# 2005 United Soccer Leagues

The 2005 USL season was the first following a rebranding of two United Soccer Leagues operated leagues. The A-League and the Pro Soccer League were renamed to the USL First Division and USL Second Division, respectively. These leagues also became single table this year, ending the use of regional conferences.

## Changes from 2004

* The Syracuse Salty Dogs, Milwaukee Wave United, Edmonton Aviators, and Calgary Mustangs of the First Division folded following the 2004 season.
* The Utah Blitzz of the Second Division folded following the 2004 season.
* The Cincinnati Kings joined the Second Division as an expansion club.
* The Westchester Flames, San Diego Gauchos, and California Gold switched from the Second Division to the PDL.

## Summary

| Competition | Champion | Runner-up | Regular season champion/best USL team |
| USL First Division | Seattle Sounders | Richmond Kickers | Montreal Impact |
| USL Second Division | Charlotte Eagles | Western Mass Pioneers | Western Mass Pioneers |
| USL PDL | Des Moines Menace | El Paso Patriots | Orange County Blue Star |
| U.S. Open Cup | Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) | FC Dallas (MLS) | Minnesota Thunder (lost in semifinal) |
| Voyageurs Cup | Montreal Impact | Vancouver Whitecaps | n/a |

## First Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Montreal Impact (S) | 28 | 18 | 3 | 7 | 37 | 15 | +22 | 61 | Semifinal of playoffs |
| 2 | Rochester Raging Rhinos | 28 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 45 | 27 | +18 | 51 | Semifinal of playoffs |
| 3 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 28 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 37 | 21 | +16 | 45 | First round of playoffs |
| 4 | Seattle Sounders (C) | 28 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 33 | 25 | +8 | 44 | First round of playoffs |
| 5 | Portland Timbers | 28 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 40 | 42 | −2 | 39 | First round of playoffs |
| 6 | Richmond Kickers | 28 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 28 | 30 | −2 | 39 | First round of playoffs |
| 7 | Puerto Rico Islanders | 28 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 46 | 43 | +3 | 38 | |
| 8 | Atlanta Silverbacks | 28 | 10 | 15 | 3 | 40 | 52 | −12 | 33 | |
| 9 | Charleston Battery | 28 | 9 | 14 | 5 | 27 | 36 | −9 | 32 | |
| 10 | Minnesota Thunder | 28 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 37 | 42 | −5 | 31 | |
| 11 | Virginia Beach Mariners | 28 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 26 | 39 | −13 | 28 | |
| 12 | Toronto Lynx | 28 | 3 | 17 | 8 | 26 | 50 | −24 | 17 | |
* 1 2 POR: 4 pts; RIC: 1 pt

### Playoffs

    Each round except the final was a two-game aggregate goal series decided by extra time and a penalty shoot-out immediately following the second game of the series, if necessary. The away goals rule was not used as a tie-breaker. Tournament was re-seeded after the first round.
| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| | | | | | 1 | Montreal Impact | 2 | 1 | 3 | | | |
| 4 | Seattle Sounders | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Seattle Sounders | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | |
| 5 | Portland Timbers | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | 4 | Seattle Sounders (p) | 1 (4) |
| | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Richmond Kickers | 1 (3) |
| | | | | | 2 | Rochester Raging Rhinos | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | |
| 3 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 0 | 0 | 0 (4) | 6 | Richmond Kickers | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | |
| 6 | Richmond Kickers (p) | 0 | 0 | 0 (5) | | | | | | | | |

#### Quarterfinals

Richmond Kickers won 5–4 on Penalty kicks after tying both games 0–0.
Seattle Sounders won 3–0 on Aggregate.

#### Semifinals

Richmond Kickers won 4–2 on Aggregate.
Seattle Sounders won 4–3 on Aggregate.

#### Awards and All-League Teams

First Team F: Fabian Dawkins (Atlanta Silverbacks); Jason Jordan (Vancouver Whitecaps) (MVP & Leading Goalscorer); Mauricio Salles (Puerto Rico Islanders) M: Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar (Portland Timbers); Mauro Biello (Montreal Impact); Steve Klein (Vancouver Whitecaps); Kirk Wilson (Rochester Raging Rhinos) D: Gabriel Gervais (Montreal Impact); Taylor Graham (Seattle Sounders) (Defender of the Year); Scot Thompson (Portland Timbers) G: Greg Sutton (Montreal Impact) (Goalkeeper of the Year) Coach: Nick De Santis (Montreal Impact) (Coach of the Year)
Second Team F: Dan Antoniuk (Portland Timbers); Johnny Menyongar (Minnesota Thunder); Melvin Tarley (Minnesota Thunder) M: Darren Caskey (Virginia Beach Mariners); Jeff Matteo (Minnesota Thunder); Rodrigo Rios (Atlanta Silverbacks); Petter Villegas (Puerto Rico Islanders)) D: Ben Hollingsworth (Charleston Battery); Peter Luzak (Richmond Kickers); Nevio Pizzolitto (Montreal Impact) G: Preston Burpo (Seattle Sounders)

## Second Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Western Mass Pioneers (S) | 20 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 41 | 22 | +19 | 43 | Playoff berth clinched |
| 2 | Charlotte Eagles (C) | 20 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 44 | 20 | +24 | 41 | Playoff berth clinched |
| 3 | Harrisburg City Islanders | 20 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 43 | 24 | +19 | 41 | Playoff berth clinched |
| 4 | Wilmington Hammerheads | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 45 | 23 | +22 | 38 | Playoff berth clinched |
| 5 | Cincinnati Kings | 20 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 28 | 23 | +5 | 26 | |
| 6 | Long Island Rough Riders | 20 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 29 | 42 | −13 | 21 | |
| 7 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 20 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 32 | 25 | +7 | 21 | |
| 8 | New Hampshire Phantoms | 20 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 29 | 38 | −9 | 21 | |
| 9 | Northern Virginia Royals | 20 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 16 | 90 | −74 | 6 | |

### Playoffs

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Western Mass Pioneers | 0 | 3 | 3 | | | |
| 4 | Wilmington Hammerheads | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | |
| 4 | Wilmington Hammerheads | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Western Mass Pioneers | 2 (4) |
| | | | | | 2 | Charlotte Eagles (a.e.t.) (p) | 2 (5) |
| 2 | Charlotte Eagles (a.e.t.) | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | Charlotte Eagles (a.e.t.) (p) | 2 (5) |
| 3 | Harrisburg City Islanders | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | |

#### Semifinals

Western Mass Pioneers won 3–2 on Aggregate.
Charlotte Eagles won 4–2 on Aggregate. Charlotte lost 0–1 and then on the second leg won 2–1. The tied series in aggregate then went into overtime periods where Charlotte scored 2 goals.