LD Update: Ottawa finally wins W-League; Gulf Coast & FC Sonic champs

While three of the elite amateur leagues were determing their championships Sunday (PDL to conclude next week), the bottom two sides in USL Pro squared off. With a victory over Antigua, Dayton jumped past Pittsburgh in the table.

USL PRO: Dayton Dutch Lions 3:1 Antigua Barracuda - The visitors took the initial lead when a shot from Stefan Smith rebounded to Tamarley Thomas in the 12th minute. Nixon Dias headed in a Eli Garner corner two minutes later for the hosts and things got worse in the 38th when Matthew Aldred was sent off for a bad tackle. Another corner just before the hour mark was put away by Mettin Copier after a scramble then Antigua lost George Dublin to a red. Neil Holowaty finished the scoring in the 72nd. - 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: Pro signings; Women's championships

In a midweek showdown Wednesday night, the Wilmington Hammerheads and Orlando City played to a stalemate.

Orlando City 1:1 Wilmington Hammerheads - The game went past an hour of play before the visitors got on the board through Bryce Taylor, who beat two defenders to tally in the 68th minute, making the hosts regret a saved Rodrigo Lopez penalty kick from minutes earlier. Matt Luzunaris would provide the equalizer six minutes from time, heading in a cross from Dennis Chin. - MORE

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: 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: Wynalda to Atlanta; USL Pro adds Phoenix; WPSL Elite playoff format

NASL News: On Sunday, news broke that the Atlanta Silverbacks released head coach Alex Pineda Chacon and director of soccer Rodrigo Rios - both former players - and would announce the interim coach immediately. On Monday, the club unveiled Eric Wynalda, manager of US Open Cup darling Cal FC, as the interim coach and team advisor. The job is short-term as he is charged with finding the next head coach as part of his responsibilities before he returns to continue his new three-year deal with Fox Soccer. At the halfway point of the season, the Silverbacks are in last place with a 1-8-5 record... Meanwhile, the league announced Tampa Bay Rowdies goalkeeper Jeff Attinella as the Defensive Player of the Week and forward Mark Anderson of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers as the Offensive Player of the Week.

LD Update: CFU resumes; NASL honors; WPSL Elite forfeit

CFU Resumes: The Final Four of the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship wraps up this week in Trindad, featuring a pair of T&T clubs and the North American lower division duo of Puerto Rico Islanders (NASL) and Antigua Barracuda (USL Pro).

The tournament resumes with the Semifinals Tuesday evening. First up is a showdown between Antigua and Caledonia AIA. Barracuda are new to the competition and Caledonia failed to advance to the Final Four a year ago, falling in penalties to Haitian side Tempete.

The other semifinal features the winners of the last three editions of the tournament and a rematch of the 2009 Final when W Connection edged Puerto Rico, 2-1. Jonathan Fana has raised the trophy three consecutive years having led W Connection to the 2009 title before joining the Islanders for the past two campaigns.

LD Update: USL Pro & NPSL honors; WPSL star signings

USL Pro News: The league announced Rochester Rhinos goalkeeper Kristian Nicht as the Player of the Week, highlighting the Team of the Week that was also unveiled... Meanwhile, the Rhinos announced that former players Craig Demmin, Doug Miller and Pat Onstad are being inducted in to the team's Hall of Fame this year.

WPSL Signings: The California Storm that US international stars Brandi Chastain and Aly Wagner, along with Brazilian standout Sissi, will return to the club this summer.

NPSL Honors: The league announced defender Ruairidh Winters of AFC Cleveland as the Player of the Week.

LD Update: USL Pro Game Night; Complex groundbreaking; Signings

Harrisburg City Islanders 1:2 Charlotte Eagles - It was not a pleasant home opener for Harrisburg as a thunderstorm halted the game for 88 minutes just after a half-hour of play. Then things got interesting in the second half with Harrisburg's Sainey Touray go-ahead goal two minutes in. Charlotte's Darryl Roberts, answered for the Eagles in the 66th off a feed from Joseph Kabwe, a second half sub that also set up the Jorge Herrera game-winner seven minutes later. - More

Charleston Battery 4:0 Antigua Barracuda - The Battery dominated the visiting Antigua side which was shutout for the second time in three nights. Following a scoreless first half, Jose Cuevas tallied the first a minute into the second stanza. Then it was all Nicki Paterson as he scored the second in the 74th before setting up Salieu Bundu six minutes later and Dane Kelly in the 90th. - More

LD Update: NASL, USL Pro & ACC Game Night; Expansion news

The only lower division winners on the night were the Wilmington Hammerheads. Another game in the NASL, another draw. The league has had more than half its contests (19) finish tied (10) with another six decided by one goal. FC Edmonton's odds of reaching the Canadian Championship final were made long with a loss at home.

LD Update: NASL honors; PDL & W-League Preseason

NASL Honors: Fort Lauderdale Strikers forward Andy Herron was honored as the league’s Offensive Player of the Week for both goals in a 2-2 draw at San Antonio while Puerto Rico Islanders goalkeeper Richard Martin received the Defensive Player of the Week award for a shutout in a scoreless draw against Edmonton Wednesday and another fine performance in a 3-1 win against Carolina Saturday. 

PDL News: The Brooklyn Knights announced the six newest additions to the squad come from the East Coast Conference (Div II) with players from Dowling College, Molloy College and LIU Post… Mississippi Brilla announced three more players, this time bringing in a set of players from Virginia Commonwealth University… FC Tucson won a 2-1 preseason friendly against Grand Canyon University Friday evening… On Sunday, the Ventura County Fusion edged Cal State Northridge, 1-0, in a preseason friendly with the late loan goal from Frankie Lopez, assisted by Danny Barrera. They play Cal State Bakersfield in the next preseason contest.