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Gameday Previews - Saturday, Sept. 3

By USLLeagueOne.com Staff, 09/03/22, 3:00PM EDT

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Five-match Saturday features plenty of matches with playoff implications

Greenville Triumph SC vs. Forward Madison FC

Venue: Triumph Stadium at Legacy Early College; Greenville, S.C.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Weather: Partly cloudy, 83°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #GVLvMAD

After conceding a loss to the 'Mingos for the first time in club history back in June, Greenville Triumph SC (11-7-5, 2nd) will hope to remain undefeated against Forward Madison FC (7-6-10, 6th) at Triumph Stadium and return to the top of the league table with a win. Still with plenty of season left to play, should Madison drops points against Greenville, FMFC risks losing its magic number.

GVL - Jacob Labovitz: After an incredible midseason stretch featuring 11 goals in 12 matches, Labovitz has cooled off significantly with just one goal in his last six. In those past six matches, Greenville has averaged just 0.5 goals per match.

MAD - Raiko Arozarena: Arozarena has been lights out since joining Madison on loan in July. The 'Mingos went from an average of 1.64 goals conceded per league match before Arozarena's arrival to 0.67 after.

Union Omaha vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC

Venue: Werner Park; Papillion, Neb.
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Weather: Sunny, 76°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #OMAvCHA

Union Omaha (9-3-10, 3rd) is set to face a red-hot Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (9-8-6, 4th) on Saturday. If Greenville drops points against Madison on Saturday and Omaha can defeat Chattanooga, the Owls will top the table for the first time this season. The Red Wolves do hold a slim advantage in the all-time series at 2-1-2 but given that none of the five previous matches have produced more than two combined goals, Omaha’s league-leading defense may hold the upper hand.

OMA - Noe Meza: Meza has made a strong case for League One Young Player of the Year with his team-leading eight goals in his first professional season.

CHA - Moe Espinoza: Now with the second-most assists in the league, Espinoza picked up a goal and an assist in the Red Wolves’ 2-2 draw in Charlotte last week. The 23-year-old winger was precise, completing 89% of his passes, 100% of his long balls and placing 2 of 3 shots on frame.

Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC vs. North Carolina FC

Venue: Severance High School; Severance, Colo.
Kickoff: 9 p.m. ET
Weather: Sunny, 84°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #NCOvNC

Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC's (7-9-8, 9th) goal on Saturday evening will be to remain unbeaten against North Carolina FC (6-11-5, 10th) in a crucial late-season matchup. While NCFC will remain in 10th regardless of the outcome, a win from the Hailstorm and dropped points from Madison and Charlotte could see Northern Colorado jump into a playoff position by the end of the weekend.

NCO - Arthur Rogers: The productive defender helped Northern Colorado to an impressive road victory over Greenville last week with a pair of chances created to go along with six clearances, five interceptions and five recoveries.

NC - Will Pulisic: Across a pair of Week 22 draws, Pulisic racked up eight saves and conceded just one goal in the process. Pulisic led the league with 20 recoveries to earn a clean sheet and two points on the week.

FC TUcson vs. Charlotte Independence

Venue: Kino North Stadium; Tucson, Ariz.
Kickoff: 10 p.m. ET
Weather: Cloudy, 88°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #TUCvCLT

FC Tucson (4-12-5, 11th) will aim to avoid a third consecutive loss to the Charlotte Independence (8-9-6, 7th) at home on Saturday evening. Despite sitting at last place for the majority of the season, FC Tucson won't be eliminated from playoff contention for another three weeks at the earliest due to its busy late-season schedule. The hosts do have the power to challenge for a playoff position late, but it will require a remarkable finish to the season. For Charlotte, a win or draw in addition to some other favorable Week 23 results could see them finish in a playoff position following Saturday's action.

TUC - Louis Perez: Perez scored his third goal in as many matches as FC Tucson played NCFC to a 1-1 draw last week. The Frenchman completed 89% of his passes and was perfect on his combined eight crosses and long balls.

CLT - Miguel Ibarra: Ibarra notched the 35th professional goal of his impressive 11-year career last Saturday. In addition to a trio of chances created, Ibarra completed 90% of his passes, 88% of his long balls and won 100% of his duels.

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Tag(s): News  Union Omaha  Chatt Red Wolves SC  Forward Madison FC  Greenville Triumph SC  FC Tucson  North Carolina FC  Hailstorm FC  Charlotte Independence  Game Previews 

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