Both NISA Nation and UPSL are well into their respective playoffs and there are some absolutely delicious matchups to look forward to. Indoors seasons for Major Arena Soccer league and the Western Indoor Soccer League are also underway and we take a look at some of the matchups from their fixture lists as well. Let’s get stuck in!

Josh Duder Picks…
- Napa Valley 1839 FC vs Project 51O - UPSL Playoffs
  - Sat, 12/02 - 7pm CT / 10pm ET
    at Justin Siena HS in Napa, CA
  - Napa Valley finished 2nd in the NorCal North and knocked off divisions winners Real Galt last week. They’re led by Darion Pavon, who has 11 goals this season and Emmanuel Duran, who has 9 of his own. They host Oakland’s Project Five-One-Oh, who finished 2nd in the NorCal South. Project 51O knocked out division winners Valley 559 back on November 5th then won two friendlies since then. They’re led by Luis Saldana and Simon Diagana with 15 games between them.

Jon Hunt Picks…
- El Paso Surf vs ACM3 - UPSL Playoffs
  - Fri, 12/01 - 7:00p PT / 10:00p ET
    at Blackie Field #1
  - The UPSL Playoffs need a representative from the West Texas-New Mexico region, and we got a city derby to decide who moves on and who hangs up their cleats for the winter. Both sides will be coming into this match up very well rested having not played since the end of September (according to the UPSL website.) Who will come out on top as the UPSL kinds of El Paso?

MaryBeth Zmuda Picks…
- St John’s Football Club vs Utah Red Wolves SC - UPSL Playoffs
  - Sat, 12/02 - 1:00p PT / 4:00p ET
    at Northwest Nazarene University
  - First place and second place respectively in their divisions may seem pretty evenly matched. But Utah’s 15 point goal differential pitted against St. John's 25 point GD makes it look a bit more lopsided. The Red Wolves have their work cut out for them!

Josh Duder Picks…
- Baltimore Blast vs Texas Outlaws - Major Arena Soccer League
  - Sat, 12/02 - 3:05p PT / 6:05p ET
    at TU Arena in Towson, MD
  - Its an Eastern Conference vs Western Conference showdown with both Baltimore and Texas (formerly Mesquite) Outlaws getting their seasons kicked off. Baltimore Blast finished 2nd in the East last year and made it to the Ron Newman Cup Final, but lost to Chihuahua Savage. Meanwhile, Outlaws made it to the playoffs last year, but were ousted in the Quarterfinals. Should be a fun start to the MASL season for both.

Ben Brannigan Picks…
- Atletico Valle FC vs Inter Fort Worth - Metroplex League 2
  - Sat, 12/02 - time listed TBD
    at Rolling Hills Soccer Complex in Fort Worth, TX
  - A top-2 clash of MPL2 West Division teams in the final regular season game before the playoffs. Atletico have won 8 and lost only 1 this season - Inter won 4, lost 2 and tied 3 games. Valle are a free-flowing, attacking team; a solid defense with a + 11 GD. Meanwhile, Inter are more solid at the back with a good knack of scoring too. Should be a highly entertaining game on Saturday as well as a precursor to the West Division playoffs with both looking to get to the final.

Josh Duder Picks…
- San Diego Sockers vs Tacoma Stars - Major Arena Soccer League
  - Sun, 12/03 - 5:05p PT / 8:05p ET
    at Pechange Arena in San Diego, CA
  - Both San Diego Sockers and Tacoma Stars kick off their respective seasons this Sunday in the first leg of a home and away - Stars will play hosts next weekend. San Diego were regular season winners of the Western Conference in 2022/23 - nearly unfazed by the competition. It will be tremendous to see which one of these heritage indoor teams sets the pace for the conference this season.

Dan Vaughn Picks…
- FC Brownsville vs NoVa FC - NISA Nation Semi Finals
  - Fri, 12/01 - 4:00p PT / 7:00p ET
    at OC Great Park Championship Stadium
  - Hard to find something NoVA FC hasn’t won, but a NISA Nation National Championship would be one of those things. To get there, they have to beat FC Brownsville!

Jon Hunt Picks…
- Las Vegas Legends vs Peak XI FC - NISA Nation Semi Finals
  - Fri, 12/01 - 7:00p PT / 10:00p ET
    at OC Great Park Championship Stadium
  - The Peak, coming out of the Mountain Premier League, will have a tough task ahead of them taking on the Legends of Las Vegas, who have been on fire as of late, having just captured the NISA Nation West Region crown.

Josh Duder Picks…
- Bellingham Hammers vs Snohomish County Steelheads - Western Indoor Soccer League
  - Sat, 12/02 - 7:00p PT / 10:00p ET
    at Arena Sports Mill Creek in Mill Creek, WA
  - We’re heading into week 4, and while there’s plenty of soccer left, if Snohomish County don’t get something from this game, they may find themselves in deeper waters than Steelheads are used to swimming. They have played 3, lost 3 and have a -25 GD (the worst across all three divisions). On the other hand, Bellingham have a match in hand in the Baker Division and should they win, they go even on points with Snohomish Sky for first.

by the Protagonist Staff