USL League Two: Conference Quarter-Finals Preview
The long winding road down the path to the 2021 USL League Two Playoffs has finished, now the teams are in and the playoffs start tonight. The eight teams who qualified for the playoffs out of the Central Conference are now split over two locations. The number 1, 4, 5, and 8 seeds will play at Valley Stadium in West Des Moines, IA, the home of the hosts and number 1 seed Des Moines Menace. The 2, 3, 6, and 7 seeds on the other hand will head south to Clinton Arrow Stadium in Clinton, MS, the home of hosts Mississippi Brilla FC.
Conference Quarter-Finals (First Round)
#4 Chicago FC United vs #5 Flint City Bucks: 4 PM – Valley Stadium, West Des Moines, IA – CISNtv
The first of the four Friday matches has the second place team in the Heartland, Chicago FC United, face the Great Lakes’ Flint City Bucks. Chicago is 9-2-1 with 29 points and their only loss of 2021 was to the hosting Des Moines Menace. Flint City went 9-2-3 with 29 points as well. Chicago has a 2-0-1 run of form in their last three with the loss being to the Menace while Flint City is 3-0-0 and has won four straight. Chicago will be a tough team for the Bucks to beat as they are the only side to defeat regular season National Champion Des Moines Menace.
#2 Kalamazoo FC vs #6 Corpus Christi FC: 5 PM – Clinton Arrow Stadium, Clinton, MN – Eleven Sports
The second of four matches on the night and the first in Mississippi. The two seeded and Great Lakes Division champion Kalamazoo FC will play the six seed in order to avoid a divisional clash in the first round. KZFC is 9-4-1 with 31 points and 2-1-0 in their last three along with a nine match winning streak to add. Corpus Christ FC went a much more average 7-2-4 (23 points) in a fairly even Mid-South Division. The Sharks are 1-1-1 in their last three and have lost three of their last five. Kalamazoo has a major advantage in this match.
#1 Des Moines Menace vs #8 Texas United: 7 PM – Valley Stadium, West Des Moines, IA – CISNtv
The third of four matches on the night and the second of two in Des Moines. Menace went an astounding 11-0-1 with 33 points to win the Heartland Division and Regular Season league championships. DSM are 2-1-0 in their last three with the loss coming to Chicago FC United, they also come into the match off a 5-1 thrashing of SLSG. Texas United went 6-3-5 (21 points) and are 1-2-0 in their last three and on a four match unbeaten streak. With how good the Menace are, Texas has a huge task on their hands tonight in Des Moines own home stadium.
#3 Mississippi Brilla vs #7 Kings Hammer: 7:30 PM – Clinton Arrow Stadium, Clinton, MS – Eleven Sports
Last but not least are the other hosts Mississippi Brilla and Kings Hammer. Brilla won the Mid-South at 8-3-2 (27 points) and are 1-1-1 in their last three. Kings Hammer meanwhile are 8-4-2 (28 points) and are 2-1-0 in their last three. While Brilla enters into the match off a loss KHFC is unbeaten in four straight. So while Mississippi are at home that advantage may not matter against the boys from Cincinnati.