USL United Soccer League Championship

Final Four Take Aim at USL Cup in Conference Final Showdowns

Published on October 31, 2017 under United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release


USL's Week Ahead: Final Four Take Aim at USL Cup in Conference Final Showdowns (Nov. 4, 2017)

Final four take aim at USL Cup in Conference Final showdowns

TAMPA, Fla. - The United Soccer League, one of the most prominent Division II leagues in the world, is two weeks away from crowning its next champion, with Eastern and Western Conference Finals set for this Saturday night as the final four teams standing take aim at a trip to the USL Cup. The Eastern Conference Final features a rematch from 2016, with the No. 1-seed Louisville City FC set to play host this time around against defending USL Cup champion and No. 7-seed the New York Red Bulls II. The Western Conference Final also features two teams who have reached this stage before, with the No. 4-seed and defending Western Conference champion Swope Park Rangers and No. 6-seed OKC Energy FC set to square off. After four compelling games last Saturday night, here are the USL essentials for the week ahead:

USL CUP PLAYOFFS REVIEW

The Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals of the 2017 USL Cup Playoffs brought another pair of upset, with both coming in dramatic fashion as the East's No. 7-seed New York Red Bulls II earned victory in extra time and the West's No. 6-seed advanced after a penalty shootout. Here's a quick recap of all the action.

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

No. 1 Louisville City FC 1, No. 4 Rochester Rhinos 0: Louisville advanced to its third consecutive Eastern Conference Final but was made to work for its victory, as Rochester forced City goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh into four saves. A pair of halftime substitutes made the difference for Louisville, however, as Brian Ownby scored the winner in the 77th minute to keep City perfect at home in its postseason history.

No. 7 New York Red Bulls II 2, No. 3 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1 (AET): The Red Bulls II rallied to hand the Rowdies their second home defeat of the season, as forward Stefano Bonomo and goalkeeper Evan Louro took leading roles. Bonomo's second-half goal leveled the score after Tampa Bay's Georgi Hristov had struck midway through the first half, and the standout forward added his second three minutes into the first period of extra time to put New York ahead. From there, Louro continued his standout display, finishing with six saves, almost all crucial, as the Red Bulls II continued their title defense.

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

No. 6 OKC Energy FC 1 (4), No. 2 San Antonio FC 1 (1): Energy FC scored late in regulation through Wojciech Wojcik and then had goalkeeper C.J. Cochran make a pair of saves in a penalty shootout to send OKC back to the Western Conference Final and end SAFC's remarkable season. San Antonio took the lead in the eighth minute through Cesar Elizondo, but Energy FC posed more danger throughout, outshooting their hosts 21-7. The visitors' reward came with five minutes to go, as Wojcik flicked home a header to equalize, and Cochran then came up big in the shootout, saving the first and third shots to allow Anthony Wallace to win the game with the first shot of the fourth round.

No. 4 Swope Park Rangers 1, No. 8 Sacramento Republic FC 0: The Rangers got a goal from Kharlton Belmar less than a minute into the second half to advance back to the Western Conference Final for a second consecutive year, as they ended Republic FC's run. Belmar capitalized on the rebound of an initial shot by Tyler Pasher, heading into an open net, and from there, Swope Park's defense took over to hold Sacramento to only 10 shots total for the contest.

All 480 regular-season games, the 2017 USL Cup Playoffs and the 2017 USL Cup Final can be accessed via USLSoccer.com's Match Center: http://www.uslsoccer.com/match-center

USL NEWS & FEATURES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:

Louisville Courier-Journal: LouCity Gets Money to Build Soccer Stadium Louisville Courier Journal: What's Next for LouCity Soccer Stadium? Las Vegas Review-Journal: Las Vegas Lights FC Releases Logo, Hopes it Carries Local Appeal Las Vegas Review-Journal: Las Vegas Lights Owner Wants Team to be 'Fast, Fun, Soccer Party' USLSoccer.com: Nashville SC Surpasses 2,000 Season Ticket Holders USLSoccer.com: The Promotions Dept. Joins USL Preferred Supplier Program Louisville Courier-Journal: Ranjitsingh, Ownby Provide Heroics in 'Gritty' Louisville Playoff Win USLSoccer.com: Ownby's Observation Led to Key Breakthrough San Antonio News-Express: SAFC's Season Ends on Penalty Kicks USLSoccer.com: Cochran Comes Through Again for Energy FC USLSoccer.com: 'Tremendous' SAFC Season Ends in Sadness St. Petersburg Times: Rowdies' Season Ends with Playoff Loss to Red Bulls II USLSoccer.com: Rowdies Left with 'Disappointment' After Elimination Sacramento Bee: Republic FC's Underdog Playoff Run Ends with 1-0 Loss USLSoccer.com: Rangers Elated as Playoff Run Continues BUZZING ON SOCIAL:

