For the second straight year, the Swope Park Rangers are on the precipice of USL Cup glory. The back-to-back Western Conference champions advanced to this exact stage in 2016, only to fall short of a league title in their inaugural season. With unfinished business still at hand, the Rangers will travel to face Louisville City in the 2017 USL Cup Final on Monday, Nov. 13, airing live nationally at 8 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
During the week leading up to the championship match, SportingKC.com will visit seven relevant storylines surrounding the biggest game of the United Soccer League season. In Part One, we relive the dramatic playoff runs both teams have made en route to the final.
In many ways, the 2017 USL Cup Playoffs have served as a road to redemption for Swope Park Rangers and Louisville City FC. The Rangers suffered defeat to New York Red Bulls II in the 2016 USL Cup Final, while Louisville fell to the same team — in a penalty shootout, no less — one week earlier in the Eastern Conference Final.
Fast-forward 12 months, and both sides are within touching distance of exorcising all the demons of their postseason pasts. In the space below, we take a look at the thrilling playoff journeys each team took to reach Monday’s championship game.
Swope Park Rangers
Western Conference Quarterfinals: Tied Phoenix Rising FC 1-1 (won 4-2 on penalties)
Mother nature’s involvement in an epic battle between SPR and Phoenix only added to the game’s folklore. After a swampy first 45 minutes played amidst torrential rain on the night of Saturday, Oct. 21, the match was postponed and resumed at the start of the second half the following afternoon. With the sunshine eventually came goals, as Didier Drogba’s 99th-minute tally was canceled out by Amer Didic’s headed equalizer 10 minutes later. In the decisive shootout, SPR goalkeeper Darrin MacLeod pushed aside Kevon Lambert’s attempt in round one to pave the way for a Rangers victory.
Western Conference Semifinals: Defeated Sacramento Republic FC 1-0
A shift from Swope Soccer Village to Children’s Mercy Park did little to throw off the Rangers’ postseason mojo. After a scoreless first half, SPR drew first blood less than a minute after the restart when Kharlton Belmar nodded home his team-leading 15th goal of the campaign after Tyler Pasher had raced in behind the Sacramento defense. Goalkeeper Adrian Zendejas made four saves at the opposite end, none better than his 75th-minute stop to deny Villyan Bijev.
Western Conference Final: Tied OKC Energy FC 0-0 (won 7-6 on penalties)
Alas, the Adrian Zendejas Game. SPR’s 22-year-old goalkeeper — on loan from Sporting KC — recorded his second straight playoff clean sheet, then made four saves in a jaw-dropping shootout before converting the game-winning attempt himself in the 11th round of spot kicks. It was a vintage performance between the posts, and one that gave the Rangers a deserved result based on the run of play during 120 scoreless minutes.
Louisville City FC
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Defeated Bethlehem Steel 4-0
Louisville wasted no time asserting their superiority as the top-seeded team in the East, cruising to a comfortable victory over the Philadelphia Union’s USL affiliate at Louisville Slugger Field. Defender Tarek Morad had scored just once during the regular season, but his first-half brace effectively put the match to bed. Luke Spencer then bagged his team-leading 11th goal of the season, and Brian Ownby added a late fourth to complete the rout.
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Defeated Rochester Rhinos 1-0
In a matchup featuring the East’s best offense against the league’s best defense, a predictably cagey battle unfolded. Rochester had allowed just 28 regular-season goals, second-fewest in the USL, but a delicately poised affair shifted in favor of Louisville when halftime substitute Ownby found the back of the net in the 77th minute.
Eastern Conference Final: Tied New York Red Bulls II 1-1 (won 4-3 on penalties)
For the second straight year, nothing separated Louisville and Red Bulls II after 120 minutes. The 2016 Eastern Conference Final was also decided on penalty kicks — a wild precursor to New York’s league championship. A change of scenery brought the 2017 rematch to Kentucky, where the hosts took a 12th-minute lead through the in-form Ownby. Junior Flemmings equalized on 57 minutes, and a tense final hour set the stage for penalties. Goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh promptly delivered the heroics, making two saves in the shootout to ensure the 2017 USL Cup Final would take place in Louisville.
