A third season in the USL for Charlotte Independence will also be among the league’s most competitive.
The Colorado Rapids’ USL affiliate will again contest the Eastern Conference, in a league which has recently been granted Division Two status by the US Soccer Federation, alongside the North American Soccer League (NASL).
“The league has been trying to get the Division Two status for some time,” said Independence head coach, Mike Jeffries. “The USL takes it very seriously, in terms of meeting the requirements of Division Two.
“Not only are we the developmental league for MLS but we’re also, along with the NASL, the next tier down, and so it’s a big step up.