2017 USL Cup playoffs

2017 USL Cup
Tournament details
CountryUnited States
Canada
Teams16
Defending championsNew York Red Bulls II
Final positions
ChampionsLouisville City FC
Runner-upSwope Park Rangers
Tournament statistics
Matches played15
Goals scored32 (2.13 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)Stefano Bonomo
Brian Ownby
(3 goals each)
← 2016
2018 →

The 2017 USL Cup playoffs is a postseason tournament following the 2017 United Soccer League regular season, the third since the league rebranded for the 2015 season, and the first as a USSF Division II league. Including USL Pro history, it is the sixth postseason tournament. The tournament will begin on the weekend of October 20 and end on the weekend of November 10.

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 Eastern and Western Conference Championship winners will play for the USL Cup. The winner of the playoffs will be crowned league champion.[1][2]

USL Conference standings

[edit]

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

Bracket

[edit]
 
Conference QuarterfinalsConference SemifinalsConference FinalsUSL Championship
 
              
 
October 20 – Louisville Slugger Field
 
 
#1 Louisville City FC 4
 
October 28 – Louisville Slugger Field
 
#8 Bethlehem Steel FC 0
 
#1 Louisville City FC 1
 
October 21 – Capelli Sport Stadium
 
#4 Rochester Rhinos 0
 
#4 Rochester Rhinos (a.e.t.) 2
 
November 4 – Louisville Slugger Field
 
#5 Charlotte Independence 1
 
#1 Louisville City FC (p)1 (4)
 
October 21 – Al Lang Stadium
 
#7 New York Red Bulls II 1 (3)
 
#3 Tampa Bay Rowdies 3
 
October 28 – Al Lang Stadium
 
#6 FC Cincinnati 0
 
#3 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1
 
October 21 – MUSC Health Stadium
 
#7 New York Red Bulls II (a.e.t.) 2
 
#2 Charleston Battery 0
 
November 13 – Louisville Slugger Field (ESPNU)
 
#7 New York Red Bulls II 4
 
#1 Louisville City FC 1
 
October 20 – Rio Tinto Stadium
 
#4 Swope Park Rangers 0
 
#1 Real Monarchs 1 (1)
 
October 28 – Children's Mercy Park
 
#8 Sacramento Republic FC (p) 1 (3)
 
#8 Sacramento Republic FC 0
 
October 21 – Swope Soccer Village
 
#4 Swope Park Rangers 1
 
#4 Swope Park Rangers (p)1 (4)
 
November 4 – Children's Mercy Park
 
#5 Phoenix Rising FC 1 (2)
 
#4 Swope Park Rangers (p)0 (7)
 
October 21 – Greater Nevada Field
 
#6 OKC Energy FC 0 (6)
 
#3 Reno 1868 FC 0
 
October 28 – Toyota Field
 
#6 OKC Energy FC 1
 
#6 OKC Energy FC (p)1 (4)
 
October 21 – Toyota Field
 
#2 San Antonio FC 1 (1)
 
#2 San Antonio FC 2
 
 
#7 Tulsa Roughnecks 1
 

Schedule

[edit]

