ALABAMA: Lower Alabama Report - April 15
- Dan Floyd
- Apr 15
- 3 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
Birmingham Legion:
Last Week’s Match - Due to injuries and illness, Legion had just 17 players available, but they rallied for another strong performance to get their first win of the season, beating Pittsburgh Riverhounds 1-0. Birmingham was in control for most of the game and held Pittsburgh to just one shot on target. Sebastian Tregarthen scored the only goal of the game from a cross that was sent in by Dawson McCartney, and was put past the keeper at an extremely tight angle. Birmingham had another goal near full time that was disallowed for offsides (frankly, that was a bad call). It was second victory over the Riverhounds - ever - and it was the second clean sheet in a row at home. Yet another injury during the game saw Tregarthen moved to right back for the second half, where he showed his versatility. His overall performance earned him Team of the Week honors.
This Week’s Match - Birmingham Legion FC vs Indy Eleven; Sunday, April 19 at 4:00 CT.
This will be the first time that Birmingham has had a “normal” week-long break between games, after a screwy schedule to start the season. They'll be looking for some players to become available this week, and also to build on momentum. Indy likes to cede possession and counter attack, running as low as 29% possession in their early win against Detroit City. Their attacks have been primarily down the wings, and that's where most of the action will be expected to take place in this game as well. Birmingham is also focusing their attacks down the wings, but keeps a more balanced possession number. There's no doubt that large stretches of this game will look like a track meet, with heavy back and forth action. With all of that speed on the wings for both teams, the focus should probably be on the two excellent keepers that will be at both ends of the pitch. They're both going to have a busy day.
Huntsville City FC:
Last Week’s Match - Chicago Fire has gone through this early NextPro season by playing through low-scoring matches into draws, and then taking home extra points from shootouts. Not at all typical for the league. They got their way against Huntsville as well. HCFC was able to shore up a leaky back line, and regular time ended at 0-0. Chicago stayed the course, and won the shootout 4-2.
This Week’s Match - Huntsville City FC at Inter Miami II; Saturday, April 18 at 7:00 ET. Both of these teams have had some leaky outings defensively, and haven't set the world on fire scoring goals either. Both teams have also played most of their games on the road, and there doesn't appear to be any advantage in the home/away outcomes. Both of these teams have tended to run with higher possession as well, so something is going to have to give. This has the makings of another draw, and Huntsville has been slightly better in shootouts than Miami.
UPSL Premier:
Last Week’s Results - FC Birmingham 3-3 Pachuca. Tavar T Lawrence had a brace for FCB as they earned another draw, this time at 3-3.
FC Columbus Elite 0-4 Red Top FC. Dailin Allen had a brace for the home side.
This Week’s Matches - FC Birmingham at Scenic City; Sunday, April 19 at 7:00 ET. FCB has performed well this season, but needs to find a win. Scenic City is second in the table, and they've generally been a good team at home. Birmingham would do well to get a point, but they need a breakthrough.
FC Columbus Elite vs UMA FC; Saturday, April 18 at 6:00 ET. Colgaelite started off hot, but hit a wall with last week's loss. UMA hasn't been as strong this season as they have typically been, and I expect Elite to snap back here and take three points.
UPSL Division 1:
Last Week’s Results - Columbus Knight Eagles 4-1 Colgaelite 2. Archie Bayon had a brace for the Eagles.
Calera FC 0-4 Middle Georgia United. James Skelton had a brace, and this was the first time that Calera has been shut out.
This Week’s Matches - FC Columbus Elite 2 vs Lake Country United; Saturday, April 18 at 3:00 ET. Much like the first tram, Elite 2 came back to earth last week, and will be looking to bounce back. Lake Country has had the stronger offense, while Elite has been better on defense. This is type of game that starts to shake things out in the standings. Look for Colgaelite to get back on track at home and pick up the win.
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