TAMPA, Fla. – The sixth edition of the USL Cup Final, Presented by Nike, heads to Red Bull Arena as the 2016 regular season champion and Eastern Conference-winning New York Red Bulls II host Western Conference champions the Swope Park Rangers on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. The match airs live on ESPNU and the WatchESPN app and will be simulcast on SiriusXM FC 85.

• 2016 USL Cup Final Home

The second-year Red Bulls II and expansion Rangers are in search of their first USL crown, and Sunday’s winner will also mark the first occasion in which an MLS-owned-and-operated organization will capture the title. Updates throughout USL Cup Final Weekend will be available via Twitter, Facebook, Vine and Instagram.

• USL Cup Final Spotlights: New York Red Bulls II | Swope Park Rangers

2016 USL Cup Final, Presented by Nike
Sunday, October 23
No. 1 New York Red Bulls II vs. No. 4 Swope Park Rangers 
Kickoff – 8 p.m. ET | Red Bull Arena
The Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Red Bulls II host the Western Conference’s fourth-seeded Swope Park Rangers as both sides are vying for their first USL Cup Final.

NYRBII is in the midst of a 13-game unbeaten streak dating back to the regular season. They are coming off their second straight penalty shootout victory during the USL Cup Playoffs, defeating second-seeded Louisville City FC 4-3 in the shootout on Sunday, Oct. 16, as New York goalkeeper Ryan Meara posted two saves. New York’s postseason run included a 5-4 shootout win against the defending champion Rochester Rhinos on Oct. 7 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and preceded by a 4-0 win against Orlando City B in the conference quarterfinals on Oct. 2.

Swope Park earned a 2-0 win against sixth-seeded Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 in the Western Conference Final on Saturday, Oct. 15, led by a first-half brace from Kris Tyrpak. Goalkeeper Adrian Zendejas made a pair of saves to improve to 8-0-0 with the Rangers spanning both the postseason and regular season. The Rangers’ playoff run featured a thrilling 2-1 shorthanded victory against Orange County Blues FC in the Western Conference Semifinals, with Dane Kelly’s overtime winner finding the net as SPR was down to nine men. Swope Park opened the postseason with a 3-0 win against the LA Galaxy II on Sept. 30 in the conference quarterfinals.

NUMBER CRUNCHING
15 – The Swope Park Rangers are undefeated in 15 matches when center backs Amer Didic and Oumar Ballo have started together (13-0-2).

13 – The New York Red Bulls II are undefeated in their past 13 games, going 12-0-1 over that span.

12 – NYRBII goalkeeper Ryan Meara has posted 12 saves during the USL Cup Playoffs to lead the league.

9 – NYRBII has converted all nine of its penalty shootout attempts in the past two victories against the Rochester Rhinos in the Eastern Conference Semifinals (5-4 shootout win) and Louisville City FC in the Eastern Conference Final (4-3 shootout win).

8 – The Red Bulls II and Rangers have both scored eight goals in three postseason games. NYRBII tallied a USL record 61 goals during the regular season. Swope Park had 45 regular-season goals, which ranked third in the Western Conference and sixth in the league.

3 – Swope Park’s Mark Anthony Gonzalez and Kris Tyrpak, New York’s Brandon Allen and Rochester’s Steevan Dos Santos are tied for the postseason lead with three goals apiece.

3 – NYRBII’s Vincent Bezecourt and Swope Park’s Tyler Pasher are tied for the postseason lead with three assists.

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES
- The 2016 USL Cup Final, Presented by Nike, will include 2016 Copa America Centenario referee Armando Villarreal leading the officiating crew for Sunday’s game at Red Bull Arena, the Professional Referee Organization announced earlier this week. Villarreal has been a center official for 75 games in Major League Soccer, and in 2015 he was added to the FIFA list of officials.

- FC Montreal winger Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla signed a two-year contract with the Montreal Impact as an MLS Homegrown Player starting with the 2017 season, the Impact announced Thursday. The 17-year-old becomes the youngest player in club history to join the MLS side. Tabla recorded five goals and five assists in 21 games during the 2016 USL season.

- Swope Park Rangers forward Nansel Selbol, who is suspended for Sunday’s USL Cup Final, was brought up on loan to Sporting Kansas City this week. Selbol tallied his first SKC goal – the game-winner – during the club’s 3-1 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League victory against Central FC on Wednesday at Children’s Mercy Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. Fellow Rangers Tomas Granitto and Alex Molano also started alongside Selbol in their first appearances for the MLS side.

- The USL unveiled its all-league teams Tuesday, with four players involved in the USL Cup Final named to the two squads. NYRBII forward Brandon Allen and defender Aaron Long and Swope Park defender Amer Didic were named to the USL All-League First Team. New York defender Zach Carroll was selected to the USL All-League Second Team. The teams were voted on by team management and a league-wide media panel representing every USL market.

- USL Awards Week will run from Oct. 31-Nov. 4, and on Wednesday the league announced the finalists, voted on by team management and a league-wide media panel. The MVP finalists include NYRBII’s Brandon Allen, the Charlotte Independence’s Enzo Martinez and FC Cincinnati’s Sean Okoli (winner to be announced Nov. 4). Allen is also a finalist for USL Rookie of the Year (announcement on Nov. 3). Among other awards involving NYRBII and Swope Park personnel, the two head coaches – SPR’s Marc Dos Santos and NYRBII’s John Wolyniec – are finalists for USL Coach of the Year (winner to be announced Nov. 2). Swope Park’s Amer Didic is a finalist for USL Defender of the Year (winner to be announced Nov. 1).