Lower Alabama Report: April 30
This upcoming weekend will see a ton of goals scored
All times given are Central Time
Image credit: Birmingham Legion
Birmingham Legion FC
Jagermeister Cup competition started with a bang for the Legion. Facing Chattanooga Red Wolves, a big physical team, Birmingham dropped Tyler Pasher into the midfield and rolled out a speedy lineup. It paid dividends, unlocking Danny Trejo in a way that has been sorely needed. Trejo scored a goal and assisted Ronaldo Damus on another on the way to a dominant 3-1 win. His efforts earned him a spot on the Cup team of the round.
Unless something is announced before Friday (which could very well happen), Birmingham will be headed to face the Rowdies for the Interim Derby Saturday May 3 at 6:30. Both teams have had a tough start to the season and the Rowdies are also staring down an Open Cup match just a few days later against an MLS opponent. So far this season both teams have just allowed too many goals; neither team has yet managed a clean sheet. Both teams have also played tight matches against the teams above them in the table, with hope dangling in front of them. Look for an excessive number of fouls in this match, with plenty of goals. Can Birmingham (finally) gain some momentum, or will Tampa Bay bounce back after a tough Jagermeister loss?
Huntsville City FC
Image credit: Huntsville City
Huntsville City are on a roll after two big wins in a row. Last weekend saw a few players from Nashville drop down to get some crucial minutes, including a MOTM performance from Matthew Corcoran. The 4-0 win propelled them near the top of the table in the East on the back of a +11 goal differential after just six games.
This week will see rivals Atlanta United 2 come to the Rocket City on Saturday at 7:00. Atlanta sits near the bottom of the table, but has a one game edge in the historical series. It's less likely that Huntsville will see first team players from Atlanta dropping in, but that can't be ruled out. Absent that, this should be another Huntsville win. May the Force be With Them for their Star Wars theme night.
Summer Starts!
The regular seasons for USL League Two and The League for Clubs are just around the corner, but the Lower Alabama season gets started this weekend with a couple of friendlies.
Image credit: Dothan United
Dothan United of USL2 brings in AFC Mobile of TLfC on Saturday May 3 at 4:00. The Dragons have the makings of a very strong team for this Summer, looking to build on their successful first season in 2024. Included on their roster is Jermaine Fordah, most recently a backup keeper for New Mexico United. AFC Mobile had a tough season in 2024 (just one win), following a hiatus in 2023. Look for a big crowd on hand, as always.
Montgomery United of USL2 is also kicking off the season on Saturday the 3rd at 7:00, with a home game against Fountain City of UPSL. Fountain City is in shape as they're halfway through their season, but by all rights they should be overmatched. Montgomery has added firepower to a roster that really came together last year, winning the Gulf Coast Premier League championship in their first season. Fun fact: Montgomery's preseason match last year was against Columbus United, the first-ever game for both clubs. I was on hand to see Columbus come out on top 3-1.
FC Birmingham
FC Birmingham were away against Georgia Revolution last weekend, a team that hasn't lost a game at home. FCB only had two players on the bench, and they employed a strategy built to frustrate the Revs . FCB parked the bus, taking the ball away from the Revs and sending it downfield every chance they got, with minimal offensive effort of their own. The strategy was ugly, but effective, and FCB kept the game close, hoping a hard push at the end could steal a point. They couldn't quite pull it off, losing 0-1.
FCB is idle this week.
FCB2 has improved each week, and welcomed in Columbus Knight Eagles, who have been on top of the table for the Georgia South in Divsion 1. Despite both teams being at opposite ends of the table, this match ended up as a hard-fought 3-3 draw.
FCB2 will hit the road this week to face Limeno 3 Sunday May 4 at 1:00. Limeno is riding the bottom of the table with a -16 GD from four straight losses. Birmingham will be expected to pounce here and take all three points.
UMA FC
UMA has been headed in the wrong direction after winning their first two games, and traveled to face Dalton United on Saturday. Dalton is not the place to go to get back on track. UMA did play Dalton tough, but came up short, losing 2-3.
UMA has this upcoming weekend off
UMA2 hasn't found a win yet this Spring and this week's match was away against Georgia Revolution 2. The Revs are at the top of the table, while UMA is at the bottom. Despite what looked like it would be a clear mis-match, there were signs were there that this would at least be a close game, and it was. In a high-scoring affair, UMA2 came up short losing 4-5.
UMA2 brings in FC Atlanta on Sunday May 4 at 3:00. Atlanta is in third place, and UMA is still looking for that elusive first win. UMA has been scoring goals at a decent clip, while had Atlanta has played mostly low-scoring close matches. Something has got to give way here, and I think UMA2 will get three points.
The Adjacency
Fountain Ciy traveled to Albion Atlanta looking for their first win of the season. Albion jumped out on the front foot, and earned a penalty kick at 22 minutes. Despite two chances, Albion were foiled on the occasion. Albion's pressure did get them a 1-0 lead at the half. Fountain found their footing in the second half, and got an equalizer when Tristan Shytle fired off a stunning shot from over thirty yards away that went into the back of the net over the Albion keeper's head. Fountain City struck again just a few minutes later, and held on for a 2-1 win.
Fountain City plays Montgomery United in a friendly this weekend.
FC Columbus Elite traveled to Soccer Saves Lives on Sunday, coming in off of two wins in a row. Both of teams are near the bottom of the table and have been inconsistent. Colgaelite took a step backwards, losing to SSL 2-3. It was SSL's first win of the season.
Elite will be on the road again this week at Georgia Athletic on Sunday at 1:00. Both of these teams started the season in the hole, and have their form improve over the course of the Spring. Athletic have been in some tight matches and have found a way to come out on top. They also haven't lost at home. I expect this one to be high-scoring where the team that scores last gets three points.
Columbus Knight Eagles played FCB2 to a 3-3 draw last week. This week they host Middle Georgia United Sunday at 5:00. Both of these teams score a lot of goals and have given up a fair share of them as well. Both also have one result where they just blew an opponent out of the water, inflating their totals for goals scored. If there's a theme this week across the coverage range, it's for games where there will be a lot of goals expected. Pencil that in here as well, but give CKE a slight advantage at home.
Image credit: USL
The Birmingham Legion boys and girls U14 teams participated in the USLA Pathway Classic last weekend. The boys fell short in group play, but the girls were dominated in group play, with a +20 goal differential. They finished the tournament with a 5-0 win over Brooke House FC to win the tournament championship. Congrats to these young ladies!