2001 A-League
The 2001 USL A-League was an American Division II league run by the United Soccer Leagues during the summer of 2001.
The addition of the Portland Timbers this season saw the renewal of a Pacific Northwest rivalry between them, the Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps which dated back to the North American Soccer League. Although Vancouver was not new to the league, this was the first season they competed in under the Whitecaps name. Beginning with their founding in 1986 through the 2000 A-League season, Vancouver had operated under the 86ers name. An ownership change in August 2000 brought a revival of the old Whitecaps name for the 2001 season. At the end of the regular season, the Richmond Kickers topped the league with seventy-six points. The post-season was marred by two tragedies. First, the September 11 attacks forced the league to reschedule the first round games which had been set to begin on September 12. Then, Mickey Trotman, a starter for the Rochester Rhinos, was killed in an automobile accident two days before the team's first semifinal match with the Milwaukee Rampage. In the end, the Rhinos overcame the Hershey Wildcats to take its third league title in four seasons.
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