As the 2017 regular season comes to an end, North Carolina FC hopes to finally get a win this season over the Deltas tonight at Sahlen’s Stadium. The Deltas have won twice and the clubs have drawn once this season, and with the Deltas future in question, this might be the Dead Whales last chance to beat them.

NCFC also looks to get some key points to help them secure a spot in the NASL playoffs…

Playoff Chances

With a win over the Deltas this weekend, NCFC can secure their spot in the 2017 NASL playoffs. As of today, the Fall standings look like this…

That first place finish isn’t impossible… but it’s not likely. Still, there’s a chance at a Fall season title going into today’s games.

In the Combined standings, the Dead Whales would need to secure a top four finish to make the playoffs, and they look like this…

Four points ahead of Jacksonville with 30 games played (of 32), NCFC is close to clinching, but with a draw against San Francisco, they can still technically be caught by both New York and Jacksonville.

But those two teams play each other tomorrow at 4pm, so even a loss to San Francisco doesn’t spell the end of North Carolina’s chances: A Cosmos win tomorrow lets NCFC in regardless of their results in their final two games.

As for this match, San Francisco has been on a roll lately. The front office might be struggling a lot this season, but the product on the field has been good enough to be in position to win the Fall title.

In their last five matches, the Deltas have scored 11 goals, outscoring their opponents 11–4, and they haven’t lost since August 26th.

For NCFC, defense has been strong. In their last five matches, NCFC has only allowed one goal (in the draw against Jacksonville). Their last loss was a 1–0 defeat at Indy on September 13th, and they haven’t allowed more than 2 goals in a game the entire Fall season.

Players to Watch

Renan Gorne

Gorne has been on fire since his arrival in North Carolina. He has six goals so far on the season, and I expect he will be the guy who scores against the Deltas on Saturday night. Look out for #26.

Tommy Heinemann

Tommy has nine goals this season and has three in his last five matches. Currently ranked sixth in the league for scoring, Heinemann is also capable of creating chances and sharing the ball. The defense will have a difficult time containing him tonight, but they must if they still want a shot at that Fall title.

Recent Form

North Carolina: D| W| W| W| D

San Francisco: D| W| W| W| D

Game Details

What: San Francisco Deltas vs. North Carolina FC (NASL season)

Where: Sahlen’s Stadium, WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, North Carolina

When: 7:30pm ET

#NCFCvSFD

Prediction

The way that both these teams have been looking, it’s going to be a close, hard-fought match. Not only are both of these defenses really good, but both offenses are clicking right now too.

The only problem I can see is that North Carolina FC has yet to beat the Deltas… ever. And by the looks of it, the Deltas might not stick around for next season. So not only is this match up important for the playoffs, but also for history.

On a more serious note, this one is ours for the taking, at home, and with the playoffs on the line. The fans are coming and will be loud in support, so if the defense can stop the Deltas attack, then we’ll clinch our playoff spot tonight with all three points.

Zack’s Prediction: 2–0 North Carolina FC