Golden Boot winner vs. Golden GLove Winner

Matchup: No. 4 Greenville Triumph SC vs. No. 5 One Knoxville SC
Venue: Paladin Stadium; Greenville, S.C.
Kickoff: Saturday, Nov. 2; 2 p.m. ET
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 76°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #GVLvKNX | #USLPlayoffs
Series (First Meeting): 4-1-1, GVL (2023)

THE BIG PICTURE

• For the first time since the 2019 USL League One Final, a postseason match will feature the current Golden Boot and Golden Glove winners as Greenville's Lyam MacKinnon and Knoxville's Sean Lewis will face off at Paladin Stadium. Greenville remains the only League One original to qualify for postseason play in all six editions of the competition, while Knoxville has qualified for the postseason for the first time in its two-year professional era.

WHAT MATTERS

• Attack and tempo: Triumph SC plays with a huge focus on possessional attacking play, often pinning their opposition in their own half and working the ball through their lines to create opportunities. They finished with the second-most goals in League One and will look to continue their goalscoring form in the postseason.
• Lockdown defense: One Knox finished the regular season with a league-low 16 goals conceded, with goalkeeper Sean Lewis winning his second-consecutive Golden Glove. They also ended joint-first in clean sheets with nine total, suggesting that opposition sides will need to be at their best if they hope to find the back of the net.
• Sitting in touching distance: Both sides were neck-and-neck with each other all season, continuously fighting for similar positions in the standings. Knoxville only allowed more than two goals in three matches across League One and U.S. Open Cup play, two of which came in matches against Greenville.

PLAYER TO WATCH

• M - Lyam MacKinnon (GVL): The Golden Boot winner ended the campaign with 16 goals and an additional five assists. The Swiss goalscorer will be looking to pair his individual accolades with some silverware.

AVAILABILITY REPORT

• GVL: Jamie Smith (questionable - injury), Sebastián Velásquez (questionable - injury), Ben Zakowski (questionable - injury)

TEAM MATCH PREVIEWS

• Greenville

USL League One PLayoffs make Madison debut

Matchup: No. 3 Forward Madison FC vs. No. 6 Charlotte Independence
Venue: Breese Stevens Field; Madison, Wis.
Kickoff: Saturday, Nov. 2; 7 p.m. ET
Weather: Partly cloudy, 50°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #MADvCLT | #USLPlayoffs
Series (First Meeting): 3-3-3 (2022)

THE BIG PICTURE

• In a rematch of a 2024 USL Jägermeister Cup Semifinal clash that went the way of the 'Mingos, Madison is set to host a USL League One Playoffs match at Breese Stevens Field for the first time. Both Madison and Charlotte are on the hunt for the first trophy in their respective clubs' histories.

WHAT MATTERS

• 'Mingo affirmation: A dry spell came after Madison's electric first League One campaign in 2019, but now the 'Mingos are back at their best with a club-best third-place finish and an appearance in the USL Jägermeister Cup Final earlier this year. They'll be looking to solidify their status amongst League One's elite by claiming their first trophy.
• A rocky road: Charlotte started the season strong after falling just short in the 2023 USL League One Final against North Carolina FC, but following its USL Jägermeister Cup Semifinal loss to Madison, their form took a dip. They won just one match out of their remaining five.
• Recent history: Besides their cup tie, Madison beat Charlotte, 4-2, on Oct. 4. The pair also met in mid-August where they played to a scoreless draw, but recent form and home-field advantage portray the 'Mingos as favorites to advance to the next round.

PLAYER TO WATCH

• GK - Bernd Schipmann (MAD): Schipmann has been one of the best goalkeepers in League One this season, finishing as the joint-leader in clean sheets with nine. In the few instances Madison's defense has been exposed, Schipmann has been able to tidy things up with ease, posting a 72.73 save percentage.

