Ten sides face off in week six, kicking off with a CBS Golazo broadcast between two of the top sides in the league. What are the storylines and challenges this week? Read on!
One Knoxville SC vs. Union Omaha
Friday, April 12th, 6:30 PM ET
Regal Soccer Stadium, Knoxville
CBS Golazo
Union Omaha travels to Knoxville to finally play its second match of the season, after a previously scheduled match in Chattanooga was postponed due to pitch issues. The Owls have kept themselves busy with US Open Cup action, blowing through the first and second rounds with ease. The only league match was a visit to Central Valley Fuego in mid-March, in which they escaped with a 2-1 win. It was newcomers Blake Malone and Jousé Gómez in that match, with returning veteran Steevan dos Santos providing both assists.
Knoxville starts the season on a roll. They may have exited the US Open Cup at the hands of Greenville, but have three league wins in as many matches. Angelo Kelly is playing MVP-level football in the midfield, with 2 goals, 2 assists and a league-leading 11 chances created. He exited the last league match with injury and missed the US Open Cup matchup against Greenville, but is expected to return against Omaha.
One thing is for sure, the first match of the weekend will be its most closely watched – it will air on CBS Golazo. We will finally get to see if Omaha is for real, or if Knoxville remains hot.
Omaha injury report: none
Knoxville injury report: Dani Fernandez and Angelo Kelly exited the match against Tormenta with injuries. Both missed the US Open Cup match against Greenville on April 3rd. Kingsford Adjei has yet to make an appearance.
Charlotte Independence vs. Greenville Triumph
Friday, April 12th, 7:30 PM ET
American Legion Memorial Stadium, Charlotte
ESPN+
Charlotte made waves this week by picking up free agent defensive midfielder Noah Pilato. Unfortunately this likely indicates a long-term injury for Omar Ciss. Pilato spent the last four seasons with Greenville Triumph, but missed significant time in 2021 and 2022 before a comeback season in 2023 in which he started all but one match and scored 3 with 3 assists.
With injuries piling up, Charlotte struggled to score against amateur side South Carolina United Heat in the second round of the US Open Cup. The match required penalty kicks, in which Austin Pack came through, saving two. In league play, the Jacks have one win and one loss.
Meanwhile, Greenville is on a roll, sitting at the top of the table with three wins and a draw. The last league win was a decisive 3-1 drubbing of Northern Colorado Hailstorm, a side known for its strong defense. Greenville also defeated second place Knoxville in US Open Cup action, passing what was probably the hardest test of any team in the second round. Lyam MacKinnon had a brace in both matches.
Charlotte injury report: Omar Ciss departed the last league match early and has not been seen since. The addition of Noah Pilato indicates a long term injury. Rayan Djedje also exited that match with injury, but returned for the US Open Cup. Gabriel Obertan has not been seen since the first match of the season, and Miguel Ibarra and Shalom Duetey have not appeared at all.
Greenville injury report: Sebastian Velasquez missed the last league match against Hailstorm, as well as the US Open Cup second round match, but continues to practice.
Forward Madison vs. Richmond Kickers
Saturday, April 13th, 6:00 PM CT
Breese Stevens Field, Madison
ESPN+
The first leg of the 2024 Henny Derby starts in Madison this weekend. The Mingos took the derby last season with two wins, and will look to continue the streak against an uncertain Richmond squad.
Madison will look to bounce back after a disappointing exit from the US Open Cup at the hands of Chicago Fire II. They will be without striker Christian Chaney, but should have the full services of Juan Galindrez, along with newcomer Christian Dávila in backup. Madison has yet to lose in regular season play, drawing its first two matches and decisively blanking Fuego FC by a score of 3-0 on March 29th, its last league result. Derek Gebhard, John Murphy and Devin Boyce all found the back of the net in that match.
Richmond started slow, with two consecutive losses, but may be on the upswing after a strong 5-2 win over Maryland Bobcats in US Open Cup action, and a 3-2 win over Fuego FC last weekend. The league result was Richmond’s first win since July 1st, 2023, a much needed boost in morale for the players and the fans. Richmond may see the return of striker Emiliano Terzaghi, who suffered a hand injury near the end of pre-season, and has not made an appearance outside of a few pre-season minutes since August 19th of last season. With strong performances from Adrian Billhard, Chandler O’Dwyer and Nil Vinyals in his absence, this could be the boost Richmond needs to move back into competitive contention.
