The opening weekend of the 2024 USL League One Playoffs presented by Terminix has concluded and gave us one of the all-time upsets in league history.

So, what did we learn?

1. SPOKANE VELOCITY DOESN’T CARE ABOUT YOUR BRACKET

Based on the margin of points between the sides in the regular season, No. 7 seed Spokane Velocity FC’s victory against No. 2 seed Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC wasn’t the biggest in League One Playoffs history – that would have been the Charlotte Independence’s penalty shootout win against Union Omaha last season – but we’re going to give Velocity the crown of the biggest upset in the league’s history for a couple of reasons.

First, Velocity’s performance absolutely merited the 3-0 victory it secured. This wasn’t an instance where the visitors got lucky – or in the case of the Independence, had their goalkeeper stand on their head in Omaha – but a display that saw the whole lineup deliver. While the first half was relatively even, Spokane dominated after the break with its flurry of three goals in 15 minutes putting the game beyond doubt with more than 20 minutes to go.

Second, the form both sides held going into Saturday made Velocity look an even bigger longshot. It had gone winless in its last seven games of the season, while NoCo was steaming into the playoffs on the back of five consecutive wins. Spokane still pulled off an incredible upset – wrecking the brackets of 74 percent of those who took the Hailstorm to advance – that keeps its inaugural season alive.

2. FORWARD MADISON LOOKED A COMPLETE PACKAGE

We knew all about how good Forward Madison FC’s defense was going into the playoffs, but in their 2-0 win against the Charlotte Independence before a rapt crowd at Breese Stevens Field the Flamingos put on an outstanding all-around display that earned their first playoff win in club history.

Madison consistently built pressure on the Independence during the first half until the dam finally broke seven minutes before the break. Derek Gebhard’s close-range opportunity might have had a touch of good fortune about the way it arrived, but Madison’s work in a slick build-up deserved the break it earned allowing the longtime Mingo to score easily. By the time Devin Boyce added a second from the penalty spot in stoppage time, the Madison defense had done the rest of the job, holding Charlotte without a shot on target of the seven it took as J.C. Obregon Jr. was limited to only two shots and five touches inside the Madison penalty area.

The Flamingos missed out on their first silverware in September when Northern Colorado Hailstorm took the Jägermeister Cup in a penalty shootout. With their nemesis eliminated and another home game to come, the door feels even more wide open for Head Coach Matt Glaeser’s squad.

3. ONE KNOXVILLE WILL RUE ITS MISSED CHANCES

In any game, almost everything comes down to execution. In the playoffs, that only gets magnified, which meant One Knoxville SC’s exit after a 2-1 defeat to Greenville Triumph SC on Saturday afternoon will sting a little bit more for the Tennessee side.

One Knox did almost everything right. It pressured well in Greenville’s half, had more scoring opportunities and shots inside the penalty area (9-2) than Triumph. But when those chances presented themselves, Knoxville couldn’t capitalize. Chances for Frank Ross and Stuart Richie in the first half went astray, and while Kempes Tekiela converted from the penalty spot to pull the side level in the second half, a mistake of its own doing allowed Lyam MacKinnon to first earn a penalty kick and then convert to give Greenville victory.

This was Knoxville’s first trip to the playoffs since moving up to League One, coming off a good overall second season in which the side took positive steps forward. This ending was harsh given the way the side played but leaves a lesson to be learned moving forward.

4. UNION OMAHA SHOWED HOW QUICKLY A GAME CAN TURN

On another day, the Richmond Kickers would have taken the lead against Union Omaha on Sunday afternoon, setting up the potential of another stunning result.

Instead, Los Buhos illustrated how quickly a game can turn in a matter of moments.

After a relatively quiet first half, the visitors at Werner Park almost broke the game open in the 51st minute when first Emiliano Terzaghi had his header off a corner kick turned onto the crossbar by Omaha goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu before Klaidi Cela rang the woodwork with a rebound attempt.

As Omaha cleared, though, the break was on for the hosts to exploit. Winning possession 35 yards from his own goal, Lagos Kunga led the charge and with Zeiko Lewis joining to support the two went the length of the field before Kunga finished Lewis’ return pass in the penalty area. Overall, Omaha likely deserved to advance from a tightly-fought contest. The way the two-time title winners did so was a reminder of how quickly fortunes have the potential to change.