The 2021 USL League Two season is the 26th season of the USL League Two, the top pre-professional soccer league in the United States, since its establishment in 1995. The 2020 season, initially planned to be the 26th season of League Two, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The regular season started on May 5 and concluded on July 18. 75 teams participated in this season. The Southwest Division teams elected not to play due to COVID-19 concerns.
Team changes
New teams FC Málaga City (LaGrangeville, NY) FC Motown (Morristown, NJ) FC Wichita Fort Wayne FC Kalamazoo FC Kings Hammer FC (Covington, KY) Little Rock Rangers Morris Elite SC (Madison, NJ) New Jersey Copa FC (Metuchen, NJ) PDX FC (Portland, OR) Real Central New Jersey (Mercer County, NJ) Project 51O (Oakland, CA) Round Rock SC (Round Rock. TX) St. Louis Scott Gallagher SC (Fenton, MO) Tampa Bay United Toledo Villa FC
Departing teams Cincinnati Dutch Lions Daytona Rush SC GPS Portland Phoenix Louisville City FC U23 New Mexico United U23 Sarasota Metropolis FC Sound FC Tampa Bay Rowdies U23
Name changes Evergreen FC to Northern Virginia FC TFA Willamette to OVF Alliance Treasure Coast Tritons to FC Florida U23 West Virginia Alliance FC to West Virginia United
Teams Note: Teams lined out are on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Central Conference Division TeamGreat Lakes Division AFC Ann Arbor Dayton Dutch Lions Flint City Bucks Fort Wayne FC Grand Rapids FC Kalamazoo FC Kings Hammer FC Oakland County FC South Bend Lions Toledo Villa FCHeartland Division Chicago FC United Des Moines Menace FC Manitoba FC Wichita Green Bay Voyageurs Kaw Valley FC Peoria City St. Louis Lions St. Louis Scott Gallagher Thunder Bay ChillMid South Division AHFC Royals Brazos Valley Cavalry Corpus Christi FC Houston FC Little Rock Rangers Mississippi Brilla Round Rock SC Texas United Eastern Conference Division TeamNortheast Division AC Connecticut Black Rock FC Boston Bolts FC Malaga City Seacoast United Phantoms Western Mass PioneersMid Atlantic Division FC Bascome Bermuda Lehigh Valley United Northern Virginia FC Ocean City Nor'easters Philadelphia Lone Star Reading United AC Real Central New Jersey West Chester UnitedMetropolitan Division Cedar Stars Rush F.A. Euro FC Motown Long Island Rough Riders Manhattan SC Morris Elite SC New Jersey Copa New York Red Bulls U-23 Westchester Flames
Southern Conference Division TeamDeep South Division Asheville City SC Charlotte Eagles Charlotte Independence 2 Dalton Red Wolves East Atlanta FC Peachtree City MOBA SC United Bantams Tormenta FC 2 Southern Soccer AcademySoutheast Division FC Florida U23 FC Miami City Florida Elite SA Tampa Bay United The Villages SC Weston FCSouth Atlantic Division Lionsbridge FC North Carolina FC U23 North Carolina Fusion U23 Tobacco Road FC Tri-Cities Otters Virginia Beach United Wake FC West Virginia United Western Conference Division TeamMountain Division Colorado Rush SC Ogden City SC Park City Red WolvesNorthwest Division Calgary Foothills Lane United OVF Alliance PDX FC Portland Timbers U23 Eastside FC Vancouver TSS RoversSouthwest Division Golden State Force Project 51O San Francisco City San Francisco Glens Santa Cruz Breakers Southern California Seahorses Ventura County Fusion
Standings
Eastern Conference Northeast Division
Mid Atlantic Division
Metropolitan Division
Central Conference Great Lakes Division
Heartland Division
Mid South Division
Southern Conference South Atlantic Division
Deep South Division
Southeast Division
Western Conference Mountain Division
Northwest Division
Tie breakers 1) Head-to-head record based on total points in League games. 2) Points Per Game = Total points won / Total games played 3) Total wins in League games. 4) Goal difference in League games. If number of games is unequal, the Game Average will be used. 5) Goals scored in League games. 6) Total points within smallest group. If number of games is unequal, then point percentage will be used. 7) Ranking based on points earned against top four group finishers. This tiebreaker will not be used if four (4) or fewer teams comprise the group. If number of games is unequal, then point percentage applies. 8) Point percentage outside / smallest division or conference in League games. 9) Total points in all regular season and Open Cup qualifying games combined. If number of games is unequal, then point percentage applies. 10) FIFA Fair Play – Team with fewest disciplinary points in League games. (If number of games is unequal, points will be divided by games played to arrive at a common basis for comparison). 11) Lottery conducted by USL League Two.
