TAMPA, Fla. – The 2017 USL Cup Playoffs are set for a super Saturday night as the eight teams vying for a place at the 2017 USL Cup look for victory in the Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals, with three lower seeds aiming to continue their quest to emulate the No. 8-seed Harrisburg City Islanders (2014) and No. 5-seed LA Galaxy II (2015).

Every game of the 2017 USL Cup Playoffs through the Eastern and Western Conference Finals will be available on the league’s Match Center, with updates from across the league also available via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

The 2017 USL Cup will air live on ESPNU and SiriusXM FC on Monday, Nov. 13 at 9 p.m. ET.

2017 USL CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
Saturday, October 28
No. 1 Louisville City FC vs. No. 4 Rochester Rhinos
7:30 p.m. ET, Slugger Field (Match Center | Full Preview)
Louisville City FC and the Rochester Rhinos meet for the second time in three seasons in the USL Cup Playoffs and for the first time at Slugger Field, as Louisville looks to reach the Eastern Conference Final for a third consecutive season.

City maintained its perfect home playoff record with a 4-0 victory against No. 8-seed Bethlehem Steel FC in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals as Tarek Morad struck twice and Luke Spencer had a goal and assist in the win. Louisville is now 4-0-0 all-time at home in the postseason, but as notably, it has not conceded a goal in all four victories. Louisville also holds a 1-0-1 edge on the Rhinos this season, having earned a 2-1 victory when the teams met at Slugger Field on Sept. 20.

The Rhinos took the victory when these teams first met in the postseason, earning a win at Capelli Sport Stadium in the Eastern Conference Final on their way to claiming the 2015 USL Cup. Rochester had a tougher time earning its place in the Conference Semifinals this season, though, as Stefan Defregger’s goal in extra time sent the Rhinos through against the No. 5-seed Charlotte Independence.

No. 3 Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. No. 7 New York Red Bulls II
7:30 p.m. ET, Al Lang Stadium (Match Center | Full Preview)
The Tampa Bay Rowdies and New York Red Bulls II meet for the first time in the postseason after each having taken victory on home turf in their two regular-season meetings. With both coming off impressive victories in the previous round, and having combined for 11 goals in two prior meetings, there could be quite an attacking display at Al Lang Stadium on Saturday night.

The Rowdies opened their first trip to the USL Cup Playoffs with an emphatic 3-0 win against No. 6-seed FC Cincinnati last Saturday night that saw former German international Marcel Schäfer score twice and the club’s modern-era goal-scoring leader Georgi Hristov add a third. The win was Tampa Bay’s 12th in 17 league games at Al Lang Stadium this season, where the side has lost only once in front of its passionate support.

The Red Bulls II opened their quest to become the first team to win back-to-back USL Cups with a 4-0 victory against the No. 2-seed Charleston Battery, as four different players found the net. New York’s attack has been on fire in the final third of the season, averaging 2.9 goals per game over its past 10 outings. After being edged out 3-2 in their first visit to Al Lang Stadium after being reduced to 10 men early in the second half, the Red Bulls II have their focus set on another big road win.

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
Saturday, October 21
No. 4 Swope Park Rangers vs. No. 8 Sacramento Republic FC
5 p.m. ET, Children’s Mercy Park (Match Center | Full Preview)
The Swope Park Rangers and Sacramento Republic FC will meet for the first time in the postseason after having both come through a penalty shootout to move on in the Western Conference Quarterfinals last weekend.

The Rangers remained undefeated at home in the postseason the hard way, rallying from a deficit for the first time in their playoff history after going behind in extra time against No. 5-seed Phoenix Rising FC. Standout center back Amer Didic provided the goal, his first in the postseason, in the 113th minute. From there, goalkeeper Darrin MacLeod stole the show, recording a crucial save in the opening shot of the shootout to give his side an edge it didn’t relinquish.

Republic FC turned the tables on its 2016 postseason disappointment by recording the biggest upset of the opening weekend this year, with goalkeeper Evan Newton’s pair of shootout saves sending Sacramento past No. 1-seed Real Monarchs SLC. After the teams had finished level 1-1 after extra time, Sacramento kept its cool from the spot as Hayden Partain, James Kiffe and Jeremy Hall all converted to send the USL Regular Season champions out. 

No. 2 San Antonio FC vs. No. 6 OKC Energy FC
8:30 p.m. ET, Toyota Field (Match Center | Full Preview)
The regional rivalry between San Antonio FC and OKC Energy FC arrives in the USL Cup Playoffs for the first time with Energy FC sitting as the hottest team in the league with a five-game winning streak and SAFC undefeated in its last five outings after a dramatic comeback victory last Saturday.

San Antonio had to rally to defeat No. 7-seed Tulsa Roughnecks FC 2-1, only the second time in club history it had earned victory after conceding the game’s opening goal. SAFC’s attacking pieces came through, as Cesar Elizondo got the side level early in the second half, and Ever Guzman converted a stoppage-time penalty kick after Billy Forbes had been brought down in the penalty area to earn SAFC its first postseason victory.

Energy FC had to withstand plenty of pressure from No. 3-seed Reno 1868 FC at Greater Nevada Field, but a standout performance by goalkeeper C.J. Cochran kept 1868 FC’s record-setting attack at bay and allowed Wojciech Wojcik’s first-half goal to stand as the winner. OKC has narrowly edged the all-time series against SAFC, holding the only win, but with five of the six prior meetings having ended all square, another tense contest should be expected at Toyota Field. 

NUMBER CRUNCHING

300 – Swope Park midfielder Christian Duke has made 300 passes into the attacking third in SPR home games this season, fourth-most in the USL, at an accuracy rate of 76.67 percent.

165 – Sacramento Republic FC full back James Kiffe logged 165 crosses from open play in the 2017 regular season, the most of any player in the league.

98.3 – New York Red Bulls II forward Stefano Bonomo has averaged a goal every 98.3 minutes this season, the lowest average among players with double-digit goals in 2017.

13 – Energy FC forward Jose Angulo scored 13 left-footed goals in the 2017 regular season, the most of any player in the league.

5 – Tampa Bay Rowdies midfielder Marcel Schäfer scored his fifth goal from outside the penalty area in last Saturday’s victory against FC Cincinnati.

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES

- Louisville City FC’s plans for a soccer-specific stadium received the green light from the Louisville Metro Council on Thursday night as the council passed four measures that will pave the way for the club to move on its plans to build a home venue in the Butchertown neighborhood. The club is aiming to move into a new 10,000-seat stadium for the start of the 2020 USL season.

- Tulsa Roughnecks FC announced it had signed Head Coach David Vaudreuil to a new two-year contract after Vaudreuil had led the side to its first USL Cup Playoffs berth this season. The Roughnecks more than doubled both their total wins and points in Vaudreuil’s first season in charge.

- FC Cincinnati announced numerous roster moves on Wednesday, with the club currently having retained nine players for the 2018 regular season. FCC re-signed Jimmy McLaughlin, Corben Bone and Danni König, and picked up contract options on the quartet of Kenney Walker, Matt Bahner, Garrett Halfhill and Justin Hoyte. Both Sem de Wit and Josu remained under contract moving into the 2018 season.

- The USL announced on Thursday it had entered into a national partnership with The Promotions Dept., a leading supplier of premiums and promotional items, including apparel, replica jerseys, soccer balls, bobbleheads and a wide variety of branded items for grassroots marketing, game-day promotions, incentives and gifts.