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HomeNewsWhat we learned from Week 28 in the USL Super League 
Carolina Ascent FC Dallas Trinity FC Features Spokane Zephyr FC Tampa Bay Sun FC

The playoff race is heating up, and every point counts for these Super League teams as they make a run for a top-four spot. 

Here are the three biggest takeaways from Week 28: 

Carolina is the team to beat, again 

Carolina Ascent is the definition of peaking at the right time. Whether it’s the 5-0 rout it produced against Brooklyn or the gritty 1-0 win it pulled out against DC, the Ascent find a way to earn results. The team has won its last four in a row, recording clean sheets in each contest, outscoring their opponents by 13 goals. 

The most impressive part is that those 13 goals came from nine different players. This squad has so much depth and chemistry, and it has found some consistency that has built momentum over the past month. With five matches left, the Ascent are back to being the team that was so formidable at the start of the fall. 

Is Dallas a contender or a pretender?

If you look at the standings and the stats, Dallas seems to be one of the best teams in the league. Multiple players can score, Madison White and the backline are an extremely tough defensive unit, and they have disciplined and experienced veterans like Chioma Ubogagu and Amber Brooks controlling the midfield. 

But if you look deeper and dissect their results from the spring, Trinity hasn’t really been as impressive as you would think for a No. 2 team. They’ve now lost twice to Spokane, who completely embarrassed Dallas’ defense last weekend, and the 3-0 loss to Carolina showed just how wide the gap is between the top two teams in the league. Dallas’ only wins have been against Lexington, DC and a struggling Brooklyn side that’s earned four points in its last nine matches. Dallas’ upcoming match against Fort Lauderdale will show if this team is truly a championship contender or just a playoff pretender. 

No. 4 will likely come down to Tampa Bay vs. Spokane 

 Let’s face it: with Brooklyn now in a three-way tie with Tampa Bay and Fort Lauderdale despite having played more matches than both and its recent overall form, a postseason berth does not appear to be in its future. FTL UTD, Carolina and Dallas are in the best shape to finish above the playoff line, and that means the final spot is going to fall to either Tampa Bay or Spokane. 

The Sun have six matches left this season compared to Zephyr’s seven, and you can make a good argument Spokane has the easier schedule of the two as they try to make up a five-point margin between the sides. The key game will be when they go head-to-head one final time this month at ONE Spokane Stadium. If that match goes anything like their last meeting, Zephyr might be able to sneak into that No. 4 spot.