NPSL Midwest Region Round Up: First Round Playoffs
Tuesday night saw the opening of the 2021 NPSL Midwest Regional playoffs. Cleveland SC faced Pittsburgh Hotspurs while Duluth FC hosted Carpathia FC. The two matches could not have gone in more opposite directions. Cleveland dominated Hotspurs from start to finish in Berea, OH.
Vincent Bell's fourth minute goal put CLE on track and Alec Nagucki added one just around the half hour mark. Thomas Beck and Smith Pepper would both add second half goals to give Cleveland a 4-0 win to send them to face FC Milwaukee Torrent.
Duluth FC vs Carpathia could not have been more opposite of that. The BlueGreens' Jake Starling broke the match open with his 26' goal before NPSL Golden Boot winner Sidney Warden added a 38' goal to double their lead.
Things looked to be going well for Duluth but a bad foul inside the box sent Owen Smith to the spot where he gave Carpathia life in the 79'. That life propelled a huge change in momentum and three minutes later Smith added one more to end up forcing Extra Time. After no goals in either portion of ET the match came down to penalties.
Duluth would kick first, which usually gives that team an advantage. That advantage flipped heavily after missing their first shot. Carpathia then scored on theirs and held the lead the rest of the way. The visitors came back from down 2-0 to take the match 6-5 on penalties.
The host for the Regional Semi-Finals and Finals was then announced late Tuesday night after both matches were well finished.
Semi-Finals:
FC Milwaukee Torrent (GL 1) vs Cleveland SC (RB 1): 4 PM - Edor Nelson Field, Minneapolis, MN - YouTube
The first of the two matches being played in Minneapolis is the more intriguing of the two. 9-0-1 (27 points) Milwaukee Torrent match up with 8-2-0 (26 points) Cleveland SC. Both sides have been lights out during the regular season having a combined one loss. Torrent will very much have the advantage of rest with their last match having been played on July 17th.
Cleveland on the other hand just played on Tuesday and has a had a much longer trip to MPLS for the Regional Playoffs. Neither side really outmatches the other in their attack or defence making the first Semi-Final a great match to watch.
Minneapolis City SC (N 1) vs Carpathia FC (GL 2): 7:00 PM - Edor Nelson Field, Minneapolis, MN - YouTube
The second of the two matches has a huge possibility of being a massive blowout. Not only are the Crows, who have a single loss on the season, at home but they are also very high scoring. In fact Minneapolis City SC is the highest scoring team in the entire league. Facing a team averaging just under four goals per game Carpathia will have a challenge on their hands.
However Carpathia FC is giving up just 1.36 goals per match, showing how stout their defence is in a tough Great Lakes Conference. But in terms of scoring they will have a massive uphill battle against one of the best defences in the league and an All-Conference goalkeeper.
NPSL Midwest Regionals: First Round Preview
The 2021 National Premier Soccer League season has come to a close. All the playoff teams are set and the Region playoffs start tonight. For a full recap of the Great Lakes/North's final week you can check out Tim's recap of Week 11. But Week 11 did a few things, City winning gave them a bye and got Duluth FC in. Cleveland not picking up a win propelled City into first and gave Milwaukee a bye as well.
Quarter-Finals:
Cleveland SC (Rust Belt 1) vs Pittsburgh Hotspurs (Rust Belt 2): 6 PM - George Finnie Stadium, Berea, OH - Eleven Sports
The first of the two matches in the opening round is a match entirely within the Rust Belt Conference. Rust Belt champions Cleveland SC will host second place Pittsburgh Hotspurs in their third meeting of 2021. In their two previous meetings Hotspurs have been outscored a combined 8-2 by Cleveland. This includes a 6-1 loss handed to them in Berea in early June.
A big thing going for Cleveland is they are unbeaten in 2021 with an 8-2-0 record, good for 26 points. Hotspurs also played themselves into a good season going 8-2-0 (24 points) in the conference. Pittsburgh has a massive task on their hands as they have to simultaneously shut down an attack averaging 2.5 GPG and a defence averaging less then one goal against per match.
Duluth FC (North 2) vs Carpathia FC (Great Lakes 2): 7 PM - Public Schools Stadium, Duluth, MN - Eleven Sports
The second of the two is an inter-conference clash with the Great Lakes meeting the North for the first time this season. Duluth FC and their prolific scoring led by NPSL Golden Boot winner Sidney Warden will meet the stellar defence of Carpathia FC. After an up and down season Duluth managed to squeak into the playoffs off the back of a Minneapolis City SC win over Med City FC. The BlueGreens also set themselves up to play at home in the first round with their own win over Sioux Falls Thunder.
Duluth rides in with a three game hot streak on their hands with wins over Aris, Fusion, and the aforementioned Thunder. Carpathia meanwhile is 2-1-0 in their last three and on a three match streak of their own. Carpathia's 2.7 goals per game attack will have a bit of trouble with Duluth averaging giving up 1.67 goals. On the other hand Duluth's lights out attack averages 3.25 goals per game, second in the Region will meet a defence only giving up around 1.3 goals per match.
Midwest Region Playoffs, Stage 2:
Each region in the NPSL has their own design for playoffs. In the Midwest Region the first round is held by high seed, the last two rounds are held at one location. The location for the regional semi-finals and finals are determined on a bid basis.
Based on what Minneapolis City stated the last two rounds will either be hosted by themselves or Cleveland SC. If the Crows host it would be played at Edor Nelson Field on the campus of Augsburg University in Minneapolis. While if Cleveland hosts it will be held at George Finnie Stadium on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, OH.
Regardless of host location the matches will be played Friday and Sunday, June 23rd and 25th.
