Four teams will take their best shot at spot in M2 Championship Weekend
TAMPA, Fla. -- The final two spots in the Major Arena Soccer League 2 Championship Weekend will be decided today and tomorrow in Michigan and California.
The Muskegon Risers will take on the Chicago Mustangs at 7 p.m. in Mercy Health Arena in Muskegon Saturday night. Ticket and broadcast information HERE. They are the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Eastern Division. No. 1 seed Cleveland earned an automatic berth to the semi-finals set April 8 in Muskegon.
Meanwhile, the San Diego Socers 2 will be at Pechanga Arena for what shapes up on paper to be an intense matchup for a 12:30 PDT start Sunday against the Barracudas. Ticket and broadcast information HERE.
The Risers will enter Saturday's game a little short handed, with popular veteran Miguel Flores sidelined by injury and one of the team's leading scorers, Ryan Zietlow, also out with injury. Aldony Mendez leads the offense with 18 points in just six games.
For Chicago, Angel Rodriguez had 10 goals and 10 assists in nine games so far this season. Muskegon finished the regular season 6-6, and will be appearing in their first ever playoff game. Chicago, which has a long playoff history through many years of the Mustangs, finished the year 5-7. The two teams played four times in the regular season, splitting the game two each. Two of the games were one-goal contests.
In San Diego, the Sockers will host RGV who they beat twice this season -- with both games in Brownsville -- one one and two goal margins. The Sockers are led by Ismael Rojo who has 14 goals and five assists in 10 games. The Sockers finished the regular season 11-1.
RGV finished the year 10-2, and is led by Jose Martinez with 24 goals in 12 games.
The Omaha Kings are the other team in addition to Cleveland who have earned a berth to Championship Weekend, having defeated the Wichita Wings on March 30 in overtime. By virtue of being the No. 1 overall seed, the Crunch will be able to select their semi-finals opponent, with the remaining two teams also matchup up in a semi-finals doubleheader April 8. The championship game is set for Sunday, April 10 in Muskegon.