Once again the Protagonist crew is here to tell you which games we picked out to watch and why they’re interesting to us - with UPSL playoffs taking a week off, we only have a couple outdoor games in the SW Premier League. However, the wild world of arena soccer gives us a lot to choose from! We go indoors to watch the MLIS, MASL, and WISL.

Josh Duder Picks…
- Chicago Mustangs vs Omaha Kings - MLIS
  - Sat, 01/27 & Sun, 01/28
    at Grand Sports Arena
  - The MLIS season is still young but Chicago has a chance to make a big leap this weekend as they take on 1st place Omaha Kings in a two game homestand. Omaha has been in imperious form, with 4 wins from 4 and a league high 50 goals for. However, should 3rd place Mustangs sweep over the weekend they can top the league with a higher win percentage… but it's a big ask.

Jon Hunt Picks…
- Milwaukee Wave vs Monterrey Flash - MASL
  - Sun, 01/28 - 1:05p PT / 4:05p ET
    at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena
  - A battle of the top dogs in the east. The Wave will be looking to end the Flash’s 12-match winning streak and close the widening gap between them. The Flash will be looking to hand the Wave a loss on their home turf again, while Milwaukee will be looking to bounce back from their clash on Tuesday and get revenge for their only loss at home this season.

Josh Duder Picks…
- Tacoma Stars Reserves vs Vancouver Lightning - WISL
  - Sat, 01/27- 7:00p PT / 10:00p ET
    at Tacoma Soccer Center
  - Tacoma have their division wrapped up and the Lightning are all but eliminated from postseason contention - we may simply be watching this to see if Isidro Prado-Huerta or Chris Lozano can have a big enough game to catch up to Oly-Pen Force’s Ismael Deluna, who is the runaway leader, not only his division, but the league in goals and points.

Dan Vaughn Picks…
- Utica City FC vs KC Comets - MASL
  - Sun, 01/28 - 11:05a PT / 3:05p ET
    at Adirondack Bank Center
  - The battle for 3rd place is in Utica this weekend. KC kicked off the season riding high, but has slumped to 4th place with a series of losses. Beating Utica this weekend would leapfrog the Comets into 3rd.

Josh Duder Picks…
- Oly Town FC Artesians vs South Sound FC - WISL
  - Sat, 01/27 - 6:00p PT / 9:00p ET
    at Evergreen State College Pavilion
  - This game is guaranteed to be a banger, with first place in the St Helens divisions up for grabs. Oly Town and South Sound FC are neck and neck on 18 points from 8 played and the Artesians lead is by an ever so slightly better GD. Playoffs are right around the corner and a big win for either would almost guarantee a spot in the postseason.

Dennis Pope Picks…
- La Familia FC vs Steaua FC - SWPL, Raul Briones Cup
  - Sat, 01/27 - 5:30p PT / 8:30p ET
    at Ralph M. Lewis Sports Complex in Fontana, CA
  - The Raul Briones Cup heads into the knockout rounds in Southern California and La Familia FC remains one of the favorites this year. These two sides played a contentious league match against each other last week, with La Familia earning a 5-2 win after two early goals from Christopher Ryan. Has Steaua FC learned enough to create a plan for an upset?
- A Second Shout from Dan Vaughn
  - Raul Briones Cup is in action in Southern California and La Familia has to be a bit of a favorite in this one. One of the best cups in the country!

Josh Duder Picks…
- Bellingham United vs Snohomish Sky - MASL
  - Sat, 01/27 - 7:30p PT / 10:30p ET
    at Bellingham Sportsplex
  - The Baker Division is also yet to be decided and multiple time league champions Bellingham United trail the division by 3 points with just a couple games left to play. They take on Snohomish Sky who look to be out of the playoff picture, but could play spoiler this weekend.

Dennis Pope Picks…
- ASC Silicon Valley vs Bay United FC - Pacific Premier, Umberto Abronzino Cup
  - Sat, 01/27 7:00p PT / 10:00p ET
    at Red Morton Park, Bechet Field in Redwood City
  - The Umberto Abronzino Cup, now in its second year, combines both Pacific Premier League and select NISA Nation Pacific Region sides into a 12-team tournament. This is the second match of the tournament for both teams. ASC Silicon Valley is 1-0-0 after a 7-1 win over South San Francisco AC on Jan. 13. Bay Area United is 1-0-0 after shutting out Dublin Celtic FC 4-0 on Jan. 14 with the help of two goals from Kisanet Hailab.

by the Protagonist Staff