*All Times CT
USL League Two: Conference Semi-Finals Recap
After Friday night's Quarter-Final matches four teams remained to head to the Central Conference Quarter-Finals. You can read our recap of the Quarter-Finals here and those matches left the Des Moines Menace (Heartland Champions), Flint City Bucks (Great Lakes #2), Kalamazoo FC (Great Lakes Champion), and Mississippi Brilla (Mid-South Champion). Des Moines would host Flint City in Des Moines, IA while Kalamazoo faced Mississippi in Clinton, MS.
#1 Des Moines Menace 1 vs #5 Flint City Bucks 0 : Valley Stadium, West Des Moines, IA - CISNtv
The first of the two matches that kicked off on the night was in Des Moines with the Menace hosting the Bucks. One goal would do the trick when in the 52nd minute Sivert Haugli scored for the Menace in what proved to be the matches only goal.
The lone goal would propel the Menace on to a close 1-0 victory sending them to the winner of the Kalamazoo/Mississippi match that would finish later last night.
#2 Kalamazoo FC 1 (4) vs #3 Mississippi Brilla 1 (1) : Clinton Arrow Stadium, Clinton, MS - Eleven Sports
The other Semi-Final match had the two Mississippi QF winners facing each other. And it was another back and forth drag out affair. Kalamazoo's Enrique Banuelos knotted the match it's first goal of the night in the 60th minute. Then with just seconds remaining Orlando Lozano scored at 90+7' to extend the game into extra time. The two 15 minute periods of ET came and went scoreless, sending the match to PK's. Kalamazoo got the best of Brilla taking them down 4-1 in PK's with Kalamazoo's Parker Smith making some big saves to send his team to face Des Moines Menace next weekend.
USL League Two: Conference QF Recap, SF Preview
Conference Quarter-Finals (First Round) Recap
#4 Chicago FC United 1 vs #5 Flint City Bucks 3 : Valley Stadium, West Des Moines, IA - CISNtv
The opening match of the Central Conference part of the 2021 USL League Two playoffs pitted a one loss Chicago side against a Flint City team who's been on a tear as of late. It took 38 minutes of deadlocked football before either side could score, and that would be Flint City after an Amadou Cisse goal. Diego Gutierrez knotted the match up for Chicago in the 50th minute with a PK after a foul in the box. It would be the Bucks who would take control in the last 50 minutes with Dylan Borczak scoring in the 75th and Henry Sanchez adding one in stoppage time to send the Bucks on to the Central Region Semi-Finals.
#2 Kalamazoo FC 3 vs #6 Corpus Christi FC 1 : Clinton Arrow Stadium, Clinton, MN - Eleven Sports
After a nearly two hour weather delay the second Quarter-Final match kicked off in Mississippi with KZFC trekking down from Michigan to face the Sharks of Corpus Christi FC. Kalamazoo's Enrique Banuelos scored first in the 38th minute and followed it up with a second half goal in the 47th to secure a brace. Four minutes later CCFC cut the lead in half with a goal of there own. That would be as close as the Sharks would get as Cyrus Harmon put a third one home in the 68th. The two goal win extended Kalamazoo's unbeaten streak to 10 straight dating back to June 9th and their win over South Bend Lions.
#1 Des Moines Menace 5 vs #8 Texas United 0 : Valley Stadium, West Des Moines, IA - CISNtv
The hosts took to the field for the third match of the day and the second in Central Iowa. All that can be said about this match is pure domination.Des Moines took a huge 3-0 lead inside just 20 minutes with Nil Ayats scoring in the 9th, Manel Busquets in the 15th, and Jordan Skelton in the 20th. The Menace we not done and after Manel Busquets was fouled in the box Ayats took to the spot and drove his second home to secure a brace. Ayats would make that brace a Hat Trick in the 47th after which the Menace would sit back and hold down the lead for the next 43 minutes en route to a Conference Semi-Final match.
#3 Mississippi Brilla 3 vs #7 Kings Hammer 1 : Clinton Arrow Stadium, Clinton, MS - Eleven Sports
The fourth and final match of the night and the second in Mississippi for the day. Like the previous match, it kicked off late due to the weather delay. The weather delay didn't effect the home side and Arturo Astorga proved that with a 5th minute goal from Brilla. Coming back from the half Kings Hammer evened it up with a Marcelo Jones goal in the 46th. Brilla's Jalen James gave the hosts back the lead in the 58th.Remi Emeriau clinched the win for Brilla with a stoppage time goal. The win sent the hosts on to face Great Lakes Division Champion Kalamazoo FC on Sunday.
Conference Semi-Finals (Second Round) Preview
#1 Des Moines Menace vs #5 Flint City Bucks: 7PM - Valley Stadium, West Des Moines, IA - CISNtv
A massive opportunity is on the line for both sides in West Des Moines tonight. One loss Des Moines hosts a rolling Flint City team in one of the two Central Conference Semi-Finals. Two high powered attacks and shut down defenses will take the turf at Valley Stadium. The Bucks have scored 38 goals across all 15 matches in USL2 play averaging 2.53 GPG. They will have a chore getting to score through Des Moines' stout defense who's only allowed 7 goals in 13 matches an average of .538 per match.
#2 Kalamazoo FC vs #3 Mississippi Brilla: 7PM - Clinton Arrow Stadium, Clinton, MS - Eleven Sports
Great Lakes Division Champion vs Mid-South Division Champion. This match is huge for both sides for more than just the trip to the Conference Finals. Kalamazoo FC has their 10 match unbeaten streak on the line. Brilla would be the only team from their Division to make it out of the first two rounds after Texas United and Corpus Christi were knocked out on Friday night. In order to win Brilla will need to shut down KZFC's Cyrus Harmon who had 8 goals in 12 matches in the regular season and one on Friday night. Brilla's Crio Damine has 7 goals and 1 assist for himself however his last was against Brazos Valley at the beginning of the month.
