2020 USL Championship season

USL Championship
Season2020
ChampionsTampa Bay Rowdies
(Eastern Conference)
Phoenix Rising FC
(Western Conference)
Regular season titleReno 1868 FC
Matches played276
Goals scored851 (3.08 per match)
Top goalscorerJunior Flemmings (14)
Biggest home winRNO 7–1 POR
(September 5)
NYR 6–0 PHI
(September 9)
Biggest away winPHI 0–6 PIT
(July 18)
Highest scoringNYR 5–4 PHI
(September 26)
Longest winning run6 matches
Sacramento Republic FC
(August 8 – September 9)
Longest unbeaten run11 matches
San Antonio FC
(March 7 – September 5)
Longest winless run12 matches
RGV FC Toros
(March 8 – September 5)
Longest losing run10 matches
Portland Timbers 2
(March 7 – September 5)
Highest attendance11,569
SAC 1–1 TUL
(March 7)
Lowest attendance467
PHI 0–0 LDN
(March 7)
Total attendance64,619
Average attendance4,039
2019
2021

The 2020 USL Championship season was the tenth season of the USL Championship and fourth under Division II sanctioning. This was the second season under the name "USL Championship", having used the name "United Soccer League" through 2018. Real Monarchs were the defending USL Cup champions. The 2020 season saw 35 teams participate in two conferences during the regular season.

On November 8, 2019, Ottawa Fury FC announced that it had suspended operations. The team had received sanctioning from its nation's governing body, Canada Soccer, but was denied by U.S. Soccer and the continental governing body of CONCACAF.[1] Additionally, the 2020 season was the first season without Nashville SC. The club's identity transferred to a Major League Soccer team that started play in 2020.[2]

The season was suspended on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America.[3] On June 4, the league announced a return to play on July 11, 2020.[4]

The playoffs began on October 10, and originally scheduled to conclude with the USL Championship Final on November 1. The Final was then cancelled the day before because several Tampa Bay Rowdies players and staff tested positive for COVID-19. The championship would not be awarded.[5]

Real Monarchs were the defending USL Championship champions, but failed to qualify for the playoffs.

  1. ^ "Ottawa Fury FC Forced to Suspend Operations" (Press release). USL Championship. November 8, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  2. ^ "Nashville MLS expansion team unveils name, crest" (Press release). Major League Soccer. February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  3. ^ "USL Championship Temporarily Suspends Play". USLChampionship.com. March 12, 2020.
  4. ^ "USL Championship Announces July 11 Return" (Press release). USL Championship. June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  5. ^ "USL Championship Final Cancelled, Season Concludes with Tampa Bay, Phoenix as Conference Title-Winners". USLChampionship.com. October 31, 2020. Retrieved October 31, 2020.