Maybe I should save this next article for the 2007 edition, but since there has been an announcement in the United Soccer Leagues we might as well throw it in and start discussing a happy and exciting moment in the Carolinas. SAS Stadium in Cary, North Carolina will be the home to an expansion side in the USL First Division. The Carolina Derby will star Charleston in the South against Cary in the North. This will also bring the total of American clubs in the USL First Division from eight to nine starting in 2007. It also means that at the moment this is the same amount of clubs in the USL Second Division.

With MLS adding Toronto in 2007 and if it was possible for San Jose to make a return, the top three divisions of US Soccer will have an odd number of American clubs. There could possibly be 13 clubs in MLS and nine clubs in both the USL First and Second Divisions. Would that mean USL Second Division clubs will be allowed automatic bids and wouldn’t have to double their regular season matches as Open Cup qualifiers? Personally for me it would eliminate that damned percentage rule which would be a positive, but the overall accomplishment is that you would have a total of 31 professional clubs playing without worrying about making regular season matches doubling up as qualifiers. This would make US Soccer supporters feel a lot better and might open the door to the possibility of adding more rounds to the US Open Cup. Anything is possible and we all know that the growth of the sport here in the United States is getting better and better every year. Let’s all hope that the positives will continue to outweigh the negatives.

Now my surprise to you all is that I’m surprised that the AAC Eagles didn't make it to the Illinois state final. This is shocking to me. This is the first time since I have been following the Qualifying in the US Adult Soccer Association that the AAC Eagles won’t be in the Region II tournament, which means we won’t see them in the first round of the 2006 US Open Cup. As far as I can remember the AAC Eagles have been one of the most dominant sides in Region II of the USASA and for them to be missing in action in the Illinois state final has been a complete shock to me.