In a battle of teams below the playoff line, both Richmond and Lexington should feel good heading into the weekend following a pair of notable victories; Richmond relied on its youth to upset Charlotte at American Legion Memorial Stadium and earn its first victory against the Independence since June 2022, and Lexington matched the record for the largest victory in league history with a 7-1 shellacking of Central Valley on Wednesday. A win for either side would present the opportunity to finish the week above the playoff line – something Richmond hasn't done since April and Charlotte since June – and coincidentally mean that Knoxville, Madison and Greenville would have to wait at least one more week to confirm their respective postseason berths. While Lexington is unbeaten against Richmond in its last three meetings, the pair's lone encounter at City Stadium resulted in a Kickers victory back in May 2023.

The Owls became the first team to lock up a postseason berth through Lexington's result against Central Valley on Wednesday, as the Players' Shield holders look to become the first to claim the trophy three times. Alternatively, Knoxville is closing in on the first postseason appearance of its two-year professional era and first overall since participating in the 2022 USL League Two Playoffs as South Central Division champions to conclude its inaugural campaign. Seeking its first win of the two-year series, Knoxville have historically struggled against Omaha, averaging only 0.25 points per match against the Owls – its lowest total against a League One opponent. Still, Knoxville are flying under Interim Head Coach Ilija Ilić and are only one match shy of equaling its club-record 12-match unbeaten streak from the middle of its 2022 USL League Two season.