*All Times CT
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.
USL League Two: Week 10 Recap
The final week of USL League Two play before the playoffs was a jam packed one with a total of 13 scheduled matches to finish out the season. Five matches were played on Wednesday with four of the five having implications on the playoff race.
Wednesday:
Toledo Villa FC 1 vs Flint City Bucks 5 : University of Toledo, Toledo, OH - Eleven Sports
Kings Hammer 3 vs Fort Wayne FC 1 : Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH - No Announced Stream
South Bend Lions 4 vs Dayton Dutch Lions 1 : TCU School Field, South Bend, IN - No Announced Stream
Grand Rapids FC 3 vs Oakland County FC 2 : Midwest United FC Soccer Complex, Grand Rapids, MI - No Announced Stream
Des Moines Menace 4 vs Chicago FC United 0 : Valley Stadium, West Des Moines, IA - CISN
Wednesday's win by Des Moines Menace secured them the Heartland Division title and the first seed out of the division with Chicago FC United guaranteed the second seed from the division. In the Great Lakes none of the teams in the playoff race lost, continuing that chase. While South Bend defeated the winless Dutch Lions in a match that really didn't have a ton on the line.
Friday and Saturday had another combined six matches but this time with only three really counting towards anything in the playoff race.
Friday:
Kings Hammer 3 vs Dayton Dutch Lions 2 : Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH - No Announced Stream
Saturday:
Chicago FC United 3 vs FC Wichita 0 : Bridgeview Sports Dome, Bridgeview, IL - No Announced Stream
Dayton Dutch Lions 1 vs Grand Rapids FC 6 : Dayton Outpatient Center Stadium, West Carrolton, OH - No Announced Stream
Flint City Bucks 4 vs Oakland County FC 0 : Atwood Stadium at Kettering University, Flint, MI - Eleven Sports
Green Bay Voyageurs 3 vs Kaw Valley FC 0 : Capital Park, Ashwaubenon, WI - Eleven Sports
Des Moines Menace 5 vs St Louis Scott Gallagher 1 : Valley Stadium, East Des Moines, IA - CISN
Saturday again saw no surprises with Kings Hammer, Grand Rapids FC, and Flint City all winning their matches as they all went after the second and third playoff spots in the Great Lakes Division. In the Heartland Division there was a major change though, both FC Wichita and Kaw Valley FC would forfeit their matches to Green Bay and Chicago respectively.
While those two matches are still listed on the schedule as 3-0 forfeits the teams did play each other in a friendly match that was not listed on the league website. The Voyageurs would end the season on a down note, falling to playoff bound Chicago FC United in that match.
Sunday:
Kings Hammer 2 vs South Bend Lions 2 : Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH - No Stream Announced
Fort Wayne FC 1 vs Kalamazoo FC 4 : Bishop Dwenger High School, Fort Wayne, IN - No Announced Stream
With Kings Hammer having clinched their playoff spot earlier in the week the only thing up for grabs was the rights to the Great Lakes Division title. KZFC would take that crown off a 4-1 away win over Fort Wayne FC dashing the hopes of Flint City Bucks taking the championship.
UWS Regional Playoffs: Preview
The entirety of the 2021 United Women's Soccer season has finished and the league officially announced their playoff structure. The Central Conference and Midwest Conference's will combine for a single playoff region. This year the top two teams from the Midwest-North (Midwest United and Corktown AFC) will be joined by the top seed from the Midwest-South (Chicago Mustangs) and the top seed from the Central (St. Louis Scott Gallagher). The two Semi-Final matches will take place from separate locations tonight (Thursday, 15 July) with the Regional Final being held on Saturday (17 July) at a TBD location.
Semi-Final #1 (Midwest-North 1 vs 2)
Midwest United vs Corktown AFC: 6 PM - Midwest United FC Complex, Grand Rapids, MI - No Stream Announced
The first of the two Semi-Final matches pits two clubs who are not only in the same conference but also the same division. MUFC comes in unbeaten at 9-1-0 with 28 points while Corktown is 7-0-3 with 21 points. Midwest United defeated Corktown by a score of 4-2 in each of their two meeting this year, in order to progress Corktown will have a lot of work on their hands.
Semi-Final #2 (Midwest-South 1 vs Central 1)
Chicago Mustangs vs St. Louis Scott Gallagher: 7 PM - MAC Sports Center, Crystal Lake, IL - Eleven Sports
The second of the two Semi-Finals pits the Chicago Mustangs, the champions of the Midwest-South against the Central Conference Champion, St. Louis Scott Gallagher. The Mustangs have the clear advantage at 10-0-0 while SLSG is sitting at 5-2-1 through the eight matches they have played in 2021.
*All Times CT
UWS Week 10: Recap
Monday:
Ladies Steel City FC 3 vs Indiana Elite 0 : DuPage Medical Group Field, Joliet, IL - No Stream Announced
This match has no record or stats however the scoreline indicates that this was a forfeit victory for Ladies Steel City.
Tuesday:
Muskegon Risers 1 vs Corktown AFC 4 : Kehren Stadium, Muskegon, MI - No Stream Announced
The final regular season match of the season saw Corktown travel to Muskegon to face the hosting Risers. On the back of a Itala Gemelli hat trick Corktown AFC sent defeated the Risers fairly handily as they prepare for the UWS Playoffs.
Wednesday:
St. Louis Scott Gallagher 0 vs Gretna Elite 0 : World Wide Technology Soccer Park, Fenton, MO - Eleven Sports
SLSG played their final match of the regular season and all they needed to do to secure a playoff spot was to stop Gretna from winning, and they did that with a nil-nil draw.
