UPSL Georgia: Analyzing the Title, Playoff, and Relegation Battles with 2 Games to Go

Can Kalonji keep up the pace at the top? Who can challenge North Georgia United for the 8th and final playoff spot? And, can FC Birmingham stay alive?

Credit Potros FC (Instagram)

The UPSL Georgia spring season has been a doozy! With two weeks to go before the playoffs, we analyze the table and matchups to watch for that will decide seeding, who is relegated, and who will be crowned the regular season champion.

The Title Contenders

1. Kalonji Pro-Profile: 25 Points, 10 GP

2. Potros FC: 24 Points, 11 GP

3. Georgia Revolution: 21 Points, 11 GP

Kalonji Pro-Profile, the defending champions after a 3-1 victory over North Georgia United in the 2024 finals, have the advantage for a regular season title. They have a game in-hand against the lowly Albion SC Atlanta on June 11, and that is in-between two winnable games: a rematch against North Georgia United and a game against Soccer Saves Lives to end the season. With former Atlanta United 2 player Karim Tmimi leading the team alongside leading scorers Ousmane Fall (7 goals), Thierry Jules (5 goals), and 12 other players that have hit the scoresheet this year, the club will look to blow past the weak back lines of their remaining opponents and win the title.

However, if they slip up, two teams could catch them. Potros FC have been on a tear the last few weeks and are led by current Georgia Division Golden Boot leader Nazario Mbomio (12 goals). They are the closest and most likely to pass Kalonji, especially as they play two games against Fountain City FC and FC Columbus Elite to end the year. They will be favored in both by a large margin.

The Georgia Revolution also have a chance at the title. With a game against Soccer Saves Lives and a harder match against Limeno GA, 6 points is entirely possible. Led by the midfield duo of Gustavo Atencio and Oquin Robinso, the McDonough side are the only club to beat Kalonji so far this year.

Comfortably in the Playoffs

4. Georgia Athletic SC: 18 Points, 11 GP

5. Limeno Georgia: 18 Points, 11 GP

6. Dalton United: 17 Points, 11 GP

7. UMA FC: 17 Points, 11 GP

These 4 clubs have pretty much locked up a playoff spot with their slightly above-average records and are just looking to get the 4th spot for a home playoff game. Athletic are coming off a huge 5-0 win against Dalton and next face off against UMA. Before their respectable loss to Kalonji last week, UMA had won 3 matches in a row and were starting to gain significant chemistry. The winner of that game has the best chance for the 4 seed, and expect it to be close.

Limeno are still in a great position, but after as 2-0 loss to Columbus Elite and a looming match against the Revolution, they seem the most likely to slide down the table. Dalton may have just been crushed by Athletic, and their offense, so explosive early in the season, has cooled down significantly, but they have two “easy” games against FC Birmingham and Fountain City FC to end the year, meaning they could pick up points and end their current two-game losing streak.

Fight for the 8th and Final Spot

8. North Georgia United: 14 Points, 11 GP

9. Filial Pachuca Georgia: 13 Points, 11 GP

10. Soccer Saves Lives FC: 12 Points, 11 GP

11. FC Columbus Elite: 12 Points, 11 GP

North Georgia United started the season with 4 straight wins. Then, they picked up two draws. After that, they lost 5 games in a row! Potros, Limeno, Dalton, UMA, and SSL have all inflicted damage on last year’s finalists to where they are barely holding onto the final playoff spot. With two matches against Kalonji and Georgia Athletic to end the year, they’ll be looking for lead scorers Ronald Maradiaga (11 goals, 2nd in division) and Emanuel Lom (9 goals, 3rd in division) to help pull off what would be a miracle. Any result against either club would be unexpected and keep North Georgia in the playoff race.

Pachuca seem to be in a good spot to take the 8 seed, with matches against FC Columbus Elite and Albion SC Atlanta (teams lower in the table), but they are on a two-game skid and gave Fountain City a result that let them climb out of the relegation zone last week. With their inconsistent season, who knows what will happen.

Soccer Saves Lives has surprisingly won 2 games in a row to put them in a good position, but their remaining games are against the Revolution and Kalonji. I don’t expect them to make the playoffs. Columbus Elite have a chance to pick up points against Pachuca this week but have a tough matchup against Potros to end the year, so predicting their outcome is difficult.

The Relegation Battle

12. Fountain City FC: 9 Points, 11 GP

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13. Albion SC Atlanta: 8 Points (-3 Deduction), 10 GP

14. FC Birmingham: 4 Points, 11 GP

Fountain City just got a huge result last week, winning 2-0 against Pachuca Georgia. That allowed them to escape the relegation zone after Albion SC lost the Geranium Derby to the Revolution. Albion are only in this tough position because of 3 point deduction from a forfeit earlier in the year (stadium/pitch problems, thanks to Atlantic Soccer Media Group for explaining that in their latest Back Pass episode), but they have a chance to climb back over the club from Columbus again.

Albion have 3 games remaining on their schedule. The game in-hand against Kalonji will likely be a loss, but they have two other games with the chance for a result. They first play Limeno Georgia at 7:00pm today away from home. The club surprisingly is 2-1-1 away from home, and Limeno will be a tough matchup, but it is one where they could steal a point with the home team on a losing streak. The most important matchup is their last game of the year against Pachuca Georgia. Pachuca’s inconsistency gives Albion a big opportunity for 3 points, yet the club has a 1-1-4 record at their home, Locust Grove High School. That is tied for worst in the league with Fountain City and FC Birmingham.

Is Fountain City’s path to survival easier than Albion’s? Well, it is if we say they just have to match their results and pray for a loss to Kalonji in the game in-hand, but it’s not that simple. Their next match is away against Potros FC, and that will be a challenging place to get a point, especially 3. The final matchup is most important, just like Albion, as the side return to Columbus one last time and face Dalton United. There is definitely a chance the club can pick up 1-3 points, but does a struggling overall attack beat Dalton’s poor backline? Forward Tristan Shytle (5 goals, leads the team) and company will answer that question.

FC Birmingham would need Albion SC and Fountain City to each only gain 1 point for the remainder of the season if they want to survive. While that is possible, the real challenge is winning their final two games against Dalton United and UMA FC. Dalton are struggling, but with the form UMA are in, it’s more than likely that Birmingham are brought down to Division 1 for next season.