USL Championship final
American Division 2 soccer competition
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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).
(1st title)
Phoenix Rising celebrating after the 2023 USL Championship final. | |
| Organizer(s) | USL Championship |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2010 |
| Region | United States (CONCACAF) |
| Current champion(s) | Phoenix Rising FC (1st title) |
| Most championships | Louisville City and Orlando City (2 titles each) |
| Broadcaster(s) | CBS ESPN+ |
| Website | USLSoccer.com |
 2024 USL Championship Playoffs | |
Unlike most soccer leagues, 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 2024, the USL Championship final is typically held in late-November and features the Eastern Conference champion and Western Conference champion.[1] 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 | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | California Jaguars | 1–1 (p) | Richmond Kickers | [2] |
| 1997 | Milwaukee Rampage | 1–1 (p) | Carolina Dynamo | [3] |
| 1998 | Rochester Raging Rhinos | 3–1 | Minnesota Thunder | [4] |
| 1999 | Minnesota Thunder | 2–1 | Rochester Raging Rhinos | [5] |
| 2000 | Rochester Raging Rhinos | 3–1 | Minnesota Thunder | [6] |
| 2001 | Rochester Raging Rhinos | 2–0 | Hershey Wildcats | [7] |
| 2002 | Milwaukee Rampage | 2–1 (2OT) | Richmond Kickers | [8] |
| 2003 | Charleston Battery | 3–0 | Minnesota Thunder | [9] |
| 2004 | Montreal Impact | 2–0 | Seattle Sounders | [citation needed] |
USL-1 era (2005–2009)
| Season | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Venue | Attendance | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Seattle Sounders | 1–1 (p) | Richmond Kickers | Qwest Field | 8,011 | [10] |
| 2006 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 3–0 | Rochester Raging Rhinos | PAETEC Park | 9,547 | [11] |
| 2007 | Seattle Sounders | 4–0 | Atlanta Silverbacks | Starfire Sports Complex | 4,893 | [12] |
| 2008 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 2–1 | Puerto Rico Islanders | Swangard Stadium[n 1] | 5,822 | [13] |
| 2009 | Montreal Impact | 3–2[n 2] 3–1[n 2] |
Vancouver Whitecaps | Swangard Stadium Saputo Stadium |
5,886 13,034 |
[14] [15] |
- The league granted Vancouver the right to host the 2008 final, despite them being the lower seeded team.
- Montreal won the two-legged series 6–3 on aggregate.
USL Championship era (2010–present)
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 | |
| Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | 1 | 0 | 2024 | |
| Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | 1 | 0 | 2025 | |
| 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 | |
| Rhode Island FC | 0 | 1 | 2024 | |
| FC Tulsa | 0 | 1 | 2025 |
| Winner | USL Cup champions |
| Bold | Players' Shield champions |
| Italics | No longer plays in the USL Championship |