2025 USL Championship playoffs

Last updated
2025 USL Championship playoffs
Tournament details
Country United States
DatesNovember 1 – November 22
Teams16
Defending champions Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Final positions
Champions Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (1st title)
Runners-up FC Tulsa
Tournament statistics
Matches played13
Goals scored14 (1.08 per match)
Attendance100,391 (7,722 per match)
Top goal scorer(s) Albert Dikwa Rhode Island FC
Stefan Lukic FC Tulsa
(2 goals each)
←  2024
2026 →

The 2025 USL Championship playoffs was the post-season championship of the 2025 USL Championship season. It was the fifteenth edition of the USL Championship playoffs. The playoffs began on the first weekend of November, and concluded with the final in late November.

Contents

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, the 2024 Western Conference champions, were the defending title holders, winning against the Eastern Conference champion Rhode Island FC. [1]

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC defeated FC Tulsa in the final 5–3 on penalties to win their first title.

Format

The top eight teams in each conference qualified for the playoffs which was in a single-elimination, fixed bracket format. All playoff matches are streamed live on ESPN+ except the Championship final on CBS. [2] The playoffs are scheduled to begin on the first weekend of November, with the final taking place between the 21st and 23rd. [3]

Conference standings

Bracket

Conference Quarterfinals
November 1–2 		Conference Semifinals
November 8 		Conference Finals
November 14–16 		USL Championship Final
November 22
            
E1 Louisville City FC 0
E8 Detroit City FC 1
E8 Detroit City FC 0 (3)
E4 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 0 (4)
E4 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (p)0 (4)
E5 Hartford Athletic 0 (2)
E4 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 1
Eastern Conference
E7 Rhode Island FC 0
E3 North Carolina FC 1
E6 Loudoun United FC 0
E3 North Carolina FC 0
E7 Rhode Island FC 2
E2 Charleston Battery 0 (3)
E7 Rhode Island FC (p)0 (5)
E4 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (p)0 (5)
W1 FC Tulsa 0 (3)
W1 FC Tulsa (a.e.t.)1
W8 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 0
W1 FC Tulsa (a.e.t.)1
W5 Phoenix Rising FC 0
W4 El Paso Locomotive FC 0
W5 Phoenix Rising FC 1
W1 FC Tulsa 3
Western Conference
W3 New Mexico United 0
W3 New Mexico United 2
W6 San Antonio FC 0
W3 New Mexico United 2
W7 Orange County SC 1
W2 Sacramento Republic FC 0 (4)
W7 Orange County SC 0 (5)

Matches

Conference Quarterfinals

November 1, 2025 (2025-11-01)East Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p)		 Hartford Athletic Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
6:30 PM ET Report Stadium: Highmark Stadium
Attendance: 4,932
Referee: Elijio Arreguin
Penalties
November 1, 2025 (2025-11-01)East Louisville City FC 0–1 Detroit City FC Louisville, Kentucky
7:00 PM ET Report Amoo-Mensah Soccerball shade.svg34'Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium
Attendance: 8,210
Referee: Greg Dopka
November 1, 2025 (2025-11-01)East North Carolina FC 1–0 Loudoun United FC Cary, North Carolina
7:30 PM ET Anderson Soccerball shade.svg6' Report Stadium: First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 2,005
Referee: Natalie Simon
November 1, 2025 (2025-11-01)West FC Tulsa 1–0 (a.e.t.) Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Tulsa, Oklahoma
7:00 PM CT Lukic Soccerball shade.svg92' Report Stadium: Oneok Field
Attendance: 7,583
Referee: Ryan Carrigan
November 1, 2025 (2025-11-01)West New Mexico United 2–0 San Antonio FC Albuquerque, New Mexico
7:00 PM MT
Report Stadium: Isotopes Park
Attendance: 8,287
Referee: Joshua Encarnación
November 1, 2025 (2025-11-01)West El Paso Locomotive FC 0–1 Phoenix Rising FC El Paso, Texas
7:30 PM MT Report Dennis Soccerball shade.svg86' (pen.)Stadium: Southwest University Park
Attendance: 3,469
Referee: Jeremy Scheer

Conference Semifinals

November 8, 2025East North Carolina FC 0–2 Rhode Island FC Cary, North Carolina
7:00 PM ET Report Dikwa Soccerball shade.svg81', 90+3'Stadium: First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 2,287
Referee: Joshua Encarnación
November 8, 2025West FC Tulsa 1–0 (a.e.t.) Phoenix Rising FC Tulsa, Oklahoma
8:00 PM ET Lukic Soccerball shade.svg120+2' Report Stadium: Oneok Field
Attendance: 7,917
Referee: Brandon Stevis
November 8, 2025West New Mexico United 2–1 Orange County SC Albuquerque, New Mexico
9:00 PM ET
 Report Pinto Soccerball shade.svg68'Stadium: Isotopes Park
Attendance: 10,150
Referee: Elton García

Conference Finals

November 15East Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 1–0 Rhode Island FC Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
6:30 PM Mertz Soccerball shade.svg55' Report Stadium: Highmark Stadium
Attendance: 6,745
Referee: Nabil Bensalah
November 15West FC Tulsa 3–0 New Mexico United Tulsa, Oklahoma
8:30 PM
 Report Stadium: Oneok Field
Attendance: 9,180
Referee: Greg Dopka

USL Championship Final

November 22Final FC Tulsa 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(3–5 p)		 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Tulsa, Oklahoma
12:00 PM EST Report Stadium: Oneok Field
Attendance: 9,507
Referee: Elijio Arreguin
Penalties

Top goalscorers

RankPlayerClubGoals [4]
1 Flag of the United States.svg Devon Amoo-Mensah Detroit City FC 1
Flag of Serbia.svg Stefan Lukic FC Tulsa
Flag of the United States.svg Mukwelle Akale New Mexico United
Flag of France.svg Valentin Noël
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Oalex Anderson North Carolina FC
Flag of England.svg Charlie Dennis Phoenix Rising FC

References

  1. ↑ Johnson, Hugh (2024-11-23). "Colorado Springs Switchbacks rout Rhode Island FC, complete miracle 10th season by winning first-ever title". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
  2. ↑ "USL Championship Unveils 2024 Regular Season Schedule". USL Championship. 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  3. ↑ "USL Championship reveals the 2025 season schedule". USL Championship. 2024-12-19. Retrieved 2025-10-20.
  4. ↑ "2025 USLC Playoff Stats". USL Championship. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
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