TAMPA, Fla. – The final two places in the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs will be decided, along with first place in the Western Conference and the final two teams to host a conference quarterfinal to open the postseason, as a 14-game slate concludes the 2016 USL regular season this weekend. Orlando City B and Wilmington Hammerheads FC remain alive in the Eastern Conference, while San Antonio FC holds the inside track in the West, but has three other teams waiting in the wings should it falter on the road in the final South Texas Derby of the season.

Meanwhile, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, Sacramento Republic FC and Rio Grande Valley FC will all take the to the field in pursuit of first place in the Western Conference, and home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs.

Every game of the 2016 USL season will be available on the league’s Match Center, with updates from across the league also available via Twitter, Facebook, Vine and Instagram.

GAMES TO WATCH
Saturday, September 24
Wilmington Hammerheads FC vs. Richmond Kickers
7 p.m. ET, Legion Stadium
Ninth-place Wilmington Hammerheads FC needs a victory against the Richmond Kickers to have a chance to reach the postseason, while eighth-place Orlando City B sits one point ahead of the Hammerheads. Orlando also holds the total wins tiebreaker between the final two teams in contention for the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

The Hammerheads (7-12-10, 31pts) narrowly missed out on gaining the upper hand on Orlando (8-13-8, 32pts) as a late equalizer by the Harrisburg City Islanders saw Wilmington remain behind OCB, which fell to FC Cincinnati in its penultimate game of the season.

The Kickers (12-8-9, 45pts) are out of contention for a home playoff game in the East after their loss to the Charleston Battery last Saturday, but could still claim the No. 5 seed in the playoffs with a win and a loss for both Charleston and the Rochester Rhinos in their home finale. Having dropped two of their past three games after a 10-game undefeated streak, the Kickers will want to pick up a win, and some momentum going into the opening weekend of the playoffs.  

Louisville City FC vs. Charlotte Independence
7:30 p.m. ET, Slugger Field
The Charlotte Independence will try to wrap up the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, and a home quarterfinal next weekend, but to ensure their position will need to defeat a Louisville City FC side that is on a four-game winning streak, and will want to close the season in style ahead of their playoff opener.

Louisville (17-4-8, 59pts) is locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference after its 5-1 victory on the road against Saint Louis FC last Saturday. With only two home defeats this season, however, it’s likely the side will come out looking for another win to carry its momentum into the opening round of the playoffs.

Charlotte (14-8-7, 49pts) had the chance to book a home playoff date a week ago, only to fall 1-0 to the Rochester Rhinos on home turf. That defeat allowed the Rhinos and the Charleston Battery to move within a point, and a draw could allow both sides to jump past the Independence with wins in their respective home finales, putting the pressure on the visitors to take all three points.

Rio Grande Valley FC vs. San Antonio FC
8:30 p.m. ET, Toro Park
The race for first place, and the final playoff position, in the Western Conference will come into focus in the Rio Grande Valley as the third-place Toros host eighth-place San Antonio FC for a crucial game for both teams.

The Toros (13-7-9, 48pts) are within a point of both first-place Colorado Springs and second-place Sacramento, but need a win to have a chance at first place in the West with the Switchbacks holding the total wins tiebreaker over their two rivals for first entering the weekend’s action.

While RGVFC needs other results to go its way to finish first, San Antonio (10-11-8, 38pts) enters knowing a win will earn the side a playoff berth in its inaugural season. The pressure is on for SAFC, though, with Portland (37pts), Orange County (37pts) and Real Monarchs SLC (36pts) all in position to capitalize should San Antonio fail to take a victory on the road.

Orange County Blues FC vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
10 p.m. ET, Anteater Stadium
First-place Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC has the chance to claim the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a win on Saturday night, but visits an Orange County Blues FC side that also needs three points in its pursuit of the conference’s final playoff place.

The Blues (11-14-4, 37pts) sit a point behind San Antonio FC for eighth place in the Western Conference, and trail the ninth-place Portland Timbers 2 on goal differential going into Saturday’s game. Should SAFC fail to take a victory against RGVFC, however, the Blues could advance should they take a victory against the Switchbacks by a wider margin than T2 against Arizona United SC.

The Switchbacks (14-8-7, 49pts) are on a three-game winning streak coming into Saturday’s game, however, and know they could easily drop to third place should they only take a draw with Sacramento sitting level on points with Colorado Springs, and RGVFC one point back. Coach Steve Trittschuh’s side want to ensure the road to the Western Conference Championship goes through Switchbacks Stadium, which could prove a mountain for the Blues to climb.

NUMBER CRUNCHING
2,700 – Rio Grande Valley FC’s Charlie Ward and the Richmond Kickers’ Hugh Roberts are in position to play every minute of the regular season for their respective teams going into the final game of the season.

