LD Update: NASL Semifinals Game Night; Molinari re-signs for Pioneers

Just as expected, the opening legs of the two semifinal series proved to be tight affairs, with only one goal total being the difference on the night. The defending league champion Minnesota Stars and reigning regular season champion San Antonio Scorpions played to a stalemate while the second-seeded Tampa Bay Rowdies return home with a one-goal lead over the Carolina RailHawks. The two semifinal series conclude next weekend with a game each on Saturday and Sunday.

LD Update: International duty; USL's MAC Hermann watch list players

NASL Sunday - FC Edmonton 1:0 Puerto Rico Islanders - Shaun Saiko's return to the lineup proved fruitful as he volleyed home the winner in the 31st minute off a Kenny Caceros cross. - MORE

NASL News: The league honored Fort Lauderdale Strikers forward Andy Herron as the Offensive Player of the Week and selected Bryan Arguez of FC Edmonton as the Defensive Player of the Week... A pair of Carolina RailHawks will be in international action this week with Nick Millington joining Guyana to face Bolivia on the road and John Krause playing for Puerto Rico as they host 2010 World Cup champion Spain. 

LD Update: Historic PDL champ; NASL & USL Pro Game Night

A high scoring evening in NASL action as the three games finished with 14 total goals, with two finishing in a draw. In USL Pro, it was a great night in North Carolina as the Charlotte Eagles and Wilmington Hammerheads were victorious, keeping the Eagles in the playoff hunt and moving the Hammerheads into a tie for third with their opponent Charleston, whom they tied the night before on the road.

Carolina RailHawks 3:3 Tampa Bay Rowdies - In a wild back-and-forth affair, the visitors got on the board first when Shane Hill knocked a 12-yard effort in off the post in the 17th minute. Then Carolina went on a roll with three straight. Nick Zimmerman headed in a Kupono Low cross from six yards to make things even two minutes before the break, then scored four minutes into the second half off a cross from Jason Garey, who added one of his own three minutes later. Luke Mulholland, who set up Hill's opener keyed Tampa Bay's rally with a half volley four minutes from time and set up the equalizer in stoppage time with a corner to Takuya Yamada - MORE

LD Update: Puerto Rico falls in CCL opener; Hammerhead to Iceland; PDL award finalists

USL PRO: Harrisburg City Islanders 2:4 Orlando City - The Florida club may have already locked up first, but they certainly did not take it easy in Harrisburg. Jamie Watson struck six minutes in. After Garret Pettis equalized in the 10th, Watson would restore the advantage beore the break with his second in the 32nd. In the second half it was Dennis Chin, setting up defender Erik Ustruck with a rebound finish in the 52nd and scoring himself in the 75th to put the match out of reach. James McLaughlin provided a late effort for a rally in the 82nd. - MORE

LD Update: USL Pro Game Night; League honors; PDL signings

USL Pro: Pittsburgh Riverhounds 0:2 LA Blues - Maxwell Griffin played a role in both goals on either side of the break. He kicked it off by collecting a long diagonal ball in the 38th and sending it toward goal only to have it deflect off a defender and, fortunately, to the path of Brian Farber to give them the lead. Nine minutes into the second half a defensive giveaway forced by Matt Fondy allowed Maykel Galindo to find Griffin to double the lead. Galindo nearly made it three in the 73rd when Blum was tackled by the keeper, sending Galindo to the spot only to see him denied with a nice save by Greg Blum. - MORE

LD Update: NASL & USL Pro Game Night; WNY champs, PDL final set

With fourth-place Fort Lauderdale winning the night before, the top three clubs answered right back with wins of their own Saturday with shutout victories at home, including one stunning scoreline that set a league record.

Harrisburg and Richmond made it a clean sweep for the home clubs on the night, giving themselves a little space from Charlotte in the race for the final playoff berth.

LD Update: League honors; WPSL final four pairings

USL Pro News: After becoming the team's all-time leading scorer, Matthew Delicate was honored as the league's Player of the Week, highlighting the Team of the Week.

W-League News: In advance of the Final Four this weekend, the league unveiled the 2012 All-League Team.

WPSL News: The league unveiled the pairings for the Final Four in Pensacola, FL. The matches, determined in an unknown fashion, pit top seed (based on points-percentage) Gulf Coast Texans against the third seed Salt Lake United in a showdown of the two unbeaten teams in the semifinals. The other semifinal will see the second seed Aztec MA square off against Oklhahoma FC. - PLAYOFF BRACKET

Super-20 News: The league announced the Men's and Women's All-Tournament teams, recognizing Karisa Price of the Colorado Rapids as the Women's Most Valuable Player and the Chicago Fire's Felipe Cortez as the Men's MVP.

