2018 USL Cup Playoffs
Tournament details | |
---|---|
Country | United States Canada |
Teams | 16 |
Defending champions | Louisville City FC |
Final positions | |
Champions | Louisville City FC |
Runner-up | Phoenix Rising FC |
Tournament statistics | |
Matches played | 15 |
Goals scored | 43 (2.87 per match) |
Top goal scorer(s) | Didier Drogba Brian Ownby Michael Seaton (3) |
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 was the seventh postseason tournament. The tournament began on the weekend of October 20 and ended on November 8.
Sixteen teams (top 8 per conference) competed in the single elimination tournament. Teams were seeded one through eight in each conference. The conference semifinal winners played against each other in the Conference Championship, which served as the overall semifinals for the playoff. The winners of the Eastern and Western Conference Championship played for the USL Cup. The winner of the playoffs was to be crowned league champion.
FC Cincinnati clinched the USL regular-season title on September 26 and was the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.[1]
Conference standings[edit]
The top 8 teams from each conference advance to the USL playoffs.
Eastern Conference
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Western Conference
Source: 2018 USL standings
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|
Bracket[edit]
Schedule[edit]
Conference quarterfinals[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Brennan, Patrick. "FC Cincinnati takes USL regular-season title with 4-1 win against Richmond Kickers". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ^ Brennan, Patrick. "FC Cincinnati announces playoff match dates, times, ticket pricing information". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
- ^ Cardamone, Sarah. "PLAYOFF TICKETS NOW ON SALE". CharlestonBattery.com. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ^ "2018 USL Cup Scheduled for Nov. 8". USLsoccer.com. October 4, 2018. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- ^ "Playoffs Stats". United Soccer League.