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USSF D-2: Playoff picture comes into focus

Rowdies-StLouis

By TRAVIS CLARK

The race for postseason play in the USSF Second Division is winding down, with the last spot likely coming down to one of three expansion teams.

Eight of the 12 teams will qualify for the playoffs in a particular fashion — the top team in each conference (USL/NASL) will be seeded first and second respectively, and from there, the next six highest point totals will qualify and be seeded three through eight, regardless of conference.

At this stage, four teams — Vancouver, Austin, Portland and Rochester — are locks for the playoffs, having passed the 40-point mark. Safe bets include Carolina, Montreal and Puerto Rico.

That leaves the expansion trio of NSC Minnesota, Tampa Bay Rowdies and A.C. St. Louis tussling for the eighth and final playoff spot, barring a collapse from one or two of the teams that lie above them in the standings.

None of the three have put together a consistent season to this point — each has picked up decent results in pockets of the season, but nothing sustained. A.C. St. Louis snapped a five-game winless streak with a 3-1 over Miami FC on September 5 to reignite flagging hopes, but has to take on Austin twice before the season ends.

Neither Minnesota or Tampa Bay have been much better, as the Rowdies have just won once in their last 16 games, while Minnesota has gone winless in their last eight. Whatever team manages to snag that last spot is likely headed for a first round exit.

Holding the advantage right now are the Rowdies, sitting on equal points with Minnesota and holding a game in hand. A meeting between those two on September 24 could be the deciding factor — it's Minnesota's final game of the year and could settle the outcome.

Outside of the race for the last spot, the two-horse race between Rochester and Austin favors the Texan club. The Aztex have two games in hand on the Rhinos, and a favorable schedule that includes two games against St. Louis, while holding a one-point lead.

The future of second division soccer certainly isn't known, but September is the last full month of action, and the second season begins now for those teams hoping for a playoff spot.

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Which teams will make it to the D-2 playoffs? Can St. Louis make a rather unlikely run?

Share your thoughts below?

Comments

  1. I don’t believe we’ve clinched a top 4 spot. Carolina’s the 4th team down from us, 12 points behind. They have 5 games in hand. They win all of them (including a game against us) and we lose all 6 of our remaining, and they’d be ahead of us.

    Haven’t done all the other associated permutations (the other three teams between us and them would also need to get past us), but I think (glancing over Vancouver and Portland’s remaining games), we’re not there yet.

    The Aztex are actually selling first round tickets, and those will be good on either October 6th or 9th, depending on whether we get to chose or not.

    Reply
  2. It’s hardly obvious that the race for the top spot favors the Aztex. They may have two games in hand, but they have a much tougher road.

    Rochester has Miami twice, Tampa Bay and St. Louis. Of the three, only St. Louis might give them troubles.

    Austin, on the other hand, has Puerto Rico, St. Louis twice, Tampa Bay, Carolina, and closing with a red-hot Montreal (the only team to beat Rochester recently). And only one of those games (one of the two vs. St. Louis) are at home.

    Odds are good that Rochester will win out (not just not-lose out), which means that Austin will need to grab either four wins out of the above six games, or three wins and three ties. Because Rochester has the tiebreaker.

    Reply
  3. At least for the first round (and I believe the rest of the way to the final) it is a home and away, with the higher seed choosing the order of the legs. The Aztex are already selling tickets to their first playoff game on Oct. 9th.

    I believe this means that they have not only clinched a playoff spot, but have clinched a top 4 spot.

    Reply
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