Some offseasons in the USL Championship last longer than others.

For some, it’s the actual amount of time a team has off after its final competitive match, while for others it has to do with the way the club finished the season and its morale heading into the new year.

Think about this: Which team had the longer offseason, Louisville City FC or Phoenix Rising FC?

Technically, the 2018 USL Cup finalists will, of course, have the exact same amount of time between competitive games, but for many at Rising FC it’s probably felt much longer given the disappointment of coming up just short of the league’s ultimate prize. 17 weeks is a long time for emotional wounds to linger before finally having the chance to begin anew.