After seven months of grueling regular season action, the 2025 USL Championship Playoffs have arrived. 16 teams made the cut, but only a handful have a legitimate shot of lifting a trophy at the end of November. That’s not to say it’ll be predictable: two number one seeds have met in the final only twice since the USL split into geographic conferences in 2015.
Who’s ready to make a run as a lower seed? Which teams have the right mix of defensive organization and attacking quality to advance in November? I’ve sorted the playoff field from the favorites to also-rans to find out.
The “I will be surprised if one of these two clubs doesn’t win it all” tier
In the prior versions of this column, I’ve classified the top-of-the-line contenders as “favorites.” Frankly, that doesn’t convey Louisville and Charleston’s dominance throughout the 2025 season. They’re the only two clubs that finished with a +30 goal difference and the only to exceed a +16 xG margin. Likewise, the East’s heavyweights have the playoff experience and title-game track records to come through when it counts.
