CHARLOTTE, N.C. – FC Cincinnati bought some breathing room Friday in the crowded competition to get into the United Soccer League playoffs.

With a 1-0 victory over the Charlotte Independence, FC Cincinnati is now guaranteed a spot if it wins its final two matches. But it could be dicey if it doesn’t.

Fortunately, the club is on a roll going into the final two weeks with matches at two of the weakest teams in the Eastern Conference, 13th-place Ottawa Fury FC on Oct. 8 and 15th-place Toronto FC II on Oct. 14.

Kevin Schindler came off the bench to score his first goal and Mitch Hildebrandt stopped a penalty kick in the final seconds to enable fifth-place FC Cincinnati to relax and enjoy the trip back to the Queen City.

“We’re happy to come in here tonight and put in a performance that got us the three points,” said head coach Alan Koch. “We capitalized on a set piece and we are happy that Kevin got his first goal for the club. Also, a huge moment by Mitch, who stepped up to the plate and took care of business on the penalty kick.”

Cincinnati is one of five clubs in a battle royale for the last four of the eight playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. And the bad news for FC Cincinnati is this: all the other clubs have more matches remaining than FC Cincinnati does.

SEE the standings.

FC Cincinnati is now tied for fifth with the Rochester Rhinos with 43 points. Bethlehem Steel FC (39 points), Orlando City B (39) and New York Red Bulls II (38) are also vying for the last four spots.

Rochester, Bethlehem and NY have four matches left and Orlando has three.

Do the math, and it appears that FC Cincinnati‘s best chance is to squeeze past Orlando, which has to play fourth-place Tampa Bay and ninth-place NY along with 14th-place Richmond.

If FC Cincinnati and Orlando both win out, FC Cincinnati would have 49 points and Orlando would have 48. And if NY loses to Orlando, the most NY could have would be 47.

If NY wins out, it would have 50 points and the best Orlando could have is 45.

If Cincinnati wins one and loses one, it would finish with 46, so losing one of its last two need not be fatal. But it’s clear that FC Cincinnati has little wiggle room. It’s almost win out or go home.

Koch brought in Schindler in the 74th minute for Danni Konig and the forward scored a minute later. Kenney Walker initiated the play on the corner kick, finding Djiby in the box. Djiby headed the ball toward the goal and Schindler – unmarked – swiped the ball past goalkeeper Cody Mizell.

FCC had avoided a loss in the final seconds of against Saint Louis FC last weekend and had to ward off back-to-back threats by the Independence, including a penalty kick in stoppage time. Corben Bone was called for the foul against Enzo Martinez in the box and Jorge Herrera stepped up to take the penalty kick. But Hildebrandt dove to his right to parry the ball away.