We’re down to the last two weeks of the season, with one more club officially in the playoffs as Charlotte Independence clinched this weekend. The race for the last two spots continues to come down to Greenville, Madison, and a surging South Georgia side now within two points of the final spot.
We still don’t know which sides will take the top to slots, with NCFC only separated from Northern Colorado and Union Omaha by a single point. Northern Colorado holds the tiebreaker on goal differential if the results stand.
In any case, here’s how we have the clubs stacked up going into the final two weeks.
1) North Carolina FC
Last week: 2
Record: 17-6-7 (1st)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW vs. Union Omaha
This week: at Lexington
NCFC played to an exciting 1-1 draw against Union Omaha. In doing so, they also broke the Owls’ win streak and retained their spot at the top of the table for another week. If this was a preview of any potential playoff match or the championship, we’re going to expect stellar goalkeeping and lots of extra time to decide anything.
NCFC will look to further solidify its position at the top with a visit to Lexington on Saturday.
2) Union Omaha
Last week: 1
Record: 16-8-5 (3rd)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW at NCFC
This week: vs. Charlotte, at Tormenta
The win streak may have ended at ten, but the undefeated streak moves on as The Owls ground out a 1-1 draw at NCFC on Friday. While only one shot (Luis Gil’s goal) counted as a shot on target, there were 15 more shots just off target that most observers would call many close enough to count. Going into the post-season, the question is how they can handle extra time grinders if this is any preview. In a playoff battle between these two clubs, we’re rating it a toss-up, much like the difficulty of having to pick a number one and number two in these rankings.
Omaha has a busy week ahead in the battle to secure one of the top two spots in the table. They will host Charlotte on Wednesday and then travel to South Georgia on Saturday. While the former locked up its probable fourth seed this weekend, the latter is on a hot streak and fighting for its life, sitting two points out of the bubble.
3) Hailstorm FC
Last week: 3
Record: 16-8-5 (3rd)
Matches since last ranking: WIN at Greenville
This week: vs. Madison
NOCO muscled itself back into the second place of the table with a solid clean sheet win at Greenville. Trevor Amann added two more goals to his ongoing single-season season record, now standing at 22. With two matches to go, they’re guaranteed a home playoff match with at least the third seed. However, the top of the table is only a point away. To get there, they’ll host a desperate Madison side, followed by the ever-so-unpredictable Chattanooga Red Wolves.
4) Charlotte Independence
Last week: 4
Record: 13-9-8 (4th)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW vs. Knoxville
This week: at Omaha
It certainly wasn’t a pretty way to do it, but The Jacks locked up their playoff spot with a 1-1 draw against Knoxville. It was an own goal from One Knox’s Yesin van der Pluijm, attempting to clear a Charlotte corner-kick attempt. For Charlotte, the story of the night was Austin Pack, who made seven saves and now holds the all-time saves record for the league. But does this defensive over reliance on Pack present any concerns heading into the playoffs? They gave up 19 shots to Knoxville, a club not exactly known for taking so many in a match.
Short of a late-season rally from Greenville, Charlotte is all but guaranteed the fourth seed in the playoffs. They’ll travel to Omaha on Wednesday, before finishing the season at home against South Georgia.
5) Tormenta FC
Last week: 7
Record: 12-5-13 (7th)
Matches since last ranking: WIN at Richmond
This week: vs. Omaha
Don’t look now, but Tormenta is making things interesting if not outright chaotic in the race for the final playoff spot. They picked up their third win in a row at Richmond, taking full advantage of Greenville and Madison’s failings to pick up three points of their own. Richmond didn’t make it easy, but gave up a foul in the penalty area following a Tormenta corner, which Kazaiah Sterling put away.
The schedule is not exactly easy to finish out the season, with a visit from Omaha and a trip to Charlotte. But with Greenville’s inconsistencies and Madison’s struggles, Tormenta carries the momentum going into the final two weeks.
