Match Previews - 9.1.2023

By USLLeagueOne.com Staff, 09/01/23, 2:45PM EDT

Quest for playoffs heats up with pair of high-stakes matchups

Hungry Lexington Side to Host Greenville

Matchup: Lexington SC (7-11-6, 10th) vs. Greenville Triumph SC (10-8-6, 6th)
Venue: Toyota Stadium; Georgetown, Ky.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Weather: Mostly sunny, 83°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #LEXvGVL
Series (First Meeting): 1-0-0, GVL (2023)

WHAT MATTERS

One up: A win or draw for the hosts will see Lexington leapfrog Richmond into ninth place, while a Greenville victory or tie would see Triumph SC surpass Madison and slot into fifth place.
Veteran presence: Matching an all-time league record of penalties in a single season, all five of Don Smart's goals this season have been converted penalties. Facing his former Greenville side, Smart is just 1-3-2 when facing his previous squads, though.
Off to the races: A Lexington victory would see LSC grab four wins from its last five, a figure second only to Union Omaha's five in five.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Jacob Labovitz (GVL): Greenville's leading scorer from a season ago has started to find his form as the regular season winds down. With a goal in each of his last two matches, Triumph SC is 7-3-2 when Labovitz finds the back of the net.

AVAILABILITY REPORT

LEX: None reported
GVL: D - Brandon Fricke (questionable, illness), GK - Jared Mazzola (questionable, injury), D - Tyler Polak (out, injury), D - Jamie Smith (probable, injury)

TEAM MATCH PREVIEWS

Lexington
Greenville

Pivotal Matchup between pair of playoff contenders

Matchup: South Georgia Tormenta FC (9-11-5, 7th) vs. One Knoxville SC (8-9-8, 8th)
Venue: Optim Sports Medicine Field at Tormenta Stadium; Statesboro, Ga.
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 76°
Broadcast: ESPN+
Hashtag: #TRMvKNX
Series (First Meeting): 1-0-0, TRM (2023)

WHAT MATTERS

Trading places: While neither side can move above the playoff line following tonight's action, a potential victor would slot into seventh place and sit just one point shy of sixth-place Greenville heading into the weekend.
Extending the streak?: South Georgia and Knoxville are two of five clubs riding unbeaten streaks of three or more matches. However, the pair are the only two of the five sitting below the playoff line.
Southern hospitality: Knoxville will become the 19th club to face South Georgia in Statesboro on Friday. The Ibises are 11-7-3 all-time at home against clubs from states bordering Georgia.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Kazaiah Sterling (TRM): The lone player in Week 24 to accumulate three goals, Sterling also won a pair of penalties, created three chances, won 11 duels, seven fouls and four recoveries.

AVAILABILITY REPORT

TRM: D - Jake Dengler (questionable, injury), M - John Murphy Jr. (out, suspension)
KNX: D - Jalen Crisler (out, injury), D - Sean O'Hearn (out, injury), D - James Thomas (out, injury), M - Yesin van der Pluijm (questionable, injury)