Top-of-the-table Hailstorm Hope to Bounce Back

Matchup: Charlotte Independence (8-6-6, 3rd) vs. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (10-2-5, 1st)
Venue: American Legion Memorial Stadium; Charlotte, N.C.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Weather: Partly cloudy, 90°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #CLTvNCO
Series (First Meeting): 3-1-0, NCO (2022)

WHAT MATTERS

• Road woes?: While it would be overstating it to say the Hailstorm have struggled on the road, six of the seven matches the Hailstorm have not won this season have been away from home.
• All Hailstorm: After a loss to the Independence in the pair's first meeting, the Hailstorm have won three consecutive matches. Golden Boot leader Trevor Amann and former Jack Irvin Parra are tied for the series lead in goals with three.
• Follow the leader(s): Northern Colorado boast the current Golden Boot (Amann), Golden Glove (Delgado) and assists leaders (Rogers), but will go up against the goalkeeper with the most saves on the season in Austin Pack.

PLAYER TO WATCH

• Tresor Mbuyu (CLT): In addition to bagging a surefire Goal of the Year candidate against Fuego FC on Saturday, Mbuyu tallied 12 recovers, 10 duels won, six successful long passes, four completed dribbles and a quartet of chances created across two matches. Mbuyu’s 0.67 goals-added mark was the most on the week, according to American Soccer Analysis.

AVAILABILITY REPORT

• CLT: F - Khori Bennett (out, injury)
• NCO: F - Irvin Parra (questionable, injury)

TEAM PREVIEWS

• Charlotte
• Northern Colorado

Pair of teams hungry for win meet in Georgetown

Matchup: Lexington SC (4-9-5, 10th) vs. Richmond Kickers (6-6-7, 7th)
Venue: Toyota Stadium; Georgetown, Ky.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Weather: Isolated thunderstorms, 87°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #LEXvRIC
Series (First Meeting): 1-0-0, RIC (2023)

WHAT MATTERS

• History on the horizon?: With 2023 being the first season that two different clubs have claimed the Players' Shield and League One Final trophy, Lexington could become the first expansion club to down both in its first season if it can pick up a win against the defending regular season champs.
• Back in business: Depending on results elsewhere throughout the night, the Roos could jump back above the playoff line for the first time in 20 days if they can avoid a loss to Lexington.
• Snap the streak: Richmond's three-match winless run is the second-longest active streak in the league. If the Kickers fail to beat Lexington, Richmond will face its longest unbeaten streak in regular season play since 2019.

PLAYER TO WATCH

• Terique Mohammed (LEX): The former Canada youth international has enjoyed a successful return to League One, becoming the first player in Lexington history to record a multi-assist match in his side’s largest-ever victory on Saturday. Along with his two assists against Omaha, Mohammed won seven duels, registered five recoveries and won a pair of tackles.

AVAILABILITY REPORT

• LEX: N/A
• RIC: F - Ethan Vanacore-Decker (out, injury)

TEAM PREVIEWS

• Lexington

Rafa, NCFC take on Red Wolves at CHi Memorial Stadium

Matchup: Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (4-10-4, 12th) vs. North Carolina FC (9-4-4, 2nd)
Venue: CHI Memorial Stadium; Chattanooga, Tenn.
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Partly cloudy, 90°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #CHAvNC
Series (First Meeting): 7-1-0, CHA (2021)

WHAT MATTERS

• Playing down to the competition?: Despite maintaining an impressive 6-1-2 record and a plus-seven goal differential against teams positioned above the playoff line at the time, NCFC is an even 3-3-2 with a goal differential of zero against clubs below the playoff line.
• Joga bonito: Rafa Mentzingen returns to CHI Memorial Stadium for the first time since departing following Chattanooga's special 2022 campaign. In three all-time meetings with the Red Wolves, the Brazilian is 3-0-0 with a plus-six goal differential, three goals and two assists.
• Kings of the comeback: No team has gained more points from losing positions (12) and dropped fewer points from winning positions (0) than the Red Wolves -  a figure that's on pace to set an all-time league record. Still, the Red Wolves currently maintain an all-time league record of 1.94 goals conceded per match.

PLAYER TO WATCH

• Chevone Marsh (CHA): The first-year Red Wolf and former Jamaica international tallied his second brace in as many matches - becoming just the fourth player in league history to do so - to help Chattanooga to a 3-2 Smoky Mountain Smackdown victory over rivals Knoxville.