6) Greenville Triumph
Last week: 5
Record (12-7-10, 5th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS vs. Northern Colorado
This week: at Fuego, vs. Chattanooga
It was two steps forward, one step back for Greenville as they failed to follow up two previous wins with another. While remaining in the fifth slot thanks to an extra win they are in danger of getting knocked out with Madison and South Georgia so close in the standings. The good news is, Greenville has a match in hand, and all three matches to close out the season are against eliminated, bottom of the table clubs. Tormenta and Madison, meanwhile, face some top-of-the-table challenges.
They’ll start the run in Fresno to face Fuego FC on Wednesday, before traveling to Chattanooga on Saturday.
7) Forward Madison
Last week: 6
Record: 11-10-9 (6th)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW vs. Lexington
This week: at Northern Colorado
When you’re sitting in sixth place with three weeks to go, you have to take those wins against eliminated clubs, especially at home. Unfortunately, the Mingos failed to do so against Lexington, settling for a 2-2 draw. With seventh place Tormenta notching its third win in a row, Madison has a perilous two point lead heading into its final two matches. Worse, the final two are against second place Northern Colorado and third place Omaha.
One win with a Tormenta loss would clinch. But neither the momentum nor the schedule are in Madison’s favor.
8) One Knoxville SC
Last week: 8
Record: 9-10-11 (8th)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW at Charlotte
This week: vs. Richmond
One Knox threw everything at Charlotte in a last-ditch attempt to remain in the playoff hunt. The result: a season-high 19 shots on goal, quite the number for a club previously averaging only 11.1 shots per match. However, only Jimmie Villalobos found the back of the net, and an unfortunate clearance attempt by defender Yesin van der Pluijm resulted in an own goal, and they had to settle for a draw.
While not mathematically eliminated, Knoxville’s chances are close to zero as they’d have to rely on beating Richmond and NCFC to close out their season, and see Madison and South Georgia both lose their remaining matches. Goal differential over Madison would also have to be a factor to break the tie, with Knoxville currently at a -2 to Madison’s +1.
9) Lexington SC
Last week: 9
Record: 7-10-13 (9th)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW at Madison
This week: vs. NCFC
Eliminated from the playoffs, Lexington settled into a spoiler role this weekend, preventing Madison from gaining more than a point in a thrilling 2-2 draw. Atês Diouf added his 15th of the season to equalize in the second half, while Kimball Jackson added the second equalizer to stun the massive crowd at Breese Stevens Field.
They’ll host NCFC on Saturday.
10) Red Wolves SC
Last week: 10
Record: 8-6-16 (10th)
Matches since last ranking: win vs. Fuego
This week: vs. Greenville
Don’t look now, but the Red Wolves just jumped ahead of Richmond in the table with a 3-1 win aver visiting Fuego. With rumors swirling of a massive off-season rebuild, perhaps centered around a few of the existing core, are we seeing a preview of 2024 already? Will Chevone Marsh be a part of it? The forward added his 12th of the season, now tied for 6th in the league.
Chattanooga will finish up looking to spoil seedings for Greenville and Northern Colorado.
11) Richmond Kickers
Last week: 11
Record: 6-10-14 (10th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS vs. Tormenta
This week:
The winless streak continued, but at least they put up a fight against a Tormenta side desperate to stay alive in the playoff race. On a bright note, Ethan Vanacore-Decker made his season debut after recovering from a pre-season injury. Coach Darren Sawatzky also continued to toy with the lineup, undoubtedly with an eye to the off season. Michael Hornsby once again moved to the wing, while academy product Beckett Howell got another start at left back. And without Emiliano Terzaghi, Matt Bentley got the start up front, while veterans Owayne Gordon and Kharlton Belmar were left off the roster in favor of Landon Johnson and Nick Simmonds.
Richmond will travel to Knoxville on Friday before closing out at home against Fuego. The final consolation: 11th place is the lowest finish possible.
12) Fuego FC
Last week: 12
Record: 5-5-20 (12th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS at Chattanooga
This week: vs. Greenville
It’s been a long season that is almost over for the club that will finish the season at the bottom of the table. It ends with a home match against Greenville and a visit to a Richmond side that hasn’t won since July. Beyond that? Uncertainty all around. Who stays? Who goes? Will there be hope for next season?