The USL Cup is the post-season championship match of United Soccer League (USL), the second tier of professional men's soccer in the United States and Canada. The winner is crowned champion in the same manner as in other North American sports leagues (i.e. via a playoff following a regular season). This differs from other top soccer leagues around the world which consider the club with the most points at the end of the season to be the sole champion. USL honors that achievement with the USL Shield.
Unlike most soccer league, but much like North American sports leagues, the USL champions does not earn promotion into Major League Soccer, due to the fixed membership structure found in the league.
The original USL Championship dates back to 2005 with the now-defunct USL First Division, which served as a predecessor to the current USL. Today the USL Cup is typically held in mid-November, featuring the winners of the Eastern Conference Championship and Western Conference Championship.
As of the 2018 season, a total of 46 teams have competed in USL under its current branding. Twelve of these teams have appeared in a cup final, with 6 of these teams having won the USL Cup.
2018 USL Cup
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