The 2022 USL Championship playoffs (branded as the 2022 USL Championship Playoffs presented by Hisense for sponsorship reasons) is the post-season championship of the 2022 USL Championship. It is the twelfth edition of the USL Championship playoffs. The playoffs began October 22, and concluded with the USL Championship Final on November 13.[1]
Tournament details | |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Teams | 14 |
Defending champions | Orange County SC (2021) |
Final positions | |
Champions | San Antonio FC |
Runner-up | Louisville City FC |
Tournament statistics | |
Matches played | 13 |
Goals scored | 38 (2.92 per match) |
Attendance | 104,695 (8,053 per match) |
Top goal scorer(s) | Santiago Patiño (5 goals) |
All statistics correct as of November 13, 2022. |
San Antonio FC won the regular season.[2] Defending title holders Orange County SC did not qualify for the playoffs.[3]
Format
editThe top seven teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs; the top team from each conference earned a bye to the conference semifinals. After the opening round the tournament will be reseeded to ensure that the top team from each conference plays the lowest seeded team and hosting rights will be determined by regular season record.[4] All playoff matches will be streamed live on ESPN+ except the Championship final on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and Sirius XM FC.[1][5]
Conference standings
edit
Eastern Conference
Source: USL Championship Standings
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Western Conference
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Bracket
editConference Quarterfinals October 22–23 | Conference Semifinals October 28–30 | Conference Finals November 5–6 | USL Championship Final November 13 | ||||||||||||||||
E1 | Louisville City FC (p) | 2 (5) | |||||||||||||||||
E5 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | 2 (3) | |||||||||||||||||
E4 | Birmingham Legion FC | 2 (7) | |||||||||||||||||
E5 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (p) | 2 (8) | |||||||||||||||||
E1 | Louisville City FC (a.e.t.) | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
E3 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
E2 | Memphis 901 FC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
E7 | Detroit City FC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
E2 | Memphis 901 FC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
E3 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
E3 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
E6 | Miami FC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
E1 | Louisville City FC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
W1 | San Antonio FC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
W1 | San Antonio FC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
W7 | Oakland Roots SC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
W2 | San Diego Loyal SC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
W7 | Oakland Roots SC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
W1 | San Antonio FC | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
W3 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
W3 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
W6 | Rio Grande Valley FC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
W3 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (a.e.t.) | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
W4 | Sacramento Republic FC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
W4 | Sacramento Republic FC | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
W5 | New Mexico United | 0 |
Schedule
editConference Quarterfinals
editOctober 22 East | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3–1 | Miami FC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
7:30 PM EDT | Report |
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Stadium: Al Lang Stadium Attendance: 5,937 Referee: Calin Radosav |
October 22 East | Memphis 901 FC | 3–1 | Detroit City FC | Memphis, Tennessee |
8:00 PM CDT |
|
Report | Stadium: AutoZone Park Attendance: 6,010 Referee: Elijio Arreguin |
October 22 West | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | 3–0 | Rio Grande Valley FC | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
6:30 PM MDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Weidner Field Attendance: 7,036 Referee: Mark Allatin |
October 22 West | Sacramento Republic FC | 2–0 | New Mexico United | Sacramento, California |
7:00 PM PDT | Report | Stadium: Heart Health Park Attendance: 11,569 Referee: Elvis Osmanovic |
October 23 East | Birmingham Legion FC | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (7–8 p) | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | Birmingham, Alabama |
6:00 PM EDT | Report | Stadium: Protective Stadium Attendance: 10,227 Referee: Eric Tattersall | ||
Penalties | ||||
October 23 West | San Diego Loyal SC | 0–3 | Oakland Roots SC | San Diego, California |
5:30 PM PDT | Report | Stadium: Torero Stadium Attendance: 5,719 Referee: Elton Garcia |
Conference Semifinals
editOctober 28 West | San Antonio FC | 3–0 | Oakland Roots SC | San Antonio, Texas |
7:30 PM CDT | Report | Stadium: Toyota Field Attendance: 8,208 Referee: Elvis Osmanovic |
October 29 East | Louisville City FC | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (5–3 p) | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | Louisville, Kentucky |
7:30 PM EDT | Report | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 8,509 Referee: Elijio Arreguin | ||
Penalties | ||||
October 29 West | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Sacramento Republic FC | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
6:00 PM MDT | Report | Stadium: Weidner Field Attendance: 7,075 Referee: Sergii Demianchuk |
October 30 East | Memphis 901 FC | 0–1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Memphis, Tennessee |
3:00 PM CDT | Report | Stadium: AutoZone Park Attendance: 6,063 Referee: Elton Garcia | ||
Note: Match rescheduled from October 29 due to weather.[6] |
Conference Finals
editNovember 5 East | Louisville City FC | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Louisville, Kentucky |
7:30 PM EDT | Report |
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Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 11,563 Referee: Mark Allatin |
November 6 West | San Antonio FC | 2–0 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | San Antonio, Texas |
7:30 PM CST | Report | Stadium: Toyota Field Attendance: 8,245 Referee: Kevin Broadley |
USL Championship Final
editSimilar to the 2022 MLS playoffs, the final featured the top seeds in the Eastern and Western Conferences, Louisville City FC and San Antonio FC, who were their conferences' regular-season and play-off champions. As overall regular-season champion, San Antonio FC had home-field advantage for the final.
For Louisville City, 2022 marks the fourth Championship final in five seasons, having won two of their previous three in 2017 and 2018. For San Antonio FC, this is a first USL Championship final.
November 13 | San Antonio FC | 3–1 | Louisville City FC | San Antonio, Texas |
7:30 PM CST | Report |
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Stadium: Toyota Field Attendance: 8,534 Referee: Lukasz Szpala |
Championship Game MVP: Santiago Patiño (SAN)
Top goalscorers
editAwards
edit- Goal of the Playoffs: Charlie Dennis (OAK)[8]
- Save of the Playoffs: Jordan Farr (SAN)[9]
References
edit- ^ a b "USL Releases Playoff Schedule and Announces Hisense USA as Presenting Partner of Championship and League One Playoffs". USL League One. September 22, 2022. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
- ^ Anderson, Stephen (October 1, 2022). "San Antonio FC Clinches Top Overall Seed With Win In Pittsburgh". Forward Axis. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
The historic season for San Antonio FC continued on Saturday night as they earned a 1–0 victory over Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC to clinch the top overall seed in the USL Championship Playoffs, which begin at the end of the month.
- ^ "SD Loyal, Already Playoff Bound, Meets Goal of 2nd-Place Finish in Western Conference". Times of San Diego. October 1, 2022. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
Orange County, eliminated from playoff contention, pushed forward in the final minutes and found the equalizer with a goal by Milan's brother, Brian Iloski, in the 90th minute.
- ^ "USL Championship Announces 2022 Competition Format". USL Championship. December 21, 2021. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
- ^ "USL Announces Broadcast Teams for USL Championship Final on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and SiriusXM Satellite Radio". USL Championship. October 31, 2022. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
- ^ infield, Matt (October 29, 2022). "901 FC playoff game postponed due to rain". Action News 5. Memphis, TN. Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- ^ "2022 USL Championship Playoffs Presented by Hisense: Conference Quarterfinals Schedule". USL Championship. October 16, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ "USL Championship Fans' Choice Goal of the Playoffs". USLChampionship.com Staff. November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
- ^ "USL Championship Fans' Choice Save of the Playoffs". USLChampionship.com Staff. November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.