USL United Soccer League Championship

Wild Western Shakeup Yields Compelling Conference Semifinal Matches in 2021 USL Championship Playoffs

November 7, 2021 - United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release


TAMPA, Fla. - Oakland Roots SC and Rio Grande Valley FC recorded upset victories on the road against top-seeded El Paso Locomotive FC and Phoenix Rising FC to break the Western Conference bracket wide open in the 2021 USL Championship Playoffs, presented by TwinSpires.

Making its first postseason appearance in the Championship, Oakland broke El Paso's 25-game home undefeated streak at Southwest University Park in a 1-0 win on Friday as Jeremy Bokila scored the only goal minutes after entering as a second-half substitute (Full Report | Box Score).

On Saturday night, Rio Grande Valley advanced against Phoenix, the defending Western Conference winners, in a penalty shootout (4-3) after the sides played to a dramatic 3-3 draw over 120 minutes at Wild Horse Pass (Full Report | Box Score). It was the Toros' first postseason victory in club history.

Those two results set up a pair of in-state matchups in the Western Conference Semifinals, with Oakland set to visit Orange County SC, which defeated Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 1-0 on Saturday (Full Report | Box Score). Rio Grande Valley will square off against South Texas Derby rival San Antonio FC, which advanced via a 2-0 victory against San Diego Loyal SC on Friday. (Full Report | Box Score).

In the Eastern Conference, the top four seeds advanced in the playoffs' opening weekend. The Tampa Bay Rowdies began their conference title defense with a 6-2 romp past FC Tulsa at Al Lang Stadium (Full Report | Box Score). The hosts scored one minute into the second half and set off a scoring festival that saw Tampa Bay find the net five times and Tulsa's Joaquin Rivas and Dario Suarez notch a pair of world-class finishes for the visitors.

Central Division winner Louisville City FC moved past visiting Miami FC, 1-0 (Full Report | Box Score) as Jorge Gonzalez brought joy to the 9,097 fans at Lynn Family Stadium with a 74th minute tally. Birmingham Legion FC, which finished just one point behind the division winners, advanced past Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC after multiple covered persons from the Riverhounds organization tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the cancellation of the contest scheduled for Sunday evening.

Entering as the Atlantic Division's No. 2 seed, the Charlotte Independence captured the first postseason victory in club history with a 3-1 result against Memphis 901 FC (Full Report | Box Score) that included a goal from English Premier League title winner Christian Fuchs.

This Saturday, Nov. 13 will feature a quartet of Conference Semifinal tilts - all on ESPN+. The full schedule is below and the updated playoff bracket is here.

2021 USL Championship Playoffs, Presented by TwinSpires

(All times Eastern; home team listed first)

Eastern Conference Semifinals

Saturday, Nov. 13

Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Birmingham Legion FC, 7 p.m. ET, Al Lang Stadium

Louisville City FC vs. Charlotte Independence, 7:30 p.m. ET, Lynn Family Stadium

Western Conference Semifinals

Saturday, Nov. 13

San Antonio FC vs. Rio Grande Valley FC, 9 p.m. ET, Toyota Field

Orange County SC vs. Oakland Roots SC, 10 p.m. ET, Championship Soccer Stadium

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