The last midweek action of the 2021 USL Championship season produced results that leave key situations to be decided in all four divisions, as well as the honor of claiming the best record in the league, as we go to a 15-game Showdown Saturday to complete the regular season. 

The final playoff places in the Mountain Division and Pacific Division will both be decided, with three teams in each still carrying postseason hopes. One division title will also be decided in a marquee head-to-head matchup as Birmingham Legion FC hosts Louisville City FC. 

In addition, second place – and the home playoff game that accompanies that position – is still undecided in the Atlantic, Mountain and Pacific Divisions. We have one head-to-head matchup there as well as San Antonio FC hosts Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in the Mountain, while the Charlotte Independence and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in the Atlantic and Orange County SC and San Diego Loyal SC will be looking for victories while keeping an eye on results elsewhere.  

Here are four games to keep an eye on this weekend, and where everyone stands as we reach the final day of the season. 

As little as there has been to separate Birmingham Legion FC and Louisville City FC on the field this season – they’re 1-1-1 with LouCity holding a +1 edge in goal differential in their prior meetings – it’s no surprise the final game of the season we had all been anticipating as a potential showdown has come to pass. Legion FC is in the better form of the two sides with a nine-game undefeated streak that has seen the side win six of its last seven outings and needs only a draw to claim first place with a two-point edge at kickoff. LouCity has been more up and down – they’re 3-2-0 in their last five games – after a road-heavy final third of the season, but this is the team that has been to six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals and always seems to come through when the chips are down. As strong as both lineups are, led by leading scorers Neco Brett of Birmingham on 18 goals and Cameron Lancaster of Louisville on 20, this should be a tremendous game worthy of a division title decider. 

Rio Grande Valley set itself up for one of the biggest games in its history on Saturday night against El Paso Locomotive FC when it came through with a 3-1 win on Wednesday night against Real Monarchs SLC. With the win, the Toros moved ahead of New Mexico United into fourth place and in control of its path to the playoffs. Win against Locomotive FC and the side will return to the postseason for the first time since its inaugural 2016 campaign. If it fails to win, though, New Mexico will be waiting to potentially grab fourth place back as it hosts the Monarchs to close its season, and there have been fewer teams in North America more difficult to beat than El Paso this year. Locomotive FC has only suffered three defeats all season – the first coming against the Toros in June – and still has something to play for itself with the best record in the Western Conference still up for grabs if it takes victory and Phoenix Rising FC loses to the Tacoma Defiance in its final game. El Paso gained some revenge for its defeat with a 3-1 win on home turf in August, now New Mexico fans will be hoping they can repeat the performance and open the door for United to walk through. 

One of three interconference matchups that dot the final day of the season, Austin Bold FC’s first meeting with the Charlotte Independence has high stakes for both clubs. In Bold FC’s case, it must win to have a chance at reaching the playoffs as it currently sits three points behind fourth-placed Rio Grande Valley FC and two behind New Mexico United. Austin holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Toros, and will have a close eye on what’s happening elsewhere while in action. For Charlotte, the math is simpler: win and the Independence get a home game to start the playoffs and could get two if Louisville City FC takes the Central Division title ahead of Birmingham. If the Independence fail to take all three points – as they have in each of their past six games – then it would open the door for Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC to jump past them into second place if the Hounds take victory against Hartford Athletic at Highmark Stadium and send Charlotte on the road to start the postseason. 

A couple of weeks ago, the LA Galaxy II were looking certain to be part of the postseason for a third consecutive season. After back-to-back defeats, they’re still in control of their path but have both Tacoma Defiance and Oakland Roots only a point behind as we reach the final game of the regular season. That means if Los Dos take victory against Orange County SC on Saturday – a side they’re 2-0-1 against this season – then they’re in. If they don’t? The door opens for Oakland as it hosts Sporting Kansas City II and Tacoma as it visits Phoenix Rising FC. There has been a tilt toward the Galaxy II in this series in its history that has returned in recent meetings with Orange County – LA defeated OCSC to clinch its playoff place last year in its penultimate game of the season – and the visitors will be eager to bring an end to that with a victory or a draw in this meeting, which would clinch second place in the Pacific Division and a home game to start the playoffs. If Los Dos take victory, however, it would open the door for San Diego Loyal SC to jump past Orange County into second place and host the first playoff game in the club’s history.