It all comes down to this. After three exciting weeks of action in the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs, only two teams remain. Here’s everything you need to know going into this weekend’s showdown.
These two clubs have had completely different paths to their first USL Championship Final. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC have been at it for a decade, experiencing regular season success as of late, but never making it further than the Western Conference Final. Meanwhile, Rhode Island FC has done the unthinkable and have a shot at the title in their first-ever season of play. It’s not unheard of in sports, as the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights did the same in 2018, but it is still extremely impressive for the first-year club.
The Path to the Final
Colorado Springs had a great regular season, finishing as the Western Conference runner-up behind New Mexico United FC. They entered the Playoffs on a two-game winning streak and kept the ball rolling with a first-round victory over Oakland Roots SC. Up next was an Orange County SC team that had recently taken down No. 3 seed Memphis 901 FC. It wasn’t easy, but the Switchbacks carved their way forward with a 2-1 win in extra time.
That brings us to this past weekend, where Colorado Springs took on Las Vegas Lights FC with a trip to the Final on the line. The Switchbacks took the lead late in the first half and that was all it took, as they held on to win 1-0 and advance to their first USL Championship Final.
As for Rhode Island, this season has gone about as well as anyone could’ve expected. When they first kicked off in March at their Bryant University temporary home, not many would have predicted that they’d end up here. And yet, the New Englanders have done just that in their inaugural season.
They got started in the quarterfinals with an exciting defeat of Indy Eleven, which featured a hat trick from forward JJ Williams. Rhode Island affirmed their road warriors status, pummeling top-seed Louisville City FC 3-0. Williams was a key factor, scoring another two goals. This meant that Rhode Island was just 90 minutes away from advancing to the Final in their first try.
The Eastern Conference Final proved to be a closer test for the newcomers, facing defending champion Charleston Battery. A mostly-scoreless first half came to a grinding halt when Charleston suffered an own-goal. They built on this, scoring on the other side of the break to go up 2-0. They quickly conceded, but were able to hang on until the final whistle. They have done it, but the job isn’t finished.
Viewing Guide
The 2024 USL Championship Final will be broadcast live on CBS, TUDN and SiriusXM this Saturday, November 23 at 12 PM ET. It’ll be an early 10:00 AM local-time kickoff for the home fans in Colorado Springs, but that won’t stop from bringing the noise in what’s sure to be a fantastic atmosphere at Weidner Field.
What to Expect
After a Playoffs like this, it’s hard for anyone to know what will happen in the Final. We’ve seen a little bit of everything, and best of all, the biggest match is still yet to happen. What Rhode Island has done is nothing short of spectacular. This time last year, the club had just announced its identity and they now have a shot at becoming champions. This means nothing to Colorado Springs, who is looking to crush the magical run and win a Final for themselves.
As one might expect, these two clubs can be found towards the top of league rankings in multiple stat categories. Rhode Island boasts one of the league’s most poignant offenses with 64 goals scored this season. Colorado Springs isn’t far behind with 53 to their name, though. Defensively, the two are nearly mirror images in terms of goals conceded. One area of separation is disciplinary action, as Rhode Island is the most penalized team in the league with 105 yellow cards. They’ll need to be aggressive to win, but also cautious to avoid letting cards swing the match in the Switchbacks’ favor.
These two have met earlier this season, a match in May that ended in a 3-1 victory for Colorado Springs with two goals from Ronaldo Damus. It’s obviously been a while since, but it doesn’t change the fact that containing Damus will be key for Rhode Island on Saturday. The forward ranks second in scoring in the Western Conference, and will likely play a major role if the Switchbacks do find victory. The same can be said regarding Rhode Island’s electric duo of JJ Williams and Albert Dikwa. The team’s leading scorers have combined for six of eight goals throughout the 2024 Playoffs. Limiting these two might be the edge that Colorado Springs needs to come out on top.
For neutral fans, this is sure to be a great match no matter the outcome. It’ll be plenty of fun for the clubs’ fanbases as well, there’ll just be a much happier ending for one of them afterwards. Whatever team you support, make sure to tune in for a thrilling conclusion to another exciting USL Championship season this Saturday.