Saturday:
FC Wichita 0 vs Gretna Elite 4 : Stryker Sports Complex, Wichita, KS - No Stream Announced
This was the final regular season match for both sides. Gretna defeated Wichita for the second time in 2021, this time on the road. Reagan Raabe led Gretna with a brace on Saturday night.
Detroit City FC 3 vs Lansing United 0 : Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI - Eleven Sports
Both sides would end their 2021 seasons at Keyworth, for Detroit City they went out in stellar fashion as three separate players scored for Le Rouge to give them a 3-0 win.
Sunday:
Midwest United 5 vs Muskegon Risers 0 : Aquinas College Athletic Field, Grand Rapids, MI - Eleven Sports
Playoff bound Midwest United ended their 2021 regular season against Muskegon Risers at home in Grand Rapids. Emma Berdiner led Midwest United with a brace en route to a 5-0 win over the Risers. With this win Midwest United finished an unbeaten 9-1-0 with 28 points in 2021.
NPSL Midwest Week 10: Recap
Wednesday:
FC Columbus 3 vs FC Indiana 0 : Roberts Field at The Wellington School, Columbus, OH - Eleven Sports
After a rough weekend which saw Columbus draw with FC Indiana then Carpathia win to knock FCC out of the playoffs, Columbus came back looking for vengeance. Amadou Dia broke open the match for Columbus in the 20th minute and Hamid Shariff added another just before the half time break. FCC added yet another when Chukwuemeka Eneli drilled home a PK in the 67th.
FC Milwaukee Torrent 5 vs Panathinaikos Chicago 0 : Hart Park, Wauwatosa, WI - Eleven Sports
The second midweek match effected by the Columbus and Carpathia matches from Saturday was another barn burner, and even more one sided. With a four point lead in the standings over Carpathia the Torrent could clinch the Great Lakes title with a win. And win they did with Malik Mennana earning a brace while Emiliano Caballero, Alexander Filian, and Byron Gutierrez each scored one in Milwaukee's route of PAO Chicago.
Duluth FC 6 vs La Crosse Aris FC 0 : Public Schools Stadium, Duluth, MN - Eleven Sports
A match that in all reality should be a route, was a route. Duluth FC dominated from start to finish in a match that saw the BlueGreens have five different goalscorers. Sidney Warden finished the match with a brace and is pushing hard for the league wide Golden Boot as he had 14 goals through 10 matches.
Joy Athletic Club 0 vs Med City FC 1 : Oriole Stadium, St Louis Park, MN - CCX Sports
Joy started the final week of their first season with their last home match of 2021 against Med City FC. While Joy Athletic has been snakebitten this season they have given most teams a good run for their money. Neither of those things changed as a 34th minute goal for Med City was all that was needed and all that was scored in SLP.
Sioux Falls Thunder FC 1 vs Dakota Fusion FC 3 : McEneaney Field, Sioux Falls, SD - Eleven Sports
Not a ton to say about this one, two teams towards the bottom of the division really just playing each other for the right of which Dakota is supreme. Last time out the Thunder wiped the floor with the Fusion 4-1 in Moorhead. This time out the roles were reversed as the away side Fusion dominated the scoreboard. Jack Pascoe scored two first half goals for the Fusion and Diego Valle added a third goal shortly into the second half. Sioux Falls did manage to keep the home side away from being shut out with David Bizimana's 82 minute goal.
Saturday:
FC Columbus 2 vs Carpathia FC 2 : Roberts Field at The Wellington School, Columbus, OH - No Announced Stream
This would be FC Columbus' swan song for the 2021 season as they hosted Carpathia FC at home. A week after getting knocked out of the playoffs for Columbus and days after Torrent secured the Great Lakes Championship there wasn't much on the line. Hamid Shariff scored first for Columbus before the match was deadlocked at 1-0 for the next 30 minutes. Owen Smith drew the match even in the 61st before teammate Ryan Williams put Carpathia ahead in the 73rd. Chukwuemeka Eneli drew the match even just three minutes later to have each team leave with a single point.
Minneapolis City SC 2 vs Joy Athletic Club 3 : Edor Nelson Field, Minneapolis, MN - YouTube
Just two matches remained in the regular season for the Crows while the Goats would end their season in Minneapolis. MPLS City wanted to get one step closer to an unbeaten season while Joy only could disrupt that goal. Emmanuel Iwe opened the scoring after 50 minutes of play then former Crow, Whitney Browne added a second goal for the Goats in the 79th. Steevenson Lamarre brought the match back to a one goal difference with an 84th minute goal. Zinedine Kroeten pushed the lead back to two three minutes later. Luis Magana Cisneros scored one more for the home side before the final whistle to bring the scoreline back to one in what would be City's first loss of 2021.
Dakota Fusion FC 1 vs Duluth FC 2 : Jim Gotta Stadium, Moorhead, MN - Magnitude Sports Network
This meeting could have very well been a cakewalk for Duluth FC, Dakota Fusion did not let that happen in a must win match for the BlueGreens. James Westfield scored in the 4th and a half hour later Sidney Warden scored his 15th goal of the campaign for Duluth. Fusion's Aaron Pike got the home side on the board in the 75th minute for what by all accounts could have been a draw.
Sioux Falls Thunder 2 vs La Crosse Aris FC 2 : McEneaney Field, Sioux Falls, SD - Eleven Sports
Aris has a reputation for being a scrappy team that can steal points if you aren't careful. That's exactly what they did in Sioux Falls on Saturday night. While the Thunder got on the board early, just 9 minutes in, Aris answered back four minutes later. Damien Baltide's 65th minute goal for Aris gave them a lead but Tyler Limmer managed to score a late tying match for Sioux Falls to force a draw in what was close to being Aris first win of the year.
