The 2024 USL Cup was the first edition of the USL Cup (known as the USL Jägermeister Cup for sponsorship reasons). The competition was open to all clubs in USL League One.
Format The 2024 edition of the USL Cup was a professional soccer tournament held between teams in USL League One. Richmond Kickers chairman Rob Ukrop stated after the announcement of the USL Cup that another league had been invited to participate, but declined the opportunity.
Schedule The 2024 USL Cup ran concurrently with the 2024 USL League One season. The tournament began roughly two months into the league season and ended one month before the end of the league season and start of the league playoffs.
The schedule for 2024 USL Cup group stage games was announced simultaneously with the USL League One league schedule on December 14, 2023.
Prize money The announcement of the USL Cup stated that the winning club would receive prize money, but did not specify the amount. In a November 2024 court case, Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC ownership claimed that the winners of the competition would receive $100,000 and the runners-up would receive $25,000, but that USL did not pay Northern Colorado the winners' prize money.
Access All 12 clubs in USL League One entered the season's USL Cup into the group stage.
Round Entrants Number of games Date(s) Group stage(12 clubs) 12 clubs from USL League One 48 – Semifinals(4 clubs) 3 group stage winners1 wild card winner 2 Final(2 clubs) 2 winners from semifinals 1
Location map
Group stage The group stage was played from April 27 to September 1. Teams were divided into three regional groups of four teams: the West Group, the Central Group, and the East Group. Teams in each group played each other twice, once at home and once away. Each team also played two teams from other groups; one team at home and the other away.
If a team won in regulation, they received three points in the standings, while the loser received zero. If the game was tied at the end of regulation, a penalty kick shootout occurred; the winner received two points and the loser received one.
The top team in each group reached the knockout stage. Of the other nine teams, the team that scored the most goals also reached the knockout stage.
Tiebreakers The ranking of teams in the group stage is determined as follows:
Points obtained in all matches (three points for a win, two for a penalty shootout win, one for a penalty shootout loss, none for a defeat); Points obtained in the matches played between the teams in question; Total regulation wins in group play; Total regulation wins in all matches; Number of goals scored in group play; Number of goals scored in all matches; Number of assists in all matches; Goal difference in all matches; Fewest number of disciplinary points; Coin toss.
West Group
Results table
Color key: Home Away Win Shootout win Shootout loss Loss Club Matches1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Central Valley Fuego FC (CV) SPK LEX OMA NCO TRM SPK OMA NCO1–1 (4–2) 2–2 (1–4) 0–0 (1–4) 3–4 1–1 (4–5) 1–0 0–1 0–1 Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (NCO) OMA KNX CLT CV SPK OMA SPK CV2–2 (2–3) 5–1 2–2 (4–2) 4–3 3–1 2–0 3–1 1–0 Spokane Velocity FC (SPK) CV OMA GVL OMA NCO CV NCO RIC1–1 (2–4) 3–2 0–0 (4–5) 1–4 1–3 0–1 1–3 2–3 Union Omaha (OMA) NCO SPK CV SPK CHA NCO CV MAD2–2 (3–2) 2–3 0–0 (4–1) 4–1 4–2 0–2 1–0 3–3 (4–5)
Central Group
Results table
Color key: Home Away Win Shootout win Shootout loss Loss Club Matches1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (CHA) KNX RIC LEX MAD OMA KNX MAD LEX0–1 1–0 3–4 0–1 2–4 1–1 (3–4) 1–2 2–2 (10–9) Forward Madison FC (MAD) LEX CLT KNX CHT KNX LEX CHT OMA0–1 2–1 1–0 1–0 0–2 1–0 2–1 3–3 (5–4) Lexington SC (LEX) MAD CV CHA KNX GVL MAD KNX CHA1–0 2–2 (4–1) 4–3 0–2 1–0 0–1 0–0 (5–3) 2–2 (9–10) One Knoxville SC (KNX) CHA NCO MAD LEX MAD CHA LEX TRM1–0 1–5 0–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 (4–3) 0–0 (3–5) 1–0
East Group
Results table
Color key: Home Away Win Shootout win Shootout loss Loss Club Matches1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Charlotte Independence (CLT) TRM MAD NCO RIC RIC TRM GVL GVL1–1 (5–4) 1–2 2–2 (2–4) 1–0 2–2 (4–5) 1–1 (2–3) 2–1 1–0 Greenville Triumph SC (GVL) RIC TRM SPK TRM LEX RIC CLT CLT1–1 (3–5) 3–2 0–0 (5–4) 3–1 0–1 2–0 1–2 0–1 Richmond Kickers (RIC) GVL CHA TRM CLT CLT GVL TRM SPK1–1 (5–3) 0–1 2–1 0–1 2–2 (5–4) 0–2 1–1 (6–5) 3–2 South Georgia Tormenta FC (TRM) CLT GVL RIC GVL CV CLT RIC KNX1–1 (4–5) 2–3 1–2 1–3 1–1 (5–4) 1–1 (3–2) 1–1 (5–6) 0–1
Wild card
Tiebreakers The ranking of teams for the knockout stage wild card is determined as follows:
Number of goals scored in all matches; Points obtained in the matches played between the teams in question, if the teams are in the same group; Total regulation wins in group play, if the teams are in the same group; Total regulation wins in all matches; Number of goals scored in group play, if the teams are in the same group; Number of assists in all matches; Goal difference in all matches; Fewest number of disciplinary points; Coin toss.
