WEEK AHEAD PREVIEW
Week of Sat 7/6 - Fri 7/12 all times Central
Birmingham Legion
No game this week
Huntsville City FC
Wed July 10 at New England Revolution II 10:00 AM
That date and time is not an error. I'm not sure why this mid-week game has a morning start time(?). This game features two of the bottom teams in MLS NextPro East. Huntsville has continued to show improvement, and can hopefully pick up a much-needed win on the road.
USL2
Dothan United
Saturday July 6 vs Athens United 7:00
When I've looked at the math, I haven't seen a path to the playoffs for Dothan. They haven't given up hope, and are calling this a must-win to keep their hopes alive. Athens is the bottom team in the table, but their only win came against Dothan. I expect another big crowd, and the team will be highly motivated. Look for the Dragons to take care of business.
Thurs July 11 vs Swan City 7:00
This is a friendly that was rescheduled from July 2. I can appreciate the attraction of having another home game on the schedule to take advantage of the attendance that they get. But I hope they can get a good crowd, and play deep into the bench to keep players fresh for their final game a few days after. Swan City is making the trip up from Lakeland Florida, where they're middle of the the table in their USL2 division.
GCPL
Alabama FC South
Saturday July 6 Alabama FC South vs Pensacola Bay United 7:15
ALFCS can secure second place in the division with a win here. These two teams played each other back at the beginning of the season, ending in a 1-1 draw. There's a lot at stake here for both teams, and this should be another hard-fought, close game.
Union 10
Wed July 10 at Pensacola Bay United 7:00
The recent match between these two teams went Union's way, with a 3-2 win. As I've said in past posts, PBU is near the bottom of the table, but shouldn't be underestimated. The results of the ALFCS/PBU game on Saturday will have an impact on the way these two teams approach the match. Another tough fight here for sure.
The Adjacency
Image credit: Columbus United Twitter
Columbus United will host Tallahassee SC Saturday July 6 at 6:30 (central) for a first round NPSL playoff game. These two teams have already faced each other twice this season. The first game was a draw, and the most recent match saw Columbus win 3-1. Hopefully, they'll see a great turnout, with the other Adjacency teams being done until their Fall seasons.