The National Leagues are into their respective playoffs and the NISA Independent Cup is underway - our staff and guests picked out a game or two they feel is a must-watch and they’ll tell you why, too.

Lis Schendel Picks…
- Indy Eleven vs SF Glens - USL W League Semifinal
  - Friday July 14th - 4:00pm PST / 7:00pm EST at Great Park Championship Stadium on ELEVEN
  - Both teams just faced their toughest opponents in their toughest matchups of the season, and came out victorious. Both are stacked with some of the best young talent in the country. But sadly only one can go on to the Championship. This is going to be the best match of the weekend in my opinion, and you won’t want to miss seeing two ultra clinical clubs go head to head.
- A Second Shout… Dan Vaughn
  - Everything to love about this game, with both beating big time clubs to get to this penultimate match of the season. Both have scored prolifically, both are battle tested, both will be ready for this match. I think this is the best match of the weekend.

MaryBeth Zmuda Picks…
- SC del Sol vs SoCal Reds - WPSL Playoffs
  - Saturday July 15th - 8:30a PST / 11:30a EST at Legacy Sports Park ELEVEN
  - After a less than “something to write home about” season, SC Del Sol has found its way into the WPSL 2023 playoffs and will meet the SoCal Reds for the Regional Semi-finals. The Reds had a better regular season than Del Sol and just were able to keep that same status when they smoked the San Diego Surf on July 8th, in the preliminary round of the playoffs. If things continue on trend for the Reds, they should have little trouble moving onto the Regional finals on July 16th.

Lis Schendel Picks…
- California Storm vs Westside Metros - WPSL Playoffs
  - Saturday, July 15th - 8:30a PST / 11:30a EST on ELEVEN
  - The Storm is top 3 in the WPSL and is coming into the playoffs with some huge motivation: if they win the championship they’ll be the first WPSL team to repeat the trophy lift back to back. Metros are going to have to contend with that as well as the fact they’re playing in a climate they aren’t used to (it’ll hit 100° by the time halftime rolls around). This is a must watch for anyone who enjoyed watching the Storm in the USL W League and is curious how they play in the WPSL (spoiler alert: they play just as well).

Josh Duder Picks…
- Colorado Rapids Women vs KC Courage - WPSL Playoffs
  - Saturday, July 15th - 2p PST / 5p EST from Hart Park Stadium on ELEVEN
  - Colorado Rapids Women and KC Courage have to travel north, to a neutral site, and play their WPSL playoff match at Hart Park in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. KC Courage finished top of the Heartland Conference with 24 points from 10 played and a +23 GD - led by Aya Saiki, who had 6 goals and 1 assist. Colorado Rapids dominated the Rockies Division with 30 points from 10 played - a perfect season! They boasted a +32 regular season GD and were led by Alyssa Glover, who also had 6 goals and 1 assist. This match has every opportunity to be a barn burner if both clubs show up and play to win.

Ryan Stallings Picks…
- Toledo Villa FC vs Cleveland Force SC - USLL2 Playoffs
  - Saturday, July 15th - 4:00p PST / 7:00p EST at Paul Hotmer Field on ELEVEN
  - Winner Secures 2nd Place in Valley Division, Playoff Spot - It’s doubtful that the club owners in Toledo and Cleveland envisioned such high stakes and intriguing storylines when they scheduled their third and final meeting of the season for the last weekend of their 2023 Valley Division campaigns. However, high stakes and intrigue is what we have on our hands when these two Lake Erie shoreline neighbors take Paul Hotmer Field for their rubber match Saturday night. Boasting identical 5-3-3 records, the winner of this match will secure a second place finish behind Fort Wayne FC and the final playoff spot in the Central Conference. Both sides have already impressed and improved on their fourth and sixth place divisional finishes last season, but whoever loses this one will remember the sting of what may be the launch of a serious derby for years to come. While Cleveland has the edge in attacking prowess, the Force may content themselves on the road with a more cagey defensive display. Toledo tends to play a more defensive game, living and dying with more narrow results. If you’re from northern Ohio, and you love high stakes defensive efforts, pencil in this match for your Saturday night viewing. Heck, if you’re not, and you don’t, you should probably pencil it in anyway.

John Howard-Fusco Picks…
- FC Motown vs Atlantic City FC - NPSL Playoffs
  - Saturday, July 15th - 4:00p PST / 7:00p EST at Montclair State University on ELEVEN
  - It’s really simple: can FC Motown repeat as NPSL National Champions? The road starts this Saturday at home against Atlantic City FC. ACFC were the only team to earn any points against Motown during the regular season, so the possibility for an upset is very much present.

