By Nathaniel Gould
THE PLAYOFF RACE: SEATTLE (Pacific Division, Western Conference) and CHARLESTON (Southeast Division, Eastern Conference) remain the only teams to have clinched A-League playoff spots, but the number of contenders for the 12 spots has decreased. The CALGARY STORM, INDIANA BLAST, PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS and HAMPTON ROADS MARINERS have been mathematically eliminated. This leaves 12 teams competing for 10 remaining playoff spots.
PORTLAND (50 pts), EL PASO (48 pts) and VANCOUVER (45 pts) and are fighting it out for the second playoff spot behind Seattle in the Pacific Division. (Portland thumped El Paso, 6-1, Wednesday night, thanks to a four-goal effort by McKINLEY TENNYSON).
MILWAUKEE (Central Division) is the closest of the remaining playoff contesting teams in the Western Conference to clinching a playoff spot, needing only four points from its six remaining games. MINNESOTA (52 pts) will most likely get the second playoff spot from the Central Division. CINCINNATI (38 pts) is challenging for an at-large bid with El Paso, Vancouver and Portland.
In the Eastern Conference, RICHMOND (60 pts), ROCHESTER (58 pts) and ATLANTA (56 pts) are very close to clinching playoff spots, needing two, four and six points, respectively. Richmond and Atlanta will fight it out for the second Southeast Division playoff spot behind Charleston. Either is in a good position for one of the Conference's two at-large bids.
MONTREAL (49 pts), with three games in hand, will most likely take the playoff spot, as runner-up to Rochester in the Northeast Division, over TORONTO (43 pts).
CHARLOTTE (36 pts) has only an outside chance for an at-large bid, possibly by overtaking TORONTO. Both teams have difficult schedules ahead. Toronto takes on Montreal, Rochester (twice) and Atlanta. Charlotte will play Montreal, Richmond (twice) and Rochester; its only easy game is against Hampton Roads.
Toronto beat Montreal last week, 2-1, in overtime, and Charlotte tied Charleston twice.
ATLANTA WINS SOUTHERN DERBY: A 1-1 tie between CHARLESTON and CHARLOTTE last Saturday gave the ATLANTA SILVERBACKS the 2002 Southern Derby Commemorative Cup, a competition that takes into account head-to-head results between the trio of teams.
Atlanta won with a 2-1-1 record. Charleston finished the competition with 1-3-0 record and Charlotte went 0-2-2.
The Southern Derby was founded in 2000 by the supporters groups of the Charleston Battery, Charlotte Eagles and RALEIGH EXPRESS. It was created to build fan interest and a title to fight in case teams were out of the A-League playoff race.
After winning the inaugural Cup in 2000, Raleigh folded. Charlotte joined the competition in 2001 after being promoted from the D3 league and being placed in the Southeast Division with Atlanta and Charleston. Charlotte won the 2001 Cup on tiebreakers against Charleston.
CHAMPS. The CAPE COD CRUSADERS are PDL champions thanks to a 2-1 overtime win over BOULDER RAPIDS RESERVE on Saturday in front of 2,239 fans in West Yarmouth, Mass. CASEY SCHMIDT scored the winner in overtime. Cape Cod's FELIX BRILLANT earned PDL championship MVP honors. … The BOSTON RENEGADES claimed their second successive W-League title with a 3-0 final win over the CHARLOTTE LADY EAGLES. ERIN O'GRAY notched two goals in the final.