HARRISON, N.J. – 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 the 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.
No. 1 seed New York Red Bulls II will kickoff its 2016 USL Playoffs campaign at Red Bull Arena on Sunday, Oct. 2 against No. 8 Orlando City B. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET. The winner of New York/Orlando will face the victor of Rochester Rhinos/Charlotte Independence in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Red Bulls II as the highest seed has clinched home-field advantage through the Eastern Conference Finals.
The 2016 USL Cup will air live on ESPNU on Sunday, October 23 at 8 p.m. ET. Every other game of the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs will be available on the league’s Match Center, with updates from across the league also available via Twitter, Facebook, Vine and Instagram.
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.
The focus switches back to the Eastern Conference on Sunday, as 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 as No. 2-seed Louisville City FC hosts No. 7-seed the Richmond Kickers at Louisville Slugger Field at 7 p.m. ET.
The 2016 USL Cup Playoffs will continue with the conference semifinals over the weekend of Oct. 7-9, with the conference finals set to be played on the weekend of Oct. 14-16.
2016 USL CUP PLAYOFFS
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
Eastern Conference champion vs. Western Conference champion, 8 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
