# 2023 USL Championship playoffs

The 2023 USL Championship playoffs (branded as the 2023 USL Championship Playoffs presented by Hisense for sponsorship reasons) was the post-season championship of the 2023 USL Championship. It was the thirteenth edition of the USL Championship playoffs. The playoffs began on October 21, and concluded with the USL Championship Final on November 12.
San Antonio FC were the defending title holders and were eliminated in the Conference Semi-finals by Sacramento Republic FC. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies were the first teams to clinch a playoff berth which they both achieved on September 3 and subsequently both lost in the first round. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC won the regular season and were eliminated in the Conference Quarterfinals by Detroit City FC.
The Charleston Battery and Phoenix Rising FC advanced to the Final after failing to make the postseason the previous year. A match Phoenix won after a penalty shoot-out for their first title.

## Format

The top eight teams in each conference qualified for the playoffs which was in a single-elimination, fixed bracket format. All playoff matches were streamed live on ESPN+ except the Championship final on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and Sirius XM FC.

## Conference standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | Pts |
| 1 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (S) | 34 | 67 |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 34 | 63 |
| 3 | Charleston Battery | 34 | 59 |
| 4 | Memphis 901 FC | 34 | 52 |
| 5 | Louisville City FC | 34 | 50 |
| 6 | Indy Eleven | 34 | 49 |
| 7 | Birmingham Legion FC | 34 | 46 |
| 8 | Detroit City FC | 34 | 41 |
| 9 | Miami FC | 34 | 41 |
| 10 | FC Tulsa | 34 | 39 |
| 11 | Loudoun United FC | 34 | 25 |
| 12 | Hartford Athletic | 34 | 18 |
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | Pts |
| 1 | Sacramento Republic FC | 34 | 64 |
| 2 | Orange County SC | 34 | 57 |
| 3 | San Diego Loyal SC | 34 | 57 |
| 4 | San Antonio FC | 34 | 56 |
| 5 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | 34 | 53 |
| 6 | Phoenix Rising FC (C) | 34 | 48 |
| 7 | El Paso Locomotive FC | 34 | 47 |
| 8 | New Mexico United | 34 | 46 |
| 9 | Rio Grande Valley FC Toros | 34 | 43 |
| 10 | Oakland Roots SC | 34 | 42 |
| 11 | Monterey Bay FC | 34 | 41 |
| 12 | Las Vegas Lights FC | 34 | 19 |

## Bracket

| Conference Quarterfinals October 21–22 | Conference Quarterfinals October 21–22 | Conference Quarterfinals October 21–22 | | | Conference Semifinals October 27–28 | Conference Semifinals October 27–28 | Conference Semifinals October 27–28 | Conference Finals November 4 | Conference Finals November 4 | Conference Finals November 4 | | USL Championship Final November 12 | USL Championship Final November 12 | USL Championship Final November 12 |
| E1 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | Detroit City FC | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | Detroit City FC | 1 | | | E8 | Detroit City FC | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E5 | Louisville City FC | 4 | | | | | | | |
| E4 | Memphis 901 FC | 1 (4) | | | E5 | Louisville City FC | 4 | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Louisville City FC (p) | 1 (5) | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Louisville City FC (p) | 1 (5) | | | | | | E5 | Louisville City FC | 1 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E5 | Louisville City FC | 1 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E3 | Charleston Battery | 2 | | | | |
| E3 | Charleston Battery | 5 | | | | | | | | | E3 | Charleston Battery | 2 | | | | |
| E6 | Indy Eleven | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E6 | Indy Eleven | 0 | | | E3 | Charleston Battery | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E7 | Birmingham Legion FC | 1 | | | | | | | |
| E2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 0 | | | E7 | Birmingham Legion FC | 1 | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Birmingham Legion FC | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Birmingham Legion FC | 3 | | | | | | | | | | E3 | Charleston Battery | 1 (2) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | W6 | Phoenix Rising FC (p) | 1 (3) |
| W1 | Sacramento Republic FC | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | W6 | Phoenix Rising FC (p) | 1 (3) |
| W8 | New Mexico United | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W8 | New Mexico United | 0 | | | W1 | Sacramento Republic FC | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W4 | San Antonio FC | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W4 | San Antonio FC | 1 | | | W4 | San Antonio FC | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 0 | | | | | | W1 | Sacramento Republic FC | 1 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W1 | Sacramento Republic FC | 1 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W6 | Phoenix Rising FC | 2 | | | | |
| W3 | San Diego Loyal SC | 3 | | | | | | | | | W6 | Phoenix Rising FC | 2 | | | | |
| W6 | Phoenix Rising FC (a.e.t.) | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W6 | Phoenix Rising FC (a.e.t.) | 4 | | | W6 | Phoenix Rising FC (a.e.t.) | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W2 | Orange County SC | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W2 | Orange County SC | 1 | | | W2 | Orange County SC | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W7 | El Paso Locomotive FC | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Schedule
### USL Championship Final

Championship Game MVP: Rocco Ríos Novo (PHX)

## Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Ronaldo Damus | San Diego Loyal SC | 3 |
| 1 | Cameron Lancaster | Louisville City FC | 3 |
| 3 | Russell Cicerone | Sacramento Republic FC | 2 |
| 3 | Emil Cuello | Phoenix Rising FC | 2 |
| 3 | Dariusz Formella | Phoenix Rising FC | 2 |
| 3 | Prosper Kasim | Birmingham Legion FC | 2 |
| 3 | Nick Markanich | Charleston Battery | 2 |
| 3 | Arturo Rodríguez | Charleston Battery | 2 |
| 3 | Danny Trejo | Phoenix Rising FC | 2 |
| 3 | Augustine Williams | Charleston Battery | 2 |
| 3 | Emilio Ycaza | Charleston Battery | 2 |