2018 USL Playoffs
The 2018 USL Cup Playoffs was the postseason tournament following the 2018 United Soccer League regular season, the fourth since the league rebranded for the 2015 season, and second as a USSF Division II league. Including USL Pro history, it is the seventh postseason tournament. The tournament will begin on the weekend of October 20 and end on November 8.
Country | United States Canada |
---|---|
Teams | 16 |
Defending champions | Louisville City FC |
Champions | Louisville City FC |
Runners-up | Phoenix Rising FC |
Matches played | 15 |
Goals scored | 43 (2.87 per match) |
Top goal scorer(s) | Didier Drogba Brian Ownby Michael Seaton (3) |
← 2017 2019 → |
Sixteen teams (top 8 per conference) will compete in the single elimination tournament. Teams will be seeded one through eight in each conference. The conference semifinal winners will play against each other in the Conference Championship, which will serve as the overall semifinals for the playoff. The winners of the Eastern and Western Conference Championship will play for the USL Cup. The winner of the playoffs will be crowned league champion.
FC Cincinnati clinched the USL regular-season title on September 26th and will be the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.[1]
Conference standings
The top 8 teams from each conference advance to the USL playoffs.
Eastern Conference
|
Western Conference
Source: 2018 USL standings
|
|
Bracket
Schedule
Conference Quarterfinals
October 20, 2018[2] East | FC Cincinnati | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (6–5 p) | Nashville SC | Cincinnati, Ohio |
4:00 p.m. EDT | Bone ![]() Smith ![]() Ledesma ![]() |
Report | Davis ![]() Bourgeois ![]() Tyrpak ![]() |
Stadium: Nippert Stadium Attendance: 20,217 Referee: Farhad Dadkho |
Penalties | ||||
Adi ![]() McLaughlin ![]() Smith ![]() Hoyte ![]() Lasso ![]() Walker ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
October 20, 2018[3] East | Charleston Battery | 0–1 | New York Red Bulls II | Charleston, South Carolina |
7:00 PM EDT | Bolt ![]() |
Report | Barlow ![]() Stroud ![]() |
Stadium: MUSC Health Stadium Attendance: 1,687 Referee: Rosendo Mendoza |
October 20, 2018 East | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (7–8 p) | Bethlehem Steel FC | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
7:00 PM EDT | Zemanski ![]() Dover ![]() Roberts ![]() ![]() Forbes ![]() Holland ![]() |
Report | Moumbagna ![]() Ngalina ![]() Chambers ![]() Nanco ![]() |
Stadium: Highmark Stadium Attendance: 5,189 Referee: Michael Radchuk |
Penalties | ||||
Kerr ![]() Forbes ![]() Banjo ![]() Greenspan ![]() François ![]() Vancaeyezeele ![]() Dabo ![]() Lee ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
October 20, 2018 East | Louisville City FC | 4–1 | Indy Eleven | Louisville, Kentucky |
7:30 p.m. EDT | McCabe ![]() ![]() Ilić ![]() Lancaster ![]() |
Report | Mitchell ![]() Saad ![]() Ouimette ![]() |
Stadium: Louisville Slugger Field Attendance: 6,763 Referee: Mark Allatin |
October 19, 2018 West | Phoenix Rising FC | 3–0 | Portland Timbers 2 | Tempe, Arizona |
7:30 p.m. MST | Drogba ![]() Johnson ![]() Asante ![]() |
Report | Zambrano ![]() Hanson ![]() Diz Pe ![]() |
Stadium: Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex Attendance: 7,511 Referee: Rubiel Vazquez |
October 20, 2018 West | Real Monarchs | 0–1 | Reno 1868 FC | Herriman, Utah |
3:00 PM MDT | Velásquez ![]() |
