Welcome to the latest edition of the USL Super League Race to the Playoffs, where we provide weekly information on where teams stand in their bid to reach the 2025 USL Super League Playoffs.
There are just nine matches left in the regular season, and nearly each one has major implications toward the playoff picture. With five teams still fighting for one of the final three spots, it’s imperative for them to pick up points in the final three weeks.
Let’s look at the five most important matches remaining for each of the teams still in the race to the playoffs.
Tampa Bay Sun FC
American Legion Memorial Stadium
Tampa Bay Sun’s next match is the most crucial for the No. 2 ranked team for multiple reasons. A win would not only clinch a playoff berth, but it would also spoil top-seeded Carolina Ascent’s final home game of the regular season and their hopes for securing the Players’ Shield for the time being, leaving the possibility open for the Sun just one point back. It would also be a big motivation boost heading into playoffs for Tampa Bay to defeat the top team on the road, end Carolina’s six-match winning streak and remain as the only team to never lose to the Ascent this season.
Fort Lauderdale United FC
It might seem odd to say Fort Lauderdale United’s most important match remaining is against a team that was eliminated from playoff contention last month, but let’s take a look at DC Power’s last few results. It beat Brooklyn 1-0 on the road, came back down 2-0 to defeat Dallas Trinity, then nearly just stole at least one point from Spokane on Tuesday. DC has been playing spoiler lately, and if Fort Lauderdale doesn’t take care of business against lower-seeded teams, its final two matches might not even matter.
Brooklyn FC
As Brooklyn’s only remaining match of the season, the meeting against Carolina is as must-win as it gets. A loss or draw would eliminate it from playoff contention, and even with a win, Brooklyn would need many fortuitous results from around the league to hold on to that fourth-place spot. Also considering the 5-0 loss the last time it faced the Ascent, the red card suspension defender Tori Hansen will be on, and the fact that the team has yet to win at Maimonides Park, everything needs to go right for Brooklyn to get those three points.
Dallas Trinity FC
Dallas has slipped to fourth place, its lowest position this spring, and both of its remaining matches are crucial. However, the Ascent has all but secured first place, so earning a result against them isn’t nearly as important as against Fort Lauderdale, which still has the chance to knock Dallas out of the playoffs. The teams are 1-1-1 against each other this season, but the Trinity has lost its last three road games, so it needs to snap that streak here.
Spokane Zephyr FC
Spokane has done a remarkable job at getting results this spring to currently sit in third place; however, it’s not out of the woods yet. With only one match remaining, other teams with games in hand can still pick up points and shift Zephyr down the standings. One of those teams is Fort Lauderdale, so this final match of the season might decide not only seeding but which of these two teams makes the playoffs or not.