Ranking of non-group leading teams
Knockout stage The winner of each group, as well as the team who scored the most goals in the competition that did not win their group, progressed to the knockout stage.
Semifinals
Final
Statistics All statistics include both the group stage and knockout stage.
Top goalscorers Goals scored in penalty shoot-outs are not counted towards players' goal counts or to match goal counts.
Rank Player Team Goals By round 1 Bruno Rendón Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC 9 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 Ethan Hoard Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC 6 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 Steevan Dos Santos Union Omaha 5 1 2 1 1 4 Luis Álvarez Charlotte Independence 4 1 1 1 1 Christian Chaney Forward Madison FC 1 1 1 1 Pedro Dolabella Union Omaha 1 1 1 1 Luis Gil Spokane Velocity FC 1 1 1 1 Lyam MacKinnon Greenville Triumph SC 1 2 1 Missael Rodríguez Union Omaha 2 1 1 10 Ates Diouf Lexington SC 3 1 1 1 Cameron Lancaster Lexington SC 1 1 1 Juan Carlos Obregón Charlotte Independence 1 1 1
Most clean sheets Goals allowed in penalty shoot-outs are not counted towards players' clean sheet totals.
Rank Player Team Shutouts By stage 1 Johan Garibay One Knoxville SC 4 4 2 Amal Knight Lexington SC 3 3 Bernd Schipmann Forward Madison FC 3 0 4 Carlos Avilez Central Valley Fuego FC 2 2 Edward Delgado Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC 1 1 Wallis Lapsley Union Omaha 2 0 Austin Pack Charlotte Independence 2 0
Awards
Player of the Round
Round Position Player Club Reason 1 FW Missael Rodríguez Union Omaha 2 goals vs. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC 2 MF Bruno Rendón Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC 2 goals, 1 assist vs. One Knoxville SC 3 FW Mayele Malango Chattanooga Red Wolves SC 2 goals, 1 assist vs. Lexington SC 4 FW Lyam MacKinnon Greenville Triumph SC 2 goals vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC 5 FW Nil Vinyals Richmond Kickers 2 goals vs. Charlotte Independence 6 FW Shavon John-Brown Central Valley Fuego FC Game-winning goal vs. Spokane Velocity FC 7 FW Steevan Dos Santos Union Omaha Game-winning goal vs. Central Valley Fuego FC 8 FW Chandler O'Dwyer Richmond Kickers 2 goals vs. Spokane Velocity FC
Goal of the Round
Round Player Club Opponent 1 Pierre Reedy Spokane Velocity FC Central Valley Fuego FC 2 Haruki Yamazaki Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC One Knoxville SC 3 Adrian Billhardt Richmond Kickers South Georgia Tormenta FC 4 Juan Galindrez Forward Madison FC Chattanooga Red Wolves SC 5 Nil Vinyals Richmond Kickers Charlotte Independence 6 Pascal Corvino Greenville Triumph SC Richmond Kickers 7 Devin Boyce Forward Madison FC Chattanooga Red Wolves SC 8 Steevan Dos Santos Union Omaha Forward Madison FC
Save of the Round
Round Player Club Opponent 1 Wallis Lapsley Union Omaha Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC 2 Ryan Shellow Richmond Kickers Chattanooga Red Wolves SC 3 Carlos Merancio Spokane Velocity FC Greenville Triumph SC 4 TJ Bush Chattanooga Red Wolves SC Forward Madison FC 5 Lalo Delgado Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC Spokane Velocity FC 6 Amal Knight Lexington SC Forward Madison FC 7 Wallis Lapsley Union Omaha Central Valley Fuego FC 8 Bernd Schipmann Forward Madison FC Union Omaha
Team of the Round
Player of the Round denoted in Bold.
