The 2025 USL Cup was the second edition of the USL Cup (known as the USL Jägermeister Cup for sponsorship reasons). The competition was open to all clubs in USL Championship and USL League One.
Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, the winner of the 2024 USL Cup, had their franchise agreement with the United Soccer League terminated and were unable to defend their title. Hartford Athletic won its first trophy in the final, defeating Sacramento Republic FC.
Format The 2025 edition of the USL Cup was a professional soccer tournament held between teams in USL Championship and USL League One. Teams were split into six groups of six to seven teams; each team played two teams in their group at home, and two others away. The teams winning their group, along with the two teams with the most points among those that did not win their group, will moved to a single-elimination knockout round.
Schedule The 2025 USL Cup ran concurrently with the 2025 USL Championship season and the 2025 USL League One season. The tournament began roughly two months into the league seasons and end shortly before the end of the league seasons and start of the league playoffs.
The groups for the 2025 USL Cup were announced on December 12, 2024, and the schedule was released on December 19, 2024.
Access All 24 clubs in USL Championship and 14 clubs in USL League One entered the 2025 USL Cup in the group stage.
Round Entrants Number of games Date(s) Group stage(38 clubs) 24 clubs from USL Championship14 clubs from USL League One 76 – Quarterfinals(8 clubs) 6 group stage winners2 wild cards 4 August 20, 2025 Semifinals(4 clubs) 4 winners from quarterfinals 2 September 10, 2025 Final(2 clubs) 2 winners from semifinals 1 October 4, 2025
Location map
Group stage + Number of teams per tier still in competition Championship League 1 Total
The group stage was played from April 25 to July 26. Teams were divided into six regional groups of six or seven teams. Teams played two teams in their group at home and two other teams 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 will received one.
The top team in each group reached a single-elimination knockout stage. Of the remaining teams, the two teams with the most points also reached the knockout stage, with most goals scored being used as first tiebreaker.
Group 1
Matches
Group 2
Matches
Group 3
Matches
Group 4
Matches
Group 5
Matches
Group 6
Matches
Wild card
Tiebreakers The ranking of teams for the knockout stage wild card is determined as follows:
Total points obtained; Number of goals scored in group play; Points obtained in matches played between the teams in question; Total regulation wins in group play; Fewest goals against in group play; Fewest number of disciplinary points; Coin toss.
Ranking of non-group leading teams Only teams second in points in their group (or tied for second) are included in this table.
Knockout stage + Number of teams per tier still in competition Championship League 1 Total Quarterfinals
Semi-finals
Final
Statistics As of .
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 Juan Agudelo San Antonio FC 3 1 0 0 2 0 Elvis Amoh Indy Eleven 2 1 0 0 0 Samuel Careaga Hartford Athletic 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 Christian Chaney Charlotte Independence 1 2 0 0 Ronaldo Damus Birmingham Legion FC 1 1 0 1 0 Charlie Dennis Phoenix Rising FC 0 0 3 0 Albert Dikwa Rhode Island FC 0 0 3 0 0 0 Quenzi Huerman Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 1 0 0 2 Bertin Jacquesson Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 0 0 1 2 Woobens Pacius Tampa Bay Rowdies 1 1 1 0 Matthew Sheldon Detroit City FC 0 0 2 1 Mason Tunbridge South Georgia Tormenta FC 2 0 0 1
Most clean sheets Goals allowed in penalty shoot-outs are not counted towards players' clean sheet totals.
Rank Player Team Shutouts By round 1 Jared Mazzola Sacramento Republic FC 5 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 2 Hugo Fauroux Loudoun United FC 2 ✓ ✓ Tetsuya Kadono Orange County SC ✓ ✓ Daniel Namani San Antonio FC ✓ ✓ Carlos Saldaña Detroit City FC ✓ ✓ Antony Siaha Hartford Athletic ✓ ✓ 7 22 players 1
Average home attendances Ranked from highest to lowest average attendance.
