NPSL Midwest: Conference XIs
https://twitter.com/NPSLSoccer/status/1682104281468370944
These Conference Best XIs throw up some interesting results. Sunflower State FC and Club Atletico St Louis have the most members of the Gateway, even though they both failed to make the playoffs. On the other hand, 8 of the 12 selections in the Great Lakes, Heartland and North all come from the Conference Finalists. Obviously, if you want to spin that as a bad thing, that could point towards recency bias and against good performers on bad teams.
Three of the top four in goals per game make their respective XIs (Yu Tsukanome, Miguel Arellano and Colin Innes) as does the player with the tenth highest number of mins per game (Colin Biros). Benjamin Colborn makes the charts with the tenth highest number of games played. I assume that the players voted into these XI form the nominees for the Regional XI (voting this weekend), therefore the Gateway's voting in of non-playoff players will presumably not be reflected in the latter vote.
NPSL Midwest Playoffs: Conference Finals Review
For more on the results that got us here, click here
The rankings featured are the national points-per-game ranking. All Conference Finals are hosted by the higher seed. The NPSL has decided that the Conference Champion title will belong to whoever wins these matches. Amid those we surveyed, the move was unpopular.
https://twitter.com/Lights_Football/status/1674280797086384128
North
#1 Duluth FC 1-2 #28 Med City FC at Public Schools Stadium, Duluth, MN.
A shocking game to end an unbeaten season. The BlueGreens were held scoreless until the third minute of first half stoppage time when Felipe Santos tapped home from close range. Duluth were reduced to ten men as Dylan Zavatini was sent off for a second yellow card in the sixty-fifth minute. Med City equalized in the seventieth minute as Andres Solares committed a foul in the penalty area. The PK from Tristan Jumeau hit Zeke Foltz in the Duluth goal and crept into the goal. In the eighty-sixth minute, Duluth were down to nine men after a late tackle by Solares sent Lucas Hart up in the air. Med City head coach Neil Cassidy received a red card in the one-hundred and tenth minute for abusive language.
Ricardo Schroeder scored the winner in the one-hundred and fifteenth minute, tapping home from a Scott Neil cross from the right. Ignominiously, the hosts were eventually reduced to seven men as Colin O'Mahony was given a second yellow card and Kostya Domaratskyy a straight red (for abusive language) in stoppage time at the end of the game. Cassidy's red card could end up being the costliest, as it would mean his absence from the Regional Semifinal against Steel City FC.
Gateway
#10 Des Moines United 2-1 (AET) #35 FC Milwaukee Torrent at MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex, West Des Moines, IA
In the thirty-first minute, Torrent took the lead as Kyle Crain dribbled through the United defense and slotted it home. The equalizer came in the sixty-fifth minute as a deep cross from the right was met on the volley by Jayce Berger. The winner came in the one-hundred and nineteenth minute, as a deflection took the ball in the opposite direction than a despairing Nick Chiappa's dive.
Great Lakes
#4 Steel City FC 2-0 #36 Cleveland SC at Founders Field in Cheswick, PA.
Steel City took the lead in the thirty-seventh minute after a series of overlaps finished with a short pass into the six yard box where it was finished with aplomb by Gabe Norris. A free kick from the left was nodded home in the eightieth minute by Ryan Landry to settle the game.
Heartland
#16 Tulsa Athletic 2-1 #22 OKC 1889 at Rogers State University, Claremore, OK.
After a goal-less first half, it only took Tulsa take two minutes to break the deadlock, Luis Flores flicking the ball home at the near post after a pin-point drive free kick from the left. In the forty-ninth minute, OKC levelled the game through a blast from Nickell Alexander. Athletic took a quick free kick in the seventy-fourth minute and the cross was deflected home by Flores, with OKC out of shape.
Coming Up
The four Conference winners now move onto the Midwest Regional Semi-Finals, which will take place in Indianola, IA (One of the homes of Des Moines United) on Friday. Those matches will be:
Steel City FC v Med City FC and Des Moines United v Tulsa Athletic.
The Regional Final will then follow on Saturday at the same site.
Stay tuned for coverage of the regionals.
NPSL Midwest Playoffs: Conference Semi-Finals Review
How it works:
North
#1 Duluth FC 5-1 #51 Minnesota TwinStars
In the twenty-fifth minute, Duluth had a chance to go ahead from the penalty spot but Rory Doyle's PK was saved. Instead, TwinStars took the shock lead, on the break through Sidike Jabateh in the thirty-fifth minute. Only five minutes later, the BlueGreens equalized through leading goalscorer Tyler Limmer. In first half stoppage time, Duluth secured a second PK of the half, this time successfully completed by Kostya Domaratskyy.
