A federal judge has denied the North American Soccer League (NASL) its request to regain the Division II status, according to reports from ESPN. The NASL moved against the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) in a bid to regain it Division II status but Judge Margo K. Brodie denied the application.
The judge heard arguments from either side at the Eastern District Court in New York. The NASL argued that not regaining the designation would ruin it completely. It also added that the USSF was in bed with the top flight league the Major League Soccer (MLS), the marketing arm Soccer United Marketing and the United Soccer League (USL) to harm it.
With the USSF naming the criteria for Division I, Division II and Division III, the NASL lost its designation. With the loss of this attempt, there would be bad financial implications due to the status drop. The judge failed to see the conspiracy and added that the NASL had not proved that they were entitled to a relief. The judge admitted that there has been “irreparable harm” to the league but that the case was not enough for the preliminary injunction.
The NASL has promised to appeal the case. They say they are “disappointed with the Court’s decision” but will seek further action.
The NASL claims the ruling has “extreme” repercussions for the team, players, coaches and fans. The USSF insists that the league does not meet the Professional League Standards (PLS) to be accorded Division II designation. The USSF rejected the NASL application for Division II status in September, hence the legal tussle.