TAMPA, Fla. – The matchups for the Conference Semifinals in the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs were set on Sunday night after a record-setting weekend of action that saw four lower-seeded sides take victory on the road, and FC Cincinnati set a new USL Cup Playoffs record as it welcomed a crowd of 30,187 to Nipper Stadium in its postseason debut.
The 2016 USL Cup will air live on ESPNU on Sunday, October 23 at 8 p.m. ET. Every other game of the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs will be available on the league’s Playoffs Center, with updates from across the league also available via Twitter, Facebook, Vine and Instagram.
The Western Conference saw the formbook turned on its head, with the No. 4-seed Swope Park Rangers the highest remaining seed in the conference after victories for No. 6-seed Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, No. 7-seed OKC Energy FC and No. 8-seed Orange County Blues FC.
The Eastern Conference played out more conventionally, with the No. 1-seed New York Red Bulls II and No. 4-seed Rochester Rhinos both taking comfortable wins. No. 2-seed Louisville City FC needed overtime to advance, however, while the No. 6-seed Charleston Battery recorded the only upset as they defeated Cincinnati.
2016 USL CUP PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, Oct. 1
No. 4 Rochester Rhinos 3, No. 5 Charlotte Independence 1
Game Report | Highlights
Sunday, Oct. 2
No. 1 New York Red Bulls II 4, No. 8 Orlando City B 0
Game Report | Highlights
No. 6 Charleston Battery 2, No. 3 FC Cincinnati 1
Game Report | Highlights
No. 2 Louisville City FC 2, No. 7 Richmond Kickers 0 (OT)
Game Report | Highlights
WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS
Friday, Sept. 30
No. 4 Swope Park Rangers 3, No. 5 LA Galaxy II 0
Game Report | Highlights
No. 6 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 2, No. 3 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 1
Game Report | Highlights
Saturday, Oct. 1
No. 7 OKC Energy FC 3, No. 2 Rio Grande Valley FC 2
Game Report | Highlights
No. 8 Orange County Blues FC 0, No. 1 Sacramento Republic FC 0
Orange County won 5-4 in a penalty shootout
Game Report | Highlights
EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
Friday, Oct. 7
No. 1 New York Red Bulls II vs. No. 4 Rochester Rhinos, 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Oct. 8
No. 2 Louisville City FC vs. No. 6 Charleston Battery, 7:30 p.m. ET
WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
Saturday, October 8
No. 6 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 vs. No. 7 OKC Energy FC, 3 p.m. ET
Sunday, October 9
No. 4 Swope Park Rangers vs. No. 8 Orange County Blues FC, 4 p.m. ET
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL
To be played Oct. 14-16 at higher seed
Conference semifinal winners
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL
To be played Oct. 14-16 at higher seed
Conference semifinal winners
2016 USL CUP
Sunday, Oct. 23
Eastern Conference champion vs. Western Conference champion, 8 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
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