LD Update: Amateur & elite youth league playoffs - MLS affiliate results & WPSL forfeit issues

Today was all about the amateur playoffs. In addition to the five elite semi-pro & amateur leagues, the USL Super-20 League and US Soccer Development Academy league crowned champions in a busy day that featured numerous MLS-affiliated sides.

PDL News: The Conference Championships were decided Sunday with only one of the three tournament hosts winning. The Carolina Dynamo advanced to the league semifinals next weekend with a stoppage time game-winner for a 1-0 decision against the Ottawa Fury. They will face Orlando City U23, who won in their home state, 4-2 in Ocala, against the Austin Aztex. The other semifinal will see the Seattle Sounders U23 side, 2-0 winners against host Ventura County Fusion, face Forest City London, who knocked off both division champions in the Central Conference, downing the host Michigan Bucks, 2-1, to avenge a series sweep during the season (1-0, 2-1). - PLAYOFF BRACKET

LD Update: NASL & USL Pro Game Nights; Amateur league playoffs

San Antonio kept hold of first with a narrow victory while the Tampa Bay Rowdies used a showdown for second to leap over the Puerto Rico Islanders. The Carolina RailHawks used a storm-delayed victory against Minnesota to move within two points of the fourth-place side.

An off night for Charleston allowed the Rochester Rhinos to move into second with a victory while the Richmond Kickers, mired mid-table, celebrated Matthew Delicate becoming the team's all-time leading goal scorer with a late goal in a win.

LD Update: USL Pro Game Night; NASL signings; PDL/WPSL playoffs

With the Charlotte Eagles charging up the table, Harrisburg and Wilmington added a little space with a pair of two-goal wins Friday evening.

USL PRO

Wilmington Hammerheads 2:0 Dayton Dutch Lions - Two goals in the opening nine minutes were too much for the visitors to rally back from. Corey Hertzog's long throw proved fatal again, connecting with Dylan Riley, who headed in after just three minutes. Cody Arnoux doubled the lead six minutes later with a 40-yard rocket. - MORE

LD Update: NASL & USL Pro Game Nights; WPSL Elite expansion; MLS player moves

In midweek action there were a couple surprising results as the defending NASL champion Minnesota Stars fell at home to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, who moved squarely into the mix to make a run for the regular season title down the stretch.

Meanwhile in USL, the Dayton Dutch Lions continue to improve and impress, upending the Harrisburg City Islanders after a scoreless draw between the two last week to move third from bottom in the table. League leader Orlando City nabbed a late win against second-place Charleston to increase the gap in the race to repeat as the regular season champions.

LD Update: Special - Amateur League Playoffs

THE ONLY PLACE TO FIND BRACKETS FOR ALL FOUR LEAGUES!

Initial rounds of the postseason for the WPSL, NPSL and USL's PDL and W-League kicked off this past weekend and have continued with midweek contests. They get into high gear this coming weekend as they set the stage for their respective championship events.

Of note, there are seven teams combined in the postseason across the four leagues that are directly affiliated with Major League Soccer clubs. The PDL playoffs boast four with the Reading United AC (Philadelphia Union), Seattle Sounders U23s and Portland Timbers U23s. The W-League features the DC United Women and Seattle Sounders Women while FC Dallas plays in the WPSL. The New York Red Bulls Academy is the lone team in the NPSL playoffs.

LD Update: Loans & Call-ups; Statistical award winners

NASL News: The Fort Lauderdale Strikers are getting former player Paulo Araujo Jr back, returning on loan from Real Salt Lake . Meanwhile the team also announced a contract extention with Walter Restrepo... The young Puerto Rico Islanders duo of defender Cesar Garcia (Dominican Republic) and Joseph Marrero (Puerto Rico) have been called up for their U-20 national teams for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Qualifying tournament.

USL Pro News: The league announced the Team of the Week, honoring Los Angeles Blues midfielder Bryan Burke as the Player of the Week.

LD Update: Honors & amateur league playoff news

NASL News: The league announced Pablo Campos of the San Antonio Scorpions as the Offensive Player of the Week while recognizing Tampa Bay Rowdies goalkeeper Jeff Attinella as the Defensive Player of the Week.

W-League: The Virginia Beach Piranhas advanced to the playoffs Sunday with a 2-0 victory in Fredericksburg... Colorado Rush W-League player Lindsey Horan has reportedly signed a six-figure deal with French club PSG.

PDL News: The Michigan Bucks claimed the league's regular season championship for a third time (2000, 2008) with a 4-0 win Sunday... Ocean City Nor'easters finished as the best team in the Eastern Conference with a 1-0 win Sunday against Brooklyn.

WPSL News: The Spokane Shine have withdrawn from the playoffs and will be replaced by Issaquah SC, who finished second in the Northwest Division.

NPSL News: The league announced New York Red Bulls Academy U23 striker John Gurel as the Player of the Week.