Conference Quarterfinals

[edit]
October 20, 2017 (2017-10-20) East Louisville City FC 4–0Bethlehem Steel FCLouisville, Kentucky
7:30 pm EDT Morad 14', 31'
Spencer 70'
Ownby 79'
Report Real Yellow card 57'
Burke Yellow card 63'
Conneh Yellow card 75'
Jones Yellow card 87'
Stadium: Louisville Slugger Field
Attendance: 6,378
Referee: Marcos de Oliveira
October 21, 2017 (2017-10-21) East Rochester Rhinos 2–1 (a.e.t.)Charlotte IndependenceRochester, New York
6:05 pm EDT Dover Yellow card 11'
Graf 53'
François Yellow card 61'
Farrell Yellow card 83'
Defregger 113'
Report A. Martínez Yellow card 53' Yellow-red card 120'
E. Martínez 69'
Davidson Yellow card 85'
Stadium: Capelli Sport Stadium
Attendance: 1,647
Referee: Bardhyl Pashaj
October 21, 2017 (2017-10-21) East Tampa Bay Rowdies 3–0FC CincinnatiSt. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 pm EDT Schäfer 8', 25'
Hristov Yellow card 61' 67'
Cole Yellow card 84'
Report McLaughlin Yellow card 52'
Walker Yellow card 63'
Berry Yellow card 90'
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 6,104
Referee: Malik Badawi
October 21, 2017 (2017-10-21) EastCharleston Battery0–4 New York Red Bulls II Charleston, South Carolina
7:00 pm EDT Anunga Yellow card 57'
Griffith Yellow card 85'
Report Bonomo 39'
Kutler 51'
Valot 71'
Flemmings Yellow card 82'
Mines 84'
Stadium: MUSC Health Stadium
Attendance: 3,410
Referee: Kevin Broadley
October 20, 2017 (2017-10-20) WestReal Monarchs1–1 (a.e.t.)
(1–3 p)
Sacramento Republic FC Sandy, Utah
8:00 pm MDT Besler Yellow card 38'
Lachowecki Yellow card 82'
Hoffman 86' (pen.)
Report Kiffe Yellow card 20'
Espino 49'
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 2,234
Referee: Ramy Touchan
Penalties
Cruz soccer ball with red X
Velásquez soccer ball with red X
Haber soccer ball with check mark
Hoffman soccer ball with red X
soccer ball with check mark Partain
soccer ball with check mark Kiffe
soccer ball with check mark Hall
October 22, 2017 (2017-10-22) West Swope Park Rangers 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p)
Phoenix Rising FCKansas City, Missouri
3:00 pm CDT Didic 109' Report Drogba 99' Stadium: Children's Mercy Victory Field
Attendance: 912
Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr.
Penalties
Selbol soccer ball with check mark
Duke soccer ball with check mark
Belmar soccer ball with check mark
Moloto soccer ball with check mark
soccer ball with red X Lambert
soccer ball with check mark Dia
soccer ball with check mark Awako
soccer ball with red X Mala
Note: Match was postponed due to lightning and heavy rain after the first half,[3] Second half was played the following day.
October 21, 2017 (2017-10-21) WestReno 1868 FC0–1 OKC Energy FC Reno, Nevada
5:45 pm PDT Wehan Yellow card 32' Report Wojcik 41', Yellow card 90+1' Stadium: Greater Nevada Field
Attendance: 4,342
Referee: Victor Rivas
October 21, 2017 (2017-10-21) West San Antonio FC 2–1Tulsa RoughnecksSan Antonio, Texas
7:30 pm CDT McCarthy Yellow card 55'
Elizondo 61'
Guzmán 90+4' (pen.)
Report Gee 23'
Ayala Yellow card 53'
Levin Yellow card 90+2'
Rivas Yellow card 90+2'
Stadium: Toyota Field
Attendance: 7,019
Referee: Timothy Ford

