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The Midwest Eastern Division is on the line tomorrow night from Erie as your very own Cleveland SC plays for a chance at NPSL immortality.
NPSL schedule-makers could not have drawn a better conclusion to the regular season, and Cleveland SC will take part in a de-facto Midwest East conference championship match against Erie Commodores FC Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
Both teams enter Saturday’s decisive match in Erie with 24 points through 11 games. While the Commodores enjoy home-field advantage as they chase their second consecutive regular season conference championship, Cleveland SC may feel equally as confident travelling to Erie because they hold a tiebreaker over the Commodores.
A Thursday night bout between Erie and Fort Pitt Regiment not only decided Fort Pitt’s playoff fate, but also shaped how Cleveland would approach their finale against the Commodores. A 0-0 draw officially eliminated Fort Pitt from playoff contention, but their efforts took two points from Erie, meaning Cleveland SC will only need a draw to emerge as champions Saturday via a 3-goal advantage over Erie in overall goal differential during 2018 league play.
If the previous meeting between Cleveland SC and Erie Commodores FC is any indication, Saturday’s match will be a must-see event roughly a two-hour drive down I-90. Two weeks prior Cleveland SC defeated the Commodores 3-2 to even have a chance at the conference title. The orange-and-black were led by a hat-trick performance from Vinny Bell as they rallied from a 2-1 deficit to earn three points at Don Shula Stadium. Any other result and Cleveland SC would be facing a qualification instead of a golden opportunity to win the club’s first trophy in its inaugural season.
Head Coach Ryan ‘Ozzy’ Osborne is preparing his squad for the occasion and is hoping the experience helps the club during a playoff run.
“We have another big game this weekend and from our first game against Erie we are aware that they pose many threats and are a very well coached team,” said Osborne. “It is great that we have qualified for the post-season but there is still a job to do on Saturday night. Our next goal as a club is to win in Erie and win the regular season title and hopefully gain some momentum heading into the playoffs.”
Cleveland SC hope to see regular starters and fan favorites Coletun Long and Vinny Bell contribute Saturday. Each has missed time over the last two weeks recovering from injuries. Long appeared for 30 minutes last Saturday against Syracuse FC before being subbed.
Content for story provided by Cleveland SC
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