Playoffs
Bracket
Conference Playoffs Eastern Conference Championship
Southern Conference Championship
Central Conference Championship
Western Conference Championship
USL League Two Championship Semifinals
USL League Two Championship
Championship MVP: Manel Busquets (DMM)
Awards
Individual Awards AwardWinnerTeamReasonDefender of the Year Toby Sims SC United Bantams 1,108 minutes; two goals; one assistGolden Glove Dane Jacomen West Chester United 0.41 Goals Against Average; 9 Shutouts; 88.4% Save percentageYoung (U20) Player of the Year Zemedkun Rodriguez Cedar Stars Rush 991 minutes; seven goals; one assistAssists Champion Joao Gomiero North Carolina Fusion U238 Assists Jake Nicholson West Virginia UnitedGolden Boot Nicolás MolinaWest Virginia United16 Goals in 13 gamesMost Valuable PlayerCoach of the Year Mark McKeever Des Moines Menace 16 of 17 games wonGoal of the Year Enrique Bañuelos Kalamazoo FC vs Mississippi Brilla FCSave of the Year Trevor McMullen East Atlanta FC Penalty kick save vs Tormenta FC 2Goalkeeper of the Year Drew Romig Tormenta FC 2 0.31 Goals Against Average, 5 Shutouts Monthly Awards Team of the Month Month Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards May Jacomen (WCU) Molina (NCF) Skelton (DMM) Henderson (SCU) Michael (SGT2) Rodriguez (CSR) Watson (OCN) Olson (TOL) Adjei (DMM) Gilley (CI2) Popovic (OAK) June Levine (LIR) Mellor (WCU) Lara (KAL) Lazano (MSB) Marriott (CHE) Cornish (GRA) Santos (NCF) Gutierrez (CFU) Lerech (WMP) Sesay (MAN) Becher (OCN)
Goal of the Month Month Player Club Opponent May Henrique SantosNorth Carolina Fusion U23Lionsbridge FC June Noe GarciaFort Wayne FCDayton Dutch Lions
Save of the Month Month Player Club Opponent May Patrick TimmerTri-Cities OttersNorth Carolina Fusion U23 June Marko RajicFC Miami CityTampa Bay United
Weekly Awards Goal of the Week Week Player Club Opponent 2 Rodney MichaelTormenta FC 2Southern Soccer Academy Kings 3 Colin clarkeToledo Villa FCDayton Dutch Lions 4 Henrique SantosNorth Carolina Fusion U23Lionsbridge FC 5 Lance CrabtreeLittle Rock RangersTexas United 6 Rafael BustamanteManhattan SCWestchester Flames 7 James ThomasDes Moines MenaceFC Wichita 8 Noe GarciaFort Wayne FCDayton Dutch Lions 9 Albert KangLong Island Rough RidersWestchester Flames 10 Cristobal MolionaNorth Carolina Fusion U23West Virginia United Conference Quarterfinals and Semifinals Enrique BañuelosKalamazoo FCMississippi Brilla FC Conference Finals and National Semifinals Reshaun WalkesDes Moines MenaceKalamazoo FC
Save of the Week 2 Daniel NamaniHouston FCLittle Rock Rangers 3 Patrick TimmerTri-Cities OttersNorth Carolina Fusion U23 4 Max BlackerReal Central New JerseyPhiladelphia Lone Star FC 5 Marko RajicFC Miami CityTampa Bay United 6 Alejandro ChavarriaMississippi Brilla FCLittle Rock Rangers 7 Trevor McMullenEast Atlanta FCTormenta FC 2 8 Gunther RankenburgPeachtree City MOBACharlotte Independence 2 9 Giancarlo MartinezVirginia Beach UnitedNorth Carolina FC U23 10 Roman GabrielOVF AlliancePortland Timbers U23 Conference Quarterfinals and Conference Semifinals Parker SmithKalamazoo FCMississippi Brilla FC Conference Finals and National Semifinals Trevor WilsonPortland Timbers U23Park City Red Wolves SC
All-League and All-Conference Teams
Eastern Conference F: Tyler Bagley (BOS) *, Simon Becher (OCN), Amara Sesay (MAN) M: Zemedkun Rodriguez (CSR), Conor Bradley (WCU), Okan Gölge (NJC), Ryan Becher (REA) D: Maurice Williams (NYR), Shane Bradley (WCU), Luca Mellor (WCU) * G: Jan Hoffelner (NJC)
Central Conference F: Cyrus Harmon (KAL) *, Jalen James (MBR), Pol Monells (TEX) M: Manel Busquets (DMM), Daniel Barlow (KHM), Daire O’Riordan (KAL) *, Harvey Slade (FCB) D: Jordan Skelton (DMM) *, George Proctor (FCB), Paul Efang (KAL) G: Alejandro Chavarria (MBR)
Southern Conference F: Alexis Ledoux (SGT), Charles Touche (LIO), Nicolás Molina (WVU) * M: Arnaud Baron (SCU) *, Joao Gomiero (NCF) *, Gabriel Cabral (SGT) *, Daniel Oliveira (VIL) D: Alex Henderson (SCU), Toby Sims (SCU) *, Cristobal Molina (NCF) G: Drew Romig (SGT) *
Western Conference F: Ivan Mykhailenko (POR), Jose Carlos González (LAN), Evan Hoover (OVF) M: David Brog (POR), Jose Sosa (POR), Wesley Frankel (OVF), Henry Cromack (LAN) D: Esai Easley (POR), Emory Rapaport (POR), Carter Payne (PDX) G: Albert Escuin (LAN)
* denotes All-League player
References
External links USL League Two website