The 2018 WPSL South Regional playoffs began on Friday, July 13, with Chattanooga FC taking on Pensacola FC.

Chattanooga FC’s 2018 season would have still been its most successful ever even without the added bonus of the Southeast Conference title. Chattanooga first joined the WPSL back in 2014 and posted a respectable 5-3-2 record, finishing third in the Southeast Conference. The next three seasons didn’t quite go as planned, winning only three games in total from 2015 through 2017. This year, though, Chattanooga was a club on a mission from day one. Right out of the gate, Chattanooga soared to a 2-0 win over Knoxville’s Emerald Force and a 2-1 win against Nashville Rhythm. Chattanooga’s goalkeepers then went on a three-match streak without conceding a goal. Despite a 4-0 blowout loss in Memphis, Chattanooga remained in control of the conference and never let up the lead it had from week one. The club was the earliest to secure a conference title in the South Region.

Pensacola FC, which rebranded from Gulf Coast Texans for 2018, won its second consecutive conference title despite playing in two different conferences. In 2017 the Texans were unstoppable and lost just one of 12 matches played. In 2018, the club managed to improve by finishing the season undefeated. While Pensacola’s offense brought home wins, the defense stands out for a particularly remarkable season. Pensacola allowed just four goals all season, with half of them coming in a 4-2 win against Baton Rouge United, and logged four shutouts. The club has rapidly cemented its place among the strongest in the South Region.

Pensacola’s Uchenna Kanu carried the incredible momentum she built during the season into Friday night’s playoff match, opening the scoring in the 23rd minute and adding a second just eight minutes later. Mia Hollingsworth got Chattanooga on the board just minutes before halftime, drawing the hosts within a goal of Pensacola. In the 55th minute, Kanu was fouled just outside the box and buried the ensuing free kick to regain the two-goal lead. Four minutes later, Pensacola added a fourth, and Kanu added a fifth, her fourth of the night, in the 77th. Hollingsworth scored again for Chattanooga in the 78th, but Kanu had the final word, scoring her fifth goal of the night in the 85th minute to secure a 6-2 win for Pensacola FC. Pensacola now moves on to play the Florida Gulf Coast Dutch Lions on Sunday.

Florida Gulf Coast Dutch Lions FC plays Pensacola on Sunday. The Dutch Lions made their debut in the WPSL last season and finished seventh in the Sunshine Conference with a 2-4-2 record. This season, the club ranked consistently among the strongest in Florida. Despite sharing a conference with the powerhouse Tampa Bay United club, the Dutch Lions managed to match or even best Tampa Bay across the board. Both clubs finished with identical 5-1-1 records, but the Dutch Lions allowed an incredible three goals in seven matches.  Tampa Bay United handed the Dutch Lions their only defeat all season. Taking away the two goals scored by Tampa Bay leaves the Dutch Lions with five shutouts, with Team Boca Blast the only other club capable of beating their defense.