ISL Playoff Schedule Announced, to Begin in Eindhoven in November
The International Swimming League has finalized its playoff schedule, with six matches to take place in November in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
The eight semifinalists will swim three matches each in the semifinal stage. The four teams with the highest point totals will advance to the ISL Grand Final, to be held in late December or early January, 2022 at a time and location to be determined.
The playoff schedule is as follows. Times and broadcast schedules are to be announced. All matches are available to stream on the ISL website:
- ISL Playoff Match 1 (Nov. 11-12): Energy Standard, DC Trident, Cali Condors, Team Iron
- ISL Playoff Match 2 (Nov. 13-14): London Roar, LA Current, Toronto Titans, Aqua Centurions
- ISL Playoff Match 3 (Nov. 18-19): Energy Standard, DC Trident, Toronto Titans, Aqua Centurions
- ISL Playoff Match 4 (Nov. 20-21): Cali Condors, Team Iron, London Roar, LA Current
- ISL Playoff Match 5 (Nov. 25-26): Energy Standard, DC Trident, London Roar, LA Current
- ISL Playoff Match 6 (Nov. 27-28): Cali Condors, Team Iron, Toronto Titans, Aqua Centurions
Photo Courtesy: ISL
Regular Season Club Standings: 1) Energy Standard, 2) Cali Condors, 3) London Roar, 4) Toronto Titans, 5) LA Current, 6) Aqua Centurions, 7) DC Trident, 8) Iron, 9) NY Breakers, 10) Tokyo Frog Kings.
The schedule brings Energy Standard and Cali Condors into contact for the first time this season, the top two finishers in the league and the champions of the first two seasons of the league.
Four teams – Energy Standard, Cali Condors, Team Iron and DC Trident – don’t swim back-to-back matches. That is the top two teams in the league standings and the two that qualified via ISL Match 11.
London, which finished in third place in the league standings, faces the most difficult double, having to square off with Cali in Match 4 and Energy in Match 5 with just three days rest in between.
Oddly, the playoffs center around three teams locked in place with each other. The fourth-seeded Toronto Titans and No. 6 Aqua Centurions swim each other in all three matches. No. 8 Team Iron and No. 2 Cali match up on all three occasions. Ditto third-seeded London and the No. 5 LA Current, while No. 7 DC is rewarded by three swims against Energy Standard.
Someone needs to teach the ISL how to do fair match ups. It always favours some teams that get longer breaks and easier matches. DC against ES 3 times is just one example.