The NPSL Briefing Week 9: Down to the Wire
The playoff races for both conferences have come down to the final week
Welcome to Week 9 of The NPSL Briefing! Below are our Games of the Week for the Gulf Coast Sunshine and Southeast Conferences, along with last week’s results and a preview into every game this weekend.
Gulf Coast Sunshine Conference:
Game of the Week: FC Florida vs Club de Lyon
Credit NPSL (FC Florida)
Saturday, July 5 at 5:00pm EST
The Pine School (Hobe Sound, FL; Capacity 500)
This match will decide the final place in the playoffs for the conference. A win or draw would put CdL through to face Naples United in one of the semi-finals (the other will see the Armada take on the Jesters). The first meeting this season saw CdL win 1-0. FC Florida has been very inconsistent this season, but can claim a win over Naples United. A win for Florida will see them jump over Club de Lyon, and into the playoffs.
Last Week’s Results:
Naples United 1-0 Jacksonville Armada
Club de Lyon 6-0 Miami Dutch Lions
Global Soccer Pathways 0-9 FC Florida
Miami Dutch Lions 1-2 Naples United
This Week:
New Orleans Jesters vs Jacksonville Armada: (Saturday, July 5 at 7:00 CST)
This will be both a rematch, and a preview of one of the conference semifinals. Their previous match was a 0-0 draw, and the Jesters should be considered a small favorite at home. The Jesters have played a limited NPSL schedule due to the unfriendly geography of the conference. But they've stayed fresh by playing friendlies against nearby clubs from other leagues. Jacksonville is coming in off of a rare loss (against Naples). Will they lose two in a row?
Standings:
Naples United: 23 Points (+26 GD, 10 GP)
Jacksonville Armada: 22 Points (+24 GD, 8 GP)
Club de Lyon: 13 Points (+11 GD, 9 GP)
FC Florida: 11 Points (+1 GD, 9 GP)
New Orleans Jesters: 10 Points (+2 GD, 5 GP)
Miami Dutch Lions: 9 Points (-16 GD, 10 GP)
PSC Florida: 3 points (-8 GD, 4 GP)
Global Soccer Pathways : 2 Points (-40 GD, 10 GP)
Southeast Conference:
Game of the Week: Greenville United vs Port City
Credit Greenville United
Wednesday, July 2 at 7:00pm EST
John Paul II Athletic Stadium (Greenville, NC; Capacity 1090)
Last week saw Charlottetowne Hops get a big win to propel them into a playoff spot. Port City has a chance to jump over them if they can get a win over Greenville. A draw would leave Port City in fourth place, but still in the playoffs. Greenville United will have something to say about it. If Greenville can beat Port City by two goals or more, they'll claim a spot in the playoffs. If they were to win by only one goal, they'll tie Port on points, GD, and head-to-head. There's a solid chance for some chaos here.
Last Week's Results:
Bristol Rhythm 3-6 Charlottetowne Hops FC
Port City FC 1-4 Hickory FC
Greenville United 4-0 Burlington United (Oliver Jarvis with a hat trick)
Appalachian FC 3-0 Bristol Rhythm AFC
Burlington United 0-0 865 Alliance
Next Week's Games:
Bristol Rhythm AFC vs Hickory FC: ( Saturday, July 5 at 7:00 EST)
Hickory has first place locked up solid. They can easily afford to give some playing time to some people, and cut down on the risk lf injuries headed into the playoffs. Bristol has a real chance to land an upset and move up in the table for a better finishing position. The previous meeting was won by Hickory, 4-2.
865 Alliance vs Appalachian FC: (Saturday, July 5 at 7:00 EST)
Appalachian should safely hold on to the second place position in the conference, no matter the outcome of this game. There's still a mathematical chance for Port City to catch them, but it's extraordinarily unlikely. As a point of interest, the first meeting between these two teams ended up being very close. Appalachian won that one 2-1.
Standings:
Hickory FC: 27 Points (+24 GD, 9 GP)
Appalachian FC: 18 Points (+12 GD, 9 GP)
Charlottetowne Hops FC: 16 Points (+5 GD, 10 GP)
Port City FC: 15 Points (+1 GD, 9 GP)
Greenville United: 12 Points (0 GD, 9 GP)
Bristol Rhythm AFC: 10 Points (-5 GD, 9 GP)
865 Alliance: 8 Points (-12 GD, 9 GP)
Burlington United : 2 Point (-25 GD, 10 GP)
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