Decision Day 2024: What’s On the Line in Liga HEB

With the All-Star game behind us, Spring Break on the horizon, and the Champions Cup Playoffs set to begin when students return to campus; the final week of the regular season will be an important one. All six playoff spots are up for grabs, and no team has been mathematically eliminated from the field. But the stakes vary from club to club: some are guaranteed a Top-3 finish. Others must win to stay alive.

Here’s a look at what each team in Liga HEB can accomplish on Decision Day:

Real Euless Reigns… for Now

CURRENTLY: 1st Place, (5-0-0, 15 pts)
BEST POSSIBLE FINISH: 1st Place, (6-0-0, 18 pts)
WORST POSSIBLE FINISH: 2nd Place, (5-1-0, 15 pts)

Thanks to a 2-0 victory over Hurst City in Week One, the top team at Euless is in full control of their destiny. They’ll secure the Top of Table Award with a win or draw in the rematch on March 6, and could still come in first with a close loss. Real boasts a higher Goal Difference than City and the aggregate scoring lead, so they only need to avoid a blowout.

A Tall Task for Hurst City

CURRENTLY: 2nd Place, (4-1-0, 12 pts)
BEST POSSIBLE FINISH: 1st Place, (5-1-0, 15 pts)
WORST POSSIBLE FINISH: 3rd Place, (5-2-0, 12 pts)

In all likelihood, Hurst City will take the two-seed into the Champions Cup Finals tournament. Only a win by two or more goals would put them ahead of Real Euless on Goal Difference or head-to-head aggregate, and it would take a herculean effort from multiple clubs to knock them down to third. But if they lose badly enough (and Bedford beats Central while Raiders United win big), they could drop a spot on Goal Difference.

One Final Statement for Central

CURRENTLY: 3rd Place, (3-2-0, 9 pts)
BEST POSSIBLE FINISH: 3rd Place, (4-2-0, 12 pts)
WORST POSSIBLE FINISH: 5th Place, (3-3-0, 9 pts)

After struggling to reclaim their former glory over the last few seasons, Atletico Central is back in the championship mix as a Dark Horse. They competed with the top teams in the league this season, losing to Real Euless and Hurst City by a single goal apiece, and they’re now guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. But a statement win over Bedford United in the season finale would give them something better: a clear path to the medal round.

All Roads Open for Raiders

CURRENTLY: 4th Place, (3-2-0, 9 pts)
BEST POSSIBLE FINISH: 2nd Place, (4-2-0, 12 pts)
WORST POSSIBLE FINISH: 6th Place, (3-3-0, 9 pts)

No team has more on the line this week than Raiders United, who could finish almost anywhere in the playoff pack depending on league-wide results. They need a Bedford win and lopsided scorelines in both Hurst matches to come in second – it seems unlikely that they can make up the 10-point Goal Difference gap between them and City – but almost every other spot is within their grasp.

Blackhawk SC Learning to Fly

CURRENTLY: 5th Place, (2-3-0, 6 pts)
BEST POSSIBLE FINISH: 4th Place, (3-3-0, 9 pts)
WORST POSSIBLE FINISH: 6th Place, (2-4-0, 6 pts)

Blackhawks SC took three points from the Other Club at Harwood this week, ensuring they’ll qualify for the Champions Cup Playoffs thanks to a Week 5 win over Stallions FC. That’s not the only crucial result on their calendar, either: they come into their match with Raiders needing one more win to steal fourth place with the Head-to-Head tiebreaker.

Broncos Alive and Kicking

CURRENTLY: 6th Place, (2-3-0, 6 pts)
BEST POSSIBLE FINISH: 3rd Place, (3-3-0, 9 pts)
WORST POSSIBLE FINISH: 6th Place, (2-4-0, 6 pts)

Of all the clubs in Liga HEB, Bedford might have drawn the most challenging schedule. They’re guaranteed to make the playoffs thanks to a Week 4 win over Stallions FC, but they need to beat Atletico Central on Decision Day to put themselves in position for a deep playoff run. The Broncos also need an assist from Harwood to finish in the top three; Raiders hold three points over Bedford and face Blackhawk SC to end the year.

Tough Luck for Horseshoes

CURRENTLY: 7th Place, (1-4-0, 3 pts)
BEST POSSIBLE FINISH: 7th Place, (2-4-0, 6 pts)
WORST POSSIBLE FINISH: 8th Place, (1-5-0, 3 pts)

Stallions are one of only two teams in the league to play Spartans HJH twice, and they carry a hefty scoring advantage into the home leg of their head-to-head series. With Blackhawk logging a late win over Spartans, the second club at Euless is officially out of playoff contention. If they take the series this week, they’ll have come within two goals of the playoffs.

Spartans Hunting First Point

CURRENTLY: 8th Place, (0-5-0, 0 pts)
BEST POSSIBLE FINISH: 7th Place, (1-5-0, 3 pts)
WORST POSSIBLE FINISH: 8th Place, (0-6-0, 0 pts)

Spartans have struggled this season as they build for the future, and their late loss to Blackhawk SC made their elimination official. Dreams of silverware now give way to the hunt for bragging rights: Spartans come into Decision Day looking for their first point and needing to beat Stallions by four or more to avoid a last-place finish.