We’ve reached the midway point of a staggered five-game match week in League One with plenty to look back on and ahead to in this weekend’s three contests. Here are five talking points to keep an eye over three crucial games in the postseason race.

1. TUCSON’S TIME IS HERE: As FC Tucson battled to earn seven points over its six-game road trip that ran from then middle of June to the middle of July, it was always with the goal of keeping itself close enough to the top four in the League One standings for its final run of seven home games in its last eight contests of the regular season. That FCT lost just once in that span accomplished that mission, and while the side currently sits in seventh place in the standings after opening its homestand with a 3-1 win against Orlando City B last Saturday, it is only four points out of the postseason positions and has at least one game in hand on the three teams sitting directly above it that look to be the main competition for the No. 4 slot. Now, though, Tucson must capitalize on its opportunity, starting with Chattanooga Red Wolves SC’s visit on Friday night. A win would narrow the gap to the playoff places to only one point, while also helping stall the Red Wolves’ postseason bid.

2. CAN JONES STAY HOT? After being selected in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft by Los Angeles FC, Jordan Jones had some difficulties finding his feet in then professional ranks. Going without a goal in just shy of 750 minutes for Rio Grande Valley FC during the 2018 USL Championship season, Jones arrived in Tucson looking to regain the form that had made him a solid prospect coming out of Oregon State University. It appears that something has clicked, with Jones now leading FCT with six goals, including five that have arrived since the start of July, in addition to three assists that have placed him alongside Lansing Ignite FC’s Rafael Mentzingen in directly contributing to eight goals for his side over that span. Jones enters Friday night’s game with Chattanooga on a three-game scoring streak, and if that continues it could provide a major piece of the puzzle in Tucson’s quest for three points.

3. HAS NORTH TEXAS REIGNITED? After leading the league in goals for the first three months of the League One season, North Texas’ potent attack went decidedly cold at the start of July as a combination of call-ups to FC Dallas and injuries – most notably to current League One leading scorer Ronaldo Damus – saw the side register only six goals in eight games. Tuesday night’s 5-0 drubbing of South Georgia Tormenta FC provided a serious return to form, with Ricardo Pepi converting twice from the penalty spot to break an individual goal drought that had spanned five games back to a June 2 clash with the Richmond Kickers. Is NTSC’s attack back? We’ll likely find out on Sunday evening when the side plays host to a Toronto FC II side that sits second-to-last in the league with 35 goals conceded. If NTSC puts up another strong number – regaining the league lead in goals scored from Lansing in the process – then it would indicate that the side that’s looked the favorite to claim the League One crown for much of the year is clicking again.

4. FINDING MADISON’S PATH: Forward Madison FC’s 1-0 loss to Greenville Triumph SC on Wednesday night was a major hit to the club’s postseason chances. According to playoff projection site sportsclubstats.com, the Flamingos’ playoff chances dipped by 22.1 percent due to the result, giving it a one-in-five chance at a postseason berth. In front of a club-record crowd of 4,663 fans, Madison went close but couldn’t find a way through Triumph SC’s best defense in the league. “You can’t say enough about our fans, I apologize to them for letting them down,” FMFC Head Coach Daryl Shore said. “This wasn’t what we anticipated but we’re not out of it and we’ve just got to keep plugging away. We’re not going to get down on ourselves. We know that we still have it in our hands.” Shore is absolutely correct in his assessment of the situation, with the Flamingos having games against Tormenta FC, North Texas, Tucson and a season finale against Lansing in its final five games. How his players respond to the pressure of potentially needing to win at least three of those contests is going to determine whether a playoff place will be waiting for them.

5. IT’S YOUR MOVE: Maybe the most interesting element of the past two weeks in League One – where since August 21 the schedule has been so staggered that only one game night (August 24) has seen multiple games played – has been the action and reaction that has taken place as a result. That domino effect will be evident again over the next three days, with Chattanooga Red Wolves SC and South Georgia Tormenta FC having the chance to make the next move. For all its travails since the start of July, Tormenta FC could still be sitting in third place by Monday morning with victory at home to the Richmond Kickers, as could the Red Wolves if they can take victory on the road against FC Tucson. With the remainder of the campaign set to play out over its final five weekends – only three of the final 30 games are scheduled for a Tuesday or Wednesday night – these three games will set the stage for the drama to come.