The United Soccer League Championship today announced its full 2019 schedule for all 36 teams, including Atlanta United 2’s second campaign. ATL UTD 2 will play all 17 Eastern Conference opponents in a home-and-home series which includes six newcomers, four of which are expansion franchises. The club will play half of its 34-game season in its new home at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia.
Atlanta begins its season at home Saturday, March 9 against expansion side Hartford Athletic on the league’s opening day. The team then welcomes the defending, back-to-back USL Champions Louisville City FC the following Friday, March 15.
Notable home matchups with expansion teams take place against Loudoun United FC June 29, Memphis 901 FC Aug. 28 and Birmingham Legion FC Sept. 4. Eastern Conference newcomers Saint Louis FC and Swope Park Rangers come to Kennesaw April 6 and Aug. 16 with the away matches being played Sept. 28 and May 18, respectively.
ATL UTD 2 hosts fellow Southeastern clubs Tampa Bay Rowdies April 24, Nashville SC May 4 and Charleston Battery July 5. The team will also look to keep its home unbeaten streak against MLS-affiliates going when it faces New York Red Bulls II June 7 and Bethlehem Steel FC Oct. 9.
View the full schedule below:
<p>Date</p> |
<p>Opponent</p> |
<p>3/9</p> |
<p>Hartford Athletic</p> |
<p>3/15</p> |
<p>Louisville City FC</p> |
<p>3/23</p> |
<p>@ Charlotte Independence</p> |
<p>3/30</p> |
<p>@ Memphis 901 FC</p> |
<p>4/6</p> |
<p>Saint Louis FC</p> |
<p>4/13</p> |
<p>North Carolina FC</p> |
<p>4/24</p> |
<p>Tampa Bay Rowdies</p> |
<p>4/28</p> |
<p>@ Ottawa Fury FC</p> |
<p>5/4</p> |
<p>Nashville SC</p> |
<p>5/12</p> |
<p>@ Bethlehem Steel FC</p> |
<p>5/18</p> |
<p>@ Swope Park Rangers</p> |
<p>5/25</p> |
<p>@ Charleston Battery</p> |
<p>6/7</p> |
<p>New York Red Bulls II</p> |
<p>6/15</p> |
<p>Pittsburgh Riverhounds</p> |
<p>6/22</p> |
<p>@ Indy Eleven</p> |
<p>6/29</p> |
<p>@ Loudoun United FC</p> |
<p>7/5</p> |
<p>Charleston Battery</p> |
<p>7/14</p> |
<p>@ New York Red Bulls II</p> |
<p>7/20</p> |
<p>@ Birmingham Legion FC</p> |
<p>7/24</p> |
<p>Charlotte Independence</p> |
<p>7/27</p> |
<p>@ North Carolina FC</p> |
<p>8/2</p> |
<p>Loudoun United FC</p> |
<p>8/10</p> |
<p>@ Louisville City FC</p> |
<p>8/16</p> |
<p>Swope Park Rangers</p> |
<p>8/24</p> |
<p>@ Harford Athletic</p> |
<p>8/28</p> |
<p>Memphis 901 FC</p> |
<p>9/4</p> |
<p>Birmingham Legion FC</p> |
<p>9/7</p> |
<p>Ottawa Fury FC</p> |
<p>9/14</p> |
<p>@ Tampa Bay Rowdies</p> |
<p>9/20</p> |
<p>Indy Eleven</p> |
<p>9/28</p> |
<p>@ Saint Louis FC</p> |
<p>10/5</p> |
<p>@ Pittsburgh Riverhounds</p> |
<p>10/9</p> |
<p>Bethlehem Steel FC</p> |
<p>10/19</p> |
<p>@ Nashville SC</p> |
USL Championship also announced today that the 2019 USL Cup Playoffs will expand to include 10 teams from each conference, with the lowest four seeds in each conference opening the postseason in the Play-In Round, provisionally slated for Wednesday, October 23 with the No. 7 seed hosting the No. 10 seed and the No. 8 seed hosting the No. 9 seed for a place in the Conference Quarterfinals.
Following the Play-In Round, the two teams to advance will be placed into the main bracket for the Conference Quarterfinals, with the lower remaining seed facing the conference’s No. 1 seed and the higher remaining seed facing the No. 2 seed.
The single-elimination format will then continue for the following four weekends in a fixed-bracket format with the higher seed in each matchup serving as host through the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. The 2019 USL Cup will be held between November 14-18, 2019 and be hosted by the conference champion with the better regular-season record.
2019 USL Cup Playoffs Schedule
Play-In Round – October 23
Conference Quarterfinals – October 25-27
Conference Semifinals – November 1-3
Conference Finals – November 8-10
USL Cup – November 14-18
