Rhode Island FC upset Players' Shield winner Louisville City FC on Saturday night at Lynn Family Stadium to become the first expansion club to reach a Conference Final in the USL Championship Playoffs since El Paso Locomotive FC in 2019. | Photo courtesy
TAMPA, Fla. – The second weekend of the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs presented by Terminix delivered two major upsets as first-year club Rhode Island FC eliminated Players’ Shield winner Louisville City FC and Las Vegas Lights FC advanced past the Western Conference’s top seed New Mexico United to each earn their first trip to the Conference Finals next weekend.
Rhode Island will now square off with defending Eastern Conference title holder the Charleston Battery next Saturday night at Patriots Points after the Battery rallied for victory against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, while Las Vegas will face Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, which took victory in extra time against Orange County SC at Weidner Field.
Eastern Conference Semifinals
No. 5 Rhode Island FC 3, No. 1 Louisville City FC 0
Rhode Island FC’s JJ Williams continued his current scoring streak with a pair of goals to lead his side to victory against two-time title winner Louisville City before a crowd of 9,510 fans at Lynn Family Stadium, ending LouCity’s streak of having reached at least the Eastern Conference Final at nine consecutive seasons. Williams struck in the ninth minute to give the visitors the early lead and then added a second goal with 12 minutes to play to give Rhode Island breathing room. Albert Dikwa added a third in second-half stoppage time as the visitors ended a 27-game home scoring streak for LouCity that dated to July, 2023 thanks to a late penalty save by Koke Vegas on Louisville’s Sean Totsch.
Full Recap & Highlights | Box Score
No. 2 Charleston Battery 2, No. 6 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1
Aaron Molloy scored the game-winning goal with seven minutes to go with an outstanding free kick after Championship Golden Boot winner Nick Markanich scored his 30th goal of the campaign to start a comeback victory for the Charleston Battery against the Tampa Bay Rowdies before a sellout crowd of 5,079 at Patriots Point. The Rowdies took the lead on the half-hour mark as Manuel Arteaga swept home a sharp finish from the top of the penalty area on the first shot of the game for the visitors, but Markanich hit back five minutes into the second half with a strong header from the top of the six-yard area to level the game. Molloy then notched the winner off a free kick from beyond the top-left edge of the penalty area that picked out the top-right corner of the net to send the Battery back to the Eastern Conference Final for a second consecutive postseason.
Full Recap & Highlights | Box Score
Western Conference Semifinals
No.4 Las Vegas Lights FC 1, No. 1 New Mexico United 0
Khori Bennett scored the only goal with four minutes to go while Raiko Arozarena recorded a seven-save shutout as Las Vegas Lights upset New Mexico United before a crowd of 10,049 at Isotopes Park. New Mexico created the better chances throughout the contest but were thwarted by Arozarena, who made a key kick-save on Marlon Vargas in the first half that highlighted his second consecutive shutout this postseason. Bennett then broke the deadlock on the Lights’ lone shot on goal of the night as the visitors took advantage of a breakaway off a midfield turnover to continue their playoff run.
Full Recap & Highlights | Box Score
No. 2 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 2, No. 6 Orange County SC 1 AET
Zach Zandi’s first two-goal game in the USL Championship led Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC to its second Western Conference Final in the past three postseasons as it rallied from an early deficit to defeat Orange County SC after extra time before a crowd of 7,236 at Weidner Field. Orange County grabbed an early lead in the fourth minute when Ethan Zubak stole possession on an attempted pass-back and scored into an open net, but the Switchbacks hit back six minutes later through a well-taken finish by Zandi from the top of the penalty area. The West Chester, Pa. native then scored the winner in stoppage time of the first period of extra time to maintain the Switchbacks’ perfect postseason home record at Weidner Field since its opening in 2021 as he redirected home a shot by Cole Mrowka for the winner.
Eastern Conference Final
Saturday, November 16
No. 2 Charleston Battery vs. No. 5 Rhode Island FC, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Western Conference Final
Saturday, November 16
No. 2 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. No. 4 Las Vegas Lights FC, 9 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
RESULTS
Eastern Conference Semifinals
Rhode Island FC 3, Louisville City FC
Charleston Battery 2, Tampa Bay Rowdies 1
Western Conference Semifinals
Las Vegas Lights FC 1, New Mexico United 0
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 2, Orange County SC 1 AET
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Louisville City FC 3, North Carolina FC 2
Charleston Battery 1, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 0
Tampa Bay Rowdies 1, Detroit City FC 1 AET
Tampa Bay Rowdies advance 3-1 in a penalty shootout
Rhode Island FC 3, Indy Eleven 2
Western Conference Quarterfinals
New Mexico United 2, Phoenix Rising FC 1
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 2, Oakland Roots SC 0
Orange County SC 1, Memphis 901 FC 0 AET
Las Vegas Lights FC 0, Sacramento Republic FC 0
Las Vegas Lights FC advances 3-2 in a penalty shootout