USL Championship final
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).
.png.webp){kind=logo} Former USL Cup logo (2016–2018) | |
| Organizing body | USL Championship |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2010 |
| Region | United States (CONCACAF) |
| Current champion(s) | San Antonio FC (1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Louisville City and Orlando City (2 titles each) |
| Television broadcasters | ESPN+ |
| Website | USLSoccer.com |
 2022 USL Championship Playoffs | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Seattle Sounders | 1–1 (p) | Richmond Kickers |
| 2006 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 3–0 | Rochester Raging Rhinos |
| 2007 | Seattle Sounders | 4–0 | Atlanta Silverbacks |
| 2008 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 2–1 | Puerto Rico Islanders |
| 2009 | Montreal Impact | 6–3 | Vancouver Whitecaps |
USL Championship era (2010–)
Records and statistics
USL Championship titles
As of the 2021 season, 52 teams have competed in USL under its current branding. Twelve of these teams have appeared in a cup final, with six of these teams having won the USL Cup.
| 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 | 0 | 2012 | |
| 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 | |
| Penn FC [lower-roman 1] | 0 | 2 | 2011, 2014 | |
| Sporting Kansas City II [lower-roman 2] | 0 | 2 | 2016, 2017 | |
| Wilmington Hammerheads FC | 0 | 1 | 2012 | |
| Charlotte Eagles | 0 | 1 | 2013 | |
| LA Galaxy II | 0 | 1 | 2015 | |
| Phoenix Rising FC | 0 | 1 | 2018 | |
| Tampa Bay Rowdies | 0 | 1 | 2021 |
| Winner | USL Cup champions |
| Bold | Regular season champions |
| Italics | No longer plays in the USL Championship |
- as Harrisburg City Islanders
- as Swope Park Rangers
See also
- MLS Cup
- USL Shield
References
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