As the spring season in lower league soccer draws to a close, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex will be represented in both the NPSL and USL League Two playoffs.
NPSL
The Denton Diablos rolled their Roja League success into a strong season in the NPSL Lone Star Conference, dropping only five points in the ten game schedule. Ramon Raya’s side put together the eighth best record in the 72-team NPSL, ensuring home advantage through at least the West Region Final.
Denton hosts fourth-seed Katy 1895 FC on Wednesday night at Denton High School, kickoff is 7:30pm. The winner of that game will then face the winner of #2 Laredo Heat SC v #3 Midland-Odessa Sockers FC in the Heartland Conference Final with the highest seed hosting on Saturday, July 17.
Although The Heartland Conference is part of the South Region, it has been paired with the West Region – which only has one conference – for the playoff bracket. In the West, Las Vegas Legends FC, FC Golden State, and FC Arizona will contest the conference title and a place in the South Region final. Denton Diablos’ 2.5 points per game record in the regular season far exceeds any of the three western sides, potentially leaving them with a trip to North Texas on Saturday, July 24.
The winners of the West, East, South, and Midwest Regions will contest the national semifinals and final, once again with each game taking place at the home of the higher seeded team based on PPG.
2021 NPSL Lone Star Conference Semifinals β July 14:
#1 Denton Diablos FC v #4 Katy 1895 FC
#2 Laredo Heat SC v #3 Midland-Odessa Sockers FC
2021 NPSL Southwest Conference Semifinal β July 14:
#2 FC Golden State v #3 FC Arizona
2021 NPSL Lone Star Conference Final β July 17:
Highest remaining seed v Lowest remaining seed
2021 NPSL Southwest Conference Final β July 17:
#1 Las Vegas Legends FC v Semifinal winner
2021 NPSL West Region Final β July 24:
#1 v #2 seed
2021 NPSL National Semifinals β July 31:
#1 Seed v #4 Seed
#2 Seed v #3 Seed
2021 NPSL National Championship β August 7: Hosted by higher seed
Higher Seed v Lower Seed
USL League Two
Texas United got off to a bumpy start in 2021 after moving from Grand Prairie to Richardson, with only a point from the opening four games but Arez Ardalani’s side snuck in to the USL-2 playoffs on the final day of the regular season. A 1-0 win over Houston FC combined with Little Rock Rangers losing to Corpus Christi to earn a first playoff appearance for United.
The playoff structure in USL League Two differs to that of NPSL. Eighth seed Texas United will take on #1 seed Des Moines Menace in Des Moines, IA. That game will also kick-off on Wednesday, at 7pm. The winners will then meet the winners of reigning USL League Two champions, Flint City Bucks, and Chicago FC United in a conference semi final on Sunday.
The other half of the Central Conference will take place in Jackson, MS with the Central Conference final and national semifinal against the winner of the Western Conference still to be determined.
2021 USL League Two Central Conference Quarterfinal β July 14: Des Moines, IA
#4 Chicago FC United v #5 Flint City Bucks
#1 Des Moines Menace v #8 Texas United
2021 USL League Two Central Conference Quarterfinal β July 16: Jackson, MS
#2 Kalamazoo FC v #7 Corpus Christi FC
#3 Mississippi Brilla FC v #6 Kings Hammer FC
2021 USL League Two Central Conference Semifinal β July 18: Des Moines, IA
Chicago FC United/Flint City Bucks v Des Moines Menace/Texas United