MLP New York City Showdown: Major League Pickleball will take over New York City this week, bringing four days of action from Thursday, July 3, through Sunday, July 6. Six teams—New York, Miami, Orlando, Carolina, Brooklyn, and Columbus—will compete as playoff hopes and pride are on the line. Brooklyn and Columbus aim to strengthen their positions after strong showings in San Clemente, while Miami and Orlando fight to protect their playoff chances. New York and Carolina, both trailing in the standings, hope to score important wins and shake up the rankings.
Brooklyn Faces Roster Challenges
Brooklyn Pickleball Team may again be without Riley Newman, who missed matches in San Clemente. Dekel Bar and Patrick Smith also sat out last week but are expected to return. If they remain unavailable, AJ Koller and Rafa Hewett could fill in, as AJ Koller played well in Southern California. The Brooklyn women, Rachel Rohrabacher and Jackie Kawamoto, were strong contributors and will be counted on again.
Columbus Seeks Consistency
Columbus Sliders have top-level talent with Andrei Daescu, CJ Klinger, Parris Todd, and Lea Jansen. Despite their strong lineup, they have not fully met expectations. In San Clemente, Columbus went 3-1 but lost to Los Angeles Mad Drops in a close DreamBreaker. Andrei Daescu won both of his matches, but Lea Jansen struggled, leading to a narrow defeat. The doubles match between CJ Klinger and Lea Jansen against Hunter Johnson and Jade Kawamoto was key. Although favored, they lost 11-8. A loss in women’s doubles 11-6 sent the match to the DreamBreaker. If Lea Jansen cannot handle the pressure, Columbus may stay vulnerable despite their skill.
Orlando’s Strength and Weakness
Orlando Squeeze started the season strong, helped by an easy schedule. Federico Staksrud and Dylan Frazier are solid in men’s doubles, but the women’s duo of Lacy Schneemann and Samantha Parker has been less consistent. The team relies heavily on their men to secure wins. Orlando is expected to have mixed results, likely beating lower teams but struggling against stronger ones, which may be enough to keep them in playoff contention.
Carolina’s Uncertain Path
Carolina Hogs are hard to predict. They changed their lineup, dropping Collin Johns and likely starting Ben Johns, Roscoe Bellamy, Etta Tuionetoa, and Tammy Emmrich. Martin Emmrich could also join in. Ben Johns’ performance will be key to their success. Etta Tuionetoa strengthens doubles play but losing Kaitlyn Christian hurts their singles strength in DreamBreakers. Carolina has not often won two doubles matches, so this weekend could go either way.
Miami’s High Stakes
Miami Pickleball Club is under the most pressure. Though they have outperformed expectations, they are barely holding onto the 10th playoff spot. Just two points ahead of Chicago, and with one fewer match played, Miami must leave New York with at least five points to stay in the race. Their match against New York on Friday is crucial.
Match Highlights to Watch
Thursday’s match between Orlando Squeeze and Miami Pickleball Club will feature two teams desperate for points. Friday will bring Miami against New York, with both sides eager for a win. On Saturday, Orlando faces Brooklyn, testing if Orlando’s men can secure enough victories to challenge the favorites. Sunday will close with Brooklyn against Carolina, a big test for Carolina’s new lineup.
This week’s matches could reshape the standings and decide who advances in the playoff race.
News in Brief: MLP New York City Showdown
Major League Pickleball heads to New York City from July 3–6. Six teams will compete as playoff spots hang in the balance. Brooklyn, Columbus, Miami, Orlando, New York, and Carolina face pressure to perform. Key matches and new lineups will define who moves ahead in the standings.
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