ABOUT USL LEAGUE TWO

USL League Two is the leader in pre-professional soccer in North America. The League holds a vital role as it continues to provide the elite platform for those pursuing professional careers domestically and internationally. Throughout the United States and Canada, League Two franchises continue to provide top pre-professional players the opportunity to train and compete at the highest level while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. With ownership of teams coming from the likes of MLS and USL franchises as well as leading business and sports individuals, League Two serves as the leading development platform for the game both on and off the field.

League Two is more than the leading national pre-professional league. League Two is the defined and proven pathway for players to progress to the ranks of professional soccer, while its clubs become fixtures in the communities where they operate.

COMPETITION FORMAT

SEASON

USL League Two regular season takes place during the summer from early May to mid-July. Each team plays a 14-match schedule against their respective divisional opponents, seven at home and seven away. In conferences with three divisions, each division winner, plus the highest-finishing second-place team in the conference, advances to the playoffs in the conference semifinals. In conferences with two divisions, the top two teams from each division advance to the conference semifinals. The playoffs occur in late July, with each conference champion advancing to the national semifinals and the winners of those matches advancing to the USL League Two Championship in early August.

LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP

USL League Two continues to display its elite pool of amateur players in the longest-running North American cup competition. In 2018, FC Golden State Force continued the trend of League Two clubs reaching the important stages of the tournament with the West Coast side taking on MLS club LA Galaxy in the fourth round.