USL League One - OLUTC Weekly Review
We have now reached the PENULTIMATE match week. While the top four have clinched a playoff spot, their final positioning has yet to be determined; meanwhile, four clubs are playing musical chairs for the final two playoff spots - for one its a long shot, and for another its a looooong long shot, but it all hangs in the balance with just a couple games to go!
What a whacky week - Greenville get the win over Richmond in that delayed game two Sundays ago, but lose at home to Northern Colorado just last weekend and still managed to leap over Forward Madison in the table. They are the only other team to have three games left and if they win out, can finish as high as 4th - If Charlotte drop a game. Now… unlikely as this may sound, if they fail to get at least a win from the last three they could find themselves on the outside after all that grinding.
Sadly for Central Valley Fuego, just like every game this year, they were in this… they scored first, they controlled the tempo, they have a good roster of professional players, but things fall apart for them. My sincere hope for Central Valley Fuego is to give their fans a win at home and some good memories for the off season then go to Richmond and really challenge - they’ll still be the wooden spoon warriors, but they can do it in style!
If anything, Lexington have been incredibly entertaining this season and since the beginning of August, have scored 20 goals! Diouf has been a revelation and they need to do whatever it takes to keep him and Balogun maybe, then build around that. I feel like we didn’t see the best of Seo-in Kim, and I think Nico Brown still has more to give. They host NCFC on Saturday and can really throw a spanner in the hyperdrive by giving their fans one last win to cherish for the season.
For NCFC, a point at home against Union Omaha was enough to stave off the Owls, keep the Hailstorm at bay and retain their number one status. However, with just one away game and a home game left, they will need to win out otherwise risk losing their first round bye because neither of the abovementioned competitors are slowing down at all.
Chattanooga Red Wolves have been a pleasure to watch over recently. 22 goals since August 12th. The likes of Mensah, Malango, and Marsh have helped scrape them off the bottom of the league, jump over a sad shadow of a club in Richmond, and heck, if they win at home over Greenville then on the road to NoCo Hailstorm, they could finish as high at 9th - depending on other results.
Charlotte started the week in 4th and ended the week in 4th and by the look of things, may finish the season in 4th. Their draw against a desperate One Knox clinched the playoffs for them and the worst they can do is finish in the last spot if they should fail to earn another point from their last two games.
Results from September 29 & 30
Greenville Triumph 0-2 Northern Colorado Hailstorm
North Carolina FC 1-1 Union Omaha
Charlotte Independence 1-1 One Knoxville SC
Richmond Kickers 0-1 SG Tormenta FC
Forward Madison 2-2 Lexington SC
Chattanooga Red Wolves 3-1 Central Valley Fuego FC
THIS WEEK’S FIXTURES:
One Knoxville SC vs Richmond Kickers
It's a stretch, and a win in any of their last four games would have made this a lot easier, but should One Knox SC win at home this Friday against a struggling Kickers then somehow upset North Carolina FC on the road in the last game of the regular season, they’ll finish on 43points. They’ll need Tormenta to lose out and they’re in. Or have Forward Madison collapse AND score 3 more goals than them in that time because they have the regular season head-to-head advantage.
Richmond Kickers have let their fans down. They haven’t won a game of soccer since the 1st of July and yet have sold out City Stadium again! Amazing support, great atmosphere, and fans who deserve better than that next year.
SG Tormenta vs Union Omaha
That’s three wins in a row for the Champs - and even more importantly, that’s two clean sheets in a row! Sure, its a big ask and they need a little help to make it happen, but the playoffs are not out of the question and all they need to do is beat Union Omaha at home then go get a win at Charlotte on the final day of the regular season - then pray.
Eleven game unbeaten in a row and even though they drop to 3rd because of that draw with North Carolina last week, Los Buhos will be seeking a 6-point week to challenge for the top spot. First, they host a tough Charlotte Independence midweek, then UO use up that game in hand on Saturday as they take the fight to “Sputh” Georgia.
Northern Colorado Hailstorm vs Forward Madison
Despite losing at home to NCFC just two Saturdays ago, a win away to Greenville last weekend got NoCO right back into the thick of it - they jumped Union Omaha into the second bye spot, even on points but ahead on goal difference. They can’t hang their hat on that though, with two games left - both home games for what its worth - the Hailstorm need to get all the points they can to guarantee the bye.
The Mingos are in the playoffs… for now. They have only won once since August 12th and aren’t making this bid for the post season a very convincing one. They have two games left and cannot depend on Tormenta and Greenville dropping points - but whoo boy, they really need a result away to Hailstorm this week to keep they challengers at bay.
Wednesday, October 4th
Union Omaha vs Charlotte Independence - 4:30pm (PT) / 7:30pm (ET)
Central Valley Fuego FC vs Greenville Triumph SC - 7:30pm (PT) / 10:30pm (ET)
Friday, October 6th
One Knoxville SC vs Richmond Kickers - 4:30pm (PT) / 7:30pm (ET)
Saturday, October 7th
Lexington SC vs North Carolina FC - 4:00pm (PT) / 7:00pm (ET)
SG Tormenta FC vs Union Omaha - 4:30pm (PS) / 7:30pm (ET)
Chattanooga Red Wolves vs Greenville Triumph SC - 4:30pm (PT) / 7:30pm (ET)
Northern Colorado Hailstorm vs Forward Madison - 6:00pm (PT) / 9:00pm (ET)
by Joshua Duder