First, an acknowledgement. With 33 home openers to choose from, there are going to be some notable omissions from the list below, hence the bonus contests to watch at the bottom of the piece.

But goodness me, there is some choice viewing for fans of the USL lined up over the first four weekends of the 2018 season in the list of home openers announced today.

Leading the way are the old and new rivalries that will get things off to a rousing start for all involved, with the league’s newcomers getting some tremendous matchups to herald their arrival to the USL. With that in mind, here are five picks for games that should be a must-see when the new season arrives.