USL League 2: Round of 16 Preview

USL League 2: Round of 16 Preview

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Ballard FC vs Oly Town Artesians - 2:00 PM PST - Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Washington
LIVESTREAM

The first match of the day finds Ballard FC meeting Oly Town for the FOURTH time this season, and the third time at Interbay Stadium. While the Bridges had the overall upper hand in regular season play, beating the Artesians a combined 9-0 in the first two matches, Olympia delivered the one defeat, at Interbay, in a shock 2-1 upset in the most recent meeting.

The Artesians will need every bit of that June 23rd magic, and so far in the postseason, it appears they may have it. Oly Town stunned undefeated Mountain Division Champion Park City on Friday afternoon, suffocating the Red Wolves on defense and unleashing both free kick virtuosity and counter attacking superiority to win 4-0.

For the hosts’ part, Ballard controlled the match from kickoff against the U23 youth of New Mexico United, posting a 3-0 victory that felt more calm routine from the Bridges than it did frenetic attacking.

Prediction: Oly Town’s Charlie Danphier turns in another yeoman performance at Interbay, but the hosts find netting late to win a tight affair, 1-0.

Ventura County Fusion vs San Francisco Glens FC - 3:00 PM PST - Ventura College, Ventura, California
LIVESTREAM

California teams have proven to play some of the most calculated, low scoring, high intensity matches of the postseason thus far. Defending national champion Ventura County played this style to perfection in suffocating one of the most dominant sides in the regular season, Monterey Bay FC 2, in a 1-0 win Friday night. They’ll need to bring that same focus to the gameplan today when they take on the only other side this year to defeat MBFC2, the SF Glens.

San Francisco battled hosts Redlands FC for ninety minutes on Friday, the winner found in the last one when midfielder Faren Ibrahim netted the 90th minute separation goal. They’ll be a man down due to bench player Cooper Johnson’s violent conduct red card in the waning minutes, but the Glens are more than capable of taking another trophy win on the road.

Prediction: It’s hard to repeat as champions at any sport, and at any level. Moreso in a league with high roster turnover due to summer play between collegiate seasons. Feels like the Glens just may be the team to wreck Fusion’s hopes of a repeat. Glens get another late winner in this one, 2-1.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Ocean City Nor’Easters vs Hudson Valley Hammers - 2:00 PM EST - Mitchel Athletic Complex, Uniondale, New York
LIVESTREAM

One of just two awkward quads playing out semi final tilts without the hosts’ involvement, the Nor’Easters and Hammers will battle an early afternoon match to see themselves home early n hopes of beginning preparations for travel southward next weekend.

Both teams notched notable upsets this past Friday, each taking down presumed eastern conference favorites heading into the postseason. A pair of 2-1 wins later and it’s the late Mid-Atlantic clinching Ocean City and Metropolitan runners-up Hudson Valley looking to continue a Cinderella run.

Prediction: 2-1 seems to be the magic scoreline in the far northeast. This one favors the Nor’Easters.

Lionsbridge FC vs NC Fusion - 7:00 PM EST - Townbanke Stadium, Newport News, Virginia
LIVESTREAM

A must-see game here for lower league lovers as Lionsbridge FC, a terrifying force at home, welcomes the NC Fusion, a veteran name of recent deep playoff runs, meet tonight on the banks of the James River for what may be hosting rights next weekend. The Bridges exorcised some first round demons Friday, as Isaiah Chsolm’s 52’ minute goal, and desperate defense, ensured that the hosts would see no repeat of 2022’s early postseason crash.

The Chimera of North Carolina will be another challenge altogether though, as the 2021 national finalists look to make their return to the league’s biggest stage. The Fusion were victorious over a dangerous Western Massachusetts Pioneers side Friday night and should like their chances today as a team that doesn’t fear large hostile fanbases.

Prediction: NC Fusion operates like they’ve seen this moment before, and in workmanlike fashion, moves on with a 2-0 victory.

