SNST Newsletter Week 34: USL Championship playoffs start tonight

We take a look at the two Carolina USL teams still playing in 2019. (First published October 23)

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Soccer 'n' Sweet Tea

8 min readNov 1, 2019

Happy Wednesday! Yes, we’re in your inbox a day early this week, and with good reason: The USL Championship playoffs start tonight! (Well, technically, they’re the “play-in” games in this expanded postseason, but it’s easier to just call them playoffs.)

We had our resident experts for the two Carolina clubs who made it — North Carolina FC and Charleston Battery — reflect on the season, predict the outcome of tonight’s matches and suggest what it might take for their team to win it all.

And, of course, there’s a massive match in Cary Sunday as the North Carolina Courage try to win back-to-back NWSL titles in their third straight appearance in the NWSL Championship match. They’ll face the Chicago Red Stars at 3:30 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park, and the game will air on ESPN if you can’t make it up to the Triangle.

We’ll have a recap of that match next week. In the meantime, let’s take a look at those USL Championship teams.

USL Championship playoff preview: North Carolina FC

North Carolina FC enters the USL Championship playoffs as the №7 seed in the East after finishing with 56 points (16–10–8). They host №10 seed Birmingham Legion at 7 p.m. tonight.

We once again checked in with North Carolina FC expert Chuck Givens to hear his thoughts on tonight’s match and the rest of the season.

(1) NCFC got as high as the top four in the standings this season but stumbled a bit late, losing four of five in August and September. How do you feel about how the regular season went, considering your expectations coming in?

We actually got as high as second in the table, which maybe lasted a week. It was fun and absolutely wild to see for that brief moment.

All of us at Six Point Weekend agreed at the beginning of the season that if we made the playoffs at all it would be considered a success. Our form in August and September was pretty frustrating, but our 1–0 win against St. Louis in the last regular season game should help us going into the playoffs.

(2) You host Birmingham Legion Wednesday, a team you drew and lost to in the regular season. How do you think NCFC matches up with them this time?

I’m not too concerned with how we played them this season. They are a team that caught a lot of clubs by surprise, but there’s a lot of footage on them now, and I feel that the coaching staff will be prepared.

I have a feeling we’ll put out somewhat of the same 4–1–4–1 formation that we saw last week. Maybe even the same exact line-up:

— — — — — — — —Tambakis — — — — — — — —
— Guillen — Brotherton — Comsia — Taylor — —
— — — — — — — — — Smith — — — — — — — — —
— — — Miller — da Luz — Fortune — Perez — — — —
— — — — — — — — — Lomis — — — — — — — — —

(3) Who are the key NCFC players who you think need to have a big game to get the first round win?

Alex Tambakis, Sam Brotherton and anyone who plays striker. Tambakis is in good form right now. Our back line is finally healthy and playing well, but Brotherton has really become the rock in defense, and he can be a threat on set pieces.

Obviously, anyone who’s a striker would do well to score a goal or two, whether that’s Mario Lomis or super-sub Robert Kristo.

(4) Score prediction?

2–0 to the Dead Whales.

(5) Finish this sentence: NCFC will win the USL Championship title if …

… we win on Wednesday and everyone forfeits their remaining matches. OK, just kidding.

I love my Dead Whales, and it would be awesome to see us make a deep run in the playoffs, but there’s a lot of talent to get past in the Eastern Conference by itself. Can we make it to the Eastern Conference Finals? Maybe. We could definitely use some help in the form of upsets from other clubs to have a shot.

I will say that we’ve beaten just about everyone that’s currently in the playoffs, so at least we know we can win against the “big boys.”

Playoffs are just a different beast, though. Just ask New York Red Bulls (the MLS variety).

(6) What’s been the highlight of this season so far for you personally?

Home wins versus Louisville City (4–1), Pittsburgh (5–0) and Tampa Bay (4–2). The podcast has been a lot of fun this year, too, especially getting to talk to Mr. Dead Whale Austin da Luz a couple of times.

(7) Anything else we should know?

Raleigh > Charlotte, forever and always.

USL Championship playoff preview: Charleston Battery

Charleston Battery clinched a playoff spot with a 5–1 win over Bethlehem Steel in the final match of the season. It’s the 12th straight year Charleston has made the playoffs — an impressively consistent run.

The ninth-seeded Battery travel to face Ottawa Fury tonight, so we checked in with Charleston expert Drew Bartow to get his thoughts on the postseason.

(1) It wasn’t always pretty, but Charleston did just enough to make it into the expanded playoffs this year. How do you feel about how the regular season went, considering your expectations coming in?

After finishing in the top four the last two seasons, it was humbling to be one of the teams benefiting from the expanded 10 team cutoff. However, given the myriad of weather delays, cancellations, the Open Cup fiasco, the countless injuries, the rumors of whether the team would even play next season, to the stadium being sold and having to read about it from the Post and Courier article — it has been an emotional roller coaster of a season.

It was hard to see the team struggle. But key wins against both Carolina teams saw the Southern Derby Cup return to Charleston and the team rallied for the last two games ever to be played at the ‘Baud, going out with a golazo performance against Bethlehem Steel. That gives them great momentum headed into the playoffs.

(2) Tonight you play Ottawa Fury, a team you drew and lost to in the regular season. How do you think Charleston matches up with them this time?

They have struggled their last five matches while the Battery seem to have gotten their groove back in the final stretch. A huge draw against an always tough Baby Pink Energy Drink team saw a shift on the pitch late in the season.

The draw with Ottawa in the season opener at home was off a poorly awarded PK and not from the field of play. And several of the rookies, who due to injuries and international duty, have become battle hardened and ready. To quote Zlatan: It’s the knockout round. So let’s knock people out.

(3) Who are the key Battery players who you think need to have a big game to get the first round win?

My bets are on Zeiko Lewis, USL Player of the Week in Week 33, and Dante Marino, whose four goals have been game winners late this season.

Then there’s AJ Paterson and Arthur Bosua, who both scored braces against BST Saturday night. But I see GI Joe Kuzminsky coming up big with a clean sheet.

(4) Score prediction?

Battery win 2–0 and head to Nashville to face Forrest Lasso and the Kinko’s-made Tifo Supporters’ Group in Nashville.

(5) Finish this sentence: Battery will win the USL Championship title if …

There is no if. It’s how the epic story of us winning our fifth championship goes down in history: From wild card to upset victory after upset victory, to league champions.

(6) What’s been the highlight of this season so far for you personally?

I was asked to participate in the USL Supporters Week Campaign and tell my story and why I love the Battery, which the team posted on Battery TV.

(7) Anything else we should know?

As we close this chapter of soccer on Daniel Island, big announcements are forthcoming. Expect to hear about new owners as Eric Bowman steps aside, as well as finalized plans of where the Battery will play for the foreseeable future. And, of course, look for news about the return of the Carolina Challenge Cup and who may be coming to town.

February keeps getting closer and closer.

This weekend’s schedule

NWSL Final

North Carolina Courage vs. Chicago Red Stars, 3:30 p.m. Oct. 27 at WakeMed Soccer Park

USL Championship playoffs

(7) North Carolina FC vs. (10) Birmingham Legion, 7 p.m. Oct. 23 at WakeMed Soccer Park
(9) Charleston Battery at (8) Ottawa Fury, 7 p.m. Oct. 23 on ESPN+