WPSL Central Region Week 9: Recap
Tuesday:
Bavarian Soccer Club 2 vs FC Milwaukee Torrent 0 : Heartland Value Fund Stadium, Glendale, WI - No Stream Announced
The opening match of the week was the WPSL's Milwaukee Derby with the Women's sides of Bavarians and Torrent facing each other. The hosting Bavarians came away with a clean sheet victory at home to take the season series with Torrent.
Wednesday:
Chicago Dutch Lions 1 vs Chicago Red Stars Reserves 1 : Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex, Lisle, IL - Eleven Sports
One of the many battles of Chicago's saw the Dutch Lions host the powerful Red Stars Reserves side. RSR struck first early in the second half but CDL drew the match even later on in the half. For the second time this season RSR has dropped points, this time only dropping two rather than three.
FC Pride 8 vs St. Louis Lions 0 : Pride Performance Center, Indianapolis, IN - No Stream Announced
The season has not been kind to St. Louis who entered the match with an 0-0-8 record and being outscored 38 GA to 6 GF. FC Pride on the other hand was chasing a conference championship. This match was very kind to the hosting Pride but not to the Lions who were shut down badly on the road in their second to last match of the season.
Rochester United FC 1 vs Fire SC 98 1 : Spartan Field at Mayo High School, Rochester, MN - Eleven Sports
A match where points were on the line but not much else other than pride and experience. After a hard fought match it was Rochester who walked away with a win/
Saturday:
Green Bay Glory 0 vs Bavarian Soccer Club 1 : Capital Credit Union Park, Ashwaubenon, WI - Eleven Sports
Green Bay has had a tough go of things in 2021 so far. While they haven't won a match a lot of them have been very competitive. This was no exception as the Glory held strong but still allowed a lone goal for Bavarians to win.
St. Louis Lions 0 vs Lady Victory FC 5 : Tony Glavin Soccer Complex, Fenton, MO - No Stream Announced
The Lions final match of the 2021 season saw them face Lady Victory FC from the other side of the St. Louis area. Just days before the match it was moved from the Tony Glavin Soccer Complex in Fenton to the Lou Fusz Soccer Complex in St. Louis. Before starting it also endured a rain delay and then finally kicked off with a late start. Lady Victory cruised to a big win over St. Louis in the hosts final match of 2021.
Dayton Dutch Lions 3 vs FC Pride 1 : Dayton Outpatient Center Stadium, West Carrolton, OH - Gem City Sports Network
Dayton is sitting at the middle of the table in the Midwest while FC Pride sits near the top. In a stunning upset the Dutch Lions defeated FC Pride in Dayton setting Pride back pretty heavily in a year with no playoffs.
Dakota Fusion 1 vs Salvo SC 10 : Jim Gotta Stadium, Moorhead, MN - Magnitude Sports
Fusion's hopes for a win, a lone win on the season were dashed by Salvo SC. Salvo fired well salvos at Fusion all evening in Moorhead and left back to the Twin Cities with a blowout victory.
Chicago Red Stars Reserves 1 vs FC Milwaukee Torrent 1 : Evergreen Bank Group Athletic Field, Oak Brook, IL - Eleven Sports
After dropping points against the Dutch Lions earlier in the week with a draw it's something Red Stars Reserves wanted to avoid in their second match of the week. However the Torrent were able to hold their own against RSR and come out with a point on a misty Chicago night.
Fire & Ice SC 1 vs Cincinnati Sirens 0 : Althoff Catholic High School Stadium, Belleville, IL - Eleven Sports
In order to stay in the race for the Midwestern Conference, Fire & Ice needed to defeat Cincinnati. And they did that in a very close match.
Sunday:
Fire & Ice SC 2 vs Lady Victory FC 4 : Althoff Catholic High School Stadium, Belleville, IL - Eleven Sports
Another one that Fire & Ice needed to win to keep pace with the division leaders. This was not meant to be as Lady Victory FC ran away with a massive 4-2 win over Fire & Ice. This win puts Lady Victory up over FC Pride by 5 points with two matches left on the season.
Columbus Eagles 0 vs Dayton Dutch Lions 4 : Bernlohr Stadium at Capital University, Bexley, OH - Eleven Sports
This was the final match of the WPSL season for Columbus and the penultimate match of 2021 for the Dutch Lions. Columbus did not go out on a strong note as the Dutch Lions shut down and shut out the Eagles in suburban Columbus.
USL League Two Week 9: Recap
Tuesday:
Flint City Bucks 2 vs South Bend Lions 1 : Atwood Stadium at Kettering University, Flint, MI - Eleven Sports
Flint City opened the first of their two matches sitting a few points back from second place in the Division. Matthew Fearnley got the Bucks off to a great start in the first half. South Bend's Milo Yosef drew the match even in the 56th minute but Noah Jensen close up the match with a late goal to give the home Bucks a 2-1 win.
FC Wichita 2 vs Kaw Valley FC 4 : Stryker Sports Complex, Wichita, KS - Eleven Sports
A Kansas clash between Wichita and Kaw Valley would be FC Wichita's final home match of 2021. This would not be Wichita's night and a combined six goals from three goal scorers later Kaw Valley left with a win. However both teams had major highlights as Wichita's Kevin Black scored a brace only one upped by Kaw Valley's Alessandro Salvadego who scored a Hat Trick.
Wednesday:
Kalamazoo FC 1 vs Oakland County FC 1 : Mayors Riverfront Park Football Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI - Eleven Sports
A pivotal match for Kalamazoo as they pursue a division title, it didn't end the way KZFC wanted, though could have been worse. OCFC's Alexander Dalou scored just 17 minutes into the match. Kalamazoo only got back at them with their lone goal by Josep Martinez in the 56th to force a draw.
