Louisville City FC will take on LIPAFC rival Indy Eleven on Wednesday night looking for a win to remain in line for the best record in the regular season as well as secure its eighth consecutive playoff berth. | Photo courtesy Em-Dash Photography / Louisv
Welcome to our latest look at the playoff picture across the USL Championship as we enter Week 26’s midweek action, after San Antonio FC backed into the playoffs late on Saturday night to become the first team in, and Louisville City FC wasn’t as lucky after falling on the road in South Florida.
LouCity can take its place in the postseason for an eighth consecutive season – and maintain its edge of San Antonio for the best record in the league – if it can accomplish what SAFC didn’t on Wednesday night, and there’s also a crucial six-pointer out west as part of a five-game slate.
Here are three games to keep an eye on, and where everyone stands.
Louisville City FC gets a second go at clinching its playoff place after falling to Miami FC on Saturday night, but the bigger reason victory against the side’s LIPAFC rival Indy Eleven is key for the visitors is to remain a step ahead of San Antonio FC in the race for the best record in the regular season and overall No. 1 seed in the playoffs. LouCity gets that with a win. If Indy can pull off a repeat of the display that earned it victory against San Antonio this past Saturday, then SAFC regains the theoretical edge going into the weekend.
Having claimed victory in their first meeting of the season, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC currently holds the head-to-head edge against Birmingham Legion FC as the two sides battle for a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference. With the Hounds making up their game in hand on Birmingham on Wednesday night and a chance to move level on points with Legion FC ahead of their meeting in Alabama on September 14, this is a game the hosts need to win against a Battery side that was officially eliminated from playoff contention this past weekend, but that has shown an attacking threat in the second half of the season and defeated the Hounds when they played in Charleston earlier this season.
Rio Grande Valley FC got exactly the result and performance it needed to revive its playoff hopes on Saturday night with its 5-0 drubbing of Las Vegas Lights FC. Phoenix Rising FC, meanwhile, fell 3-1 to El Paso Locomotive FC in Juan Guerra’s debut on the sidelines, leaving the Toros currently with better odds to reach the postseason. As quickly as those numbers can change, both teams are in a must-win situation here, and as wild as the last meeting at Wild Horse Pass between these teams turned out in last year’s postseason it should be a must-watch game for neutral fans as well.
Tag(s): Features San Antonio FC CO Spring Switchbacks LA Galaxy II Orange County SC Phoenix Rising FC Rio Grande Valley FC Sacramento Republic FC FC Tulsa Louisville City FC Pittsburgh Riverhounds Tampa Bay Rowdies Las Vegas Lights FC Birmingham Legion FC Indy Eleven Memphis 901 FC El Paso Locomotive FC New Mexico United Loudoun United FC Hartford Athletic San Diego Loyal SC Miami FC Oakland Roots SC Race to the Playoffs Detroit City FC Monterey Bay F.C.