TwinStars received a red card for dissent in the fiftieth minute. In the sixty-second minute, Andres Solares curled the ball past the keeper from the top of the box to make it 3-1. Felipe Santos hammered a shot off the crossbar at the near post to make it 4-1 in the seventy-fifth minute. The scoring was completed by Duluth's third PK of the night, Tyler Limmer with the shot.
#12 Dakota Fusion 0-2 #28 Med City FC
This matchup always promised to be a tight one, given the proximity of the two clubs in the standings and in the end it took a couple of shots in the second half to provide the difference. The opening five minutes was frantic and accented by an audacious attempt at a chip by Med City of the Fusion goalkeeper. The first half also ended with a sequence of stops by the Fusion keeper on Med City shots on goal.
In the fifty-seventh minute, with the score still 0-0, the home side had a golden opportunity but an unmarked header from a corner somehow skimmed off the attacker's head and into the goalkeeper's grasp. In the end it was more grit than artistry which secured the win, Lucas Hart with the scrambled opener in the sixty-ninth minute. Five minutes later, Med City methodically moved the ball around the Fusion defense and then Tristan Jumeau blasted it home from close range. Fusion had another good chance to get on the scoresheet in the seventy-sixth minute but a header was planted right at the keeper. The best chance for the home team came in second half stoppage time, when a shot off the rebound hit the foot of the post and bounced wide.
Great Lakes
#20 Michigan Rangers 0-1 #36 Cleveland SC
Cleveland pull the upset in a rain soaked semifinal, eventually called due to lightning. Julian Pellegrini had the winning goal.
Heartland
#16 Tulsa Athletic 2-0 #61 Demize NPSL
Luis Flores scored both goals for Athletic, who move on, although it took until the seventy-first minute for Athletic to break through.
#22 OKC 1889 2-1 #48 Kansas City Sol
The away side took the surprise lead in the twelfth minute through Dontell Gilyard but Nickell Alexander proved key to the turnaround, scoring the equalizer in the sixtieth minute and the winner in the eighty-sixth.
Coming Up on Saturday
North - #1 Duluth FC v #28 Med City FC at Public Schools Stadium, Duluth, MN.
Heartland - #16 Tulsa Athletic v #22 OKC 1889 at Rogers State University, Claremore, OK.
Great Lakes - #4 Steel City FC v #36 Cleveland SC at Founders Field in Cheswick, PA.
Gateway - #10 Des Moines United v #35 Milwaukee Torrent at Valley Stadium in West Des Moines, IA
NPSL Midwest Playoffs: Conference Semi-Finals Preview
How it works:
#1 Duluth FC v #51 Minnesota TwinStars
The biggest mismatch in seeding, and therefore overall record. Even being here is an achievement for the reanimated TwinStars. Keep an eye out for Kostya Domaratskyy and Sadra Golzarian.
In the head-to-head, the BlueGreens won 3-0 and 6-1. Duluth are looking to go undefeated into the regionals.
#12 Dakota Fusion v #28 Med City FC
Ah yes, a nuanced matchup. These two sides have been nip and tuck all season. Med City have the history (as defending Champions of the North) and the head-to-head (as 1-0 victors in Rochester, the match in Moorhead finished tied) but Fusion have warmed up and have two of the hottest players in the Midwest right now in Shoki Yoshida and Yu Tsukanome (who won the Golden Boot as top goalscorer nationwide). Keep an eye out for Lucas Hart for the Mayhem.
Great Lakes
#20 Michigan Rangers v #36 Cleveland SC
Rangers have handed out some punishment this season on their day, but they are an expansion club against the defending Rust Belt champions... albeit a CSC without Vinny Bell. Rangers only won their matches this season by a single goal both times. Keep an eye out for Rangers' Daire O'Riordan, who has 7 goals.
Winner plays #6 Steel City
Heartland
#16 Tulsa Athletic v #61 Demize NPSL
Athletic won their first match 3-1 and drew the second. Still, they have only lost once this season, so should advance. Keep an eye out for Brandon Smalley and Aboubakr Sidiki Moubarak Diallo.
#22 OKC 1889 v #48 Kansas City Sol
OKC 1889 won both their meetings this year, albeit by a one-goal margin both times. Anthony Rangel of the Sol is in the top 10 most goals scored in the regular season. Also of note is the presence of former Kansas City Current head Huw Williams as Sol's head coach. His time at KCC came to a halt after only a year.
Gateway (Saturday)
#9 Des Moines United v #35 Milwaukee Torrent
Yes, I know this isn't a Conference semi-final, but I figured it should be previewed. Torrent claimed one point from the six available in the head-to-head, and could have (possibly should have) had more, having led for most of the match on the road. It finished 1-1. On the other hand, Torrent looked lacking in the loss. Keep an eye out for Jayce Berger on United and Paco Piscaglia for Torrent.
Still with me? Stay tuned for all of Saturday's Conference Finals.