AVAILABILITY REPORT

• CHA: M - Christian Enriquez (out, injury), M - Moe Espinoza (out, injury), M - Felipe Liborio, Jr. (out, injury), F - Marios Lomis (out, registration), M - Alex Tejera (out, injury)
• NC: F - Shak Adams (out, personal), GK - Nick Holliday (out, injury), D - Daniel Navarro (out, personal), GK - Tor Saunders (out, injury), M - Jaden Servania (out, injury)

TEAM PREVIEWS

• Chattanooga
• North Carolina

Title Contenders Meet in Madison

Matchup: Forward Madison FC (8-5-5, 4th) vs. Greenville Triumph SC (8-6-4, 5th)
Venue: Breese Stevens Field; Madison, Wis.
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Weather: Mostly sunny, 75°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #MADvGVL
Series (First Meeting): 4-2-6, GVL (2019)

WHAT MATTERS

• Five years of Forward: Even with its lopsided loss to Tormenta FC on Wednesday, the 'Mingos are on track for their best-ever finish in their five-year history, and Matt Glaeser’s side has picked up a league-high 7.15 points above expected, according to American Soccer Analysis.
• Moving on up: After navigating the worst start to a season in club history, Triumph SC has bounced back in a big way midway through the 2023 campaign. Greenville has the ability to finish the week second in the table behind Northern Colorado which would serve as the side's highest position since ending the 2022 regular season in the same position.
• Heading in the right direction: No team has picked up more points in its last five matches than Greenville's 12.

PLAYER TO WATCH

• Leo Castro (GVL): Now with the most goals in a single season of his career since the 2015-16 campaign with Sundowns in South Africa, Castro recorded a brace, won a joint-league-high 17 duels, earned five recoveries and completed over 80% of his passes across a pair of Week 19 matches. 

AVAILABILITY REPORT

• MAD: M - Julio Benitez (out, injury)
• GVL: D - Hassan Gabo (questionable, injury), F - Lyam MacKinnon (probable, injury), D - Tyler Polak (questionable, injury), D - Tevin Shaw (probable, injury)

TEAM PREVIEWS

• Madison
• Greenville

Ibises seek first win over Owls

Matchup: Union Omaha (6-5-7, 6th) vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC (7-8-3, 8th)
Venue: Werner Park; Papillion, Neb.
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Weather: Mostly sunny, 81°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #OMAvTRM
Series (First Meeting): 5-0-3, OMA (2020)

WHAT MATTERS

• Winners win: Union Omaha is the only active League One club South Georgia has failed to defeat. On the other hand, Tormenta FC is the sixth League One club all-time (second active) which Omaha has not conceded a loss to.
• Offensively dominant Owls: Similarly, the Omaha-South Georgia plus-12 goal differential in favor of the Owls is the largest negative differential for South Georgia and largest positive differential for Omaha.
• Jara history: A South Georgia and Pablo Jara victory would see the veteran Ibis match opposing goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu's 33 regular season matches won, tying the pair for second in league history behind Richmond's Akira Fitzgerald.

PLAYER TO WATCH

• Jackson Khoury (TRM): Tormenta FC's Young Player of the Year candidate propelled the Ibises to a scintillating 4-1 victory in Madison with a goal and two assists, pushing his totals to four goals and five assists on the season.

AVAILABILITY REPORT

• OMA: D - Stefan Mueller (out, injury)
• TRM: D - Jake Dengler (questionable, injury)

TEAM PREVIEWS

• Omaha
• South Georgia

Knoxville hope to end 2023 perfect against Central Valley

Matchup: Central Valley Fuego FC (5-11-1, 11th) vs. One Knoxville SC (5-8-7, 9th)
Venue: Fresno State Soccer Stadium; Fresno, Calif.
Kickoff: 10:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Mostly sunny, 95°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #CVvKNX
Series (First Meeting): 1-0-1, KNX (2023)

WHAT MATTERS

• Streaking in opposite directions: While neither side is likely to make a big move up or down the table following Week 20's finale, Central Valley is sporting the longest active win streak in the league (2) and Knoxville is rising the longest losing streak at the moment (4).
• Summer slump: After enjoying one of the best starts to an expansion side in league history, Knoxville has now tied Fuego FC for the longest losing streak this season. Another OKSC loss would see the expansion side claim the record for the 2023 campaign.
• Slipping up between the sticks: Knoxville's 26 and Central Valley's 25 goals conceded on the season are in the upper half of the league. The pair of young sides have struggled as their talented goalkeepers - Sean Lewis (KNX) and Ofek Antman (CV) have struggled with injuries this season.

PLAYER TO WATCH

• Jordan Chavez (CV): Enjoying the first multi-goal-contribution match of his career, Chavez helped Fuego FC to its first-ever victory over Charlotte with an assist and match-winning goal. The defender also created four chances, won six duels and recorded six recoveries.

AVAILABILITY REPORT

• CV: GK - Ofek Antman (out, injury)
• KNX: D - Jalen Crisler (out, personal), M - Angelo Kelly-Rosales (out, suspension), GK - Sean Lewis (questionable, injury), D - James Thomas (out, injury), M - Yesin van der Pluijm (out, injury)