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2021 USL Championship playoffs

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Main article: 2021 USL Championship season
2021 USL Championship playoffs
Tournament details
CountryUnited States
Teams16
Defending championsReal Monarchs (2019)
Final positions
ChampionsOrange County SC
(1st title)
Runner-upTampa Bay Rowdies
Tournament statistics
Matches played14
Goals scored40 (2.86 per match)
Attendance93,029 (6,645 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)Haiti Ronaldo Damus
(4 goals)
← 2020
2022 →

The 2021 USL Championship playoffs (branded as the 2021 USL Championship Playoffs presented by TwinSpires for sponsorship reasons) was the post-season championship of the 2021 USL Championship. It was the eleventh edition of the USL Championship playoffs. The playoffs began on November 5, and concluded with the USL Championship Final on November 28.

Tampa Bay Rowdies won the regular season with 71 standings points.[1] They were beaten in the Final by Orange County SC, which won its first league title.

Real Monarchs, having won the title in 2019, were the title holders, since the 2020 Final was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the Rowdies and the title was not awarded. However, they were eliminated in the regular season as they finished bottom of the Mountain Division table.

Qualified teams

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Format

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The top four teams in each division qualified for the playoffs. They began to play on the first weekend on November, featuring a single-elimination, 16-team bracket. Under the revised season format, four division winners in each conference earned hosting rights for the Eastern and Western conference quarterfinals. Following the opening round, hosting rights were determined by regular season record (ranks, then points, then number of wins). All playoff matches were streamed live on ESPN+ except the Championship final on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and Sirius XM FC.[2][3]

Division tables

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Bracket

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Conference Quarterfinals
November 5–7 		Conference Semifinals
November 13 		Conference Finals
November 20 		USL Championship Final
November 28
            
A1 Tampa Bay Rowdies 6
C4 FC Tulsa 2
A1 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1
C2 Birmingham Legion FC 0
C2 Birmingham Legion FC w/o
A3 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
A1 Tampa Bay Rowdies (a.e.t.) 3
Eastern Conference
C1 Louisville City FC 2
A2 Charlotte Independence 3
C3 Memphis 901 FC 1
A2 Charlotte Independence 0
C1 Louisville City FC 1
C1 Louisville City FC 1
A4 Miami FC 0
A1 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1
P2 Orange County SC 3
M1 El Paso Locomotive FC 0
P4 Oakland Roots SC 1
P4 Oakland Roots SC 0 (5)
P2 Orange County SC (p) 0 (6)
P2 Orange County SC 1
M3 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 0
P2 Orange County SC (p) 1 (5)
Western Conference
M2 San Antonio FC 1 (3)
M2 San Antonio FC 2
P3 San Diego Loyal SC 0
M2 San Antonio FC 3
M4 Rio Grande Valley FC Toros 1
P1 Phoenix Rising FC 3 (3)
M4 Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (p) 3 (4)

Schedule

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Conference Quarterfinals

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November 6, 2021 (2021-11-06) East Charlotte Independence 3–1Memphis 901 FCCharlotte, North Carolina
7:00 PM EDT
Report
Stadium: American Legion Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 2,723
Referee: Mark Allatin
November 6, 2021 (2021-11-06) East Tampa Bay Rowdies 6–2FC TulsaSt. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 PM EDT
Report
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 6,262
Referee: Sergii Demianchuk
November 6, 2021 (2021-11-06) East Louisville City FC 1–0Miami FCLouisville, Kentucky
8:00 PM EDT
Report
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium
Attendance: 9,097
Referee: Elton García
November 7, 2021 (2021-11-07) East Birmingham Legion FC w/oPittsburgh Riverhounds SCBirmingham, Alabama
5:00 PM EST Report Stadium: BBVA Field
Note: Match canceled after multiple Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC players tested positive for COVID-19.[6]
November 5, 2021 (2021-11-05) West San Antonio FC 2–0San Diego Loyal SCSan Antonio, Texas
8:00 PM CDT
Report
Stadium: Toyota Field
Attendance: 7,003
Referee: Matthew Thompson
November 5, 2021 (2021-11-05) WestEl Paso Locomotive FC0–1 Oakland Roots SC El Paso, Texas
7:30 PM MDT
Report
Stadium: Southwest University Park
Attendance: 7,201
Referee: Ismir Pekmic
November 6, 2021 (2021-11-06) West Orange County SC 1–0Colorado Springs Switchbacks FCIrvine, California
7:00 PM PDT
Report
Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 4,194
Referee: Lukasz Szpala
November 6, 2021 (2021-11-06) WestPhoenix Rising FC3–3 (a.e.t.)
(3–4 p)		 Rio Grande Valley FC Toros Chandler, Arizona
7:30 PM MST
Report
Stadium: Wild Horse Pass
Attendance: 8,234
Referee: Brandon Stevis
Penalties

