Meckelnburgh Pro-League Soccer

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Pro-League Soccer
Countries Meckelnburgh Meckelnburgh
Confederation AEFA
Founded 2020 CE
First season 2020A
Number of teams 24
Levels on pyramid 1–2
League cup(s) Meckelnish Supercup
Royal Football Cup
Community Shield
Current champions Victoria Clippers
(2023)
Most championships Victoria Clippers (3)
Website pro.soccer.mb
2024 Season
For the amateur league, see Meckelnish Soccer League

The Meckelnburgh Professional Soccer League (MPSL; Alexandrian: Ligue professionnelle Meckelmbourgeoise de football; Aspiranto: Mekelnburga Profesia Futbalo-Ligo), branded as Pro-League Soccer, formerly known as the Meckelnburgh United Soccer League, is the professional association football league sanctioned in Meckelnburgh, operated by the Royal Meckelnburgh Soccer Federation. It represents the sport's highest level in the kingdom. The league comprises 24 coed teams across two divisions, 12 in the Premier Division (tier 1) and 12 in the Challenger Division (tier 2).

Pro-League Soccer was founded in 2020 CE as the first sanctioned league for Meckelnish soccer. Unlike most soccer leagues on Micras, the Pro-League Soccer has a fixed membership of professional, locally owned teams, instead of an association of clubs. The teams are each owned and managed by their local municipalities, except for the Albioch Firebirds and Lunden Cardsharps, funded by the Church of Meckelnburgh and the Queen respectively. Most of the major cities in Meckelnburgh host one team. All teams are organized and subsidized centrally by the Ministry of Culture & Sport, headquartered in Alexandretta.

Most members of the Meckelnburgh national football team are affiliated with teams in Pro-League Soccer.

History

Meckelnburgh Pro-League Soccer began as the Meckelnburgh United Soccer League, intended to be the unified league of competitive soccer in the kingdom. Funding for eight professional teams was allocated for the first season in 2020 CE. Due to the league's small size, two series were planned per season, and Season 2020 Series A concluded to much fanfare. A relegation division, the Challenger Division, was added in 2020 Series B. At the same time, Pro-League Soccer was confirmed to be a full co-ed league. For 2021 CE, the MUSL reached its final size of 24 teams, and the year was finally condensed into a single-series season.

Following the performance of the Meckelnburgh national football team in the 2021 FMF World Cup, popular interest demanded the Royal Meckelnburgh Soccer Federation expand sanctioned play to amateur teams. A league comprised of privately owned, amateur clubs was established as the Meckelnburgh National Soccer League (tiers 3-5), branded as Meckelnish Soccer. The Meckelnburgh United Soccer League was reorganized as Pro-League Soccer to coordinate the expansion. Thus, the Meckelnish soccer pyramid expanded to five tiers.

Sanktago Saints' annus horribilis

In the 2022 Pro-League season, the Sanktago Saints carried the league, being both first-time season champions and first-time winners of the Royal Football Cup. However, fortunes did not last long. For the opener to the 2023 Pro-League season, the Sanktago Saints lost the Meckelnish Supercup, in a surprise upset, to the 2022 runner-up Victoria Clippers. The Sanktago Saints followed with an atrocious season performance that netted only 19 points, with 13 losses of 22 fixtures, and a score differential of −11. The team made last in the Premier Division and was relegated.

Prior results

Previous seasons

Teams: Premier Division (red), Challenger Division (yellow).
Season Season champions
(number of titles)
Pts. Runners-up Pts. Challenger Division Pts.
2020[†] Tuft Amberjacks (1) 22 Alexandretta Royals 22 No teams
Fríða Outlaws (1) 14 Victoria Clippers 13 Tillamark Steamwheelers 19
2021 Alexandretta Royals (1) 54 Victoria Clippers 37 Townsville Rumblebees 45
2022 Sanktago Saints (1) 43 Victoria Clippers 40 Cripple Creek Whitecaps 46
2023 Liubz Vacationers (1) 43 Victoria Clippers 34 La Rochelle Emeralds 42
  • ^ Year split into A and B seasons. Season A was 14 games in 1 division. Season B was 7 games in the Premier Division and 9 games in the Challenger Division.
  • List of champions

    Meckelnish Supercup
    Team Wins Winning years
    Victoria Clippers 2 2022, 2023
    Royal Football Cup
    Team Wins Winning years
    Victoria Clippers 3 2020B, 2021, 2023
    Alexandretta Royals 1 2020A
    Sanktago Saints 1 2022
    Community Shield
    Team Wins Winning years
    Cripple Creek Whitecaps 1 2022
    La Rochelle Emeralds 1 2023
    Tillamark Steamwheelers 1 2020
    Townsville Rumblebees 1 2021

    Season format

    The Pro-League Soccer season runs September through May. Starting in the 2021 CE season, Pro-League Soccer plays a double round-robin rotation as part of the regular season, where each team from the Premier and Challenger Divisions meats the follow teams in their divisions twice. From the results of the regular season, the top two performing teams from the Challenger Division are promoted to the Premier Division, and the bottom two performing teams from the Premier Division are relegated, automatically. The team from the Challenger division who earns the most points in the regular season earns the Community Shield.