Grand Rapids FC 6 vs Toledo Villa 0 : Midwest United Soccer Complex, Grand Rapids. MI - Eleven Sports
Grand Rapids who is also pursuing one of the three playoff spots helped their case pretty heavily last Wednesday night at home. On the back of four Farai Mutatu goals GRFC cruised to a massive 6-0 beating of Toledo Villa and extended their win streak to three straight.
Chicago FC United 2 vs Des Moines Menace 0 : Bridgeview Dome, Bridgeview, IL - No Stream Announced
Both teams entered the match on Wednesday unbeaten but only one team would end up leaving that way. Chicago FC United would be the team leaving unbeaten as Diego Gutierrez and Derek Waleffe each scored for Chicago en route to an upset win over Des Moines to not only break their unbeaten streak but also get closer to winning the Heartland.
Thursday:
Kaw Valley FC 2 vs St. Louis Scott Gallagher 6 : Rock Chalk Park, Lawrence, KS - Eleven Sports
Coming off a win earlier in the week against FC Wichita, Kaw Valley had momentum but not rest on their side heading into their final home game at Rock Chalk Park this year. After going into the half with a 2 - 3 scoreline in favour of SLSG, the visitors were able to pull away in the second half with three unanswered goals.
Friday:
Toledo Villa 2 vs Grand Rapids FC 5 : Paul Hotmer Soccer Field, Toledo, OH - Eleven Sports
A rematch of the two sides on Toledo's home after just one day off was the case for this. While the scoreline changed the match result did not. Grand Rapids stormed out of the gate with back to back goals by Adam Knight before Toledo's Savio Adams put Villa on the board. In the second half Grand Rapids managed two more goals before Villa scored again but GRFC had Ryan DeBois out one final one in for a blowout win. The loss sent Toledo's losing streak to four games and their winless streak to six, while Grand Rapids extended their winning streak to four.
Dayton Dutch Lions 2 vs Oakland County FC 5 : Dayton Outpatient Center Stadium, Dayton, OH - Gem City Sports Network
The Dutch Lions have had a relatively awful season in 2021 sitting at 0-1-9 (0 points) and sadly it did not get better on Friday. A 3-2 score at the half was initially positive however Oakland County scored two in the second half to wrap up their route of Dayton.
Green Bay Voyageurs vs FC Wichita: 7 PM - Capital Credit Union Park, Ashwaubenon, WI - Eleven Sports
Saturday:
South Bend Lions 4 vs Fort Wayne FC 1 : TCU School Field, South Bend, IN - No Stream Announced
A battle of two Indiana sides for the second time this season and just like the first the winning team stayed the same. With the score one all just after half time, the Lions scored three straight to blow out the future USL League One side.
Kaw Valley FC 2 vs St. Louis Scott Gallagher 3 : Swope Soccer Village, Kansas City, MO - Eleven Sports
Another rematch from a match played earlier this week, instead of it being Kansas vs Missouri it was two Missouri sides as Kaw Valley hosted their final home match at Sporting KC's Swope Soccer Village. This match was much more competitive as the teams ended with just a one goal difference on the final scoreline.
Sunday:
Oakland County FC 1 vs Flint City Bucks 4 : 4 PM - Clawson Stadium, Clawson, MI - No Stream Announced
The last match of the weekend pitted Oakland County against Flint City in the first of two matches the sides will play against each other in a week. After Oakland County's August Hunter scored early to give the home side the lead, the Bucks scored four unanswered to give them a huge and much needed win.
*Note All Times CT
NPSL Midwest Week 9: Recap
Wednesday:
Carpathia FC 2 vs FC Columbus 3 : Avondale High School, Auburn Hills, MI - Eleven Sports
In a must win match FC Columbus surprised the home side by pulling out an upset victory to keep their playoff hopes alive. Carpathia took an early 1-0 lead but Columbus would tie it up a quarter-hour later. FCC held the lead the rest of the night scoring their second and third goals before Carpathia managed their second.
Duluth FC 1 vs Minneapolis City SC 6: Public Schools Stadium, Duluth, MN - Eleven Sports
Minneapolis City SC just needed a win to wrap up back to back to back NPSL North Championships, and a win did they get. It didn't look great initially as Duluth's Aidan Hill scored just two minutes in to give the BlueGreens the lead. Jack Berry tied up the match for the Crows inside the 20 minutes and it stayed that way for a while. However after receiving two yellow cards Aidan Hill was sent off in the 53rd minute, which allowed City to blow the doors off the match. The Crows scored 5 unanswered goals starting in the 60th minute en route to a 6-1 win and their third straight North title.
La Crosse Aris vs Med City FC: 7 PM - Arcadia High School Stadium, Arcadia, WI - No Announced Stream
Sioux Falls Thunder 3 vs Joy Athletic Club 3 : 7 PM - McEneaney Field, Sioux Falls, SD - Eleven Sports
Both teams have had their highs and lows through what has been a rough year for both the returning Thunder and expansion Goats. The season wouldn't really get any better or any worse for either side as Sioux Falls and Joy Athletic drew at three all in Sioux Falls.
Saturday:
FC Indiana 2 vs FC Columbus 2 : Legacy Sports Club Stadium, Lafayette, IN - Facebook
Another must win match to either keep the playoff hopes alive or possibly improve them pending the result of the evening match between Carpathia and FC Indiana. Ricardo John scored first for the Lions and was shortly followed up by Sean Bonval getting the Lions their second goal. Michael Chilton drew the game within one with a 61' goal for FCC. FC indiana knocked in an own goal just minutes later in what proved to be the final goal of the match.
Carpathia FC 4 vs FC Milwaukee Torrent 0 : Adams High School, Rochester Hills, MI - Eleven Sports
After the FC Indiana/FC Columbus result from earlier in the day, Carpathia just needed a win to punch their ticket to the Region Playoffs. Not only did Carpathia win but they dominated the Torrent. Ryan Williams scored first for Carpathia in the 13th, Owen Smith would knot a brace on back to back goals, and Charles Braithwaite wrapped up the match with Carpathia's fourth goal of the night.
