Can you believe it’s been over five months since the USL League One Final was supposed to have taken place? Let’s all take a quick moment to raise a middle finger to the most uninvited guest in the world, COVID-19. Alright, shake off that memory and get optimistic about the 2021 season. Much like that board game you ordered off Amazon during quarantine, let’s unwrap this new, shiny game and get familiar with the rules and changes to the newest edition. We all love reading the rules, right? While there haven’t been a lot of changes to the coming season, there are enough to be mindful of as Union Omaha starts their campaign next week.
If you haven’t looked at the schedule yet, you’ll notice a couple of teams that weren’t in the league last year, as well as a team that isn’t in the league this season. After winning only one match in 2020, Orlando City B will sit out the 2021 USL League One season. With Orlando City B focusing on filming a “Space Jam”-esque soccer-centric movie with Disney, or at least that’s my lame theory (editor’s note: fantastic theory), Union Omaha can look forward to two new competitors: Toronto FC II and North Carolina FC.
Toronto FC II is no stranger to USL competitions, having competed since 2015. The USL League One 2020 season proceeded without Toronto FC II as a result of borders closing due to COVID-19. The Reds little brothers look to continue riding a high extending back to 2019, when the team finished the season in seventh place – the highest they’ve ever finished a campaign.
North Carolina FC has competed since 2016, but will join USL League One for the first time since its inception. The former Carolina RailHawks have competed in NASL (2016 & 2017), USL (2018), and USL Championship (2019 & 2020). Interesting factoid: In 2016, North Carolina FC played a home friendly against English Premier League side West Ham and finished with a 2-2 draw.
Another change for the 2021 season is the playoff qualifiers being expanded to six teams, up from two teams in 2020 and four teams in 2019. USL League One announced that the top two teams in the final league standings will have a first-round bye, while the no.3 seed will host no.6, leaving no.4 to host no.5. This change could certainly bring great excitement to the end of the season because 2020 saw seeds 5-9 separated by only four points.
On a more technical side: In accordance with recent FIFA and IFAB approval, USL League One will join MLS, NWSL, USL Championship, and NISA by making changes to the structure of the substitution format. This can be a bit complicated, so I’ll do my best to water it down:
- Each team is allowed five substitutions. Teams will each be given three windows of opportunity to substitute their players. If teams substitute players at the same time, it will still count as one of the three windows for both sides.
- Substitutions made during halftime, between the end of regulation time and extra time, or between the two halves of extra time will not count against the three windows.
- If a team uses a concussion substitution, the other team will be allotted an extra, regular substitution.
- Referees will not be placed in a position to determine if a player should be substituted, nor what type of substitution a team should use for the situation.
If no one has told you yet, USL League One is set to have its first national broadcast (ESPN2) on Sunday, May 16th at 3 PM (CST) when Union Omaha visits Greenville Triumph. This will be the first meeting of 2021 between the clubs who were set to face off in the USL League One Final in 2020.
So, we’ve covered a lot of ground here, but at least you’re well informed ahead of Union Omaha kicking off their season on April 24th at 6 PM (CST) against South Georgia Tormenta FC. Grab you Búhos gear, bring some friends, go to the tailgate, fill the stadium, and prepare for another great season at Werner Park.
Who Gives A Hoot? 