Report | Brown ![]() |
Stadium: Zions Bank Stadium Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Ismir Pekmic |
October 20, 2018 West | Orange County SC | 4–0 | Saint Louis FC | Irvine, California |
7:00 PM PDT | Seaton ![]() ![]() Quinn ![]() Bjurman ![]() |
Report | Walls ![]() Hertzog ![]() |
Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium Attendance: 3,360 Referee: Ramy Touchan |
October 20, 2018 West | Sacramento Republic FC | 1–2 | Swope Park Rangers | Sacramento, California |
7:30 PM PDT | Bijev ![]() Matjašič ![]() Hord ![]() |
Report | Kuzain ![]() Barry ![]() Akhmatov ![]() |
Stadium: Papa Murphy's Park Attendance: 11,569 Referee: Joseph Dickerson |
Conference Semifinals
October 27, 2018 East | FC Cincinnati | 0–1 | New York Red Bulls II | Cincinnati, Ohio |
4:00 p.m. EDT | Adi ![]() |
Report | Moreno ![]() ![]() |
Stadium: Nippert Stadium Attendance: 16,617 Referee: Tim Ford |
October 27, 2018 East | Louisville City FC | 2–0 | Bethlehem Steel FC | Louisville, Kentucky |
7:30 p.m. EDT | Ownby ![]() ![]() Smith ![]() |
Report | Moar ![]() Mbaizo ![]() Ofeimu ![]() |
Stadium: Louisville Slugger Field Attendance: 6,881 Referee: Farhad Dadkho |
October 26, 2018 West | Phoenix Rising FC | 4–2 | Swope Park Rangers | Tempe, Arizona |
7:30 p.m. MST | Johnson ![]() Drogba ![]() ![]() Cortez ![]() Lambert ![]() |
Report | Blackwood ![]() Barry ![]() Akhmatov ![]() |
Stadium: Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex Attendance: 7,707 Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr. |
October 27, 2018 West | Orange County SC | 1–0 | Reno 1868 FC | Irvine, California |
7:00 PM PDT | Alston ![]() Quinn ![]() Duke ![]() |
Report | Richards ![]() Brown ![]() Hoppenot ![]() |
Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium Attendance: 4,021 Referee: Victor Rivas |
Conference Finals
November 2, 2018 East | Louisville City FC | 5–1 | New York Red Bulls II | Louisville, Kentucky |
7:30 p.m. EDT | Ilić ![]() ![]() Spencer ![]() Davis ![]() Craig ![]() Ownby ![]() ![]() Williams ![]() ![]() McCabe ![]() |
Report | Ndam ![]() Tinari ![]() Barlow ![]() |
Stadium: Louisville Slugger Field Attendance: 10,059 Referee: Ramy Touchan |
November 3, 2018 West | Orange County SC | 1–2 | Phoenix Rising FC | Irvine, California |
7:00 p.m. PDT | Chaplow ![]() Hashimoto ![]() |
Report | Cortez ![]() Drogba ![]() Forbes ![]() |
Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium Attendance: 5,189 Referee: Tim Ford |
USL Championship
November 8, 2018[4] Final | Louisville City FC | 1–0 | Phoenix Rising FC | Louisville, Kentucky |
8:00 PM EST | Smith ![]() Spencer ![]() ![]() Ranjitsingh ![]() |
Report | Farrell ![]() Drogba ![]() Lambert ![]() |
Stadium: Lynn Stadium Attendance: 7,025 Referee: Joseph Dickerson |
Championship Game MVP: Luke Spencer (LOU)
Top goalscorers
References
- Brennan, Patrick. "FC Cincinnati takes USL regular-season title with 4-1 win against Richmond Kickers". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- Brennan, Patrick. "FC Cincinnati announces playoff match dates, times, ticket pricing information". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
- Cardamone, Sarah. "PLAYOFF TICKETS NOW ON SALE". CharlestonBattery.com. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
- "2018 USL Cup Scheduled for Nov. 8". USLsoccer.com. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
- "Playoffs Stats". United Soccer League.