USL Championship final
Former USL Cup logo (2016–2018)
Organizing bodyUSL Championship
Founded2010
RegionUnited States (CONCACAF)
Current champion(s)San Antonio FC
(1st title)
Most successful club(s)Louisville City and Orlando City
(2 titles each)
Television broadcastersESPN+
WebsiteUSLSoccer.com
2023 USL Championship Playoffs

The USL Championship final is the post-season championship match of the USL Championship, the second tier of professional men's soccer in the United States. The winner is crowned champion in the same manner as in other North American sports leagues (i.e. via a playoff following a regular season).

Unlike most soccer league, but much like North American sports leagues, the USL champion does not earn promotion into Major League Soccer, due to the fixed membership structure found in the league.

As of 2022, the USL Championship final is typically held in mid-November and features the Eastern Conference champion and Western Conference champion. The predecessor to the USL Championship final was the A–League Championship and the USL-1 Championship.

Champions

A-League era (1996–2004)

Season Winner Score Runner-up
1996 California Jaguars 1–1 (p) Richmond Kickers
1997 Milwaukee Rampage 1–1 (p) Carolina Dynamo
1998 Rochester Raging Rhinos 3–1 Minnesota Thunder
1999 Minnesota Thunder 2–1 Rochester Raging Rhinos
2000 Rochester Raging Rhinos 3–1 Minnesota Thunder
2001 Rochester Raging Rhinos 2–0 Hershey Wildcats
2002 Milwaukee Rampage 2–1 (2OT) Richmond Kickers
2003 Charleston Battery 3–0 Minnesota Thunder
2004 Montreal Impact 2–0 Seattle Sounders

USL-1 era (2005–2009)

Season Winner Score Runner-up Venue Attendance
2005 Seattle Sounders 1–1 (p) Richmond Kickers Qwest Field 8,011
2006 Vancouver Whitecaps 3–0 Rochester Raging Rhinos PAETEC Park 9,547
2007 Seattle Sounders 4–0 Atlanta Silverbacks Starfire Sports Complex 4,893
2008 Vancouver Whitecaps 2–1 Puerto Rico Islanders Swangard Stadium[n 1] 5,822
2009 Montreal Impact 3–2[n 2]
3–1[n 2]
Vancouver Whitecaps Swangard Stadium
Saputo Stadium
5,886
13,034
  1. The league granted Vancouver the right to host the 2008 final, despite them being the lower seeded team.
  2. 1 2 Montreal won the two-legged series 6–3 on aggregate.

USL Championship era (2010–)

Season Champions Score Runners–up Venue Attendance MVP
2011 Orlando City 2–2 (p) Harrisburg City Islanders Citrus Bowl 11,220 Sean Kelley (ORL)
2012 Charleston Battery 1–0 Wilmington Hammerheads Blackbaud Stadium 4,963 Jose Cuevas (CHB)
2013 Orlando City 7–4 Charlotte Eagles Citrus Bowl 20,886 Dom Dwyer (ORL)
2014 Sacramento Republic 2–0 Harrisburg City Islanders Bonney Field 8,000 Rodrigo López (SAC)
2015 Rochester Rhinos 2–1 (a.e.t.) LA Galaxy II Sahlen's Stadium 5,247 Asani Samuels (ROC)
2016 New York Red Bulls II 5–1 Swope Park Rangers Red Bull Arena 5,547 Brandon Allen (NYRB)
2017 Louisville City FC 1–0 Swope Park Rangers Louisville Slugger Field 14,456 Paolo DelPiccolo (LOU)
2018 Louisville City FC 1–0 Phoenix Rising FC Lynn Stadium 7,025 Luke Spencer (LOU)
2019 Real Monarchs SLC 3–1 Louisville City FC Lynn Stadium 7,025 Konrad Plewa (SLC)
2020 No champion due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021Orange County SC3–1Tampa Bay RowdiesAl Lang Stadium7,521Ronaldo Damus (OCO)
2022San Antonio FC3–1Louisville City FCToyota Field8,534Santiago Patiño (SAFC)
2023Phoenix Rising FC1–1 (p)Charleston BatteryPatriots Point5,094Rocco Ríos Novo (PHX)

Records and statistics

USL Championship titles

Club Winner Runner-up Years won Years runner-up
Louisville City FC 2 2 2017, 2018 2019, 2022
Orlando City SC 2 0 2011, 2013
Charleston Battery 1 1 2012 2023
Phoenix Rising FC 1 1 2023 2018
Sacramento Republic FC 1 0 2014
Rochester Rhinos 1 0 2015
New York Red Bulls II 1 0 2016
Real Monarchs SLC 1 0 2019
Orange County SC 1 0 2021
San Antonio FC 1 0 2022
Harrisburg City Islanders 0 2 2011, 2014
Swope Park Rangers 0 2 2016, 2017
Wilmington Hammerheads FC 0 1 2012
Charlotte Eagles 0 1 2013
LA Galaxy II 0 1 2015
Tampa Bay Rowdies 0 1 2021
Winner USL Cup champions
Bold Players' Shield champions
Italics No longer plays in the USL Championship

See also

References

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