game that starts every United League season. Although not contributing to points on the table, many consider it part of the regular season. The Onvetu is always played between a club in the United League and a club in the NAL Championship. The most recent Onvetu was played between Gioco FC and Atlético Panamá, with Panamá winning 2 goals to 1.

Postseason

Following the conclusion of the regular season, the top 12 teams are organized into a single-elimination tournament. The top four teams in the UL receive a bye to the second round. Below is the most recent postseason: the 2085 UL Playoffs.

First Round			Quarterfinals			Semifinals			UL Final

			1	San Diego FC	2(4)
8	CF Tegucigalpa	2	9	CF Tegucigalpa	2(5)
9	Chicago FC	1				9	CF Tegucigalpa	1
						12	Long Island FC	2
			4	Derby At River FC	1
5	Providence Athletic	0	12	Long Island FC	2
12	Long Island FC	1							12	Long Island FC	2
									10	Sporting TC	0
			2	Sporting MH	2
7	Realeza NCFC	1	10	Sporting TC	3
10	Sporting TC	2				10	Sporting TC	1	Third place
						3	Guayaba FC	0
			3	Guayaba FC	3				9	CF Tegucigalpa	2
6	Country United	2	6	Country United	1				3	Guayaba FC	1
11	Ager Ludo FC	0

The winner of the UL Final, the final match in the postseason, wins the Medeiros Trophy and are declared postseason champions. The most recent champions are Long Island FC; the club is also the lowest seed to ever win the Medeiros Trophy, being a 12 seed. The two clubs that lose in the semifinals play in a third-place match; in the most recent tournament, CF Tegucigalpa won the third place match.