The field for the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs was completed on Sunday afternoon with 16 teams set to kick off the postseason next weekend in Eastern and Western Conference quarterfinals.
The New York Red Bulls II and Sacramento Republic FC enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seeds in the East and West, respectively, while Orlando City B and Orange County Blues FC claimed the final available berths in either conference on a dramatic final weekend of regular-season action.
Louisville City FC, which closed Saturday with a 1-1 draw against the Charlotte Independence, previously clinched the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed and at least two home playoff games should the club advance past the quarterfinals. LouCity will open the playoffs at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, against the seventh-seeded Richmond Kickers. Slugger Field could also serve as the site of an Eastern Conference semifinal on Saturday, Oct. 8.
After the conference finals played from Oct. 14-16, the 2016 USL Cup will air live on ESPNU on Sunday, Oct. 23, at 8 p.m. ET. Every other game of the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs will be available on the league’s website, with the boys in purple also live-streamed at www.loucity.com.
The defending USL champion Rochester Rhinos will kick off a tripleheader of action on Saturday night in the opening game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals as the No. 4-seed Rhinos welcome the No. 5-seed Charlotte Independence to Rhinos Stadium for a 6:05 p.m. ET kickoff.
Action then switches to the Western Conference as No. 2-seed Rio Grande Valley FC hosts No. 7-seed OKC Energy FC for a regional rivalry clash at 8:30 p.m. ET in its first postseason contest. The night concludes as No. 1-seed Sacramento Republic FC hosts No. 8-seed Orange County Blues FC at Bonney Field at 10:30 p.m. ET after the Blues jumped past the Portland Timbers 2 on goal differential to clinch the final playoff berth in the West on Saturday.
The focus switches back to the Eastern Conference on Sunday, as the No. 1-seed New York Red Bulls II play host to No. 8-seed Orlando City B at 4 p.m. ET, and No. 3-seed FC Cincinnati welcomes the No. 6-seed Charleston Battery to what is expected to be a raucous Nippert Stadium. The weekend’s action concludes that night with LouCity-Richmond.
2016 USL CUP PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, Oct. 1
No. 4 Rochester Rhinos vs. No. 5 Charlotte Independence, 6:05 p.m. ET
Sunday, Oct. 2
No. 1 New York Red Bulls II vs. No. 8 Orlando City B, 4 p.m. ET
No. 3 FC Cincinnati vs. No. 6 Charleston Battery, 4 p.m. ET
No. 2 Louisville City FC vs. No. 7 Richmond Kickers, 7 p.m. ET
WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS
Friday, Sept. 30
No. 4 Swope Park Rangers vs. No. 5 LA Galaxy II, 8:30 p.m. ET
No. 3 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. No. 6 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, 9 p.m. ET
Saturday, Oct. 1
No. 2 Rio Grande Valley FC vs. No. 7 OKC Energy FC, 8:30 p.m. ET
No. 1 Sacramento Republic FC vs. No. 8 Orange County Blues FC, 10:30 p.m. ET.
EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS (To be played Oct. 7-9 at higher seed)
New York/Orlando winner vs. Rochester/Charlotte winner
Louisville/Richmond winner vs. Cincinnati/Charleston winner
WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS (To be played Oct. 7-9 at higher seed)
Sacramento/Orange County winner vs. Swope Park/Los Angeles winner
Rio Grande Valley/OKC winner vs. Colorado Springs/Vancouver winner
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL (To be played Oct. 14-16 at higher seed)
Conference semifinal winners
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL (To be played Oct. 14-16 at higher seed)
Conference semifinal winners
2016 USL CUP (Sunday, Oct. 23, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPNU)
Eastern Conference champion vs. Western Conference champion