Danielle Gawronski Picks…
- FC Buffalo vs Lancaster Inferno FC - UWS Playoffs
  - Saturday, July 15th - 4:00p PST / 7:00p EST on ELEVEN
  - Inferno will need to bring the heat to dampen the fiery streak Buffalo have been on. They will need to have their tactics on point as the Buffalo backline has only conceded 5 goals in the regular season. Buffalo has all the pressure on them with 43 goals and unbeaten in the regular season. This will be a true test for Inferno who have struggled against the only top ranked team they played. Need I say lose and you go home. The winner of this game will advance to the UWS finals.

Danielle Gawronski Picks…
- Sporting CT vs Coppermine United - UWS Playoffs
  - Saturday, July 15th - 4:00p PST / 7:00p EST on ELEVEN
  - The number 2 v number 3 will make for a competitive gritty match, each with only one tie. Sporting CT has the edge with 10 more goals during the season. Coppermine was in the Eastern Conference finals last year and knows what is needed to go the distance. Sporting is showing out as a new team in the league. They have a lot to be proud of making it this far. The winner of this game will advance to the UWS finals.

Kaylor Hodges Picks…
- North Carolina FC vs Forward Madison - USL League One
  - Saturday, July 15th - 4pm PST / 7pm EST at WakeMed Soccer Park on ESPN+
  - North Carolina FC came into this season as most people’s dark horse and some people’s outright favorites to win the USL Title after back-to-back Wooden Spoons. However, in Madison, Wisconsin, Forward’s Backline has gone Full ‘Mingo and is easily the best in the league and has gotten the best of NCFC twice. Can North Carolina finally get the feathered bogeyman off of their back? A 2-0 and 3-0 result in 2023 says no, but never count McLaughlin and Co. out of any match.

Kaylor Hodges Picks…
- Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC vs Detroit City FC - USL Championship
  - Saturday, July 15th - 4pm PST / 7pm EST at Highmark Stadium on ESPN+
  - Sneakily, Pittsburgh vs Detroit is one of the most intriguing matchups this weekend. While 18 points separate the two clubs, they are both hosts to two of the strongest defenses in the USL. Dikwa for Pittsburgh is looking like an MVP candidate, but the entire backline for Detroit should receive an accolade of their own for the shifts they have put in this year. A current look at the standings should tell you that Pittsburgh has this in the bag. A look at Amoo-Mensah and Co. should tell you to NEVER count out City.

Harry Austin Picks…
- Birmingham Legion vs Tampa Bay Rowdies - USL Championship
  - Saturday, July 15th - 4:30pm PST / 7:30pm EST at Protective Stadium on ESPN+
  - Tampa Bay is leading the USL Championship Eastern Conference, while Birmingham Legion has struggled recently. Legion did defeat the Rowdies in Tampa on April 1st. This is a statement game for Birmingham, can they turn it around.. if not they could fall out of the top 8, which would be shocking based on how the season started for Birmingham. For the Rowdies they are on a 11 game unbeaten streak (9 W 2D) and will look to keep up with Pittsburgh Riverhounds at the top of the Eastern Conference Standings.

Dennis Pope Picks…
- Redlands FC vs Ventura County Fusion - USL L2
  - Saturday, July 15th - 7:00pm PST / 10:00pm EST at Redlands HS Dodge Stadium on YouTube
  - With the regular season coming to a close, a postseason berth is on the line for Redlands FC (7-2-2) in its inaugural campaign. Currently in second place behind Fusion (8-1-2), last year’s USL-2 champions, a win would seal no worse than second place and a playoff spot ahead of FC Tucson (6-4-1), which hosts fifth-place Arizona Arsenal SC on Saturday.

Dennis Pope Picks…
- Wenatchee All Stars FC vs Snohomish County FC - NISA Independent Cup
  - Sunday July 16th - 2:00p PST / 5:00p EST at Wenatchee Valley College on YouTube
  - It’s the final Pacific Region group stage match to determine which team will travel to Los Angeles to take on L.A. Force at Rio Hondo College on Sunday, July 23. The two played to an epic 1-1 draw in their previous meeting on Sunday, June 25 and remain stuck on five points apiece heading into this final Cascadia clash.

Josh Duder Picks…
- El Farolito vs Napa Valley 1839FC - NPSL Playoffs
  - Sunday July 16th - 7:00p PST / 10:00p EST at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco on ELEVEN
  - El Faro and Napa Valley finished 1st and 2nd respectively in the Golden Gate and were far & away the best two teams in their division. El Farolito were so superior this season, in fact, that according to the league’s website they are 2nd in the nation by PPG at 2.8. Napa Valley 1839 FC were no slouches themselves with 2.2 PPG and only scored 1 goal less than El Faro - the difference is that they gave up 3 times as many goals in the process. If the league website is to be believed, this is a playoff match and the two had not actually met in the regular season? In any event, Dembor Benson and his 17 goals for El Faro from San Francisco are set to clash with Dario Pavon and his 15 goals for Napa Valley 1839 FC from the wine country… and I tell you what else, the Burrito Brava Supporters Group for El Faro will absolutely bring it - watch this on Eleven for a great game.

by the Protagonist Staff