*Note – All Times CDT
WPSL Central Region Week 9: Preview
Tuesday:
Bavarian Soccer Club vs FC Milwaukee Torrent: 7 PM - Heartland Value Fund Stadium, Glendale, WI - No Stream Announced
While neither team technically in Milwaukee this is a match between to sides from MKE and second match in the Milwaukee Derby should prove to be as exciting as ever. Bavarian SC (2-2-1, 8 points) host the Torrent (3-2-2, 11 points) at Heartland Value Fund Stadium at Bavarian Soccer Park. Currently Bavarian SC are 2-1-0 with a major win over Red Stars Reserves in their last three matches. Torrent meanwhile are also sitting at 2-1-0 with wins over Chicago Dutch Lions and Chicago City, the draw between the two sides falls within both teams last three.
Wednesday:
Chicago Dutch Lions vs Chicago Red Stars Reserves: 6 PM - Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex, Lisle, IL - Eleven Sports
Red Stars Reserves dominance has been shown to not be as much as previously thought. With their 1-0 loss to Bavarians and BSC's 1-1 draw with the Chicago Dutch Lions this looks to be a very formidable opponent for RSR. RSR does hold a game in hand and a four point advantage over the Dutch Lions. Staying in title contention will require a win as a draw, while would technically keep CDL mathematically in the chase, will effectively end the chance. However this will take a lot of work for the Dutch Lions to knock down the mighty Red Stars Reserves after CDL lost 4-0 to RSR in their season opener.
FC Pride vs St. Louis Lions: 7 PM - Pride Performance Center, Indianapolis, IN - No Stream Announced
Unlike the Northern Conference who played just an 8 game schedule with the same amount of teams the Midwestern Conference has a 12 match slate and full double round robin. This means almost everyone in the Midwestern Conference is within range of taking the title, currently the top spot is owned by Lady Victory. However an FC Pride win will snag that spot from Lady Victory, at least for a bit. While for the Lions this match is another attempt to get win number one in 2021.
Rochester United FC vs Fire SC 98: 7 PM - Spartan Field at Mayo High School, Rochester, MN - Eleven Sports
With the Northern Conference title being between MapleBrook and the Minnesota Thunder this match is really just for pride and playing time for both sides. RUFC should be able to handle the Thunder fairly easily in the Lions final match of 2021.
Saturday:
Green Bay Glory vs Bavarian Soccer Club: 1 PM - Capital Credit Union Park, Ashwaubenon, WI - Eleven Sports
Green Bay has a tough match on their hands against Bavarians on Saturday afternoon. The 0-1-6 (1 point) Glory host the 3-2-1 (11 points) Bavarian SC in the first match of a home and home series between the teams. While Glory cannot shoot for the division title they'll look to earn only their second set of points in 2021. Bavarians on the other hand have four games left and 12 possible points, more than anyone else in the conference. With that they have a great chance at unseating RSR from the top spot in the conference over the next few matches.
St. Louis Lions vs Lady Victory FC: 2 PM - Tony Glavin Soccer Complex, Fenton, MO - No Stream Announced
Lady Victory sits second in the Midwestern Conference just a point back from FC Pride who currently hold the lead in the conference. With five matches to play for Lady Victory the Midwestern Conference championship is up for the taking. The host Lions on the other hand are still looking to get their first win or even points of the season, entering this afternoon at 0-0-9.
Dayton Dutch Lions vs FC Pride: 3:30 PM - Dayton Outpatient Center Stadium, West Carrolton, OH - Gem City Sports Network
Dayton is out of the race for the conference title at this point with a record of 2-3-4 (9 points) with three matches to play. On the other hand FC Pride leads the conference by one point with three matches left. A win is not only imperative to FC Pride but also very necessary to keep themselves in the face as Lady Victory has two games in hand over Pride.
Dakota Fusion vs Salvo SC: 5:00 PM - Jim Gotta Stadium, Moorhead, MN - Magnitude Sports
The Northern Conference inches ever closer to the close of their 2021 season and with no playoffs and the division title race at least partially decided this is more or less a friendly that happens to have points on the line. The Fusion women will want to claim points and avoid finishing 0-0-8 this season while Salvo will try to redeem themselves after a 2-1 loss to MapleBrook.
Chicago Red Stars Reserves vs FC Milwaukee Torrent: 7 PM - Evergreen Bank Group Athletic Field, Oak Brook, IL - Eleven Sports
RSR are very much showing they are not an unbeatable juggernaut like most season. With a loss to Bavarians and the Dutch Lions forcing a draw RSR have dropped four points this year, making the Lake Michigan Conference ripe for the taking. With a win the Torrent women would tie RSR on points at the top of the conference and both sides enter with an identical 1-1-1 run of form in their last three.
Fire & Ice SC vs Cincinnati Sirens: 7 PM - Althoff Catholic High School Stadium, Belleville, IL - Eleven Sports
Back in the Midwestern Conference again and another match with pretty huge implications for the table. The Sirens are also a single point back of FC Pride and also have two games in hand, the only loss the Sirens have been dealt was against Lady Victory in their last outing. Fire & Ice are even on matches with FC Pride but are 5-1-3 with 16 points. A loss would put a massive dent in the trophy hopes of Fire & Ice while it wouldn't be a massive issue to the Sirens. On the other hand a win will possibly get the Sirens to the top of the standings.
