Week Ahead Preview
Big news for Dothan. Union 10 goes for a trophy
Mid-week results
Tennessee SC 3-2 Birmingham Legion 2
Apotheos FC 0-2 Columbus United
Union 10 2-1 Tallahassee SC (TLfC Gulf semifinal)
Birmingham Legion FC
Legion will be on the road Friday night, July 11 to face North Carolina FC at 6:30. NCFC is in fourth place in the table, leaning on a stout defense. Birmingham has been creating a ton of chances in, without getting the payoff that should come from them, and Carolina has the ability to frustrate any offense. Legion also comes in with some questions on their back line. Kavita popped a hamstring against Rhode Island, and Hamouda has been fighting through concussion protocols. Luckily, they have quality and depth at the position, and should still have at least four center backs available. By all measures this will be expected to be a low-scoring game. Getting on the board first will go a long way for either team.
Huntsville City FC
Huntsville comes into this week after a big 2-1 win over NY Red Bulls 2 on the road. They're on the road again this week against Cincinnati FC 2, and it will be the first time the two teams have met this season. Cincinnati will be on a short turn after a draw on the road against Atlanta United 2 on Wed night. Wednesday's result means that five of Cincinnati's past six matches have ended in draws, and they've won all of the shootouts. They're lower in the table, but are a very dangerous team, and Huntsville will have their hands full. The game is Sunday, July 13 at 5:00.
USL2
Image credit: USL League Two
The USL League Two playoffs will begin next week, and it was announced yesterday that Dothan will host one of the four-team pods for the Southern Conference. It's a huge honor after putting together a terrific season. Joining the Dragons will be LA Krewe, Little Rock Rangers, and Asheville City. It's an understatement to say that the Asheville folks are salty that they've got to travel, considering that they're the top ranked team in the country. The games for the pod will take place next week July 18-20, with details TBD.
Matches this week:
Sat July 12 East Atlanta FC vs Montgomery United at 7:30
The League for Clubs
Image credit: The League for Clubs
Union 10 got a big semifinal win at home against Tallahassee SC, and now move on to face Pensacola FC in the conference championship game. The game will be at Pensacola on Sunday, July 13 at 6:00. The two teams didn't face each other during the regular season, and this will be a big test for Union. Pensacola comes in as the favorite, after years as a powerhouse in NPSL, and both teams were in the top four of the league's national power rankings for the last set of those. Pensacola also does a very good job streaming their games, with commentators, etc. and this game should make your list to watch this weekend.