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.

Main article: 2018 USL season
2018 USL Cup
CountryUnited States
Canada
Teams16
Defending championsLouisville City FC
ChampionsLouisville City FC
Runners-upPhoenix Rising FC
Matches played15
Goals scored43 (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.

Bracket
 
First RoundConference Semi-FinalsConference FinalsUSL Championship
 
              
 
October 20 – Nippert Stadium
 
 
#1 FC Cincinnati (a.e.t.) 1 (6)
 
October 27 – Nippert Stadium
 
#8 Nashville SC 1 (5)
 
#1 FC Cincinnati 0
 
October 20 – MUSC Health Stadium
 
#5 New York Red Bulls II 1
 
#4 Charleston Battery 0
 
November 2 – Louisville Slugger Field
 
#5 New York Red Bulls II 1
 
#5 New York Red Bulls II1
 
October 20 – Highmark Stadium
 
#2 Louisville City FC5
 
#3 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 2 (7)
 
October 27 – Louisville Slugger Field
 
#6 Bethlehem Steel FC 2 (8)
 
 #6 Bethlehem Steel FC0
 
October 20 – Louisville Slugger Field
 
 #2 Louisville City FC 2
 
#2 Louisville City FC 4
 
November 8 – Lynn Stadium (ESPN2)
 
#7 Indy Eleven 1
 
 #2 Louisville City FC 1
 
October 20 – Championship Soccer Stadium
 
#3 Phoenix Rising FC0
 
#1 Orange County SC4
 
October 27 – Championship Soccer Stadium
 
#8 Saint Louis FC 0
 
#1 Orange County SC 1
 
October 20 – Zions Bank Stadium
 
 #5 Reno 1868 FC 0
 
#4 Real Monarchs 0
 
November 3 – Championship Soccer Stadium
 
#5 Reno 1868 FC 1
 
#1 Orange County SC1
 
October 19 – PRFC Soccer Complex
 
#3 Phoenix Rising FC2
 
#3 Phoenix Rising FC 3
 
October 26 – PRFC Soccer Complex
 
#6 Portland Timbers 2 0
 
 #3 Phoenix Rising FC4
 
October 20 – Papa Murphy's Park
 
#7 Swope Park Rangers 2
 
#2 Sacramento Republic FC 1
 
 
#7 Swope Park Rangers 2
 

Schedule

Conference Quarterfinals
October 20, 2018 (2018-10-20)[2] EastFC Cincinnati1–1 (a.e.t.)
(6–5 p)		Nashville SCCincinnati, Ohio
4:00 p.m. EDT Bone  95'
Smith  104'
Ledesma  111'		 Report Davis  110'
Bourgeois  115'
Tyrpak  116'		 Stadium: Nippert Stadium
Attendance: 20,217
Referee: Farhad Dadkho
Penalties
Adi
McLaughlin
Smith
Hoyte
Lasso
Walker 		Doyle
Allen
Winn
LaGrassa
Tyrpak
Davis
October 20, 2018 (2018-10-20)[3] EastCharleston Battery0–1New York Red Bulls IICharleston, South Carolina
7:00 PM EDT Bolt  16' Report Barlow  21'
Stroud  66'		 Stadium: MUSC Health Stadium
Attendance: 1,687
Referee: Rosendo Mendoza
October 20, 2018 (2018-10-20) EastPittsburgh Riverhounds SC2–2 (a.e.t.)
(7–8 p)		Bethlehem Steel FCPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
7:00 PM EDT Zemanski  25'
Dover  86'
Roberts  105'  109'
Forbes  113'
Holland  119'		 Report Moumbagna  45'
Ngalina  70'
Chambers  109'
Nanco  111'		 Stadium: Highmark Stadium
Attendance: 5,189
Referee: Michael Radchuk
Penalties
Kerr
Forbes
Banjo
Greenspan
François
Vancaeyezeele
Dabo
Lee 		Chambers
Nanco
Holness
Moar
Skundrich
Mahoney
Real
Mbaizo
October 20, 2018 (2018-10-20) EastLouisville City FC4–1Indy ElevenLouisville, Kentucky
7:30 p.m. EDT McCabe  29', 48'  66'
Ilić  42'
Lancaster  73'		 Report Mitchell  46'
Saad  67'
Ouimette  72'		 Stadium: Louisville Slugger Field
Attendance: 6,763
Referee: Mark Allatin
October 19, 2018 (2018-10-19) WestPhoenix Rising FC3–0Portland Timbers 2Tempe, Arizona
7:30 p.m. MST Drogba  28'
Johnson  62'
Asante  90'		 Report Zambrano  40'
Hanson  84'
Diz Pe  90+5'		 Stadium: Phoenix Rising FC Soccer Complex
Attendance: 7,511
Referee: Rubiel Vazquez
October 20, 2018 (2018-10-20) WestReal Monarchs0–1Reno 1868 FCHerriman, Utah
3:00 PM MDT Velásquez  45+4' Report Brown  90+2' Stadium: Zions Bank Stadium
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Ismir Pekmic
October 20, 2018 (2018-10-20) WestOrange County SC4–0Saint Louis FCIrvine, California
7:00 PM PDT Seaton  11', 29', 64'  21'
Quinn  47'
Bjurman  66'		 Report Walls  21'
Hertzog  88'		 Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 3,360
Referee: Ramy Touchan
October 20, 2018 (2018-10-20) WestSacramento Republic FC1–2Swope Park RangersSacramento, California
7:30 PM PDT Bijev  16'
Matjašič  38'
Hord  68'		 Report Kuzain  27'
Barry  31'
Akhmatov  58'		 Stadium: Papa Murphy's Park
Attendance: 11,569
Referee: Joseph Dickerson

