2019 USL Championship Home Openers Revealed
December 14, 2018 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rio Grande Valley FC Toros News Release
TAMPA, Fla. - The 2019 USL Championship season will open with a landmark opening day on Saturday, March 9 thanks to a 17-game slate of action - the most on a single day in the league's history - that kicks off the regular season.
The Championship's home openers were revealed in full on Friday as fans of the league's 36 clubs got their first glimpse of the 2019 campaign, with an opening day of games that includes inaugural home matches for four expansion franchises across the country.
Birmingham Legion FC, El Paso Locomotive FC, Memphis 901 FC and New Mexico United will all open their inaugural seasons on home turf, with Memphis welcoming the Tampa Bay Rowdies to AutoZone Park for its first regular-season home game and Birmingham facing 2018 USL Cup Playoffs side Bethlehem Steel FC in its opener at BBVA Compass Field.
Locomotive FC will begin its inaugural season at Southwest University Park with a visit from OKC Energy FC, while New Mexico United will play host to Fresno FC in its inaugural home opener at Isotopes Park.
Other notable games on the opening day of the season include high-profile games in each conference with two-time defending USL Cup champion Louisville City FC opening its season on the road against North Carolina FC and a rematch of the 2016 USL Cup as the New York Red Bulls II play host to the Swope Park Rangers highlighting the slate in the Eastern Conference.
Defending Western Conference champion Phoenix Rising FC also opens its campaign on the road as it visits San Antonio FC at Toyota Field, while Reno 1868 FC plays host to Orange County SC at Greater Nevada Field in a rematch from the 2018 USL Cup Playoffs. Sacramento Republic FC welcomes Real Monarchs SLC to Papa Murphy's Park for a battle of two consistent playoffs contenders in recent seasons.
Beyond the opening weekend of the season, the Championship will see the opening of a pair of soccer-specific venues over the course of its opening weeks, with Austin Bold FC playing host to Texas rival San Antonio FC on Saturday, March 30 for the first regular-season contest in Bold Stadium history. The spotlight will then fall on Hartford Athletic on Saturday, May 4 as it hosts its inaugural home opener at historic Dillon Stadium with a visit from the Charlotte Independence.
2019 USL Championship Home Openers
Home Teams Listed First
Saturday, March 9
ATL UTD 2 vs. Hartford Athletic
Birmingham Legion FC vs. Bethlehem Steel FC
Charleston Battery vs. Ottawa Fury FC
El Paso Locomotive FC vs. OKC Energy FC
LA Galaxy II vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Las Vegas Lights FC vs. Austin Bold FC
Memphis 901 FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Nashville SC vs. Loudoun United FC
New Mexico United vs. Fresno FC
New York Red Bulls II vs. Swope Park Rangers
North Carolina FC vs. Louisville City FC
Reno 1868 FC vs. Orange County SC
Sacramento Republic FC vs. Real Monarchs SLC
Saint Louis FC vs. Indy Eleven
San Antonio FC vs. Phoenix Rising FC
Seattle Sounders FC 2 vs. Rio Grande Valley FC
Tulsa Roughnecks FC vs. Portland Timbers 2
Friday, March 15
Charlotte Independence vs. Indy Eleven
Saturday, March 16
Bethlehem Steel FC vs. North Carolina FC
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. Sacramento Republic FC
OKC Energy FC vs. Las Vegas Lights FC
Orange County SC vs. Tulsa Roughnecks FC
Phoenix Rising FC vs. New Mexico United
Real Monarchs SLC vs. El Paso Locomotive FC
Rio Grande Valley FC vs. Fresno FC
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Saturday, March 23
Fresno FC vs. Reno 1868 FC
Louisville City FC vs. Hartford Athletic
Portland Timbers 2 vs. Las Vegas Lights FC
Swope Park Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Saturday, March 30
Austin Bold FC vs. San Antonio FC
Indy Eleven vs. Hartford Athletic
Saturday, April 6
Ottawa Fury FC vs. Nashville SC
Saturday, April 13
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC vs. Hartford Athletic
Friday, May 3
Loudoun United FC vs. Bethlehem Steel FC
Saturday, May 4
Hartford Athletic vs. Charlotte Independence
United Soccer League Championship Stories from December 14, 2018
- Sounders FC 2 to Open 2019 Season at Home on March 9 - Tacoma Defiance
- STLFC Opens 2019 Season at Home against Indy Eleven - Saint Louis FC
- Phoenix Rising Home Opener Set for March 16th - Phoenix Rising FC
- Nashville SC to Open 2019 at Home against Loudoun United FC - Nashville SC
- T2 to Play 2019 USL Championship Home Opener at Merlo Field against Las Vegas Lights FC on March 23 - Portland Timbers 2
- Fresno FC to Host Reno 1868 FC in 2019 USL Home Opener on March 23 - Fresno FC
- USL Championship Home Openers Revealed - Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
- Atlanta United 2 Announces 2019 Home Opener - Atlanta United 2
- 2019 USL Championship Home Openers Revealed - Rio Grande Valley FC Toros
- Memphis 901 FC Debut Set for Saturday, March 9 at AutoZone Park - Memphis 901 FC
- Hounds to Face Hartford Athletic in 2019 Home Opener - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
- Charleston Battery Home Opener Set for March 9 - Charleston Battery
- Louisville City FC to Face Hartford Athletic in 2019 USL Home Opener on Saturday, March 23 - Louisville City FC
- 2019 USL Championship Home Openers Revealed - Indy Eleven
- 2019 USL Championship Home Openers Revealed - USL
- San Antonio FC to Host Phoenix Rising FC on March 9 in 2019 Home Opener - San Antonio FC
- USL Championship Announces Bethlehem Steel FC's 2019 Home Opener - Philadelphia Union II
- Austin Bold FC to Host San Antonio FC on March 30 in Inaugural Home Match - Austin Bold FC
- North Carolina FC to Host Defending USL Cup Champion Louisville City SC in 2019 Home Opener - North Carolina FC
- Atlanta United 2 to Play 2019 Home Matches at Fifth Third Bank Stadium - Atlanta United 2
- Louisville City FC Scores Forward Lucky Mkosana - Louisville City FC
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