2018 USL season

United Soccer League
Season2018
ChampionsLouisville City FC
Regular season titleFC Cincinnati
Matches played561
Goals scored1,612 (2.87 per match)
Top goalscorerCameron Lancaster
(25)
Biggest home winTBR 5–0 OTT
(April 7)
LAG 7–2 LVL
(May 26)
OCO 6–1 TUL
(June 23)
NYR 6–1 ATL
(July 6)
LAG 6–1 SLC
(September 22)
Biggest away winRIC 0–6 LOU
(August 25)
Highest scoringPOR 7–3 LAG
(May 18)
OKC 6–4 LVL
(July 11)
NYR 4–6 LOU
(August 10)
Longest winning run10 wins
FC Cincinnati
(August 12 – October 6)
Longest unbeaten run23 games
FC Cincinnati
(June 2 – October 13)
(USL Record)
Longest winless run18 games
Toronto FC II
(March 17 – July 21)
Longest losing run8 games
OKC Energy FC
(March 24 – May 9)
Highest attendance31,478
CIN 3–0 IND
(September 29)
(USL Record)
Lowest attendance50
TOR 0–0 NCA
(April 18)
Total attendance2,756,759
Average attendance4,923
2017
2019
All statistics correct as of November 8, 2018.

The 2018 USL season was the eighth season of the United Soccer League and second under Division II sanctioning. The previous season, the USL had provisional Div. II sanctioning from the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) along with the North American Soccer League, but was given full sanctioning for the 2018 season with a two-year deadline to meet the full requirements set by U.S. Soccer.[1]

Louisville City FC were the defending USL Cup champions, while Real Monarchs were the defending Supporters’ Shield champions.

This season was the last for four teams in the USL, with all changing leagues for 2019 and beyond. FC Cincinnati will join Major League Soccer.[2] MLS side Toronto FC announced that its reserve side, Toronto FC II, would drop to USL League One, a third-level league slated to launch in 2019,[3] and the Richmond Kickers also chose to drop to League One for 2019 and beyond.[4] Near the end of the season, Penn FC announced that it would suspend professional operations for 2019 and resume play in League One in 2020.[5]

It was also the final season for the league under the "United Soccer League" name. Effective with the 2019 season, the league has been rebranded as the USL Championship.[6]

  1. ^ "US Soccer grants USL 2nd-division status". Chicago Tribune. January 17, 2018.
  2. ^ "FC Cincinnati to join MLS as expansion team next season". ESPN.com. May 29, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  3. ^ "Toronto FC II joins USL Division III as Founding Member" (Press release). Toronto FC. July 2, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  4. ^ "Richmond Kickers Named a USL Division III Founding Member" (Press release). United Soccer League. September 11, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  5. ^ "Penn FC to Join USL League One in 2020" (Press release). United Soccer League. October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  6. ^ "USL Unveils New Structure: One Central Brand, Three Leagues, Evolving for the Future" (Press release). United Soccer Leagues. Retrieved September 25, 2018.