Conference Semifinals
October 27, 2018 (2018-10-27) EastFC Cincinnati0–1New York Red Bulls IICincinnati, Ohio
4:00 p.m. EDT Adi  41' Report Moreno  12'  72' Stadium: Nippert Stadium
Attendance: 16,617
Referee: Tim Ford
October 27, 2018 (2018-10-27) EastLouisville City FC2–0Bethlehem Steel FCLouisville, Kentucky
7:30 p.m. EDT Ownby  34', 59'  79'
Smith  64'		 Report Moar  57'
Mbaizo  83'
Ofeimu  86'		 Stadium: Louisville Slugger Field
Attendance: 6,881
Referee: Farhad Dadkho
October 26, 2018 (2018-10-26) WestPhoenix Rising FC4–2Swope Park RangersTempe, Arizona
7:30 p.m. MST Johnson  22'
Drogba  29'  90+4'
Cortez  36'
Lambert  48'		 Report Blackwood  26'
Barry  33'
Akhmatov  49'		 Stadium: Phoenix Rising FC Soccer Complex
Attendance: 7,707
Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr.
October 27, 2018 (2018-10-27) WestOrange County SC1–0Reno 1868 FCIrvine, California
7:00 PM PDT Alston  21'
Quinn  29'
Duke  90+2'		 Report Richards  12'
Brown  41'
Hoppenot  45+2'		 Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 4,021
Referee: Victor Rivas

Conference Finals
November 2, 2018 (2018-11-02) EastLouisville City FC5–1New York Red Bulls IILouisville, Kentucky
7:30 p.m. EDT Ilić  23' (pen.),  40'
Spencer  32'
Davis  61'
Craig  65'
Ownby  69',  81'
Williams  73',  75'
McCabe  80'		 Report Ndam  22'
Tinari  44'
Barlow  60'		 Stadium: Louisville Slugger Field
Attendance: 10,059
Referee: Ramy Touchan
November 3, 2018 (2018-11-03) WestOrange County SC1–2Phoenix Rising FCIrvine, California
7:00 p.m. PDT Chaplow  47'
Hashimoto  82'		 Report Cortez  2'
Drogba  73'
Forbes  90+7'		 Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 5,189
Referee: Tim Ford

USL Championship
November 8, 2018 (2018-11-08)[4] FinalLouisville City FC1–0Phoenix Rising FCLouisville, Kentucky
8:00 PM EST Smith  45'
Spencer  62',  90+1'
Ranjitsingh  90+3'		 Report Farrell  39'
Drogba  73'
Lambert  85'		 Stadium: Lynn Stadium
Attendance: 7,025
Referee: Joseph Dickerson

Championship Game MVP: Luke Spencer (LOU)

Top goalscorers
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Didier Drogba Phoenix Rising FC 3
Brian Ownby Louisville City FC
Michael Seaton Orange County SC
4 Tom Barlow New York Red Bulls II 2
Hadji Barry Swope Park Rangers
Chris Cortez Phoenix Rising FC
Ilija Ilić Louisville City FC
Jason Johnson Phoenix Rising FC
Niall McCabe Louisville City FC
Luke Spencer Louisville City FC
Devon Williams Louisville City FC

[5]

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gollark: Even if that were true, GMOs aren't *that* different to non-genetically-modified versions.
gollark: Can you point to any examples of GMOs causing actual bad effects in people who eat them?
gollark: See? Clearly a joke. Christianity doesn't actually exist.
gollark: I don't believe in Christianity. I don't think Christianity exists.

References
  1. Brennan, Patrick. "FC Cincinnati takes USL regular-season title with 4-1 win against Richmond Kickers". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  2. Brennan, Patrick. "FC Cincinnati announces playoff match dates, times, ticket pricing information". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  3. Cardamone, Sarah. "PLAYOFF TICKETS NOW ON SALE". CharlestonBattery.com. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  4. "2018 USL Cup Scheduled for Nov. 8". USLsoccer.com. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  5. "Playoffs Stats". United Soccer League.
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