Lower Alabama Report: July 16
Big wins for Legion and Union 10; Dothan United hosts playoffs
Birmingham Legion FC
Image credit: USL Championship
Legion were on the road last week to get a big 3-2 win over North Carolina FC. Danny Trejo earned honors as the league's player of the week, scoring a second half brace to put Birmingham over the top. Ronaldo Damus and Tyler Pasher also earned places on the team of the week.
Legion will be back home this week to face the Colorado Springs Switchbacks Sat, July 19 at 7:00. The Switchbacks are the defending league champions, but find themselves at the bottom of the table in the West. While that sounds awful, Birmingham has only one more win on the season. This is a crucial test for the Legion, who have had a history of slipping to lower teams in the standings, while putting on their best performances against top teams. The player to watch here will be Ronaldo Damus, who was with the Switchbacks last season, and is the top goal-scorer for Legion. This is the kind of game that Birmingham must win in their quest to make the playoffs and turn the season around.
Huntsville City FC
Huntsville took a tough 0-1 road loss last week against a surging Cincinnati 2 team. This week they'll be at home against Columbus Crew 2. The Crew are dead last in the East, primarily due to a stagnant offense, which has managed just 16 goals on the season. On the other side, Huntsville has one of the top defenses in the league. If HCFC is focused, this really shouldn't be a tough match. Look for the Boys in Blue to come out strong and get three points. The match is Friday, July 18 at 7:00.
Dothan United
Image credit: USL League Two
The Dragons are hosting one of the two playoff pods for the USL League Two Southern Conference. The matinee match will feature Asheville City SC against LA Krewe, and then Dothan takes on the Little Rock Rangers Friday July 18 at 7:00. The Rangers historically feature a strong defense, and this season has been no different. They allowed just 6 goals in twelve games played, while scoring 25 goals. Not to be outdone, Dothan also allowed only 6 goals during the regular season, and scored a whopping 33 goals - almost three per match. This is Little Rock's third season in a row to make the playoffs, and earlier this Spring they sent Birmingham Legion packing with a 1-0 win in the US Open Cup. I will give the edge in this one to Dothan. They've put together an impressive resume in a brutal conference, and they'll have a big crowd behind them at home.
Union 10 FC
Image credit: Union 10
Union 10 put together a gritty performance last weekend to win the Gulf Coast Conference Championship in the inaugural season for The League for Clubs. Regular time ended up tied up 1-1 against Pensacola FC, after Union got an equalizer deep into second half stoppage time. They would go on to win in PK's, and hoist the trophy for the conference title.
Being part of a national league for the first time means that Union is moving into uncharted territory. They will be hosting a playoff match against FC Dallas U23 this upcoming weekend, time and day are still TBD. Union 10 came out on top in a very tough conference, but Dallas will be a huge test. The FC Dallas program is a well-oiled machine and has graduated many players into the pro ranks. During the season they've scored 51 goals while also allowing 18. Union will have to lean on their stout defense to move on to the next round.