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2018 USL Cup playoffs

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2018 USL Cup
Tournament details
CountryUnited States
Canada
Teams16
Defending championsLouisville City FC
Final positions
ChampionsLouisville City FC
Runner-upPhoenix Rising FC
Tournament statistics
Matches played15
Goals scored43 (2.87 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)Didier Drogba
Brian Ownby
Michael Seaton (3)
← 2017
2019 →

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

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The top 8 teams from each conference advance to the USL playoffs.

Bracket

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First roundConference SemifinalsConference finalsUSL championship
 
              
 
October 20 – Nippert Stadium
 
 
#1 FC Cincinnati (p)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 (p)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

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Conference quarterfinals

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October 20, 2018 (2018-10-20)[2] East FC Cincinnati 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(6–5 p)
Nashville SCCincinnati, Ohio
4:00 p.m. EDT Bone 95'
Smith Yellow card 104'
Ledesma Yellow card 111'
Report Davis Yellow card 110'
Bourgeois 115'
Tyrpak Yellow card 116'
Stadium: Nippert Stadium
Attendance: 20,217
Referee: Farhad Dadkho
Penalties
Adi soccer ball with check mark
McLaughlin soccer ball with check mark
Smith soccer ball with check mark
Hoyte soccer ball with check mark
Lasso soccer ball with check mark
Walker soccer ball with check mark
soccer ball with check mark Doyle
soccer ball with check mark Allen
soccer ball with check mark Winn
soccer ball with check mark LaGrassa
soccer ball with check mark Tyrpak
soccer ball with red X Davis
October 20, 2018 (2018-10-20)[3] EastCharleston Battery0–1 New York Red Bulls II Charleston, South Carolina
7:00 PM EDT Bolt Yellow card 16' Report Barlow 21'
Stroud Yellow card 66'
Stadium: MUSC Health Stadium
Attendance: 1,687
Referee: Rosendo Mendoza
October 20, 2018 (2018-10-20) East Louisville City FC 4–1Indy ElevenLouisville, Kentucky
7:30 p.m. EDT McCabe 29', 48' Yellow card 66'
Ilić 42'
Lancaster 73'
Report Mitchell Yellow card 46'
Saad 67'
Ouimette Yellow card 72'
Stadium: Louisville Slugger Field
Attendance: 6,763
Referee: Mark Allatin
October 19, 2018 (2018-10-19) West Phoenix Rising FC 3–0Portland Timbers 2Tempe, Arizona
7:30 p.m. MST Drogba 28'
Johnson 62'
Asante 90'
Report Zambrano Yellow card 40'
Hanson Yellow card 84'
Diz Pe Red card 90+5'
Stadium: Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex
Attendance: 7,511
Referee: Rubiel Vazquez
October 20, 2018 (2018-10-20) WestReal Monarchs0–1 Reno 1868 FC Herriman, Utah
3:00 PM MDT Velásquez Yellow card 45+4' Report Brown 90+2' Stadium: Zions Bank Stadium
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Ismir Pekmic
October 20, 2018 (2018-10-20) West Orange County SC 4–0Saint Louis FCIrvine, California
7:00 PM PDT Seaton 11', 29', 64' Yellow card 21'
Quinn Yellow card 47'
Bjurman 66'
Report Walls Red card 21'
Hertzog Yellow card 88'
Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 3,360
Referee: Ramy Touchan
October 20, 2018 (2018-10-20) WestSacramento Republic FC1–2 Swope Park Rangers Sacramento, California
7:30 PM PDT Bijev 16'
Matjašič Yellow card 38'
Hord Yellow card 68'
Report Kuzain 27'
Barry 31'
Akhmatov Yellow card 58'
Stadium: Papa Murphy's Park
Attendance: 11,569
Referee: Joseph Dickerson

Conference semifinals

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

Conference finals

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

USL championship

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

Championship Game MVP: Luke Spencer (LOU)

Top goalscorers

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Rank Player Club Goals
1 Ivory Coast Didier Drogba Phoenix Rising FC 3
United States Brian Ownby Louisville City FC
Jamaica Michael Seaton Orange County SC
4 United States Tom Barlow New York Red Bulls II 2
Guinea Hadji Barry Swope Park Rangers
United States Chris Cortez Phoenix Rising FC
Serbia Ilija Ilić Louisville City FC
Jamaica Jason Johnson Phoenix Rising FC
Republic of Ireland Niall McCabe Louisville City FC
United States Luke Spencer Louisville City FC
Jamaica Devon Williams Louisville City FC

[5]

References

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