The USL playoffs are nothing if not chaotic. This weekend, the top seeds in both conferences crashed out of the postseason. Two teams that had never played a single playoff match - or any matches in the case of Rhode Island - advanced to the next round.
What made the Conference Semifinals so wild, and who’s looking like a contender heading into next weekend? Let’s dig in.
Contender Power Rankings
1. Rhode Island FC (+2)
Result: 3-1 win at Louisville
JJ Williams was a big-ticket addition for Rhode Island this winter, a striker of such acclaim that RIFC paid a transfer fee to acquire him. The USL journeyman started 2024 injured, and his first start didn’t come until May in a match against Louisville City. Williams’ first goal would have to wait another month; it also came against LouCity.
Since then, Williams has nailed down a starting spot and settled into the best form of his life. Coming into the Eastern Conference semis, the No. 9 had nabbed hat tricks in back-to-back weeks, and his unsung ability to drift into the channels and flex his athleticism set the tone in a third match against Louisville.
𝗥𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 🔪🧈
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) November 10, 2024
JJ Williams stays ON FIRE and gives @RhodeIslandFC an early lead! 🔥#USLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/hjNtd1b7u3
The hosts did well to deny Rhode Island by deepening out their defensive shape, and they limited the left-sided combination play between Zach Herivaux and Jojea Kwizera that proved so key against Indy last round. What they couldn’t stop was Williams, who picked up the ball between the lines after a turnover, charged at the back line, and came good at a tight angle to open the scoring. Finishing, power, and a sense of the moment: Williams showcased the total package in one fell swoop.