LD Update: NASL Game Night; Amateur league playoffs

FC Edmonton 0:1 Tampa Bay Rowdies - Despite losing Tsuyoshi Yoshitake to a red card 32 minutes in following a collision along the touchline. Despite the disadvantage, the Rowdies held strong and found the winner through Luke Mulholland in the 89th minute, giving Tampa Bay a fifth win in the last six for a surge that has put them in third position two points out of first. - MORE

PDL News: Forest City London advanced to the conference playoffs following news of the withdrawal by expected divisional round opponent River City, who claimed not to have enough available players after receiving two red cards versus Michigan Sunday... The Northwest Division's early playoff start continued with the Portland Timbers U-23s downing the defending champion Kitsap Pumas, 2-1, in the divisional round to reach the Western Conference final four set for Ventura, Calif.

LD Update: NASL & USL Pro Game Night; Amateur league playoffs

The Atlanta Silverbacks climbed out of the cellar with a consecutive win, topping the co-leading Puerto Rico Islanders. The loss allowed the San Antonio Scorpions to move alone atop the table with a draw at Fort Lauderdale.

The LA Blues were the lone side to pick up a win on the road Saturday in USL Pro, keeping themselves in the hunt for the postseason. With a five-game win streak, the Charlotte Eagles find themselves in the playoff picture. Leaders Orlando City blanked Rochester, allowing Charleston to move into second with a win over Wilmington.

LD Update: USL Pro Game Night; Kickers signings; MISL combine

Antigua Barracuda 0:3 Los Angeles Blues - The Blues put an end to a five-game losing skid in a match that began Thursday evening and wrapped up Friday morning due to lightning in the 13th minute. A defensive lapse allowed Bryan Burke to give the visitors the advantage 11 minutes in. Antigua fought back with a couple chances, but the rally was dimmed when they lost Luke Blakely in the 66th for a second yellow. Two minutes later Brian Farber fired from inside the area to double the lead. Farber then connected with Burke with five minutes left on a cross to the back post to cap the lengthy contest. - MORE

Richmond Kickers 3:1 Pittsburgh Riverhounds - Bolstered by a handful of new additions, the Kickers grabbed a 2-0 halftime lead in the eight minutes leading up to the break. Gerson dos Santos created the opener in the 37th with a lofted cross that Yomby William nodded in at the back post. Jason Yeisley created the second, an own goal, with a cross into the six that went off a defender and through goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap's legs. The second half was a stalemate until the two sides exchanged penalties in the final four minutes with Matthew Delicate giving Richmond their third and Matt Kassal spoiling the clean sheet in the 90th. - MORE

LD Update: NASL & USL Pro Game Nights; Cosmos to NASL; Roster changes

Midweek action created a two-point margin between the top three clubs in the NASL as the Puerto Rico Islanders moved back level with expansion San Antonio Wednesday and the defending champion Minnesota Stars keeping pace two points back the following night.

Wednesday - Puerto Rico Islanders 1:0 San Antonio Scorpions - The Islanders took the narrow decision between the league's two top sides with a header from Nicholas Addlery off a cross from Noah Delgado 25 minutes in. Jonathan Fana nearly made it two seven minutes later when he found himself alone with the keeper only to have Darryl Sattler make a great save. Richard Martin made a great save for the other side six minutes into the second, however, it was to keep a potential own goal on a Esteban Bayona cross from going in. Another great save for Martin came courtesy of the crossbar, which denited midfielder Hans Denissen five minutes later. - MORE

LD Update: Pro honors; PDL playoff teams

NASL News: The league recognized Carolina RailHawks midfielder Mike Palacio as the Offensive Player of the Week and Atlanta Silverbacks goalkeeper Daniel Illyes as the Defensive Player of the Week... The Atlanta Silverbacks announced that interim coach Eric Wynalda has brought into the club three of his Cal FC players, signing Danny Barrera, Pablo Cruz and Mike Randolph.

USL Pro News: Rochester Rhinos striker Kendell McFayden was named as the Player of the Week, hilighting the league's Team of the Week... DC United 2012 draft pick Charles Rodriguez, a former member and captain of nearby University of North Carolina-Charlotte, has signed with the Wilmington Hammerheads.

LD Update: USL Pro Game Night; PDL playoff races

LA Blues 0:4 Orlando City - An early George Davis miss by inches may have been critical as the visitors scored five minutes later and ran away with the victory. Jamie Watson connected with Dennis Chin in the seventh minute. Chin doubled the advantage 10 minutes later, collecting a clearance blocked by Jean Alexandre and firing past Jose Miranda. Alexandre added the third with 20 minutes left and Matt Luzunaris capped the scoring in the 78th. - MORE

PDL News: The Michigan Bucks clinched a record 10th division championship with a 5-1 victory against Cincinnati Saturday... A 1-1 Des Moines Menace draw against Thunder Bay allowed Real Colorado Foxes to clinch a postseason berth with a 3-0 road win in Kansas City...