CENTRAL CONFERENCE

Chicago City SC vs Flint City Bucks - 6:00 PM CST - Bishop John D’Arcy Stadium, Fort Wayne, Indiana
LIVESTREAM

In a league not constrained by regional conferences, this is a matchup we wouldn’t see until AT LEAST the national semifinals. In league 2, this game is arguably a preview of an eventual title match contender.

Both Chicago City and Flint City cruised through their regular season competition, in divisions that weren’t without notable competition. The second city’s club swept aside an outmatches Cleveland Force side 5-1 (the Cleveland goal being the last of the match) while the Bucks drew, and battled, an equal-to-the-task Fort Wayne FC host side for 120 minutes before Lennard Fock’s 120’ winner sealed a history-making match in league history.

Prediction: The additional thirty minutes and emotional high of Friday night proves detrimental to Flint City on the quick turnaround for this game. Chicago City advances in a barnburner, 4-3.

Des Moines Menace vs Thunder Bay Chill - 7:00 PM CST - Valley Stadium, West Des Moines, Iowa

A rivalry commenced long before many players and fans were born will begin anew tonight in West Des Moines when the Thunder Bay Chill, established in League 2, then the PDL, in 2000, pays a visit to the Des Moines Menace, the league’s great grandfather established in 1994.

A bit of geographic/ranking quirkery and fanbase reliability led to the Menace getting to host a quad, with just one Midwest Conference divisional champion in the bunch. Predictably, Des Moines swept aside league rookies RKC Third Coast 3-1. Thunder Bay meanwhile, that one champion, appeared to have as easily cast away AFC Ann Arbor before the Mighty Oaks roared back to tie the match 3-3 before full time. The Polar Bears endured another 30 minutes of play, grinding down Ann Arbor’s wearied defense, and put away the match 5-3 after 120 minutes.

Prediction: That extra play time won’t do the visitors many favors. Des Moines Menace moves on with a 2-1 win.

Southern Conference

Asheville City SC vs The Villages SC - 7:30 PM EST - Greenwood Stadium, Asheville, North Carolina
LIVESTREAM

The Villages Bison escaped South Carolina Bantams Friday night in an evenly matched battle, 2-1. They’ll now face a rested and ready Asheville City host who swept  past Weston FC 4-1 in the night match. The Blues will have advantage of rest and home field, and the ever present support of the South Slope Blues supporters, while the Bison bring a long long history of postseason runs to the forefront. If the Villages can withstand the early pressure of a Blues side feeling the home crowd momentum at their back, they could find a late winner and run out of North Carolina a rare quad visiting winner. Prediction: Asheville City climbs out of an early hole to win 3-2.

Little Rock Rangers SC vs Texas United - 7:00 PM CST - War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, Arkansas
LIVESTREAM

Familiarity breeds contempt. No more so than in the Mid-South division where Little Rock Rangers won the award of facing Texas United a third time this season after their 2-0 shackling of AHFC Royals friday night. Texas United has bettered the Stags in the regular season, squeezing a chaotic scrum in the box goal for a 1-0 home win and securing a 1-1 draw in Little Rock a month ago. But the visitors a banged up coming into this one, losing their starting right back to a red card, the physical toll of a 120 minutes of play on Friday vs Nona FC, and the mental/emotional toll of surviving and advancing after TEN rounds of PKs.

For the Rangers, it will be about tempering their emotions of the moment when buoyed by the roars of a home crowd that could again approach 7000. For Texas United, they’ll need to rely on their still-extensive depth and quality to absorb the early pressure and look for late counters to secure a win.

Prediction: The Stags’ breakthrough vs United seems inevitable. With that inevitability, it seems this game could either turn into a Little Rock route, or a Texas late heartbreaker of the home crowd again. Let’s go with the first suspicion, and the Rangers erupt for a 3-1 victory.

by Ryan Stallings