2024 USL Championship playoffs
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Dates | November 1 – November 23 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Defending champions | Phoenix Rising FC |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC |
| Runner-up | Rhode Island FC |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 15 |
| Goals scored | 36 (2.4 per match) |
| Attendance | 105,314 (7,021 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) |  JJ Williams (5 goals) |
All statistics correct as of November 23, 2024. | |
The 2024 USL Championship playoffs (branded as the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs presented by TERMINIX for sponsorship reasons) was the post-season championship of the 2024 USL Championship season. It is the fourteenth edition of the USL Championship playoffs. The playoffs began on the November 1, and concluded on November 23.[1]
Phoenix Rising FC, the 2023 Western Conference champions, were the defending title holders, winning against the Eastern Conference champion Charleston Battery in a penalty shoot-out for their first title in the 2023 USL Championship playoffs.[2] Louisville was the first team to clinch a playoff berth when they defeated Loudoun United FC on September 6.[3] They went on to win the players shield on October 5 after drawing 2–2 with Indy Eleven.[4]
In the 2024 USL Championship final, Colorado Springs Switchbacks won a first ever championship, defeating debutant team Rhode Island FC 3-0.
Format
[edit]The top eight teams in each conference qualified for the playoffs which was in a single-elimination, fixed bracket format. All playoff matches were streamed live on ESPN+ and YouTube except the Championship final on CBS and TUDN.[5][6] The playoffs began on the first weekend of November, with the final taking place on the 23rd.[7]
Conference standings
[edit]|
Eastern Conference
|
Western Conference
|
|
Bracket
[edit]| Conference Quarterfinals November 1–3 | Conference Semifinals November 9–10 | Conference Finals November 16 | USL Championship Final November 23 | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Louisville City FC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E8 | North Carolina FC | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Louisville City FC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Rhode Island FC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Indy Eleven | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Rhode Island FC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Rhode Island FC | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Charleston Battery | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Detroit City FC | 1 (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Tampa Bay Rowdies (p) | 1 (3) | |||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Charleston Battery | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Charleston Battery | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E7 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Rhode Island FC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | New Mexico United | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W8 | Phoenix Rising FC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | New Mexico United | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Las Vegas Lights FC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Las Vegas Lights FC (p) | 0 (3) | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Sacramento Republic FC | 0 (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Las Vegas Lights FC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Memphis 901 FC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Orange County SC (a.e.t.) | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Orange County SC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (a.e.t.) | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W7 | Oakland Roots SC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
Schedule
[edit]Conference Quarterfinals
[edit]| November 1, 2024 West | Las Vegas Lights FC | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (3–2 p) | Sacramento Republic FC | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| 7:30 PM PDT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Cashman Field Attendance: 2,415 Referee: Elton Garcia |
| Penalties | ||||
| November 2, 2024 West | Memphis 901 FC | 0–1 (a.e.t.) | Orange County SC | Memphis, Tennessee |
| 1:00 PM CDT | Report | Stadium: AutoZone Park Attendance: 3,014 Referee: Ricardo Fierro |
| November 2, 2024 East | Charleston Battery | 1–0 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | Mount Pleasant, South Carolina |
| 6:30 PM EDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Patriots Point Soccer Complex Attendance: 4,287 Referee: Nabil Bensalah |
| November 2, 2024 East | Detroit City FC | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (1–3 p) | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Hamtramck, Michigan |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Keyworth Stadium Attendance: 7,183 Referee: Sergii Demianchuk | |
| Penalties | ||||
| November 2, 2024 East | Louisville City FC | 3–2 | North Carolina FC | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 8,875 Referee: Matthew Corrigan |
| November 2, 2024 West | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 2–0 | Oakland Roots SC | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| 6:00 PM MDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Weidner Field Attendance: 7,463 Referee: Abdou Ndiaye |
| November 3, 2024 East | Indy Eleven | 2–3 | Rhode Island FC | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| 1:00 PM EST | Report | Stadium: Michael A. Carroll Stadium Attendance: 7,623 Referee: Joshua Encarnacion |
| November 3, 2024 West | New Mexico United | 2–1 | Phoenix Rising FC | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| 6:00 PM MST | Report | Stadium: Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park Attendance: 11,447 Referee: Lorenzo Hernandez |
Conference Semifinals
[edit]| November 9, 2024 East | Louisville City FC | 0–3 | Rhode Island FC | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 7:30 PM EST | Report | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 9,510 Referee: Elton Garcia |
| November 9, 2024 West | New Mexico United | 0–1 | Las Vegas Lights FC | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| 7:30 PM MST | Report | Stadium: Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park Attendance: 10,049 Referee: Natalie Simon |
| November 10, 2024 East | Charleston Battery | 2–1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Mount Pleasant, South Carolina |
| 1:00 PM EST | Report | Stadium: Patriots Point Soccer Complex Attendance: 5,079 Referee: Matt Thompson |
| November 10, 2024 West | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Orange County SC | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| 4:30 PM MST |
|
Report | Stadium: Weidner Field Attendance: 7,236 Referee: Lorenzo Hernandez |
Conference Finals
[edit]| November 16, 2024 East | Charleston Battery | 1–2 | Rhode Island FC | Mount Pleasant, South Carolina |
| 5:00 PM (EST) | Report | Stadium: Patriots Point Soccer Complex Attendance: 5,087 Referee: Calin Radosav |
| November 16, 2024 West | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 1–0 | Las Vegas Lights FC | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| 7:00 PM (MST) | Report | Stadium: Weidner Field Attendance: 8,023 Referee: Elton Garcia |
USL Championship Final
[edit]| November 23, 2024 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 3–0 | Rhode Island FC | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| 10:00 AM (MST) | Report | Stadium: Weidner Field Attendance: 8,023 Referee: Ricardo Fierro |
Championship Game MVP: Juan Tejada (COS)
Top goalscorers
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ USLChampionship.com Staff (October 27, 2024). "Field for 2024 USL Championship Playoffs presented by Terminix Set". www.uslchampionship.com. Tampa, FL: USL. Archived from the original on October 28, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
- ^ Anderson, Jake (November 13, 2023). "Phoenix Rising FC wins USL title in improbable way vs. Charleston Battery". arizonasports.com. Charleston, SC: Arizona Sports. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ "Louisville City FC clinches playoff spot in win over Loudoun United". www.wdrb.com. Louisville, KY: WDRB. September 6, 2024. Archived from the original on October 21, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ USLChampionship.com Staff (October 5, 2024). "Louisville City FC claims first USL Championship Players' Shield in club history". www.uslchampionship.com. Indianapolis, IN: USL. Archived from the original on October 21, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ USLChampionship.com Staff (December 18, 2023). "USL Championship Unveils 2024 Regular Season Schedule". USL Championship. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ Televisa Univision PR (June 12, 2024). "United Soccer League and TelevisaUnivision announce landmark multiyear media partnership". TelevisaUnivision. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- ^ Krysinsky, John (December 18, 2023). "USL Championship, Riverhounds announce 2024 schedule". Pittsburgh Soccer Now. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ "2024 USLC Playoff Stats". USL Championship. November 23, 2024.