Sunday:
Fire & Ice SC vs Lady Victory FC: 2 PM - Althoff Catholic High School Stadium, Belleville, IL - Eleven Sports
After both sides won on Saturday they came into another big match regarding the Midwestern Conference title. Just a two point difference between the sides showed the title was still up for grabs. Fire & Ice will 100% need to win to stay in the title race as they have one match left. Anything less and Lady Victory inches closer to a Conference Championship and Fire & Ice's hopes are dashed.
Columbus Eagles vs Dayton Dutch Lions: 2 PM - Bernlohr Stadium at Capital University, Bexley, OH - Eleven Sports
Another Midwestern Conference match between two sides closer to the bottom of the table. Neither side can challenge for the conference title so this is a battle for price, experience, and Ohio.
* All Times CT
UWS Week 10: Preview
Monday:
Ladies Steel City FC vs Indiana Elite: 7:30 PM - DuPage Medical Group Field, Joliet, IL - No Stream Announced
After Indiana Elite FC came in as a late replacement for Indiana Union their first season in United Women's Soccer comes to a close. They'll take to the road for a match at DuPage Medical Group Field in Joliet (home of the Frontier League's Joliet Slammers) for a match with Ladies Steel City FC. Both sides have struggled this season with Elite at 0-0-9 (0 points) and LSC at 2-0-7 (6 points) but will each look to end on a high note before the player begin to prepare for the collegiate season in the fall.
Tuesday:
Muskegon Risers vs Corktown AFC: 6:30 PM - Kehren Stadium, Muskegon, MI - No Stream Announced
Corktown AFC wraps up their 2021 regular season with a road trip to Western Michigan as Muskegon Risers play host in the Risers last home match of the season. Corktown cannot win the Midwest-North due to Midwest United's dominance of the division but they can finish on an upswing with the second most points in the Midwest-North. Corktown (6-0-3, 18 points) is 2-0-1 in their last three, Muskegon (1-1-6, 4 points) are 0-1-2 in their last three matches played.
Wednesday:
St. Louis Scott Gallagher vs Gretna Elite: 7:30 PM - World Wide Technology Soccer Park, Fenton, MO - Eleven Sports
The last match of the middle of the week has the number one and four teams in the Central Conference facing each other. This is SLSG's final match of the 2021 while Gretna has one more match to finish out the 2021 regular season. SLSG has a three point lead over FC Wichita with each team having one match to play, in order to clinch the Central Conference title all SLSG has to do is not lose at home and they take the Conference.
Saturday:
FC Wichita vs Gretna Elite: 2 PM - Stryker Sports Complex, Wichita, KS - No Stream Announced
The importance of this match depended on whether or not SLSG managed to get a point against Gretna Elite on Wednesday. And they did with a draw giving SLSG the Central Conference Championship. This match will now be for just pride as neither side can go for the Conference title.
Detroit City FC vs Lansing United: 6:30 PM - Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI - Eleven Sports
The UWS Midwest Conference is a bit of an odd one in the league. Because the Conference is split into two divisions only the top two teams in each division will make the National Playoffs. With Midwest United having won the Midwest-North and Corktown clinching a playoff spot this will be a match for pride between two teams in the middle of the Midwest-North.
Sunday:
Midwest United vs Muskegon Risers: 11 AM - Aquinas College Athletic Field, Grand Rapids, MI - Eleven Sports
The final match of the regular season in either the Midwest Conference, this will more of less be a test run for North Division Champions, Midwest United before heading into the Conference Playoffs that are scheduled to take place July 15th to 18th. As fore the Risers this is really just attempting to get one more win before the end of the season.
* All Times CT
WPSL Central Region Week 8: Recap
Tuesday:
MapleBrook Fury 4 vs Dakota Fusion 0 : Wilmes Field at Osseo High School, Osseo, MN - No Stream Announced
One of MapleBrook's last officially scheduled matches of the season (as two prior ones have not officially been rescheduled) saw them host Dakota Fusion FC. It was not a good night for the Fusion as MapleBrook dropped them 4-0 in Osseo.
Wednesday:
St. Louis Lions 0 vs Fire & Ice SC 3 : Tony Glavin Soccer Complex, Cottleville, MO - No Stream Announced
The Lions hosted Fire & Ice SC and were looking to gain their first win of 2021. A strong Fire & Ice side shut that hope down with a few goals and a clean sheet. The crowd at the Tony Glavin Soccer Complex watched FISC run away with their 3-0 win and three points on the night.
Minnesota Thunder 1 vs Rochester United FC 1 : Academy of Holy Angels StarDome, Richfield, MN - Eleven Sports
The final match of the 2021 season for the Minnesota Thunder, who have gotten a share of the Northern Conference (pending MapleBrook playing their cancelled matches). RUFC wouldn't let the Thunder go out on a high note as the two sides drew 1-1 in their only meeting of the much shortened season.
Chicago City SC 1 vs Chicago Dutch Lions 1 : Lions for Hope Sports Complex, Chicago, IL - Eleven Sports
Both Chicago City and the Dutch Lions are attempting to catch Red Stars Reserves to attempt to dethrone them and take the first Lake Michigan Conference Championship. The result would be the one that neither side wanted as it ended in a 1-1 draw.
Thursday:
MapleBrook Fury 2 vs Salvo SC 1 : Wilmes Field at Osseo High School Stadium, Osseo, MN - No Stream Announced
The final scheduled match of the season for MapleBrook while Salvo (officially) has two more to play. Another match played in Osseo saw the hosting Fury defeat the defending champion Salvo SC.
Friday:
FC Milwaukee Torrent 2 vs Chicago City SC 1 : Hart Park, Wauwatosa, WI - Eleven Sports
The final match of the relatively short week in the WPSL. Lake Michigan Conference match and a Milwaukee/Chicago showdown. The Torrent were able to work past CCSC for a 2-1 victory at Hart Park. A stark contrast of what the Torrent's men's first team had happen just a day later.