What a fantastic weekend of soccer ahead of us! The USL League One Final; USL Championship Conference Finals; NISA Semifinals; and UPSL kicks off its playoffs already! Plus our contributors pick out games from NISA Nation, Metroplex Premier League, SoCal Premier League, EPSL, and the Western Indoor Soccer League. Tons to pick from, so let’s get stuck in!

Josh Duder Picks…
- Hamtramck City FC vs Detroit United - UPSL Playoffs
  - Fri, 11/03 - 2:00p PT / 5:00p ET
    at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, MI
  - There’s still playoff soccer to be played at the famous Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck! Hamtramck City FC and Detroit United finished 1 and 2 respectively in the UPSL Midwest East conference and now face off in one of the league’s first playoff games (other conferences are still playing out their schedules). They played each other twice earlier in the season, with Hamtramck winning home and away; outscoring Detroit United 7-3 on aggregate. But none of that matters if the visitors can steal an early lead and hold on for 90 minutes!

Ben Brannigan Picks…
- Sporting NTX Vagos vs FC Euless Revolution II - Metroplex Premier League
  - Fri, 11/03 - 6:15p PT / 9:15p ET
    at Allen Training Center, Allen TX
  - A great Friday night football game between one of DFW’s proper semi pro/amateur clubs who field more than one team for adults to play proper soccer for adults. They have a great program and are still ambitious also. They have a good way of playing and I will be hitting across 75 from my house to the fields (15 min walk) to watch this game. FC Euless Revolution II are also a fine outfit and having seen them play I am really looking forward to taking this game in. I may be biased but MPL has been a corker this fall with players and teams that have played and we have not reached the playoffs yet. If ya around after the Texas Rangers WORLD CHAMPS Parade, check out this game and finish off the night at local watering holes, you will be disappointed.

Del Shaffer Picks…
- Charleston Battery vs Louisville City FC - USL Championship, Eastern Conference Final
  - Sat, 11/04 - 4:30p PT / 7:30p ET
    from Patriots Point Soccer Stadium on ESPN+
  - The Charleston Battery are seeking to make the most of their third straight home playoff game after beating Indy Eleven and Birmingham Legion thus far at home. This is the farthest the Battery has been in the playoffs in 10 years. Charleston has to fill the role of Fidel Barajas who left for the U17 World Cup. This is (Coaches) Cruz v Pirmann Part 3 after two ties this season and one missed call in Louisville that caused some drama. Both teams will be rooting for Phoenix Rising to win their game so that the Final is played on the East Coast!

Harry Austin Picks…
- Sacramento Republic FC vs Phoenix Rising - USL Championship, Western Conference Final
  - Sat, 11/04 - 7:00p PT / 10:00p ET
    at Heart Health Park on ESPN+
  - A heavyweight match is coming to Heart Health Park. Sacramento Republic coming off a huge second half that saw them get by SAFC, face Phoenix Rising who have been I5 Warriors in the playoffs. For SacRep, they took SAFC best shot in the first half, then just played great football to win 3-1 and show they are the class of USL Championship Western Conference especially at home. Orange County SC was the second rival that Rising knocked out on the road with a late winner. The head to head series is dead even at 8-8-8. Sac Rep embarrassed Rising on 07/26 4-0 in Sacramento. However Rising got a 2-1 win back in Phoenix. This match has great goalkeepers, great defenses and great attacking players. The question will be how does Rising cope with the Tower Bridge Battalion and the rest of the Indomitable City fans. Can Rising get off to a fast start, or will SacRep wear them down like they do most clubs in Sacramento.

Josh Duder Picks…
- Everett City FC vs Bellingham United - WISL Regular Season
  - Sat, 11/04 - 7:00p PT / 10:00p ET
    at Everett Soccer Arena
  - This week, the rest of the WISL kicks off and they pick up right where they left off in 2022! Two playoff teams will face each other - Everett City finished 2nd in the regular season but had the poorest Goal Differential amongst the playoff teams; scoring just 76 and giving up 63 (+13). Whereas the Hammers finished 4th but were the highest scoring team with a massive 107 goals scored! Both sides will be hoping to limit their opposition but hey, this is indoor soccer, an entirely different rocket-fuel propelled beast of a game - there will be goals.

