The Swope Park Rangers (18-8-9) will play Louisville City FC (20-6-9) for the United Soccer League championship on Monday when the 2017 USL Cup Final kicks off at 8 p.m. CT live on ESPNU and SiriusXM FC from Louisville Slugger Field in Louisville, Kentucky.
No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power and Light District will show the match live for local sports fans and will offer drink specials including 50% off beer pitchers, sangria pitchers and Moscow Mule bowls. All in attendance can also enter a free raffle to win Swope Park Rangers autographed playoff t-shirts.
The Rangers, who earned runners-up medals a year ago in the club’s inaugural season, now return to the USL Cup Final in historic fashion. SPR is the first side to reach back-to-back USL championships and have also become the first expansion team in the modern era of American men’s outdoor professional soccer to reach a league final in each of the squad’s first two seasons.
This year’s postseason run began with an extra time comeback in the Western Conference Quarterfinals against Didier Drogba and Phoenix Rising FC. SPR goalkeeper Adrian Zendejas then kept two straight clean sheets versus Sacramento Republic FC and OKC Energy FC to ultimately win the Western Conference Championship in a dramatic 11-round penalty shootout at Children’s Mercy Park.
The three recent results stretched SPR’s home unbeaten streak to a club-record nine games, one better than Louisville City FC’s current eight-game undefeated streak at Slugger Field entering Monday’s match. The home team has won every USL championship since the league began in 2011 and Louisville will aim to become the sixth finalist to lift the USL Cup trophy without playing a postseason match on the road during their championship campaign.
The Rangers 231-minute shutout streak will be put to the test against Louisville City FC, who lead the league in shots and whose 64 goals this season were most in the Eastern Conference. Like SPR, the hosts have also allowed only one goal in three playoff games to claim a Conference Championship and advanced to the final after prevailing in penalties last Saturday.
In addition to daunting defenses, both teams boast balanced attacks with a USL-high 17 goal scorers apiece on the season. All 17 field players on Louisville City FC’s roster have scored in 2017, led by Luke Spencer with 11 goals and five assists. The top talisman in this year’s final though will be SPR striker Kharlton Belmar with 15 goals, including six goals and two assists in his last eight games.
The 2017 USL Cup Final caps the longest (233 days) and largest (30 teams, 495 games) season in league history and first as a second division in American soccer. Three new teams (Reno, Tampa Bay, Ottawa) took the field and three additional cities (Nashville, Las Vegas, Fresno) are slated to join for a 2018 season which will expand to 34 regular season games in 31 weeks.
2017 USL CUP FINAL
Date: Monday, November 13, 2017
Kickoff: 8:00 p.m. CT
Location: Louisville Slugger Field (Louisville, Kentucky)
Swope Park Rangers: 18-8-9, 4thin Western Conference
MLS Affiliate: Sporting Kansas City
Louisville City FC: 20-6-9, 1st in Eastern Conference
MLS Affiliate: N/A
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television: ESPNU
Online: WatchESPN (US) | YouTube (Outside US)
Radio: SiriusXM FC
Talent: Mike Watts (play-by-play), Kate Markgraf (analyst), Julie Stewart-Binks (sideline)
SOCIAL MEDIA
Hashtags: #LOUvSPR, #USLCup
Swope Park Rangers
Twitter: @SwopeRangers
Instagram: @SwopeParkRangers
Louisville City FC
Twitter: @loucityfc
Instagram: @louisvillecityfc
LINKS
Game Notes: Swope Park Rangers | Louisville City FC
SportingKC.com
- Rangers eager to exorcise demons of 2016 with a win in Louisville
- Watch: Adrian Zendejas previews the USL Cup Final
- Watch: Nikola Popovic previews the USL Cup Final
- Watch: Amer Didic previews the USL Cup Final
- Void of individual accolades, resolute Rangers have title in sight
- Belmar on the brink of history as SPR eyes title
- Rangers aim to become Kansas City’s next soccer champion
- Can Rangers become first visiting team to win USL Cup Final?
- SPR and Louisville endure dramatic rides to the final
LouisvilleCityFC.com
- Watch: Coach James O’Connor’s weekly press conference
- SCG Fields to turf Slugger infield for USL Cup Final
- Watch: USL Cup Final press conference
USLsoccer.com
- Louisville, Swope Park square off for USL Cup
- Ranjitsingh remains with Louisville for USL Cup
- New setting sees Rangers’ Belmar thrive
- Local boy Ballard brings boost for Louisville
- History on Louisville’s side at USL Cup
- Popovic’s experience a boon for Rangers
- O’Connor’s intensity, humor bring balance to Louisville
- Louisville, Swope Park touch gloves ahead of USL Cup
- Keys to the Cup: Swope Park Rangers
- Keys to the Cup: Louisville City FC
