WEEK AHEAD PREVIEW
Week of Sat 6/15 - Fri 6/21 all times Central
Image credit: Birmingham Legion Twitter. Juneteenth kit partners
Birmingham Legion
Wed June 19 vs San Antonio 7:00
Legion will be wearing a special jersey to commemorate Juneteenth for this match, which will be revealed at the Civil Rights Institute on Saturday June 15. The Legion have been in good defensive form lately, and they'll need to maintain that against San Antonio. SA has had a disappointing season so far, and is in the bottom half of the table in the West. Legion has lost all three previous meetings against SA, and will be looking to change fortunes. It's also worth noting that this marks Juan Agudelo's first game back in Bham, after playing for Legion 2022-2023. Legion needs to make sure he doesn't have an inspired performance.
Huntsville City FC
Sunday June 16 vs Chicago Fire II 6:00
Chicago is one of the better teams in NextPro East, with the third highest points per game. Huntsville has finally shown signs of turning things around after winning two games in a row (first wins of the season). Notably, of Chicago's five wins, only one has been on the road. I expect this to be a close game. It has a tie and shootout written all over it.
USL2
Legion 2
Saturday June 15 at Asheville City 6:30
The Hammers are the middle of the table in the division, and are realistically looking to play spoiler here. The recent scheduling means they've played more games than anyone else, with fewer remaining. Asheville sits on top of the table, but the Hammers played them close and lost 1-3 in the first meeting on June 6.
Dothan United Dragons
Wed June 19 vs East Atlanta 7:00
The Dragons are second in the division, but are currently on the outside looking in on the playoffs. They will come into the game on Wed knowing if Legion 2 were able to upset Asheville on Saturday. But they need to collect three points at home against East ATL.
GCPL
AFC Mobile at Union 10 Saturday June 15 2:00
The second and final leg of the 251 Derby for 2024. Union has snuck up near the top of the table and needs a strong performance here to keep momentum. AFC hasn't won a game yet this season, but has shown some improvement. Can they pull off an upset?
Alabama FC South
Saturday June 15 vs Florida Roots 7:15
These two teams face off for the second time, and both will need the win to avoid getting shuffled in the table. A draw could have negative impact for both clubs, as Union will jump over both if they beat AFC Mobile. The Storm won the first match on the road 3-1, and they have a promotion for the game centered around the new team logo.
Wed June 19 at AFC Mobile 7:00
With goal differential being a key tiebreaker in the standings, the first meeting between these two Alabama teams looms large. ALFCS won 3-0 in a game that only lasted one half due to bad weather. How many goals were left behind there, and will the Storm try to run up the score in this one?
UPSL
FC Birmingham completed the Spring season in eigth place of thirteen in their divsion. They'll look to improve when the Fall season kicks off.
Other news and tidbits
Birmingham Legion WFC
Sunday June 16 at Chattanooga Red Wolves 7:30
The Three Sparks showed promise at the beginning of the season, but have fallen to the bottom part of the table. Chatt is middle of the table and scores a lot of goals. This will be a tough one on the road.
Wed June 19 vs Greenville Liberty 4:00
The ladies will play this game at Protective Stadium as the matinee before Legion faces San Antonio. Liberty started the season with high expectations but Legion beat them 3-1 in the second game. They've had mixed results since, and Bham could be set for an upset here.
Fountain City plays LSA Sharks on Saturday June 15 for a chance to be promoted to UPSL Premier after their first season.
Columbus United faces New Orleans Jesters at home Saturday June 15, 6:00. These two teams shot lights-out in the first meeting, a 3-3 draw in New Orleans. The Jesters score plenty of goals, but also allow plenty. At home, expect Columbus to find a win and move up the table.