Today – Saturday, January 2nd – is the all-important regular-season final for the Roja Invierno League.
Every game matters in the fight for the four playoff spots.
Standings After Matchday Six
Updated 12/30 after the replay of FC Harrington and Foro 360 Pro.
| POS | TEAM | PTS | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denton Estudiantes | 13 | 18 | 8 | 10 |
| 2 | Inocentes FC | 11 | 12 | 10 | 2 |
| 3 | Denton Diablos | 10 | 11 | 9 | 2 |
| 4 | Foro 360 Pro | 10 | 16 | 15 | 1 |
| 5 | FC Harrington | 8 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| 6 | Fort Worth Vaqueros | 8 | 6 | 7 | -1 |
| 7 | Irving FC | 5 | 6 | 11 | -5 |
| 8 | Premier Legends | 1 | 8 | 18 | -10 |
Goal Differential is the first tie-breaker, Goals For is the second.
Let’s break down the schedule.
Denton Estudiantes vs FC Harrington
1 pm – Texas Wesleyan University Martin Field, Fort Worth
Two of the best defensive teams in the Roja go at it.
1st place Estudiantes has clinched a playoff spot and they will win the league with a win. Even a tie could see them in the top spot if Inocentes has a bad result.
For 5th place FC Harrington, this is a must-win against the top team as a tie or a loss eliminates them. The solid defense of FCH will need to shut down the best offense in the Roja to have a shot.
Premier Legends vs Fort Worth Vaqueros
3 pm – Texas Wesleyan University Martin Field, Fort Worth
6th place Vaqueros still have a chance to earn a playoff spot and have the home-field advantage this afternoon. They too are in a must-win game as a tie or loss and are they are out.
In their favor, Vaqueros – with the stingiest D in the league – are facing the last place Premier Legends. 01PL will be looking to play spoiler and likely would enjoy nothing more than knocking out the higher league Vaqueros.
Denton Diablos vs Inocentes FC
4 pm – FW Polytechnic HS, Fort Worth
2nd place Inocentes has a chance to grab the regular-season title if Estudiantes are tripped up. IFC will want to lock down the #2 seed and home-field for the playoff opener in any case. There is even a scenario where Inocentes could be eliminated.
3rd place Diablos will, I imagine, be on their A-game in this road matchup as a loss could see them eliminated. On the other hand, a win could see them finish as high as 2nd.
On paper, this is the most intriguing game of the day.
Irving FC vs Foro 360 PRO
7 pm – Foro Sports Club, Dallas
4th place Foro 360, like Diablos, is currently in the playoffs but could be eliminated with a loss if other results don’t go their way.
Irving FC, currently in 7th, only has the role of spoiler to play but will be looking to replicate last week’s 4 goal explosion as they face the 2nd best offense in the league.
This one could be a shootout.
The Roja League Invierno Playoffs
Announced schedule.
Semifinals – Wednesday, January 6th
| Matchup | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 v 4 | TBD | TBD |
| 2 v 3 | TBD | TBD |
Championship – Saturday, January 9th
| Semifinal Winners | TBD | TBD |