The San Francisco Unicorns began their MLC 2025 season on a tear—six wins to start, confidence to the moon, and people were already treating them like finalists. But now, entering their final league game, that train has come off the tracks. Two losses, including back-to-back losses, coupled with a nail-biting one-run win over the Texas Super Kings to cap the three games, have thrown a bit of doubt into the air. So while they still sit second in the table, they are not a secure second.
What’s at Stake: More Than Just Two Points
Sure, the Unicorns still have a fairly good chance to finish in the top two, but here’s the kicker: Washington Freedom could throw a wrench into the works. If they beat MI New York, that puts them two points clear of the Unicorns, placing the San Francisco Unicorns in a must-win situation to regain that all-important second place.
What’s so important about second place? The second spot provides some flexibility when the playoffs roll around. A finish in the top two guarantees a second chance to make the final — if you lose Qualifier 1 then you still get to play Eliminator 2. It’s something every team values, and every team desperately wants to have. For a team that looked beyond reach a week ago, finishing third would be a kick in the gut.
From Dominance to Doubts: What’s Changed?
Pinpointing a single element is tough, but there’s no two ways about it, only a slightly diluted aura from SFU. Their batting unit, featuring Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGur,k has lost a little bit of steam. Finn Allen has not had the craziness we know he can have, and the pressure has exposed some shakiness in that middle order. Even their thrilling one-run victory against the Texas Super Kings created more concern than confidence—it was more of a sigh of relief than a celebration.
On the bowling side, Haris Rauf and Xavier Bartlett still look strong, but they are being stretched. There is very little room for error now; the same air of invincibility that appeared in the first six matches has dissipated a little bit.
LA Knight Riders: Down But Not Out
If you are SFU, the positive is that you are facing a total disaster for a team. The LA Knight Riders have one win all season, and while their roster includes the likes of Sunil Narine, Jason Holder, and Alex Hales, that’s about all they have. The wildcard in all of this is that when a team has nothing to play for, it can often be their most dangerous state.
They might change things up, they might give chances to suited players, and so on. They might just play. Those are all things that make them unpredictable. And for a Unicorns side trying to find a rhythm again, that can be a tough gamble.
While one of the two teams may seem to be getting an easier game in this final league match, there is more than one layer to this meaning. For the Unicorns, it is a game that is not just another victory; it is about a level of swagger, a level of rhythm, and swagger of accomplishment to prove they can get it done when it counts in the playoffs.
Will they be able to find that early-season, dominant form, or will they end up limping into the knockout rounds with more questions than answers? Sunday night in Florida may be the beginning of the Unicorns’ journey toward the title.
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