When a Traffic Sports-led effort by owners to buy the United Soccer Leagues failed during the summer, it was clear Miami FC's USL-1 days were numbered.

On Tuesday, that number reached zero -- although the team will live on.

The Blues have announced that they will be part of a seven-team break-off league that will have second-division status in the United States and first-division billing in Canada.

The other participating clubs are the 2009 USL-1 champion Montreal Impact, the Carolina Railhawks, the Minnesota Thunder, the Vancouver Whitecaps and franchises in Atlanta and St. Louis, which did not have teams in USL-1 in 2009.

For the Blues, it provides assurance that professional soccer will continue in South Florida -- for the 2010 season, at least.

Small crowds, poor performance on the field and an impatient ownership group nearly cost the city the franchise before the 2009 season, and prospects for next year looked bleak after Nu-Rock Soccer Holdings bought USL in August.

``When your league is owned by someone else, you [don't have the incentive] to invest in or be loyal to your league,'' team president Aaron Davidson said. ``That's precisely why our league is so relatively unknown and has so much turnover in teams. With this decision, we gain control of our own destiny and can finally structure and operate our league in a manner which truly positions us for growth and success.''

The move strips USL-1 of some of its traditional powerhouses, although it is not clear how the new league, which has yet to be named, will look after 2010. Vancouver will make the jump to Major League Soccer in 2011, and the Impact has its sights on MLS, as well.

But for now, Montreal president Joey Saputo will serve as chairman of the new league's board of governors.

A phone call to USL executive Tim Holt was not immediately returned.

SAILING

Anna Tunnicliffe of Plantation was named the women's ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year, the highest award a sailor can receive in recognition of their outstanding achievements. The award is based on a vote by the 130 member nations of the International Sailing Federation. Tunnicliffe, the gold medalist in Laser Radial dinghy at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was a bronze medalist at the world championships this year, was on the winning team at the U.S. Sailing Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championships and finished second at the The Rolex Osprey Cup.

VOLLEYBALL

• Nova Southeastern def. Lynn 25-23, 25-23, 26-24: Molly Sigerich had eight kills and Kathleen Yony had 14 digs for visiting Nova (18-9, 9-5 Sunshine State Conference), which won its fourth consecutive match. Lynn is 18-11 and 5-9.