    The top eight performing teams from the Premier Division qualify for a post-season championship. The winner of the three-round, single-elimination tournament earns the Royal Football Cup and is considered the season champion. As the opener of the next season, the winner of the Royal Football Cup and the previous season champion play for the Meckelnish Supercup. Should those be the same team, the season runner-up challenges the Supercup.

    League teams

    Players are usually called up from their team's affiliated minor-league team in the Meckelnburgh Professional Development Soccer League, branded as Minor-League Soccer. Each team has a limit of 23 players for the season, with three goalkeepers, and may designate a limit of 18 players for a game-day squad. Player transfers occur in the off-season, June through August; each team has an annual allowance to put towards transfers of ₢7 million CRC (₵10.5 million MCK). There is no league limit to foreign players.

    Premier Division

    Colors Team Code Location Stadium Total seasons Total spells Last promotion Last relegation Seasons Most recent finish Highest finish
             Albioch Firebirds ALB Albioch Alexandretta Munistadion 1 1 2021 2022 2021 12th 12th
             Alexandretta Royals ALX Alexandretta Thomas Memorial Field 4 1 2020A never 2020A– 1st 1st
             Boulonne Stingrays BOU Boulonne Sixfields Grounds 2 1 2020A 2021 2020A–2020B - 5th
             Casted Islanders CST Casted Casted Grounds 2 1 2020A 2021 2020A–2020B - 7th
             Fríða Outlaws FRI Fríða Stadium of Fire 4 1 2020A never 2020A– 6th 1st
             Gilray Harvesters GIL Gilray Gilray Municipal Stadium 2 1 2021 never 2021– 9th 9th
             Hellani Volcanoes HLA Hellani Don Memorial Grounds 1 1 2021 2022 2021 11th 11th
             Liubz Vacationers LBZ Liubz Liubz Convention Field 1 1 2022 never 2022– - -
             Petra Sabercats PET Petra Felinus Field 2 1 2021 never 2021– 10th 10th
             Sanktago Saints SKT Sanktago Riverside Stadium 4 1 2020A never 2020A– 5th 3rd
             St. Cloud Timbers STC St. Cloud Excelsior Stadium 4 1 2020A never 2020 A– 7th 3rd
             Tatara Hurricanes TTR Tatara Seaside Court 2 1 2021 never 2021– 8th 8th
             Tillamark Steamwheelers TLM Tillamark Railroad Avenue 2 1 2021 never 2021– 3rd 3rd
             Townsville Rumblebees TWN Townsville Kingsfield Park 1 1 2022 never 2022– - -
             Tuft Amberjacks TFT Tuft St. James' Park 4 1 2020A never 2020A– 4th 1st
             Victoria Clippers VIC Victoria Victoria Municipal Stadium 4 1 2020A never 2020A– 2nd 2nd

    Challenger Division

    Colors Team Code Location Stadium Total seasons Total spells Last relegation Last promotion Seasons Most recent finish Highest finish
             Albioch Firebirds ALB Albioch Alexandretta Munistadion 1 1 2022 never 2022– - -
             Boulonne Stingrays BOU Boulonne Sixfields Grounds 2 1 2021 never 2021– 5th 5th
             Casted Islanders CST Casted Casted Grounds 2 1 2021 never 2021– 12th 12th
             Cripple Creek Whitecaps CPC Cripple Creek Cripple Creek Stadium 3 1 2020B never 2020B– 7th 3rd
             Halifax Avalanches HFX Halifax Antelope Grove 3 1 2020B never 2020B– 8th 9th
             Hellani Volcanoes HLA Hellani Don Memorial Grounds 2 2 2022 2021 2020B, 2022– - 2nd
             Kingsport Aviators KNG Kingsport Kingsport Stadium 3 1 2020B never 2020B– 3rd 3rd
             La Rochelle Emeralds RCH La Rochelle Stonebridge Field 3 1 2020B never 2020B– 9th 9th
             Lake Crystal City Mystics LCR Lake Crystal City Lakeside Field 3 1 2020B never 2020B– 11th 5th
             Liubz Vacationers LBZ Liubz Liubz Convention Field 1 1 2021 2022 2021 2nd 2nd
             Lunden Cardsharps LUN Lunden Royal Casino Hotel 2 1 2021 never 2021– 6th 6th
             New Millaro Snowrunners NML New Millaro Deacon Court 3 1 2020B never 2020B– 10th 4th
             Scarborau Knights SCB Scarborau Scarborau Stadium 3 1 2020B never 2020B– 4th 4th
             Tillamark Steamwheelers TLM Tillamark Railroad Avenue 1 1 2020B 2021 2020B - 1st
             Townsville Rumblebees TWN Townsville Kingsfield Park 2 1 2020B 2022 2020B–2021 1st 1st