Conference Semifinals

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November 13, 2021 East Tampa Bay Rowdies 1–0Birmingham Legion FCSt. Petersburg, Florida
7:00 pm EST
Report
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 5,949
Referee: Elton García
November 13, 2021 East Louisville City FC 1–0Charlotte IndependenceLouisville, Kentucky
7:30 pm EST
Report
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium
Attendance: 9,155
Referee: Elijio Arreguin
November 13, 2021 West Orange County SC 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(6–5 p)		Oakland Roots SCIrvine, California
7:00 pm PST Report
Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 5,218
Referee: Matthew Thompson
Penalties
November 13, 2021 West San Antonio FC 3–1Rio Grande Valley FC TorosSan Antonio, Texas
8:00 PM CST
Report
Stadium: Toyota Field
Attendance: 7,966
Referee: Mark Allatin

Conference Finals

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November 20, 2021 East Tampa Bay Rowdies 3–2 (a.e.t.)Louisville City FCSt. Petersburg, Florida
7:00 pm EST
Report
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 7,120
Referee: Lukasz Szpala
November 20, 2021 West Orange County SC 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(5–3 p)		San Antonio FCIrvine, California
7:00 pm PST
Report
Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 5,386
Referee: Elton García
Penalties

USL Championship Final

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November 28, 2021 (2021-11-28) Tampa Bay Rowdies1–3 Orange County SC St. Petersburg, Florida
8:30 PM EST
Report
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 7,521
Referee: Rubiel Vazquez

Championship Game MVP: Ronaldo Damus (Orange County SC)

Top goalscorers

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Rank Player Club Goals
1 Haiti Ronaldo Damus Orange County SC 4
2 Brazil Leo Fernandes Tampa Bay Rowdies 3
Zimbabwe Lucky Mkosana Tampa Bay Rowdies
Colombia Santiago Patiño San Antonio FC
5 Ghana Elvis Amoh Rio Grande Valley FC Toros 2
Ghana Solomon Asante Phoenix Rising FC
Cape Verde Steevan Dos Santos Tampa Bay Rowdies
Brazil Nathan Fogaça San Antonio FC
9 17 players 1

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Matchday Report: Rowdies Defeat Lights FC, Clinch Homefield Advantage in Postseason". USLChampionship.com. USL Championship. October 31, 2021.
  2. ^ "USL Championship Confirms 2021 Playoff Structure". USLChampionship.com. USL Championship. April 20, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  3. ^ "USL Championship Final to air live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and SiriusXM FC". USLChampionship.com. USL Championship. October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  4. ^ "The Miami FC vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds Match to be Replayed on Oct. 27, Starting from 67th Minute". USLChampionship.com. USL Championship. October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  5. ^ "USL Issues Fine, Forfeit to Sporting Kansas City II for Ineligible Player". USLChampionship.com. USL Championship. October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  6. ^ "Birmingham Legion FC vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Playoff Match Canceled". USLChampionship.com. USL Championship. November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  7. ^ "USL Championship Goal of the Playoffs Nominees Presented by Select". USLChampionship.com Staff. November 29, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  8. ^ "USL Championship Fans' Choice Save of the Playoffs Nominees". USLChampionship.com Staff. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
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