As USL League One celebrated the final week of the 2026 season, there were two playoff spots and two top-four berths up in the air. With the dust settled, we’ve got the full picture. Chattanooga and Naples are in as League One’s seventh and eighth seeds. Meanwhile, Charlotte and Omaha had already clinched the division’s top two spots, with Boise and Madison joining them thanks to positive results in the final weekend. That quartet will host first-round matches starting next weekend.
What went down in Week 34 to get us here? Let’s dig in.
Naples’ path to the playoffs (and Sarasota’s demise)
Rarely do you get the soccer version of mutually assured destruction, but that was a genuine possibility as FC Naples and the Sarasota Paradise met on Wednesday. Whoever won would retain a slim chance at qualifying for the playoffs; a draw would eliminate Naples and Sarasota alike, solidifying League One’s eight-team postseason field.
Paradise had been the hottest offense in the division (this side of Charlotte, at least) entering Week 34, and their job was to keep that success going against an equally in-form Naples defense. Interim manager Zak Gordon’s side travelled to Sarasota having won five straight games, and they extended that streak to six in a thrilling 3-2 win – one in which a daring tactical approach and late-game pragmatics did the job.
Sarasota came out with the bolder lineup changes, re-deploying false No. 9 Sander Roed in a midfield position to accommodate veteran Emiliano Terzaghi up top. That change let Paradise score first, but their guests didn’t give up the fight. Despite that allowance, Naples goalkeeper Lalo Delgado put in yet another stellar showing. Between the onset of the winning streak and the season’s end, Delgado put up nearly 2.0 goals prevented – almost twice as many as any other shot-stopper in League One. His steadying presence let Gordon experiment elsewhere on the pitch.
While Naples lined up in a 4-2-3-1 in mid- and low-block situations, a 3-2-3-2 shape prevailed in the press and in possession. To get there, Naples let left back Julian Cisneros flash up the sideline while leaving their three other defenders (gold above) deep. The choice to adopt that shape was clever against a Sarasota side known to build with a single No. 6; in the top frame above, it’s forced Paradise into a giveaway to the feet of right winger Ty Collins (dark blue).
