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Match Previews - 7.15.2023

By USLLeagueOne.com Staff, 07/15/23, 3:45PM EDT

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All 12 clubs in action in high-stakes Week 18

Pair of Clubs look to return to postseason conversation

Matchup: Greenville Triumph SC (6-5-4, 6th) vs. One Knoxville SC (5-5-7, 8th)
Venue: Paladin Stadium; Greenville, S.C.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Weather: Scattered thunderstorms, 81°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #GVLvKNX
Series (First Meeting): 1-0-0, KNX (2023)

WHAT MATTERS
 
  • History for Keegan: Greenville's all-time leading scorer, Knoxville's Jake Keegan, will have a chance to score on his former club for the first time. A goal against Greenville would make Keegan the first player in league history to score against 16 different League One clubs.
  • Sebastian scorpion: Last time the pair met at Paladin Stadium, Sebastian Andreassen unleashed a wicked scorpion-kick winner to tally his first professional goal in style.
  • Avoiding the repeat: Greenville has been heating up following its slow start to the season. With a 4-1-4 record across its last nine, Triumph SC's lone loss in that span came against Knoxville.
PLAYER TO WATCH
 
  • Jalen Crisler (KNX): Crisler tallied his first goal in a Knoxville shirt in a 2-2 draw with North Carolina. The 2022 League One Defender of the Year runner-up added six recoveries, four clearances and maintained the highest goals-added figure on the week (0.70), according to American Soccer Analysis.
AVAILABILITY REPORT
 
  • GVL: D - Hassan Gabo (doubtful, injury), F - Lyam MacKinnon (out, injury), D - Tevin Shaw (out, injury), D - Jamie Smith (doubtful, injury)
  • KNX: GK - Sean Lewis (doubtful, injury)
TEAM MATCH PREVIEWS
 

Top-of-the-table clash highlights early evening slate

Matchup: North Carolina FC (8-4-3, 3rd) vs. Forward Madison FC (8-4-4, 2nd)
Venue: WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Weather: Scattered thunderstorms, 84°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #NCvMAD
Series (First Meeting): 3-3-1 (2021)

WHAT MATTERS
 
  • Advantage to the 'Mingos: Madison has dominated NCFC this season. Not only has Madison accumulated the most goals scored on NCFC out of any other team, but North Carolina has failed to score on Madison this season. 
  • Winner could take first: A Northern Colorado win or draw against a red-hot Omaha side would mean a potential victor in this contest would finish atop the table heading into Week 19.
  • Season sweep?: A win for Madison would see the 'Mingos sweep a regular season series with three victories for the first time in club history.
PLAYER TO WATCH
 
  • Mitch Osmond (MAD): Osmond helped Madison onto its league-best eighth clean sheet with his 93% passing accuracy, 12 clearances, seven duels won and seven recoveries.
AVAILABILITY REPORT
 
  • NC: D - Luke Croll (out, injury), GK - Nicholas Holliday (out, injury), M - Mikey Maldonado (out, suspension)
  • MAD: M - Julio Benitez (out, injury)
TEAM MATCH PREVIEWS
 

Terzaghi and Kelly face off in vintage USL Rivalry

Matchup: Richmond Kickers (6-5-6, 6th) vs. Charlotte Independence (7-5-5, 4th)
Venue: City Stadium; Richmond, Va.
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 87°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #RICvCLT
Series (First Meeting): 8-4-5, CLT (2015)

WHAT MATTERS
 
  • Aging like fine wine: One of the two longest-standing rivalries between active League One members, the eight-year-old series spanning the USL Championship and League One has produced 41 goals in 17 meetings in front of a combined 50,000 fans.
  • Moving on up: Just one of two Week 18 matches composed of teams above the playoff line, a win for Charlotte could position them as high as second while a win for Richmond could move the Kickers up a spot to fourth.
  • Goat vs. goat: The USL Championship's all-time leading scorer, Dane Kelly, is set to clash with USL League One's all-time leading scorer, Emiliano Terzaghi for the third time. In two prior meetings, neither found the back of the net for their side.
PLAYER TO WATCH
 
  • Dane Kelly (CLT): The USL Championship’s all-time leading scorer is starting to heat up in his return to Charlotte, as Kelly scored in back-to-back matches for the first time since April 2022. The former Jamaica international won six duels, recorded three recoveries and tallied a pair of interceptions to go along with his pair of scores.
AVAILABILITY REPORT
 
  • RIC: F - Ethan Vanacore-Decker (out, injury)
  • CLT: M - Bachir Ndiaye (out, injury)
TEAM MATCH PREVIEWS
 

