After an action-packed conference quarterfinals round, eight teams are alive in the USL Championship playoffs. We saw top teams recover from deficits, MVP-level players carry their teams over the line, and goalkeepers stand tall across multiple penalty shootouts. It’s the time of year where a few moments can decide everything.
Which of the eight teams left has the best chance of taking home the hardware? What should the eliminated clubs take away? Let’s dig in.
Contender Power Rankings
1. Louisville City
Result: 3-2 win vs. North Carolina
LouCity might be the only club in the USL where missing reigning USL Defender of the Year Arturo Ordonez wouldn’t be a calamity. In his stead, Wes Charpie entered the back line, providing four clearances and three interceptions as a critical backstop against upset-hungry North Carolina. Charpie has the most step-for-step speed of any center back in the Louisville stable, and he kept things together in yet another comeback win.
Sean Totsch and Kyle Adams, the wider complements to Charpie in the back three, didn't hesitate to step up and track runners into the channels. North Carolina game-planned around that tendency, shooting their wing backs over the top to try and take advantage. When that happened, Charpie - a veteran with more than 15,000 career USL minutes - rotated in behind and cleared any pass that came his way.
Though Louisville still felt hot under the collar out of the gates, they stabilized quickly thanks to Charpie’s coverage. Soon, the press made its mark upfield and turned over NCFC before long balls could become a problem. In the final third, LouCity could push up into their attacking 3-2-5 and go to work.
Well, that didn't take long! 😌@Amadou_iT11 pulls @loucityfc level ⚖️#USLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/qIdPSUauCP
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) November 3, 2024
The game-tying goal was a classic bit of Danny Cruz soccer. Taylor Davila, the USL’s second-leading chance creator in the regular season, drifted into the channel to try and create an overload with Aiden McFadden (the right wing back) and Adrien Perez (the right winger). When North Carolina overcommitted toward McFadden, Davila could receive a return pass in space.
Enter Amadou Dia at the far post. The left wing back, Dia made a run like a proper forward to head home Davila’s stunning service. It was the sign of a confident team looking to score goals in numbers, not one that was chastened by an early concession.
That confidence never dissipated. Louisville would eventually hedge into a flatter 5-2-3 to see the game out, but not before they ravaged their way to a 3-1 lead. From front to back, this LouCity team is still the odds-on favorite to go all the way.
2. Colorado Springs Switchbacks
Result: 2-0 win vs. Oakland
