USL Championship’s 2019 schedule released

The USL Championship announced the full 33-week, 612-match schedule for the 2019 season on Wednesday. The slate of games, which will be fully available to watch on ESPN+ also includes an expanded playoff format with the top 10 teams from each conference making it to a shot at USL Cup.

Sounders FC 2 (which should have a different name, brand and colors by the time the season starts) will open its season at home March 9 against Rio Grande Valley FC. The club will play three of its first four matches at home, including a potential return for recent departure David Estrada with New Mexico United on March 29.

By expanding the length of the schedule, the league has greatly reduced the number of midweek games that will be played, which will hopefully be a boon to attendance league-wide. For S2’s part, the club will only play four of its 17 home matches on non-weekend days (Mon-Thurs), down from eight in 2018.

The biggest change to the new format is that for the first time, the 18-team conference will accomplish its 34-match schedule in a true home-and-home format, with S2 facing each opponent in its conference twice.

Here is the full S2 schedule (home games in bold):

Sat., March 9 – S2 vs RGVFC

Sat., March 16 – S2 vs LA Galaxy II

Sat., March 23 – Tulsa Roughnecks FC vs S2

Fri., March 29 – S2 vs New Mexico United

Mon. April 1 – S2 vs Sacramento Republic

Wed. April 10 – Orange County SC vs S2

Sat. April 13 – Las Vegas Lights FC vs S2

Sat. April 20 – Phoenix Rising FC vs S2

Fri. April 26 – San Antonio FC vs S2

Sat. May 4 – OKC Energy FC vs S2

Sun. May 12 – S2 vs Timbers 2

Sat. May 18 – S2 vs Reno 1868 FC

Sun. May 26 – S2 vs Fresno FC

Wed. May 29 – LA Galaxy II vs S2

Sat. June 1 – S2 vs El Paso Locomotive FC

Sat. June 8 – Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs S2

Wed. June 12 – S2 vs Real Monarchs SLC

Sat. June 15 – Austin Bold FC vs S2

Sat. July 6 – RGVFC vs S2

Sat. July 13 – Real Monarchs SLC vs S2

Wed. July 24 – S2 vs Las Vegas Lights FC

Sat. July 27 – S2 vs OKC Energy FC

Sat. August 10 – S2 vs Orange County SC

Sat. August 17 – El Paso Locomotive FV vs S2

Tue. August 27 – S2 vs Phoenix Rising FC

Fri. August 30 – S2 vs San Antonio FC

Sat. September 7 – Sacramento Republic FC vs S2

Tue. September 10 – Reno 1868 FC vs S2

Sun. September 22 – Timbers 2 vs S2

Sat. September 28 – S2 vs. Tulsa Roughnecks FC

Sat. October 5 – Fresno FC vs S2

Sat. October 12 – S2 vs Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

Wed. October 16 – New Mexico United vs S2

Sat. October 19 – S2 vs Austin Bold FC