USL

Maine is set to get its first professional soccer team with Portland announcing the brand and colors for their new USL League One team (the third tier on the U.S. Soccer pyramid).

The new team have one of the most creative names we’ve seen among clubs in the U.S. and has absolutely blown us away. THIS is how you name a professional soccer team.

Ladies and gentlemen, give a warm welcome to the Portland Hearts of Pine.

New Maine soccer team

The U.S. Open Cup just gave us another showing of why all American clubs should continue competing against each other. Cough, cough, MLS.

This week saw the return of the fan-favorite Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with teams from the USL League One/Two, NISA and MLS Next Pro competing in the first round of the tournament.

The NWSL is no longer the only Division 1 women’s soccer league in the United States as U.S. Soccer announced on Friday that the new USL Super League has been granted top flight status.

The USL Super League will kick off in 2024 with eight teams and already has plans for more cities to join in 2025.

U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone congratulated the new league on their status and said it will create more opportunities for women’s players in the U.S.

Every major downtown area in the United States needs a good soccer stadium as a gathering place for footy fans in our opinion. A new $60 million Omaha soccer stadium will now provide Nebraska with one of its own.

USL 1 club Union Omaha only came into existence five years ago and began playing in 2020. In a few short years the Owls have achieved major landmarks and have revealed plans for a state-of-the-art 7,000-seater stadium.

Omaha soccer stadium

We here at The18 are suckers for a good downtown soccer stadium in the United States. Whether it’s MLS, NWSL or USL, a shiny stadium in the heart of a city hits the same.

Oklahoma City looks to be the latest major U.S. metro area ready to add the beautiful game in the downtown area.

Sacramento Republic forward Da'vian Kimbrough became the youngest U.S. pro soccer player in history, making his professional debut on Sunday.

Kimbrough, who is 13 years, 7 months and 13 days old, entered a USL Championship match in the 87th minute of Sacramento Republic's 2-0 win over the Las Vegas Lights.

Historic. Da’vian Kimbrough makes his professional debut at 13 years, 7 months, 13 days with his hometown club. pic.twitter.com/SNjsxQPlA5

The San Diego Loyal, a United Soccer League club owned in part by soccer legend Landon Donovan, will cease operations after the 2023 season, the league announced Thursday.

The franchise rights will be transferred "in the coming months," per a league news release.

The action is being taken because a "viable near- and long-term stadium solution in the market did not materialize" in the San Diego area, the league said.

Sacramento Republic FC of the United Soccer League made history on Tuesday by signing a 13-year-old player to a professional contract.

Da'vian Kimbrough, who is 13 years, 5 months and 13 days old, signed with Sacramento to become the youngest pro player in U.S. soccer history. The record most recently belonged to Maximo Carrizo, who signed with New York City FC's senior squad on his 14th birthday in February 2022.

The club also claims that Kimbrough is the youngest professional athlete in American team sports history.