20 – The New York Red Bulls II set a USL record for regular-season wins with their 4-0 win against FC Montreal last Saturday, which also saw the club set a new mark for regular-season goals (59).

9 – Sacramento Republic FC’s Danny Barrera and the Portland Timbers 2’s Villyan Bijev are tied for the USL lead with nine assists apiece going into their final games of the season on Saturday night.

0.01 – Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC’s Devala Gorrick (0.72 GAA) currently leads the USL in goals-against average by 0.01 from the Rochester Rhinos’ Tomas Gomez (0.73 GAA).

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES

- The Charleston Battery (13-7-9, 48pts) sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference as they welcome the New York Red Bulls II (20-3-6, 66pts) to MUSC Health Stadium on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET | Match Center), but could claim a top-four position with a win and either a draw or a loss for the Charlotte Independence in Louisville. The Red Bulls II, however, could be a tough proposition, with the side having already set a USL record with 12 road wins this season.

- Sacramento Republic FC (13-6-10, 49pts) closes its regular season on the road against Tulsa Roughnecks FC (5-20-4, 19pts) on Saturday night at ONEOK Field (8:30 p.m. ET | Match Center) looking to take a victory, and then will hope for Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC to miss out on all three points later in the night in Orange County. A win for Republic FC and a draw or loss for the Switchbacks would see Sacramento jump into first in the Western Conference.

- After keeping their hopes of a home playoff game alive with a victory in Charlotte last weekend, the Rochester Rhinos (12-5-12, 48pts) will look to end the season with another win as they host Toronto FC II at Rhinos Stadium on Saturday (5:05 p.m. ET | Match Center). The Rhinos would move into fourth place with a win should both Charlotte and Charleston fail to take victories in their contests later in the evening.

- The Portland Timbers 2 (11-14-4, 37pts) play host to Arizona United SC (9-13-7, 34pts) on Saturday night at Merlo Field (10 p.m. ET | Match Center) lying in wait should San Antonio FC fail to take a victory in the South Texas Derby. Ninth-place T2 sits a point behind SAFC in the Western standings, and with a win would jump past San Antonio should it fail to take a victory, but T2 must also be wary of Orange County, which could overtake it on goal differential, or goals scored, if it takes a bigger win against Colorado Springs than T2 against United.

- FC Cincinnati (15-6-8, 53pts) is locked into the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference as it closes  the season on the road against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (6-16-7, 25pts) on Saturday night at Highmark Stadium (7 p.m. ET | Match Center). With the final result not affecting FCC’s position in the standings, however, the side may look to give forward Sean Okoli all the chances he needs to claim the USL Golden Boot, with the standout striker sitting tied for the league lead on 15 goals with the LA Galaxy II’s Jack McBean.

- Real Monarchs SLC (10-13-6, 36pts) needs all three teams above in the Western Conference – San Antonio, Portland and Orange County – to fail to take victories on Saturday, but should that occur the door would be open for Real as it visits the LA Galaxy II (11-7-11, 44pts) at StubHub Center Track & Field Stadium (10:30 p.m. ET | Match Center). Should all three of the teams ahead of the 11th-place Monarchs draw, Real would move into eighth ahead of San Antonio with its 11th win of the season besting San Antonio’s mark of 10.

- The Swope Park Rangers (13-10-6, 45pts) will look to wrap up a home playoff contest when they host Seattle Sounders FC 2 (9-12-8, 35pts) at Children’s Mercy Victory Field on Saturday night (8 p.m. ET | Match Center). With a win, the Rangers will be guaranteed a top-four seed in the Western Conference, and would move to the No. 3 seed should Rio Grande Valley FC fall to San Antonio FC.

- Orlando City B (8-13-8, 32pts) will know if it’s in the postseason, or has work to do, when it visits Bethlehem Steel FC (6-13-10, 28pts) on Sunday for the final game of the regular season at Goodman Stadium (3 p.m. ET | Match Center). Should Wilmington have taken a victory against Richmond on Saturday, Orlando would need to match the win to earn a playoff berth. If the Hammerheads have either drawn or lost, however, Orlando will be the East’s No. 8 seed before its game kicks off.

- OKC Energy FC (10-7-12, 42pts) will sit in either the No. 6 or No. 7 seed in the West after its 2-1 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 (12-9-9, 45pts) in WFC2’s regular-season finale on Wednesday night. Energy FC now needs to take a victory against Saint Louis FC (8-12-9, 33pts) on Saturday night at Taft Stadium (7 p.m. ET | Match Center), and hope for the LA Galaxy II to fall to Real Monarchs SLC later in the night. Should Los Dos draw and Energy FC win, OKC would need a seven-goal victory to overtake LA on goal differential for the No. 6 seed.