Ibises, Red Wolves look to build momentum with win in Final Rematch

Matchup: South Georgia Tormenta FC (5-7-3, 9th) vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (3-9-4, 11th)
Venue: Optim Sports Medicine Field at Tormenta Stadium; Statesboro, Ga.
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Isolated thunderstorms, 83°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #TRMvCHA
Series (First Meeting): 6-4-2, TRM (2019)

WHAT MATTERS
 
  • Championship hangover: In the eighth USL League One Final rematch in a subsequent season, Saturday's South Georgia-Chattanooga match will set a new low in terms of combined table position between the two clubs at 20.
  • Heading in opposite directions: A victory for Tormenta FC would equal its longest win streak in consecutive matches (4) against a single opponent, while that same result would see Chattanooga earn its fourth consecutive loss against a league opponent for the first time in club history. 
  • Rough summer stretch: Since the pair’s last meeting on May 5 – a 2-0 victory for the defending champs – the Ibises and Red Wolves have combined for a dismal 2-9-6 record and -12 goal differential.
PLAYER TO WATCH
 
  • Kazaiah Sterling (TRM): In four total meetings with the Red Wolves, Sterling has tallied three goal contributions and maintains a 3-1-0 record. It will be interesting to see if he can replicate his League One Final performance in the pair's first meeting in Statesboro since that match.
AVAILABILITY REPORT
 
  • TRM: None
  • CHA: M - Christian Enriquez (out, injury), M - Moe Espinoza (out, injury), D - Aarón Lombardi (out, injury), F - Marios Lomis (out, registration), D - Manuel Madrid (out, injury), M - Alex Tejera (out, injury)
TEAM MATCH PREVIEWS
 

Meza, Owls look to cool off Hailstorm in Windsor

Matchup: Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (8-1-5, 1st) vs. Union Omaha (5-3-7, 7th)
Venue: Future Legends Complex; Windsor, Colo.
Kickoff: 9 p.m. ET
Weather: Sunny, 80°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #NCOvOMA
Series (First Meeting): 2-1-2, OMA (2022)

WHAT MATTERS
 
  • Win and stay up: While a potential victor of the North Carolina-Madison match would temporarily dethrone the Hailstorm at the top of the table, a Northern Colorado victory would ensure the Hailstorm would regain their top spot heading into Week 18.
  • Four for four?: Surprisingly, an Omaha victory would set a club record for most consecutive victories at four. Pending other results, a win or draw could position the Owls above the playoff line for the first time since early May.
  • Meza loves a goal against the Hailstorm: The only set of League One clubs to meet for the first time in an external competition (U.S. Open Cup, 2022), Omaha has found success against Northern Colorado, dropping just one contest in five total meetings. Noe Meza is the series' all-time leading scorer and is responsible for over 70% of the Owls' total goals against the Hailstorm.
PLAYER TO WATCH
 
  • Trevor Amann (NCO): The Golden Boot leader scored a trio of goals across a pair of unbeaten Week 17 matches for the Hailstorm. The second-year professional also won 14 duels, five fouls, four recoveries and created three chances.
AVAILABILITY REPORT
 
  • NCO: F - Irvin Parra (questionable, personal)
  • OMA: M - Joe Gallardo (out, suspension), D - Eddie Gordon (questionable, injury), D - Stefan Mueller (questionable, injury), M - Chavany Willis (out, suspension)
TEAM MATCH PREVIEWS
 

Central Valley, Lexington desperate for win in first meeting

Matchup: Central Valley Fuego FC (3-11-1, 12th) vs. Lexington SC (3-8-5, 10th)
Venue: Fresno State Soccer Stadium; Fresno, Calif.
Kickoff: 10 p.m. ET
Weather: Clear, 97°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #CVvLEX
Series (First Meeting): N/A (2023)

WHAT MATTERS
 
  • Slow summer: Since the beginning of June, Central Valley and Lexington have combined for a 2-8-3 record with a -8 goal differential.
  • Scoreless in four: Now scoreless through four consecutive matches, Fuego FC has matched the second-longest scoreless streak in league history after already matching that figure earlier this season.
  • Letting go of the lead: Since each side's last win back in June, Central Valley and Lexington have squandered a combined 13 points in matches they were either winning or tied in.
PLAYER TO WATCH
 
  • Ates Diouf (LEX): Across his last seven matches, Lexington's break-out star has tallied five goal contributions.
AVAILABILITY REPORT
 
  • CV: GK - Ofek Antman (out, injury), F - Villyan Bijev (out, injury), M - Mouhamed Dabo (out, injury), M - Victor Falck (out, injury), M - Angel Ruelas (out, injury)
  • LEX: None
TEAM MATCH PREVIEWS
 

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

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