1/20/2016

Although it was a no-brainer, Orlando City B will officially play in the Eastern Conference of the United Soccer League in 2016, the league announced on Wednesday.

Orlando City B will be one of six teams entering the USL in 2016. Bethlehem Steel FC, FC Cincinnati, Rio Grande Valley FC, Swope Park Rangers and San Antonio will also make their league debuts in March.

The USL also announced 14 teams will make up the Eastern Conference, while the Western Conference will compose of 15 teams. USL will kick off its season on March 25, and will finish on Sept. 25 with the USL Cup championship.

There will be 30 regular-season games in 2016, with the top eight teams of each conference advancing to the USL playoffs. Conference champions will play in the USL Cup, which will be hosted by the team with the best regular-season record.

Orlando City B will play its home games at Titan Soccer Complex, which is located on the campus of Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne. Former Orlando City Soccer Club midfielder Anthony Pulis will manage the club.

OCB, who is owned and operated by Orlando City SC, will rejoin the USL after a one-year hiatus that had the original USL Orlando City team compete in the third division from 2011 to 2014 before joining Major League Soccer in 2015.

Below is the USL conference alignment:

Eastern Conference

• Bethlehem Steel FC
• Charleston Battery
• Charlotte Independence
• FC Cincinnati
• Harrisburg City Islanders
• Louisville City FC
• FC Montreal
• New York Red Bulls II
• Orlando City B
• Pittsburgh Riverhounds
• Richmond Kickers
• Rochester Rhinos
• Toronto FC II
• Wilmington Hammerheads FC

Western Conference

• Arizona United SC
• Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
• LA Galaxy II
• OKC Energy FC
• Orange County Blues FC
• Portland Timbers 2
• Real Monarch SLC
• Rio Grande Valley FC
• Sacramento Republic FC
• Saint Louis FC
• San Antonio
• Seattle Sounders FC 2
• Swope Park Rangers
• Tulsa Roughnecks FC
• Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2

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