TEAM MATCH PREVIEWS

• Madison
• Charlotte

Hailstorm Hope to build on special season against struggling Spokane

Matchup: No. 2 Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC vs. No. 7 Spokane Velocity FC
Venue: 4Rivers Equipment Stadium; Windsor, Colo.
Kickoff: Saturday, Nov. 2; 9 p.m. ET
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 45°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #NCOvSPK | #USLPlayoffs
Series (First Meeting): 3-1-0, NCO (2024)

THE BIG PICTURE

• Northern Colorado have been electric all season, winning the inaugural USL Jägermeister Cup earlier in the year before setting a League One record with five consecutive victories to conclude a regular season. Spokane, though, have struggled mightily down the stretch, wrapping up its first regular season with a 0-5-2 record. Still, Spokane made history in its inaugural campaign, joining Omaha (2020) and Charlotte (2022) as the only clubs since 2020 to qualify for the postseason in their first season in the league.

WHAT MATTERS

• Hungry for more: After an impressive 2023, the Hailstorm have continued to impress after they finished second in the regular season and became the first team win the USL Jägermeister Cup. Following their tournament victory, they proceeded to win their remaining five matches while conceding just a single goal.
• Dry spell: Spokane had both highs and lows at the beginning of the campaign, but their turbulent form has largely cleaned up unfavorably, as they have not won a match since Sept 7. In its final seven matches, Velocity FC scored just two goals which both came in a 3-2 loss to Greenville.
• Recency: Despite these clubs being on two different ends of the table, Northern Colorado and Spokane each tallied a 1-0 home victory against the other this season. Factoring in USL Jägermeister Cup play, though, the Hailstorm handled Velocity FC with a pair of 3-1 victories.

PLAYER TO WATCH

• M - Isidro Martínez (NCO): Martinez led League One in total chances created with 50 total, and will be an integral piece of the puzzle if the the Hailstorm make good on their second chance at raising a trophy in 2024.

AVAILABILITY REPORT

• SPK: Grayson Dupont (out - injury), Morgan Hackworth (out - injury), Ariel Mbumba (out - injury), Romain Métanire (out - injury), Pierre Reedy (out - injury)

TEAM MATCH PREVIEWS

• Northern Colorado
• Spokane

OWls seek second star and fifth trophy, Kickers eyeing 10th trophy

Matchup: No. 1 Union Omaha vs. No. 8 Richmond Kickers
Venue: Werner Park; Papillion, Neb.
Kickoff: Sunday, Nov. 3; 3:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Isolated thunderstorms, 65°
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
Hashtag: #OMAvRIC | #USLPlayoffs
Series (First Meeting): 4-3-4, OMA (2020)

THE BIG PICTURE

• The league's most decorated team will host the league's most historic team on national television on Sunday. Between the pair, Omaha or Richmond have won the last four Players' Shields and the contest features the two most recent Coaches of the Year in Casciato (2023) and Sawatzky (2022). Omaha's fifth consecutive postseason appearance and Richmond's 25th overall postseason appearance will also pit three-time Golden Boot winner and Player of the Year Emiliano Terzaghi against two-time Golden Glove winner Rashid Nuhu.

WHAT MATTERS

• Omaha above all: The Owls won a record-third USL League One Players' Shield after finishing in first place on 48 points, losing only four matches in the regular season and scoring a league-high 47 goals on the way there. Omaha dominated League One in a way that was rarely disputed, and will once again contend for the title after falling on penalties to the Charlotte Independence in the postseason last year
• A perfect match: Despite just sneaking into the playoffs, Richmond's team profile and structure are very similar to Omaha's as both teams emphasize physicality. This likeliness could prove favorable for whichever side gets up for it on the day or is simply able to keep their heads about them.
• Shared Spoils: In their most recent game on Oct. 5, the sides shared the spoils of a scoreless draw. Aside from a last-minute red card for Omaha, the game was extremely even, with just a 2% difference in total possession, yet fairly physical with 33 total fouls.

PLAYER TO WATCH

• M - Pedro Dolabella (OMA): If Omaha aim to continue its dominance in the postseason, Dolabella will have to remain an important cog in the midfield. The Brazilian has been a standout playmaker in League One, being a contributor to 29.8% of the Owls' total goals.

AVAILABILITY REPORT

• RIC: Dakota Barnathan (out - suspension), Adrian Billhardt (out - injury), João Gomiero (out - injury), Landon Johnson (out - suspension)

TEAM MATCH PREVIEWS

• Omaha