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

Saturday, November 4

No. 1 Louisville City FC vs. No. 7 New York Red Bulls II, 7:30 p.m. ET (Match Center): At Slugger Field in Louisville, Ky., Louisville and New York square off in a rematch of the 2016 Eastern Conference Final, with City holding homefield advantage for the first time in three visits to this stage of the playoffs. Louisville took victory in both prior meetings between the teams this season, which accounted for their first two wins in the all-time series between the clubs. The host is also perfect on home turf in its postseason history, having gone 5-0-0 without conceding a goal at Slugger Field in the USL Cup Playoffs. New York has a different look from the side that fell 2-1 at Slugger Field on July 29, however, and will be hopeful of emulating its victory of a season ago to keep its quest to become the first team to win back-to-back USL Cups alive. (#LOUvNY) WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

Saturday, November 4

No. 4 Swope Park Rangers vs. No. 6 OKC Energy FC, 8:30 p.m. ET (Match Center): At Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan., the Rangers and Energy FC have each reached the Western Conference Final for the second time in their histories, with Swope Park looking to claim back-to-back Western Conference Championships, and Energy FC looking to replace the memory of 2015's defeat to the LA Galaxy II at this stage. OKC is the hottest team in the USL Cup Playoffs despite its No. 6 seed, having taken six consecutive victories - including its penalty shootout win on the road against San Antonio FC this past Saturday. Among those victories was a 4-1 triumph against the Rangers at Taft Stadium on Oct. 8, a game in which leading scorer Jose Angulo scored twice. The Rangers will be hoping to turn the tables on Energy FC from that performance, and put in a display similar to their 2-0 win in Kansas City on Sept. 2, which earned the side a 2-1-0 edge in this year's regular season series. (#SPRvOKC) 2017 USL CUP PLAYOFFS RESULTS:

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

Friday, Oct. 20

No. 1 Louisville City FC 4, No. 8 Bethlehem Steel FC 0 Saturday, Oct. 21

No. 7 New York Red Bulls II 4, No. 2 Charleston Battery 0 No. 4 Rochester Rhinos 2, No. 5 Charlotte Independence 1, AET No. 3 Tampa Bay Rowdies 3, No. 6 FC Cincinnati 0 Eastern Conference Semifinals

Saturday, Oct. 28

No. 1 Louisville City FC 1, No. 4 Rochester Rhinos 0 No. 7 New York Red Bulls II 2, No. 3 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1, AET Western Conference Quarterfinals

Friday, Oct. 20

No. 8 Sacramento Republic FC 1, No. 1 Real Monachs SLC 1, Sacramento wins 3-1 in penalty shootout Saturday, Oct. 21

No. 6 OKC Energy FC 1, No. 3 Reno 1868 FC 0 No. 2 San Antonio FC 2, No. 7 Tulsa Roughnecks FC 1 Sunday, Oct. 22

No. 4 Swope Park Rangers 1, No. 5 Phoenix Rising FC 1, Swope Park wins 4-2 in penalty shootout Western Conference Semifinals

Saturday, Oct. 28

No. 6 OKC Energy FC 1, No. 2 San Antonio FC 1, OKC wins 4-1 in penalty shootout No. 4 Swope Park Rangers 1, No. 8 Sacramento Republic FC 0 2017 USL MEDIA RESOURCES:Visit the 2017 USL Media Resources section on USLSoccer.com for the league media guide, media contacts and the league's press kit: http://www.uslsoccer.com/media-resources

About USL

The USL is one of the most prominent Division II professional soccer leagues in the world, with 30 markets in 20 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces for the 2017 season. In total, the USL reaches a population of 75 million people, fueling the growth of professional soccer across North America.

In 2016, more than $100 million were invested league-wide into stadium infrastructure to create venues that deliver an unforgettable fan and competitor experience. The USL has national media partnerships with ESPN and SiriusXM, and recently invested $10 million to create USL Productions - which includes a state-of-the-art facility that will produce and distribute nearly 500 league matches and more than 1,000 hours of original content to national partners, local affiliates, USL's Match Center and international markets.

A growing league, the USL has more than doubled in size since 2014, with Ottawa Fury FC, Reno 1868 FC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies debuting in 2017. Three new clubs are set to debut in 2018, with Nashville, Tenn., Fresno, Calif., and Las Vegas officially announced as new markets. The league will then add a new club in Birmingham, Ala. in 2019, and make its return to Austin, Texas, the same year. The USL regularly features international exhibitions against leading Premier League, Liga MX, and Bundesliga clubs, among others.

Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., the USL provides unparalleled club support with a growing team of more than 50 professionals across 17 departments, ranging from operations to marketing, communications and sponsorship. Follow the USL at USLSoccer.com, the USL Match Center, and on social media via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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