We are down to just 3 games in the USL Championship season and once again the field is looking unlike what anyone would have expected, although 3 of the 4 remaining teams were initial home seeds. Still, the matchups should provide good entertainment. Also this weekend is the USL League One final, which features the #1 and #3 seeds. Sanity is apparently more prevalent in that division (although the Chattanooga Red Wolves, the #2 seed, fell in week 1 to the #7 seed).
The clean sheet marathon continued last week in the conference semifinals. 4 of the 8 teams rejected all attempts on goal; there were just 6 goals scored again and only 5 in regulation time. There was one penalty shootout. Wll that change this week?
Both Championship games this weekend are on Saturday; the League One final is on Sunday. Here’s our preview:
Pittsburgh Riverhounds v. Rhode Island FC (Saturday, 5:30pm, ESPN+). For the second straight year, Rhode Island is one road game away from the championship game. They were rather more impressive this past week than against the Charleston Battery two weeks ago. That 0-0 PK victory was followed by a 2-0 win over North Carolina FC. Unsurprisingly, they outshot and outpossessed the home team, who now vanish into the ether until a potential Division I USL league is formed. Even so, they waited until the final ten minutes to score, with Albert Dikwa getting a brace. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, repeated their previous 0-0 draw, beating Detroit City 4-3 on penalties. They did take 18 shots in the game, with only 3 on target. They are the home team, but going into the conference final on 3 straight 0-0 draws now is less than optimal.
FC Tulsa v. New Mexico United (Saturday, 7:30pm, ESPN+). Tulsa left it as long as possible to beat Phoenix Rising, their only shot on target coming off a free kick play in the 122nd minute. The Rising only managed 1 on target as well and left ONEOK stunned. That’s two 1-0 wins for the Western Conference #1 seed, and their best season ever continues. They will have a rather tougher opponent this week to beat if they want to keep it going. New Mexico is the highest scoring team in the playoffs, having bagged 4 goals. Last week they overcame the ever competitive Orange County SC 2-1 in a close game. So a 4-1 total score in the playoffs so far. This also promises to be a good game.
One Knoxville v. Spokane Velocity (Sunday, 4:00pm, CBS Sports Golazo Network). Spokane is League One’s current equivalent to Rhode Island. This is their second trip to the final in their two seasons of existence. Last year they lost 0-3 to Union Omaha (the same score as the Championship final game, oddly enough). But then they were the #7 seed (of 8); this year they were #3. They got to this point by beating South Georgia Tormenta (1-1 final, 4-3 PKs) and Portland Hearts of Pine (2-2 final, 6-5 PKs). Not an easy way to get it done. They are in fact 4 games winless now (including a 1-6 whipping be the same Portland team). One Knox were rather more direct, handling Charlotte Independence 2-1 and expansion side FC Naples 1-0, both in regulation. One Knox is on an 8-game win streak. They are the obvious favorite but playoffs are a weird thing.