Danielle Gawronski Picks…
- Matias Almeyda FC vs AC Houston SUR - NISA Nation
  - Sat, 11/04 - 7:00p PT / 10:00p ET
    at The Matias Almeyda Training Center
  - These are two teams from Houston and there is no love lost between them. In the first match up Matias beat Sur 4-2. Sur midfielder Diego Sordell is one to watch, he leads the team with 2 goals. Forward Jordan Johnson for Matias is their leading goal scorer with 2. Matias needs to win to close the points gap on #1 Brownsville.

Dennis Pope Picks…
- Temecula FC vs Capo FC - NISA Nation
  - Sat, 111/04- 6:00p PT / 9:00p EST
    at Patricia H. Birdsall Sports Park
  - Temecula FC (5-2-0) finished second in NISA Nation’s Southwest Region last season and is the only remaining unbeaten team this season. Capo FC (6-0-1), last year’s 2022/23 SoCal Premier League champion, is off to a hot start in NISA Nation this Fall season has won four consecutive matches. Attacking midfielder Parker Scalzo scored a NISA Nation single-match record six goals last week.

Dan Vaughn Picks…
- Michigan Stars FC vs ALBION San Diego - NISA Semifinals
  - Sat, 11/04 - 12:30p PT / 3:30p ET
    at Romeo High School Stadium in Romeo, MI
  - Maybe some have forgotten but this is a rematch of last year’s NISA final. The Michigan Stars won that one, of course, but this Stars team isn’t as rock solid as that team is. ALBION is a fun team that has completely reset their roster from last year. Who the heck knows who will win this semifinal and return to the final?

MaryBeth Zmuda Picks…
- Chattanooga FC vs Flower City Union - NISA Semifinals
  - Sun, 11/05 - 2:00p PT / 5:00p ET
    at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga
  - Flower City Union spent the better part of it's regular season near the bottom end of the table but managed to squeak into the postseason in 6th and final playoff position. Needless to say expectations for FCU weren't that high for then to move past the quarters. But ever the wild cards, they put a hurtin' on LA Force with a 4-2 finish and are headed on their merry way to meet the team that sat in first place ALL season, Chattanooga FC. Love this Cinderella stuff - go FCU go!

Dennis Pope Picks…
- Artesia DES FC vs Playmaker FC - SoCal Premier Division Two
  - Sun, 111/05 - 9:00a PT / 12:00p ET
    at Ross Middle School
  - The top clubs in each of their respective sections of Division Two, Artesia DES FC (5-1-0 overall) is unbeaten in Orange County, while Playmaker FC (5-0-1) hasn’t lost since its season opener in Los Angeles. Artesia DES, the oldest Portuguese-founded club in Southern California, is an original member of the SoCal Premier League (1976). Tobi Odufalu leads Playmaker FC with six goals.

Josh Duder Picks…
- Nova Football Club vs PFA EPSL - EPSL Regular Season
  - Sun, 11/05 - 5:00p PT / 8:00p ET
    at Woodson High School Field
  - Nova are sat in first place in the Mid-Atlantic Conference but even on points with VA Marauders FC - they do have a game in hand though and get underway on Sunday against second-bottom PFA EPSL. Nova’s GD is massive, at +40 right now, and is the highest in the entire EPSL. If there is a bright spot for Patuxent it’s that they have only given up 7 goals and head coach Myron Garnes has them dialed in defensively - they just need to get more goals for themselves!

Dan Creel Picks…
- North Carolina FC vs Charlotte Independence - USL League One FINAL
  - Sun, 11/05 - 2:00pm PT / 5:00pm ET
    at WakeMed Soccer Park on ESPN+
  - Players Shield winners Union Omaha were stunned at home by 4th seed Charlotte Independence in the semifinals. The Jacks kept the potent Omaha offense off the scoreboard and won the game on PKs after a scoreless match and 30 minutes of extra time. Second seed North Carolina FC had a fairly easy time beating the Northern Colorado Hailstorm 3-1 in the other semifinal. That means this year’s USL League One final will be a special version of the Dogwood Derby. It will also be NCFC’s final match in USL League One as they are making the jump to the Championship in 2024.

by the Protagonist Staff