Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
No. 8 Miami FC 1, No. 1 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1
Miami advances 5-4 in a penalty shootout
Curaçao international Eloy Room made the decisive save in a penalty shootout as Miami FC claimed its first win in the USL Championship Playoffs by knocking out the Players’ Shield winner Tampa Bay Rowdies at Al Lang Stadium after the sides ended all square after extra time. Matías Romero gave Miami the lead in the first half before MD Myers leveled shortly before the halftime break but the hosts were unable to seal the deal as Myers’ penalty kick in stoppage time of extra time was denied by Room to send the game to a shootout. After Riyon Tori converted to open the sixth round, Room denied Tampa Bay’s Charlie Ostrem to send the visitors through.
Full Recap & Highlights | Box Score
No. 2 Charleston Battery 1, No. 7 Rhode Island FC 1
Charleston advances 5-4 in a penalty shootout
Jeremy Kelly scored the decisive goal from the spot as the Charleston Battery turned the tables on Rhode Island FC to claim victory in a penalty shootout at Patriots Point. RIFC took a first-half lead through Jojea Kwizera shortly before the half-hour mark, but after applying pressure in the second half the Battery leveled in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time through Miguel Berry to send the game to extra time. After the game remained scoreless in the extra 30 minutes, Charleston’s John Berner saved from Rhode Island’s Agustín Rodríguez to open the sixth round, allowing Kelly to convert and send the Battery through after having fallen to RIFC in a penalty shootout a year ago.
Full Recap & Highlights | Box Score
No. 6 Hartford Athletic 2, No. 3 Detroit City FC 1
Sadat Anaku scored both goals as Hartford Athletic advanced past Detroit City FC after the hosts were reduced to 10 players in the first half at Keyworth Stadium. Detroit’s Kobe Hernandez-Foster received the first red card of his career in the USL Championship after a dead-ball altercation with Hartford’s Adrián Diz Pe – who was on the sidelines while not suited up for the contest – in the 19th minute, and in the 33rd minute Anaku struck for the visitors. Detroit hit back moments before halftime through Devon Amoo-Mensah despite being down a player, but with 15 minutes to go Anaku put home a deflected cross by Emmanuel Samadia to restore Athletic’s lead and earn the visitors their first postseason win in club history.
Full Recap & Highlights | Box Score
No. 4 Louisville City FC 1, No. 5 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 0
Tola Showunmi scored the decisive goal in extra time as Louisville City FC defeated defending titleholder Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC at Lynn Family Stadium. After few chances for either side in the opening 90 minutes, Louisville put together a strong opening period of extra time that culminated with Showunmi scoring from close range off a cutback cross by Amadou Dia. Pittsburgh recorded only two shots in the second period of extra time, and five overall across the 120 minutes, as Louisville remained undefeated in four games between the sides in the USL Championship Playoffs all-time.
Full Recap & Highlights | Box Score
Western Conference Quarterfinals
No. 1 New Mexico United 2, No. 8 Phoenix Rising FC 0
Greg Hurst and Jake LaCava score early in either half as New Mexico United took a comprehensive victory against Phoenix Rising FC, advancing past their rivals for the second time in the past three postseasons. New Mexico took the lead in the seventh minute when Hurst bagged his 13th goal of the USL Championship campaign after good work by Valentin Noël, while LaCava’s long-range strike three minutes into the second half doubled the advantage. Phoenix ended the game with nine players as both Jean-Eric Moursou and Gunnar Studenhofft were sent off, and while Rising tried to make a late comeback they were held at bay by United goalkeeper Kris Shakes as he recorded a four-save shutout.
Full Recap & Highlights | Box Score
No. 2 Sacramento Republic FC 1, No. 7 FC Tulsa 0
19-year-old Blake Willey scored the decisive goal with two minutes to go as Sacramento Republic FC advanced past defending Western Conference titleholder FC Tulsa at Heart Health Park. The visitors had the better of the first half and had a goal disallowed for a foul in the buildup by Jeorgio Kocevski, but Republic FC began to take more control after the halftime break. After also having a goal disallowed and an effort by Pep Casas come back off the crossbar, the hosts finally broke through in the 88th minute as Willey fired home a first-time finish after a cross by Casas’ wasn’t fully cleared by the Tulsa defense.
Full Recap & Highlights | Box Score
No. 3 El Paso Locomotive FC 2, No. 6 San Antonio FC 1
Rubio Rubín and Tony Alfaro scored early in either half to earn El Paso Locomotive FC victory against San Antonio FC in the first postseason edition of Copa Tejas at Southwest University Park. Rubín opened the scoring in the 14th minute, finishing from close range after good work by Beto Avila, and Alfaro doubled the lead eight minutes into the second half with a powerful header off a cross from Robert Coronado to double Locomotive’s lead. San Antonio pulled a goal back through Diogo Pacheco with six minutes to go, but the hosts closed out the result from there for their first playoff victory since 2020.
Full Recap & Highlights | Box Score
No. 5 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 1, No. 4 Lexington SC 1
Colorado Springs advances 5-4 in a penalty shootout
Christian Herrera made the decisive save in a penalty shootout to send Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC past Lexington SC after both sides had converted from the penalty spot in regulation to end all square. Lexington took the lead in the 12th minute as Phillip Goodrum converted from the spot following a foul on Xavier Zengue, but the Switchbacks hit back with 12 minutes to go via Khori Bennett after Sadam Masereka was felled in the box. The Switchbacks went on to convert all five of their kicks in the shootout, with Bennett opening the fifth round with a finish to the top-left corner. Herrera then denied Lexington’s Noble Okello as the Switchbacks progressed for the first time on the road in the club’s postseason history.