By Michael Lewis

FrontRowSoccer.com Editor

It’s now or never for the North American Soccer League.

The NASL Friday will get one final chance to convince a court rescind the U.S. Soccer Federation’s decision to deny its Division Two status in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York.

If the court upholds Judge Margo K. Brodie’s decision in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the NASL is not expected to continue in 2018. It wants to play as a Division Two league, not a Division Three circuit.

The league has appealed Brodie’s November ruling as tries to obtain a preliminary injunction to change the USSF’s decision, which was made in September.

Three judges are scheduled to hear the appeal — Barrington D. Parker, Richard C. Wesley and Denny Chin — in Room 1703 at the Thurgood Marshall US Courthouse in Manhattan.

Friday’s appeals are scheduled to start being heard at 10 a.m. Since the NASL-USSF suit is third on the docket, it is not known when oral arguments will begin.

Each side will get 10 minutes to state their case.

It is not known when the judges will rule on the suit.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.