The PDL playoffs are just around the corner, so this week we’re taking a look at which teams will likely make the postseason in each of the league’s four conferences. You can find our preview of the Carolina-heavy Eastern Conference here.

First, a little refresher about how the playoffs work.

The postseason starts July 20 with four four-team Conference playoffs. The Conference winners then move on to the National Semifinals.

with four four-team Conference playoffs. The Conference winners then move on to the National Semifinals. In conferences with three divisions (that’s the Eastern, Southern and Western), each division winner and the highest-finishing second-place team in the conference make the playoffs. The second-place team is automatically the №4 seed, no matter their point total, and will be matched up with one of the teams outside of their division.

In the Central Conference, which has two divisions, the top two teams from each division make the playoffs.

Today, we look at the Southern Conference playoffs, which will be hosted by Tormenta FC at Erk Russell Park on the campus of Georgia Southern University. The SC United Bantams are our lone Carolina team there, playing in the Deep South division.

Deep South Division

This division features four teams that played in the South Atlantic last year. Tormenta FC, of USL D3 fame, has yet to lose this season (this is not a jinx attempt) with a 10–0–2 record. They can challenge Reading United for the regular season best record if they can close out with two more wins and finish with 38 points. They have clinched the division with the Bantams nine points behind in second place. More on that later.

Tormenta will also be playing at home in the playoffs, which is a huge advantage, on one of the better surfaces in the league at Georgia Southern. Tormenta has two players on the 2018 Top Prospects list: #24 Marco Micaletto, midfielder, Akron; and #33 Jad Arslan, midfielder, West Virginia.

Mid South Division

Brazos Valley Cavalry FC, a second-year club out of College Station, Texas, all but wrapped up the Mid South Division with a 3–0 win at Texas United Tuesday. OKC Energy can still technically catch them: With nine points still available, they need all nine. But Brazos have one final game against Texas United July 13 and they hold the tiebreaker. Secure just a single point Friday night, and they head to Tormenta for the playoffs regardless of what OKC can manage. More on them later.

Brazos is on a five-game winning streak heading into Friday and has scored a Southern Conference-leading 38 goals this season. The Calvary are led in scoring by Butler Bulldogs forward Brandon Guhl with eight goals and four assists in eight games played.

Southeast Division

The Southeast Division is still close and will be decided with the season’s final games. The SIMA Aguilas currently lead the division with 29 points in 13 games, but right behind them are the Lakeland Tropics and The Villages SC (both on 27 points in 13 games).

This division seems to have the most drama in all of the PDL.

SIMA, which beat NEXT Academy Palm Beach 1–0 Wednesday night, plays July 15 at home against FC Miami City. Lakeland dropped points against IMG Tuesday, managing just a 1–1 draw. Their next game is at home against Weston FC July 14. Finally, The Villages, which beat Lakeland 2–0 July 7, finishes the season at home against IMG Academy July 14.

While one team will wrap up automatic qualification with the division title, there is still a shot for the other two teams with the…

Wild card spot

Five teams in the Southern Conference are within shouting distance of the fourth and final playoff spot. Last year’s Southern Conference champion, Mississippi Brilla, is currently third in the Deep South with 22 points, but has two games remaining and can finish with 28 points. Sadly, Columbia’s SC United Bantams saw their chance at a wildcard spot slip away as they drew Birmingham Hammers last week.

As we said earlier, the Mid South’s OKC Energy FC (19 points) have only played 11 games and could finish with 28 points, potentially moving them into the wild card spot. However, OKC has three games in four days and needs wins in all three to get to 28 points. That’s not impossible, but it’s certainly not easy.

In all likelihood, the wildcard will go to the Southeast Division’s runner up as those three teams each have the highest possible points remaining. Lakeland can finish with 30 points with a win next weekend. SIMA can finish with 32 points (and the division title) avoiding the wildcard, and The Villages can finish with 30 points and force tiebreakers to come in to play with Lakeland for the wildcard spot.

Got all that?

The Carolinas will only get one team into the PDL Playoffs this year with Myrtle Beach wrapping up the South Atlantic division yesterday. The Bantams, with a win in their final game can set a franchise record for best record at 8–4–2.

Hopefully the PDL playoffs are just as crazy and captivating as the 2018 World Cup has been.

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