TeamLeague New Mexico United USLC 2 20,242 10,747 9,495 10,121 Sacramento Republic FC USLC 3 29,904 11,569 8,898 10,968 Louisville City FC USLC 2 15,924 8,922 7,002 7,962 Indy Eleven USLC 3 22,136 9,065 4,043 7,379 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC USLC 2 12,829 7,329 5,500 6,415 Detroit City FC USLC 2 12,670 6,954 5,716 6,335 Rhode Island FC USLC 4 23,346 7,502 3,703 5,837 Lexington SC USLC 2 11,669 8,252 3,417 5,835 San Antonio FC USLC 3 17,064 6,183 4,789 5,688 Portland Hearts of Pine USL1 2 11,302 5,651 5,651 5,651 El Paso Locomotive FC USLC 2 11,261 5,845 5,416 5,631 Phoenix Rising FC USLC 2 10,637 6,515 4,122 5,319 Oakland Roots SC USLC 2 10,375 5,418 4,957 5,188 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC USLC 2 9,826 5,074 4,752 4,913 One Knoxville SC USL1 2 9,303 6,378 2,925 4,652 Birmingham Legion FC USLC 2 9,135 4,626 4,509 4,568 Tampa Bay Rowdies USLC 2 8,892 5,103 3,789 4,446 Forward Madison FC USL1 2 8,471 4,723 3,748 4,236 AV Alta FC USL1 2 8,359 4,408 3,951 4,180 Richmond Kickers USL1 2 8,043 4,753 3,290 4,022 Orange County SC USLC 2 7,678 4,328 3,350 3,839 FC Naples USL1 2 7,644 4,172 3,472 3,822 FC Tulsa USLC 2 7,523 4,467 3,056 3,762 Hartford Athletic USLC 3 11,149 5,271 2,000 3,716 Charleston Battery USLC 2 7,300 3,701 3,599 3,650 Spokane Velocity FC USL1 2 5,273 3,068 2,205 2,637 Monterey Bay FC USLC 2 5,020 3,006 2,014 2,510 Westchester SC USL1 2 4,436 2,783 1,653 2,218 Las Vegas Lights FC USLC 2 4,392 2,597 1,795 2,196 Chattanooga Red Wolves SC USL1 2 4,105 2,054 2,051 2,053 North Carolina FC USLC 2 4,030 2,428 1,602 2,015 Union Omaha USL1 2 4,025 2,176 1,849 2,013 Greenville Triumph SC USL1 2 3,350 2,085 1,265 1,675 Loudoun United FC USLC 3 3,669 1,583 1,029 1,223 Charlotte Independence USL1 2 2,437 1,809 628 1,219 Miami FC USLC 2 2,232 1,208 1,024 1,116 Tormenta FC USL1 2 2,022 1,146 876 1,011 Texoma FC USL1 2 1,992 1,045 947 996 Total combined 83 359,665 11,569 628 4,333
Average home attendances by league League USL Championship45278,90311,5691,0246,198 USL League One3880,7626,3786282,125 Total 83 359,665 11,569 628 4,333 Awards
Player of the Round
Round Position Player Club Reason 1 MF Christian Pinzón Las Vegas Lights FC 2 goal, 1 assist vs. Orange County SC 2 MF Samuel Careaga Hartford Athletic 2 goals vs. Westchester SC 3 MF Charlie Dennis Phoenix Rising FC Hat Trick vs. Texoma FC 4 DF Jake Morris Louisville City FC 2 goals in Stoppage Time vs. Lexington SC
Goal of the Round
Round Player Club Opponent 1 Nils Seufert Richmond Kickers Louisville City FC 2 Diego Mercado Miami FC FC Naples 3 Gabriel Cabral South Georgia Tormenta FC Charleston Battery 4 Adam Aoumaich AV Alta FC Monterey Bay FC
Save of the Round
Round Player Club Opponent 1 Rashid Nuhu Union Omaha New Mexico United 2 Hugo Fauroux Loudoun United FC Louisville City FC 3 Hunter Sulte Indy Eleven Birmingham Legion FC 4 Joel Serrano FC Naples Greenville Triumph SC
Team of the Round
Player of the Round denoted in Bold.
Round Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards Bench Coach 1 Nuhu (OMA) Lindsey (NMU) Maples (NMU) Nodarse (RI) Álvarez (CLT) Davila (LOU) Pinzón (LVL) Rodriguez (RI) Trejo (BHM) Blake (IND) Williams (RI) Arozarena (LVL) Margvelashvili (OAK) Panayotou (HFD) Niall Reid-Stephen (SGT) Tunbridge (SGT) Amoh (IND) Henderlong (NAP) Fuller (KNX) 2 Rankenburg (GVL) Smart (LVL) Garcia (SPK) Doner (OAK) Paul (MB) Kamara (POR) Careaga (HFD) Avayevu (PHX) Obregón (WES) Chaney (CLT) Bonfiglio (MIA) Mazzola (SAC) Ramos (CHA) Desmond (SAC) Mercado (MIA) Aboukoura (LDN) James (POR) Larsson (MB) Murphy (POR) 3 Torman (GVL) Medranda (SAN) Sanchez (RI) Sims (GVL) Dennis (PHX) Fuson (RI) Sheldon (DET) Midence (LEX) Calheira (TUL) Dikwa (RI) Pepi (TXO) Sulte (IND) Guimaraes (OCO) Crull (MAD) Rodríguez (CHS) Niall Reid-Stephen (SGT) Paredes (SAN) McManus (TXO) Llamosa (SAN) 4 Jérez (CHA) Amoo-Mensah (DET) Morris (LOU) Ortiz (AVA) Jauregui (CLT) Cedeño (DET) Torres (ELP) Robles (GVL) Huerman (COS) Jacquesson (PGH) Tunbridge (SGT) Kadono (OCO) Clegg (COS) Ngah (CLT) Marsh (GVL) Bodily (TBR) Agudelo (SAN) Diouf (DET) Cameron (SGT)
References