Saturday, October 7

Orlando City B vs. New York Red Bulls II

7:30 p.m. ET, Orlando City Stadium

Seventh-place Orlando City B can claim its second consecutive trip to the USL Cup Playoffs on Saturday night, and at the same time, it can potentially hand the eighth-place New York Red Bulls II a decisive blow in their hopes to defend their USL Cup title when the two sides meet on Saturday night.

By kickoff, both teams could be looking up at Bethlehem Steel FC, which enters the weekend in ninth but faces Toronto FC II on Friday night, knowing a win would move it ahead of both OCB and NYRB II. OCB (10-8-12, 42pts) took a 1-0 victory last Sunday evening against the Richmond Kickers thanks to Hadji Barry’s late winner, and thanks to its one-point edge on the Red Bulls II, OCB would be in the playoffs with a win. A draw would leave the side needing victory against I-4 Derby rivals the Tampa Bay Rowdies to guarantee a postseason berth.

New York (12-13-5, 41pts) had the chance to overtake Orlando with any kind of positive result in the first game of its trip to Florida on Wednesday night, but it suffered a 3-2 defeat at Al Lang Stadium. That leaves the Red Bulls II in a must-win situation, which would see them regain control of their playoff destiny ahead of a visit to the Rochester Rhinos to close out the regular season.

San Antonio FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies

8:30 p.m. ET, Toyota Field

Two teams taking aim at a second-place finish in their respective conferences meet in San Antonio on Saturday night in a fascinating interconference matchup between San Antonio FC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

SAFC (15-4-10, 55pts) enters the weekend in fourth place in the Western Conference but holds a game in hand on both second-place Reno 1868 FC and the third-place Swope Park Rangers. San Antonio will try to kick off a three-game home stand to end the regular season, knowing if it wins out, it will earn the No. 2-seed in the Western Conference.

The Rowdies (13-7-10, 49pts) could prove a challenge in that pursuit, however, with Tampa Bay having designs of its own on the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Rowdies moved into second place on Wednesday night as Marcel Schäfer recorded two goals and one assist in a 3-2 victory against the New York Red Bulls II. Tampa Bay closes with two road games but holds a one-point edge on the third-place Charleston Battery and fourth-place Charlotte Independence going into the final two games for all three clubs.

Real Monarchs SLC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2

9 p.m. ET, Rio Tinto Stadium

Real Monarchs SLC has one hand on the USL Regular Season Championship Shield as it plays host to Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 on Saturday night, needing only a draw to move it clear of its competition to claim the first silverware in club history.

The Monarchs (19-5-6, 63pts) took a 3-0 victory against Reno 1868 FC last Saturday night at Greater Nevada Field, as Chandler Hoffman and Juan Mare each scored their second goals in as many games. That win that almost took Real over the finish line, if not for San Antonio FC’s victory in Tulsa, but now the side will get the chance to clinch on home turf in front of its own fans.

Vancouver (5-17-8, 23pts) will try to play spoiler and keep San Antonio’s slim hopes alive, but the side is coming off a 1-0 loss to the Portland Timbers 2 last Saturday afternoon that kept it in 14th place in the Western Conference. WFC2 will also be without two key players after Myer Bevan and Deklan Wynne were named in New Zealand’s squad for an international exhibition this weekend in Japan.

Orange County SC vs. Reno 1868 FC

Champions Soccer Stadium, 10 p.m. ET

Orange County SC is in search of another win to keep its hopes of reaching the USL Cup Playoffs alive, while Reno 1868 FC needs the same to try and hold onto second place in the Western Conference, when the two teams meet on Saturday night.

Orange County (10-10-10, 40pts) came through its first must-win game of the week on Wednesday night with a 3-1 victory against Sacramento Republic FC. Second-half goals by Dusan Stevanovic and Jerry van Ewijk led the side to victory, and now a repeat performance would move the side level on points with eighth-place OKC Energy FC ahead of OKC’s game on Sunday with the Swope Park Rangers.

Reno (16-7-7, 55pts) will not be in a giving mood, however, after a 3-0 defeat to Real Monarchs SLC last Saturday night ended its 13-game home undefeated streak and allowed both the Rangers and San Antonio FC to pull level on 55 points in the race for second place in the West. With both teams having taken victory once previously this season, 1868 FC will be hoping for a repeat performance of its victory when it last visited Orange County.

Sunday, October 8

Ottawa Fury FC vs. FC Cincinnati

TD Place, 2 p.m. ET

FC Cincinnati can book its return to the USL Cup Playoffs on Sunday afternoon and could still have a chance at a top-four finish, with a victory when it takes on Ottawa Fury FC, which will host its regular-season home finale looking to end on a high note in front of its loyal fans.

With either or both Orlando City B and the New York Red Bulls II to drop points on Saturday when they square off, FCC (11-9-10, 43pts) can make certain of a playoff place with a win in its first trip to Canada. With two road games remaining, the side also has an outside chance at a home playoff game but would need to win out and have either the Charleston Battery or Charlotte Independence fall in both of their remaining games.

Ottawa (7-10-13, 34pts) was officially eliminated from playoff contention, as it conceded a late goal in a 1-1 draw against the Charleston Battery last Sunday afternoon. The Canadian club is within range of setting a new cumulative attendance record for the regular season at TD Place with another big crowd expected. With the side on a 10-game winless streak, springing a surprise and making Cincinnati sweat over its postseason position is the goal for the hosts.

OKC Energy FC vs. Swope Park Rangers

Taft Stadium, 6 p.m. ET

OKC Energy FC can clinch a place in the playoffs for a third consecutive season with a victory on Sunday evening, but the Swope Park Rangers will be looking to make the final week of the season in the Western Conference interesting, as it looks for a win to keep its bid for second place in the conference alive.

Energy FC (12-11-7, 43pts) could may already clinch a place in the USL Cup Playoffs by the time it kicks off on Sunday depending on results elsewhere in the Western Conference. Should both Orange County SC fall to Reno 1868 FC and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC fail to take victory against Sacramento Republic FC on Saturday night, Energy FC will be part of the playoffs.

The Rangers (16-7-7, 55pts) will have plenty to play for, though, as it battles Reno 1868 FC and San Antonio FC for the No. 2-seed in the Western Conference. Coming off a comeback 2-2 draw against Rio Grande Valley FC last Saturday, Swope Park will know where it stands with both Reno and San Antonio in action on Saturday night before it takes to the field.