Week Ahead Preview
Can Legion finally get a win?; Huntsville needs to secure a playoff spot
Birmingham Legion FC
Image credit: Birmingham Legion
Legion will be on the road this weekend to take on Indy Eleven. The historical head-to-head between these two clubs is very even, but that's deceptive. Birmingham hasn't gotten a win in the past five meetings, and even the Jagermeister game that ended in a draw saw Indy take the extra point in PK's. Both teams would probably like to forget this season, but Indy has the more realistic chance of getting into the playoffs. Birmingham has got to find a way to pull themselves together and get three points. It's hard to know who will be in the lineup, due to uncertainty around potential injuries. My gut tells me that if Indy scores first, there's a chance that Legion might see another collapse. At the very least, there's pride on the line, and I hope they can get a win here and keep playoff hopes alive. The game is Sunday, September 21 at 4:00.
Huntsville City FC
Huntsville has their final road game of the regular season, headed down to face Orlando City 3 on Sunday, September 21 at 7:00. HCFC are having their best season, but they're in a tailspin, after losing the last four games in a row. This week's mandate is simple: do whatever it takes to get a point. A draw, even with a shootout loss, would put them on 44 points, and might be enough to guarantee a playoff spot (a win puts them through for sure). If they can get that pressure off of them, they're the kind of streaky team that can heat back up and make a run in the playoffs.
UPSL
Image credit: FC Birmingham
FC Birmingham vs Dalton United; Sunday, September 21 at 4:30 CT. Both teams have taken a hard loss to Potros to start the Fall season. It's early to draw conclusions, but this could be a close game.
FC Columbus Elite is off this week.
FC Atlanta vs UMA 2; Saturday, September 20 at 7:30 ET. Atlanta started the season with a 1-1 draw, which didn't really give much information to use for looking at this match-up. UMA's 3-3 draw against Angelus feels like a better result, and I would give UMA the nod here.
Columbus Knight Eagles vs Augusta Arsenal Soccer Team; Sunday, September 21 at 5:00 CT. This looks like an early season separator, as both teams cruised to 6-0 victories in week 1. The Eagles should be favored to pick up three points at home and put themselves in the driver's seat. This will be only meeting between these two teams during this Fall season.
Scoreboard watching
Image credit: Google
Birmingham's mid-week loss to Tampa Bay was pretty devastating for hopes of making the playoffs. Legion is five points below the playoff line, with six games remaining. Truly do-or-die time. This weekend's scenarios are very straightforward. Birmingham must get three points against Indy Eleven, and:
Rhode Island vs Miami FC. This is a Friday night game, and Miami needs to win.
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs North Carolina. Tampa needs to lose.
If all of that happens, Birmingham would be at 25 points, and still in eleventh place due to the loss to Tampa on Wed. The hill is probably too steep to climb at this point.