Cleveland Soccer Club’s first two-match weekend comes at a critical stretch in the season where the club looks to keep pace at the top of the table and put other clubs in the rearview mirror.
First on the to-do list is a Friday road trip to Binghamton for a reverse fixture against GBFC, who Cleveland SC defeated handedly with a 10-0 score line less than two weeks prior.
The orange-and-black will return to John Carroll University Sunday for a 2:00 p.m. match with the Midwest East Conference’s current top club in points per game, Fort Pitt Regiment.
Cleveland SC’s seven points on the season see them tied for third position in the conference table with FC Buffalo, but other factors paint an optimistic picture for the club in its first year. First, Cleveland SC has two matches in hand against FC Buffalo and last week earned a valuable road point in Buffalo, one of the toughest away venues in the conference. Cleveland SC also have two matches in hand on Erie Commodores FC, who hold a 6-point advantage over the orange-and-black.
Sunday’s match against Fort Pitt could decide the front-runners in the conference playoff race. Though the Regiment have earned maximum points through three matches, East Conference observers are still trying to figure out exactly what kind of team Fort Pitt will be this season. Two of the Regiment’s three wins have come against Friday’s opponent GBFC, who reside at the bottom of the table with no points and a negative 37-goal differential.
Even though it took two matches for Fort Pitt’s offense to match Cleveland SC’s 10 goals in 90 minutes against GBFC, the home team will still expect a tough opponent. The Regiment surprised many in their first match of the season with a 2-0 road win at FC Buffalo.
To steal points from Cleveland SC, GBFC and Fort Pitt Regiment will have to accomplish something no team could in its first three matches ¾ put one past Mikal Outcalt and the suffocating Cleveland SC backline. Cleveland SC is one of only two teams left in the entire NPSL with no goals conceded. To Fort Pitt’s credit, they have only given up one goal thus far in 2018 and will get a chance to prove they belong in the playoff conversation Sunday at Don Shula Stadium.
Cleveland SC can’t afford to look over their Friday match against GBFC either, as they need all six points this weekend to stay even on points with Erie Commodores, and road wins are notoriously difficult to come by in the Midwest East Conference.
Around the conference, Sixth City supporters might also tune into FC Buffalo vs. Syracuse FC at 7:00 p.m. to see if FC Buffalo can keep the playoff race between four clubs.
Tickets for Cleveland SC’s home match against Fort Pitt Regiment Sunday, June 10 are still available at ClevelandSC.com. Only four home matches remain for the 2018 NPSL regular season.
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