Forward Madison FC visits Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC in a top-three clash to close the regular season with the Flamingos looking for their first win in the series since 2022. | Photo courtesy Blake Baker / Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC
The playoff field is set in USL League One going into the final weekend of the regular season, but there’s still plenty of intrigue to be found in the final Saturday of the campaign. Leading the way is a top-three clash which sees one side in need of making a statement, and the battle for the final spot in the top four in the standings.
Here are two key storylines to know going in, three players to keep an eye on, and what else you need to know before tuning in on ESPN+.
Over the past two seasons under Head Coach Matt Glaeser, Forward Madison FC has made great strides in becoming a serious contender in League One.
There’s only one team that they’ve yet to truly solve, however, and it’s the side the Flamingos face in the final game of the regular season as they visit Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC on Saturday night (9 p.m. ET | ESPN+).
GOOSE EGG: Since the start of the 2023 season, the Flamingos are winless in five regular season meetings with the Hailstorm, losing four out of five, scoring only once, and suffering a minus-8 goal differential. The only other side Madison is winless against in that span is One Knoxville SC, with the difference that four of those five games have ended in draws.
UPPER HAND: Madison holds a one-point lead on Northern Colorado going into their showdown, with its impressive defensive record having resulted in the Flamingos having lost only twice in 21 regular season games this campaign. That means they would only need a draw to secure second place ahead of the postseason.
CUP FINAL REMATCH: The most recent meeting between the sides could also offer some confidence for Madison. Just under a month ago they headed to Northern Colorado for the USL Jägermeister Cup Final and played to a 1-1 draw before ultimately falling in a penalty shootout. The Flamingos had to hold on to earn a draw, but they achieved it, and now need to find a way to push on from there.
With the position of the two sides in the standings, there’s a very good chance they’ll be squaring off again in two weeks with a place in the USL League One Final on the line.
For the Flamingos, getting the club’s first win against the Hailstorm since July, 2022, would be the confidence boost they need to earn a second chance at silverware this campaign.
Either Greenville Triumph SC or One Knoxville SC will claim the No. 4 seed in the 2024 USL League One Playoffs this weeked. | Photo courtesy One Knoxville SC
There are other positional battles in the top eight set to play out over the weekend, and the most intriguing looks like that between Greenville Triumph SC and One Knoxville SC, either of which could each claim fourth place on the final day of the season.
A key element to that battle? They’re effectively playing a doubleheader, which means Knoxville will know around its kickoff against Spokane Velocity FC (9 p.m. ET | ESPN) if a top-four finish is even feasible.
HISTORIC RIVALRY: Greenville gets the chance to seal its spot in fourth as it faces South Georgia Tormenta FC (7 p.m. ET | ESPN+) in League One’s original rivalry. Since the sides met in the first game in league history in 2019, no series has been played more regularly than the 18 meetings between Triumph and Tormenta. The bad news for Greenville? Tormenta’s held the upper hand overall with a 9-6-3 record across the regular season and playoffs.
OPEN THE DOOR: If Greenville takes victory at home, that’s that. Triumph already holds the edge over One Knox on the total wins tiebreaker and would be in an unassailable position. If Tormenta earns a result, however, the scene then shifts to Spokane, where Knoxville will know a victory against Velocity FC – which has lost five in a row – would shift it into fourth on the final day of the season.
SHAKE IT OFF: One thing both sides will be focused on is improvement from their most recent outings. Greenville missed out on a chance to seal a top-four finish last Sunday as its attack fell flat in a 1-0 defeat to Central Valley Fuego FC, while Knoxville tied its season-low with only a 0.21 Expected Goals mark in a scoreless draw at Forward Madison FC.
With Greenville and One Knox likely to meet in next weekend’s Quarterfinals, how they finish the regular season will have an impact on the buildup to that showdown when it’s win or go home.
Spokane Velocity FC and Luis Gil host One Knoxville SC on Saturday night looking to break a five-game losing streak ahead of their first trip to the postseason. | Photo courtesy Campea Photography / Spokane Velocity FC
Lyam MacKinnon, Greenville Triumph SC – The Swiss forward enters the weekend tied for the lead in the race for the Golden Boot on 14 goals and carries the tiebreaker with five assists. Delivering a game-winning performance against South Georgia Tormenta FC – against whom MacKinnon has two goals in three prior appearances – could seal the No. 4 position for Triumph and earn him the individual accolade.
J.C. Obregon Jr., Charlotte Independence – The Honduran international is level with MacKinnon on 14 goals, but has yet to record an assist this season, meaning if he’s going to win the Golden Boot, he’s going to have to find the net against the Richmond Kickers on Saturday night. Obregon has scored in three of the past four outings, giving him a shot as Charlotte looks to snap a seven-game winless streak across all competitions.
Luis Gil, Spokane Velocity FC – The former United States international has led Spokane with five goals and five assists in the club’s inaugural season but hasn’t recorded a goal contribution in his past four appearances. Velocity needs to end its five-game losing streak before it enters the postseason, and Gil could have a key role in earning a result against One Knoxville SC.
#OMAvCVF: Union Omaha can approach its final game of the season as it pleases with the Players’ Shield in hand ahead of next weekend’s Quarterfinals. Fuego gave themselves a chance to avoid a last-place finish with last week’s victory against Greenville and that could prove motivation to find a way to a result on the road here.
#RICvCLT: The Richmond Kickers are undefeated in their last six outings after clinching a playoff berth last weekend. They could even move up to seventh in the standings with a victory at home to the Charlotte Independence after Spokane Velocity FC’s recent tumble. The Independence’s form, meanwhile, has been going in the opposite direction with the side winless in its last seven outings across all competitions.
#CHAvLEX: There’s a Nashville SC reunion coming at CHI Memorial Stadium with Chattanooga Red Wolves SC leading scorer Ropapa Mensah and Lexington SC leading scorer Cameron Lancaster having been teammates when the side was in the USL Championship. With the playoffs out of reach, either of those two could be the difference-maker as each side looks to end the year on a high.