33 weeks down, one week to go. The USL Championship season will be gone before you know it, and half of the Eastern Conference is still on the bubble. After a decisive weekend out West, that conference is locked in, but there are plenty of seeding questions needing answers.
Who locked up a spot this week, and what tactical changes made it happen? Let’s dig in.
1. Louisville (No change)
Result: 1-1 draw at San Antonio
The last time LouCity played a match in San Antonio, they lost the 2022 title game by a 3-1 margin. Fast forward two years, and Louisville is a heavy favorite to get back to the mountaintop, while their former conquerors are likely set to miss the playoffs. Saturday's match, one in which Danny Cruz heavily rotated his lineup, was a chance for revenge, but it was also a testament to the institutional excellence that defines Louisville as an organization.
No one better captures that phenomenon than Niall McCabe, a veteran midfielder now in his 10th year in purple. McCabe made just his third start of 2024, marking his first nod since early June. In practice, he added a veteran grit that was needed against a San Antonio team trying to get end to end. Whether contesting second balls or going five-for-seven on duel attempts, McCabe didn’t really control the tempo as much as he redirected the ping-pong energy of the match towards the opposing half.
On the flip side of the coin was Carlos Moguel, a 21-year-old prospect out of the Louisville academy. Moguel made 46 appearances in league play between 2022 and 2023, and he was a nailed-on playoff starter to end last year. For reasons unknown, this was just his fifth game of the current season.
Though less imposing than McCabe, Moguel was still perfectly solid. He and his pivot partner did enough to earn a draw in a tough environment. Old, new, often involved, rarely used: Louisville’s roster is one of the most balanced of the league, and Cruz knows how to get effort out of each and every one of his players.
2. Detroit (+2)
Result: 2-0 win v. Miami
