Friday, August 29, 2003

 

TAMPA, FL - United Soccer Leagues announced today the playoff schedule for the two-leg, aggregate score Division Finals to be held Friday, September 5 and Sunday, September 7.

Three of the four series are completely set with the Northeast still to determine which days Montreal and Rochester will host. The winner of the Northeast Division at the close of the season will play host to the second leg of the first-round series on Sunday. Montreal will play at Claude Robillard Stadium and Rochester at Frontier Field.

In the Southeast Division, the Virginia Beach Mariners will play host to the Charleston Battery in the first leg at the Virginia Beach Sportslplex at 7:30 pm ET Friday. They travel to Charleston to take on the Battery at Blackbaud Stadium at 6:00 pm ET Sunday.

In the Central Division, the Minnesota Thunder will travel to Milwaukee to meet the Wave United at Uihlein Soccer Park Friday at 8:30 pm ET and return home for the second leg at the National Sports Center Sunday at 6:00 pm ET.

The Seattle Sounders will play host to the Vancouver Whitecaps Friday at 11:00 pm ET at Seahawks Stadium in a game to be televised live on Fox Sports World. The Sounders will head north of the border to face their rival Sunday at 10:00 pm ET at Swangard Stadium.

Five teams are still in the running for the regular season championship going into the final weekend of the season. The Minnesota Thunder (17-8-1) currently sit atop the table and control their own destiny. Should they slip, the Montreal Impact (15-5-6) would be in the driver's seat. Also in the hunt are the Rochester Rhinos, Seattle Sounders and Milwaukee Wave United.