Madison injury report: Christian Chaney is expected to miss this match with a leg injury, and is slated to return in week 8 against Lexington. Cherif Dieye has yet to appear, presumably due to a visa holdup. Aiden Mesias returned to the roster in the US Open Cup match, his first appearance since the side’s opening match.
Richmond injury report: Emiliano Terzaghi has not appeared in competitive action since August of 2023, but may see a return this week. The striker suffered a knee injury last season, then a hand injury at the end of pre-season. Center back Gui Franca has yet to appear in the regular season, while winger Toni Pineda is tentatively slated to return over the next two weeks. Pineda left the first round US Open Cup match with a knee injury that ended up not as bad as it looked. Center back Nathan Aune has also missed all matches due to a pre-season injury, with no word on his return.
Central Valley Fuego FC vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC
Saturday, April 13th, 7:30 PM PT
Fresno State Soccer Stadium, Fresno
ESPN+
Central Valley Fuego has been decimated by injury, but hung on longer than they should have last week against Richmond, even going up 2-1 at one point. While they’d falter and give up two unanswered goals to lose the match, Zahir Vasquez still walked away with goal of the week honors for his precisely timed header of an Omar Lemus cross. Rob Coronado returned to the roster and provided the other goal in the match, a first-half equalizer.
Chattanooga also announced two major, season-ending injuries to key players Jonny Filipe and Richard Rentería. Filipe joined on loan from Hartford for the last part of 2023, providing 7 assists in 13 matches, and signed full time in the off season. Rentería, a veteran of the Columbian first tier, was one of the few defensive pieces retained from last season, despite missing significant time with injury. He did not appear in the opening match this season. Chattanooga dropped that match to Lexington, and has seen its last two league matches postponed due to stadium issue. They’ve kept busy in the meantime with US Open Cup play, defeating two amateur sides to advance to the third round.
Both sides saw poor finishes in 2023, and are desperate to prove they can contend in 2024, despite less than ideal starts. Look for both sides to go on the attack to make up for shaky defense, making this a potentially high scoring match.
Fuego injury report: Jason Ramos is said to be done for the season. Moe Espinoza missed another match due to a foot injury, but has been seen at practice, indicating an upcoming return. Qudus Lawal is also said to be eying a return in the next few weeks. Bryan Bustamante, Leon Morimoto and Tirimisiyu Opeyemi have yet to make an appearance for undisclosed reasons.
Chattanooga injury report: Jonny Filipe and Richard Rentería were announced by the team as having season ending injuries. In the meantime, VISA holdouts Lucas Coutinho and Stefan Cvetanovic have joined the squad. We’ll look for Chattanooga to add another defender from free agency or loan over the next few weeks.
Lexington SC vs. Spokane Velocity
Sunday, April 14th, 4:00 PM ET
Toyota Stadium, Georgetown, KY
ESPN+
Lexington returns home after an embarrassing trip to South Georgia last weekend. They’ll host league newcomers Spokane Velocity, a side playing a bit above expectations for a first year expansion.
For all the talent, Lexington’s offensive stats have been rather dismal, with just three goals in four matches. Shots on target just aren’t happening like they should, and the further we get into league play, the more these early losses might come back to bite. The side has now dropped three in a row, although the losses have all come to the top three sides in the table, Greenville, Knoxville and Tormenta. Amal Knight is slated to return after missing the Tormenta match due to a red card suspension, which should provide some relief from the shaky goaltending provided by his backups.
Spokane is undefeated at home, but dropped both road matches this season. They’ll look to break that streak at Lexington. One strength of the squad so far is the ability to score goals from multiple positions, as all five goals in its four league matches came from five different players. Luis Gil and Pierre Reedy lead in creating chances with 7 and 6 respectively, with Gil responsible for one goal. Defensively they’ve struggled a bit, giving up six, but goalkeeper Carlos Merciano did manage a clean sheet against Northern Colorado.
Lexington injury report: Lexington has been without the services of Erik Ceja-Gonzalez, Ebenezer Ackon and Michael Agboola
Spokane injury report: Grayson Dupont continues to miss action after an injury in the first match of the season.
Cover graphic image provided by One Knoxville SC.