The inaugural USL Super League regular season is starting to wrap up, and with four out of the eight teams making the playoffs and a current three-way tie for the last playoff spot, every match from now on counts extra. Riley James, Golz TV's USL expert, and I have come up with four storylines to look out for as the regular season comes to a close. 

1. Carolina Ascent FC are officially the first team to qualify for the USL Super League playoffs, and it’s hard to overstate how important Jill Aguilera and Mia Corbin have been in getting them there. Aguilera, who’s also starring for a surging Puerto Rican national team, has brought energy and creativity in midfield. Meanwhile, Corbin is the league’s top scorer with 12 goals and has been leading the line with confidence all season.

2. Carolina’s dominance has them in a tight race with Dallas Trinity FC for first place. Dallas has been strong ever since their preseason friendly against FC Barcelona, and Allie Thornton has been at the heart of it. She sits just one goal behind Corbin with 11 and made history earlier this year as the first player in USLS history to reach 10 goals in a single season. With both teams looking this sharp, the fight for the number one seed could go right down to the wire.

3. Tampa Bay Sun FC are holding steady in third, and they’ve been red-hot since the break. They’ve found ways to win matches that looked out of reach. A big part of that comes from the creativity of Carlee Giammona and Sydny Nasello—both are tied for ninth in the league with 26 chances created.

4. As for the fourth and final playoff spot, it’s currently a three-way tie. Spokane, Brooklyn, and Fort Lauderdale all sit on 34 points. Spokane has the only positive goal differential of the three, which might give them the edge. Brooklyn, though, is in trouble. They haven’t won since December and don’t have a head coach at the moment. After such a strong start, their season is suddenly in danger of falling apart.