Cleveland SC Primes For Gigantic Weekend Match With A Chance To Clinch Playoff Birth

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A favorable midweek result means Cleveland SC are now one win from clinching the first playoff berth in club history. Sixth City supporters pulling for Syracuse FC Wednesday as they defeated Fort Pitt Regiment 1-0 will now see them as the only obstacle between Cleveland SC and automatic qualification when the orange-and-black travel to Syracuse for a road Saturday match.

With two matches to play, Cleveland SC sit three points ahead of third place Fort Pitt Regiment, meaning any Cleveland win or Fort Pitt loss in the next two weeks give Cleveland SC a place in the Midwest postseason tournament. Sixth City fans may still need a win from the Regiment July 5 against Erie Commodores FC to have a shot at the regular season conference title, and so will look for the home club to control their own destiny over the final two matches. Cleveland SC sit one point ahead of Erie Commodores FC heading into the weekend for first position in the Midwest East table, but the Commodores hold one game in hand on the inaugural Cleveland SC.

Saturday’s 7:00 p.m. kickoff at Lazer Stadium will see the season’s second match between Syracuse FC and Cleveland SC, just six days after Cleveland were 4-0 victors behind an Admir Suljevic brace and goals from Mike Derezic and Riley Grant.

Cleveland SC will not expect an easy outing Saturday despite their convincing win. Syracuse FC’s upset shutout over Fort Pitt Wednesday shows the team can be tough to break down at home. Syracuse FC also sport an armada of attacking talent that can catch an opposing defense on a counter attack, such as Jacob Kohlbrenner, Sam Daniel, and Wednesday’s goalscorer Joe Falcone.

Head Coach Ryan ‘Ozzy’ Osborne thinks his squad is ready to face the challenge.

“It’s a massive weekend for the club as a whole as we continue our pursuit of the playoffs,” said Osborne. “There is no doubt that beating the same team twice in the space of a week is challenging, but I have faith that we can get the job done. We know what we have to do on Saturday night in Syracuse and all of our energy and effort will be going towards getting a win in New York.”

Cleveland SC also represents the conferences best defense with only nine goals conceded on the season and have found success using both Mikal Outcalt and Marijo Musa in goal. The club will look to keep its goals conceded tally in the single digits to close out the season and keep the conference’s best goal differential in case tiebreaker scenarios are needed. Some uncertainty remains about whether stalwart centerback Coletun Long will return from an injury suffered last Friday against Erie Commodores FC, but the club has thus far been effective using its depth to achieve positive results.

Cleveland SC will be in action once more in its inaugural 2018 regular season with a Saturday, July 7 road match against Erie Commodores FC sure to entertain while affecting postseason qualification and positioning.

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