After this week’s run of midweek action, the battle for second place in the League One standings comes front and center again this weekend in a must-see game to start your Friday night. There’s also a four-game slate throughout Saturday, with every game having a potential impact on the playoff race.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, here’s where you can find where everyone stands in the Race to the 2024 USL League One Playoffs. Here are three more storylines to know going in, three players to keep an eye on, and what else you need to know before tuning in on ESPN+.

1. THE MAIN EVENT: Charlotte, Madison get high-leverage rematch

For the second time in just under a month, the Charlotte Independence and Forward Madison FC will meet in a game where the stakes for both are very high.

• RECENT HISTORY: Last month, the sides clashed in the Semifinals of the USL Jägermeister Cup at Madison’s Breese Stevens Field. The Flamingos took victory thanks to Christian Chaney’s second-half winner to reach the first Final in club history.

• NO BOUNCE-BACK: The Independence haven’t rebounded quite as they’d have hoped from that setback. The side suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Richmond Kickers the following weekend and then played a wild 3-3 draw in which it let a two-goal lead slide against South Georgia Tormenta FC on September 21 in its last outing.

• BUSY FLAMINGOS: While the Independence have had the chance to take stock over the past two weeks, the Flamingos have been on the move. There was, of course, last week’s Jägermeister Cup Final in which the side fell in a penalty shootout to Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, but then Madison had to go to One Knoxville SC on Tuesday night, where they earned a 1-1 draw to seal a playoff berth.

That makes this Friday night’s showdown at Charlotte’s American Legion Memorial Stadium the third outing in three different cities in seven days for Madison. The side rotated as best it could on Tuesday night – Chaney and Mitchell Osmond got the night off, while regulars Derek Gebhard and Stephen Payne came off the bench – but they’re still covering a lot of ground in a short time as the run-in to the regular season starts.

That makes this contest a massive one for the Independence, which would move back into second place if it takes all three points on home turf. With Omaha starting to pull away from the pack, the Flamingos will need to dig deep and maintain their upper hand on the chasing group.

2. THE UNDERCARD: Can Richmond make a statement vs. Omaha

With three consecutive wins to move above the playoff line, we’ve been bullish on the Richmond Kickers’ chances of a late-season surge. So are John Morrissey’s Playoff Odds, which have the Kickers as the last team in, narrowly ahead of South Georgia Tormenta FC.

Ahead of their potentially crucial showdown next weekend, though, the Kickers get a huge test at home to Union Omaha in what would currently be a Quarterfinal matchup in the League One Playoffs.

• PROVING GROUND: The Kickers have turned things in their favor in impressive fashion, but Omaha has had its number over the past two years. Los Buhos used a dominant first half to set up a 3-0 victory when the teams last met in August and have won three in a row against Richmond in league play.

• FRONT FOOT: What’s been key for the Kickers since then has been earning a lead, rather than trying to battle back after going behind. Richmond hasn’t trailed in any of its past three games – earning all victory late after letting a two-goal lead slip against Spokane Velocity on August 29 – and has posted consecutive shutouts for the first time since its opening two league outings in 2023.

• SHIELD IN SIGHT: Omaha is on a roll, however, having picked up four consecutive league wins after a 4-0 win on Wednesday afternoon against Spokane. Sitting seven points from claiming the Players’ Shield for a third time in four seasons, the visitors will be the biggest test Richmond gets in its bid for the postseason.

Nothing will get decided in the battle for eighth place this weekend, but for the Kickers this is a chance to show their recent run can survive against the best. If they do that before their support at City Stadium, it will only add to their momentum.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Yannik Yankam, Lexington SC: Ahead of a likely call-up for Malta’s UEFA Nations League contests next week, Yankam could boost Lexington’s playoff chances with a good display on the road against Greenville Triumph SC.

Kempes Tekiela, One Knoxville SC: The German forward introduced himself to the Smokey Mountain Smackdown with a two-goal outing when One Knox downed Chattanooga Red Wolves SC 4-1 on August 16. He’ll be looking for more of the same on Saturday at CHI Memorial Stadium.

Pedro Fonseca, South Georgia Tormenta FC: The 27-year-old scored the winner the last time Tormenta took victory in July. With his side’s playoff chances hanging in the balance, Fonseca could have a key role to play away at Northern Colorado.

AROUND THE GROUNDS

#GVLvLEX: Greenville had to stew over a game it probably should have won against Central Valley for a couple of weeks. The Triumph have a chance get back into a top-four spot before the end of the season, while Lexington needs to find something to keep its playoff drive in gear. If we get a repeat of the early-season five-goal thriller these sides produced, that would be good.

#CHAvKNX: One Knox is in position to clinch its playoff berth with a win, is still in contention for a top-four finish despite its midweek draw with Forward Madison FC, and is undefeated in all three meetings with the Red Wolves this season. If it picks up another win – and extends the Red Wolves’ winless run to seven games in league play – it’s going to put an awful lot of pressure on the hosts to snap out of it and keep their playoff bid alive.

#NCOvTRM: Northern Colorado wasn’t consistently at its best in defeating Central Valley Fuego on Wednesday night, but it came through with a win regardless thanks to some great individual performances. Completing a run of three games in eight days, the Hailstorm host a Tormenta side that is well rested but that knows its season is likely on the line in the next two weeks, and should be bringing everything it has at its disposal to find a win.