Last weekend, the United Soccer League announced plans to create a new third division league in the American soccer pyramid. This new league could be a strong signal that soccer in America is moving closer to that of the German pyramid.
The German soccer pyramid is a six-tiered structure. The Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga, and 3. Liga make up the first three tiers, which are all professional. The fourth tier down are all amateur and separated into regions. Many of the clubs in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga have reserve teams that play within the pyramid but can only be promoted to 3.