The Red Wolves head to Greenville Saturday night with everything to play for as the race for playoff positioning comes to a head. With two games remaining in the USL League One season, the Red Wolves sit second in the table with 43 points secured through 26 games with a goal difference of nine and four points off of first place. Greenville sits two points behind the Red Wolves in third with Richmond lurking close behind in fourth.
The top two seeds in USL League One represent a major advantage in the playoffs, with the top two seeds not only receiving a first round bye, but also receiving home field advantage in the semi finals. The top six sides in the league advance to the playoffs, with the three seed hosting the six seed and the four seed hosting the five seed. Upon conclusion of the first two games, the one and two seed, who do not play in round one, face the winners of the first two games with the number one seed playing the lower ranked of the two first round match winners.
For the Red Wolves, winning in Greenville goes a long way in securing a top two finish. After Omaha’s home defeat against Madison last night, the path to lock up the first seed is still open for Chattanooga. If the Red Wolves win out, and Omaha proceeds to tie and lose in its last two matches Chattanooga will secure the top spot.
However, this weekend, a Greenville win would place the Red Wolves in third heading into the final match week of the season, opening up a plethora of potential seeding results come the end of the season.
While the playoff picture is certainly not set in stone, with seeds 5-8 separated by two points, the picture has gotten clear for Obleda’s Red Wolves. The Red Wolves all but clinch the second seed with a win over Greenville.
The cardiac Red Wolves have made a name for themselves this season with their enthralling last-minute winners, and now have a chance to secure the all-important second seed in the playoffs in the campaign’s dying moments. The cliché that every match this time of year is a cup final rings true, and the Red Wolves have a chance to make club history on Saturday. Win, and the club secure the highest finish in their history with a fantastic chance to lift silverware in the playoffs. Dale Lobos.
