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Gameday Previews - Saturday, August 27

By USLLeagueOne.com Staff, 08/27/22, 2:30PM EDT

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10 teams in action on high-stakes Saturday

Richmond Kickers vs. Union OMaha

Venue: City Stadium; Richmond, Va.
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Partly cloudy, 83°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #RICvOMA

Just the second of three total high-stakes matchups between a pair of top clubs, the Richmond Kickers (10-7-5, 2nd) will host Union Omaha (8-2-10, 3rd) to kick off Saturday's five-match slate. Both sides are enjoying a special run of form as Richmond has lost just once in its last five and Omaha is riding an incredible 11-match unbeaten streak. The first meeting of the season ended in a 1-1 draw, but if either side can claim a victory this evening they'd sit at second place heading into the new week.

RIC - Emiliano Terzaghi: Despite a handful of promising first-year goalscorers challenging his throne, the league's all-time leading scorer reclaimed the lead in the Golden Boot race with his 12th goal of the season a week ago.

OMA - Noe Meza: Meza scored once against Charlotte last Wednesday before netting his first professional brace against NCFC on Saturday. The first-year professional added five recoveries and nine duels won to his impressive three-goal week.

Charlotte Independence vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC

Venue: American Legion Memorial Stadium; Charlotte, N.C.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Weather: Partly cloudy, 83°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #CLTvCHA

The Charlotte Independence (8-8-5, 6th) will host Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (9-8-5, 4th) for the first time and hope to avenge a 7-1 thumping from the Red Wolves in the pair's first meeting earlier this season. The Red Wolves are unbeaten in their past seven and the Independence have only dropped one match in their last five. If either side can claim three points, they'd position themself in a good position near the top of the table.

CLT - Adrián Zendejas: The Charlotte FC loanee has been a difference maker for the Jacks when on the pitch. With Zendejas in goal, Charlotte is 6-4-4 and concedes an average of 1.07 goals per match; without him, however, the Jacks are 2-4-1 and average 3 goals conceded per match.

CHA - Jimmie Villalobos: Scoring his second goal in his past three matches, Villalobos scored a late match-winner in the 80th minute of a 2-1 win over Tormenta FC last week. The second-year Red Wolf created two chances and won three duels to complement his 90% passing accuracy.

Greenville Triumph SC vs. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC

Venue: Triumph Stadium at Legacy Early College; Greenville, S.C.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Weather: Partly cloudy, 87°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #GVLvNCO

First-place Greenville Triumph SC (11-6-5, 1st) will host newcomers Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (6-9-8, 9th) for the second time this season. Triumph SC has picked up back-to-back 1-0 victories following a two-match skid, while the Hailstorm have only won one match in their last seven. Northern Colorado will need to play disciplined soccer if they hope to upset the league's top team as Greenville have picked up the league's fewest yellow and red cards compared to Northern Colorado's league-high mark in both categories.

GVL - Aaron Walker: The Triumph SC veteran scored his third goal of the season in match-winning fashion against a pesky Tucson side last Saturday evening. Walker added eight recoveries and four duels won.

NCO - Johan Peñaranda: The Hailstorm goalkeeper has kept the newcomers in many matches as he's racked up the third-best goals-against average mark in the league.

North Carolina FC vs. FC Tucson

Venue: WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #NCvTUC

Saturday evening's match between North Carolina FC (6-11-4, 10th) and FC Tucson (4-11-4, 11th) is about as close to a must-win match as you can get with both sides looking to escape the bottom of the table. FC Tucson claimed a win in the pair's first meeting last season, but since then it's been all NCFC with a pair of victories. Regardless of the result, neither side will see any movement in the table, but a positive result would keep their slim playoff chances alive.

NC - Jordan Skelton: In his first season in Cary, Skelton has quietly had a productive season with the second-most passes in the league to go along with the highest accurate passes per 90 minutes and accurate long balls per 90 minutes on the team.

TUC - Louis Perez: Enjoying his most productive professional season, the Paris Saint-Germain youth product recorded a goal and assist in the same match for the second time this season. Across two Week 21 matches, the Frenchman won 14 duels, earned 15 recoveries and created a trio of chances.

Central Valley Fuego FC vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC

Venue: Fresno State Soccer Stadium; Fresno, Calif.
Kickoff: 10:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Sunny, 95°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #CVvTRM

It's the third and final regular-season meeting between Central Valley Fuego FC (7-8-6, 7th) and South Georgia Tormenta FC (7-8-6, 8th) as the pair of sides level on points hope to jump back into a playoff position. Both Fuego FC and Tormenta FC have experienced an un-and-down season with a slump in form unfortunately coming near the end of the season. With just a handful of matches left in the season, both sides will be hungry to claim all three points in Fresno.

CV - Ofek Antman: The Israeli goalkeeper has kept the newcomers in many matches as he's racked up the second-most saves and third-most clean sheets across the league this season.

TRM - Kazaiah Sterling: July's Player of the Month, the Londoner has enjoyed a career renaissance in Statesboro with a team-high 10 combined goals and assists.

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Tag(s): News  Union Omaha  Chatt Red Wolves SC  Greenville Triumph SC  Richmond Kickers  So. Georgia Tormenta FC  FC Tucson  North Carolina FC  Central Valley Fuego FC  Hailstorm FC  Charlotte Independence  Game Previews 

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