Conference Semifinals

[edit]
October 28, 2017 (2017-10-28) East Louisville City FC 1–0Rochester RhinosLouisville, Kentucky
7:30 pm EDT Jimenez Yellow card 52'
Ownby 77'
Ranjitsingh Yellow card 90+1'
Report Felix Yellow card 55' Stadium: Louisville Slugger Field
Attendance: 7,117
Referee: Victor Rivas
October 28, 2017 EastTampa Bay Rowdies1–2 (a.e.t.) New York Red Bulls II St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 pm EDT Hristov 26'
Portillos Yellow card 35'
Guenzatti Yellow card 39'
Cole Yellow card 42'
Pickens Yellow card 57'
Vingaard Yellow card 62'
Restrepo Yellow card 66'
Paterson Yellow card 116'
Report Bonomo 58' (pen.), 93'
Flemmings Yellow card 86'
Ndam Yellow card 96'
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 5,119
Referee: Joseph Dickerson
October 28, 2017 West Swope Park Rangers 1–0Sacramento Republic FCKansas City, Kansas
4:00 pm CDT Maher Yellow card 39'
Belmar 46'
Report Kiffe Yellow card 41'
Ochoa Yellow card 67'
Stadium: Children's Mercy Park
Attendance: 1,248
Referee: Ramy Touchan
Note: Match was moved to Papa Murphy's Park due to challenges at Children's Mercy Victory Field.[4] Then it was switched again to Children's Mercy Park.[5]
October 28, 2017 (2017-10-28) WestSan Antonio FC1–1 (a.e.t.)
(1–4 p)
OKC Energy FC San Antonio, Texas
7:30 pm CDT Elizondo 7' Yellow card 97'
Gordon Yellow card 51'
Castillo Yellow card 112'
Report R. Dixon Yellow card 72'
Wojcik 85'
Stadium: Toyota Field
Attendance: 7,032
Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr.
Penalties
Guzmán soccer ball with red X
Castillo soccer ball with check mark
Reed soccer ball with red X
soccer ball with check mark Angulo
soccer ball with check mark Brown
soccer ball with check mark Hyland
soccer ball with check mark Wallace

Conference Finals

[edit]

USL Championship

[edit]
November 13, 2017 (2017-11-13) Final Louisville City FC 1–0Swope Park RangersLouisville, Kentucky
9:00 PM EST Lancaster 88'
Kaye Yellow card 90+3'
McCabe Red card 90+8'
Report
Report
Musa Yellow card 17'
Didic Yellow card 24'
Stadium: Louisville Slugger Field
Attendance: 14,456
Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero
Note: Niall McCabe was sent off from the bench

Championship Game MVP: Paolo DelPiccolo (LOU)

Top goalscorers

[edit]
Rank Player Club Goals
1 California Stefano Bonomo New York Red Bulls II 3
Virginia Brian Ownby Louisville City FC
3 Costa Rica César Elizondo San Antonio FC 2
Bulgaria Georgi Hristov Tampa Bay Rowdies
California Tarek Morad Louisville City FC
Germany Marcel Schäfer Tampa Bay Rowdies
Poland Wojciech Wojcik Oklahoma City Energy
8 Virginia Kharlton Belmar Swope Park Rangers 1
New Hampshire Stefan Defregger Rochester Rhinos
Canada Amer Didic Swope Park Rangers
Ivory Coast Didier Drogba Phoenix Rising FC
Mexico Luis Espino Sacramento Republic FC
Jamaica Junior Flemmings New York Red Bulls II
Canada Paris Gee Tulsa Roughnecks FC
Texas Jochen Graf Rochester Rhinos
Mexico Éver Guzmán San Antonio FC
Alabama Chandler Hoffman Real Monarchs
New York (state) Ethan Kutler New York Red Bulls II
England Cameron Lancaster Louisville City FC
Uruguay Enzo Martínez Charlotte Independence
Connecticut Ben Mines New York Red Bulls II
BavariaOhio Luke Spencer Louisville City FC
France Florian Valot New York Red Bulls II

[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "USL Announces 2017 Conference Alignment". United Soccer League (USL). January 9, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  2. ^ "2017 USL Cup Playoffs Matchups Set". United Soccer League (USL). October 15, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  3. ^ "Lightning, Heavy Rain Postpones Swope Park, Phoenix". United Soccer League (USL). October 22, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  4. ^ "Who Will Host Sacramento Republic, Swope Park Rangers Playoff Game?". sacramento.cbslocal.com. CBS13. October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  5. ^ "Children's Mercy Park to Host Rangers, Republic FC". www.uslsoccer.com. United Soccer League (USL). October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  6. ^ "USL playoff statistics". Retrieved November 13, 2017.