Round Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards Bench Coach 1 Knight (LEX) Corrales (LEX) Fox (LEX) Skelton (KNX) Jiba (OMA) C. Johnson (KNX) Lee (GVL) Rendón (NCO) Hoard (NCO) Obregón (CLT) Rodríguez (OMA) Álvarez (CLT) Coronado (CV) Fonseca (TRM) John-Brown (CV) Lapsley (OMA) Longmire (SPK) Mastrantonio (OMA) Powell (LEX) 2 Bush (CHA) Métanire (SPK) Midence (CV) Smith (GVL) Yamazaki (NCO) Lewis (SPK) MacKinnon (GVL) Martinez (NCO) Rendón (NCO) Chaney (MAD) Rodríguez (OMA) Delgado (NCO) Dengler (TRM) Dolabella (OMA) Fitch (RIC) Hoard (NCO) Obregón (CLT) Waldeck (SPK) Zayed (NCO) 3 Merancio (SPK) John-Brown (CV) Longmire (SPK) Polak (GVL) Álvarez (CLT) Diouf (LEX) Langlois (NCO) Rendón (NCO) Billhardt (RIC) Malango (CHA) Obertan (CLT) Fernandez (SPK) Lancaster (LEX) Martinez (NCO) Onen (LEX) Rankenburg (GVL) Smith (GVL) Vinyals (RIC) Zayed (NCO) 4 Pack (CLT) Crisler (KNX) Opara (NCO) Sousa (MAD) Coronado (CV) King (NCO) PC (OMA) Rendón (NCO) Dos Santos (OMA) Hoard (NCO) MacKinnon (GVL) Álvarez (CLT) Castro (GVL) Dietrich (NCO) Garibay (KNX) Mendiola (CV) Rodríguez (OMA) Sorenson (CLT) Wright (GVL) 5 Knight (LEX) John-Brown (CV) Malone (OMA) Ritchie (KNX) J. Johnson (CLT) Lukic (CHA) Obertan (CLT) Rendón (NCO) Dos Santos (OMA) Hoard (NCO) Vinyals (RIC) Dolabella (OMA) Gallardo (OMA) Gil (SPK) Rodríguez (OMA) Romig (TRM) Ross (KNX) Yamazaki (NCO) Powell (LEX) 6 Bush (CHA) Crisler (KNX) Evans (NCO) Opara (NCO) Osmond (MAD) Álvarez (CLT) Anderson (GVL) Hernández (CHA) King (NCO) MacKinnon (GVL) John-Brown (CV) Anguiano (GVL) Billhardt (RIC) Dutey (CLT) Méndez (LEX) Pack (CLT) Shultz (GVL) Yamazaki (NCO) Zayed (NCO) 7 Lapsley (OMA) Clarke (NCO) Corrales (LEX) Dengler (TRM) Anguiano (GVL) Boyce (MAD) MacKinnon (GVL) Yamazaki (NCO) Dos Santos (OMA) McLaughlin (MAD) Obregón (CLT) Álvarez (CLT) Gil (SPK) Hoard (NCO) Knight (LEX) Rendón (NCO) Spielman (CLT) Terzaghi (RIC) Jeffries (CLT) 8 Shealy (NCO) García (NCO) Lue Young (LEX) Miller (SPK) Skelton (KNX) Cerritos (LEX) Gomiero (RIC) Villalobos (MAD) Chaney (MAD) Dos Santos (OMA) O'Dwyer (RIC) Calixtro (KNX) Corea (CLT) Lancaster (LEX) Obregón (CLT) Pack (CLT) Torr (CV) Waldeck (SPK) Zayed (NCO)
References