Lower Alabama Report: July 23

Dothan heads to Vermont; Huntsville looks to change fortunes against Orlando

Birmingham Legion FC

Credit: Lucca Dourado/ Forward Madison

Birmingham was at home last week against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks, riding a four game unbeaten streak, and looking to keep some momentum. Danny Trejo had a brace in the previous game, but wasn't available for action due to a muscle strain. Samuel Shashoua was announced as a signing on loan from Minnesota United just a few hours before the game, and ended up starting in Trejo's place. Results from other games in the East were piling up in Birmingham's favor throughout the day, but Legion gave a lackluster performance and lost 0-1. Frankly, they blew a great chance to move up in the table.

This week, Birmingham will be hosting Forward Madison in Jagermeister Cup action. With two wins and a draw in the Cup, Legion are in a position to secure a spot in the knockout round if the can win the game, and possibly if they draw. Forward Madison has had a tough season in league play, and in the Cup as well. Two Legion players are on the Forward Madison roster on loan, and they'll be looking to make some noise in the match. Lucca Dourado (striker) will be the one to watch closely. Since being loaned to Forward, he has two goals and two assists in eight appearances, and he'll be eager to show his parent club what they're missing. Head coach Matt Glaser also has deep ties to Legion coach Mark Briggs, as a player and an assistant. Forward will be coming in on a short turn from a Wednesday night game at home against Tormenta. Birmingham needs to step up and get a win here. The game will be Saturday July 26 at 7:00.

Huntsville City FC

Huntsville was at home against Columbus Crew 2 on Friday, and put together a strong 2-1 win. The scoreline doesn't reflect the fact that HCFC dominated almost every aspect of the game. It's also demonstrates the truth behind the saying that the most dangerous lead is 2-0. Despite being dominated, the Crew scored late, and gave themselves a chance to snatch away points.

Huntsville City will be at home again this week to face Orlando City B on Friday, July 25 at 7:00. These two teams sit next to each other in the table, with Huntsville just one spot higher. HCFC has been a bit uneven lately, and Orlando may be the worst team for them to face right now. Orlando has historically had Huntsville's number, including a 3-2 win in their most recent match-up (their fourth in a row head-to-head). Orlando tends to sit back with low possession, and then punch back on the counter. Huntsville will need to find a way to truly control the game and not concede anything cheap.

Dothan United

Image credit: USL League Two

Social media will show you that the Asheville City faithful are still salty about having to travel to Dothan for a playoff pod that was hosted there last week. They got bounced out of the playoffs by LA Krewe, while Dothan beat a great Little Rock Rangers team, and then sent Krewe home with a commanding 2-0 win on Sunday.

Dothan moves on now to Vermont to the next pod in the sweet sixteen for the next round of playoffs. First up, they'll face Ft Lauderdale United, who upset Sarasota Paradise 2-1 on Sunday. The winner of the match will hoist the trophy for the Southern Conference, and then move on to play the Eastern Conference champ (Vermont Green or Lionsbridge). The first two matches are on Friday, July 25, with Dothan in the early match. This could prove to be advantage #1, as the current forecast calls for the possibility of storms on Friday. Better to face delays early, as opposed to running late into the night. The weather on Sunday calls for a high of 82, and doesn't include the oppressive humidity that we see down south. Call that advantage #2 for the Dragons, if they advance. Vermont is known to draw loud and boisterous crowds, which should also make Dothan feel right at home. Ft Lauderdale is a team that plays a tight defense, and hasn't been prolific scoring, putting in just 21 goals in 12 regular season games. Look for Dothan to push hard to get an early lead, and then try to build on that to put Ft Lauderdale away.

Union 10

Union 10 hosted their playoff game on Sunday against FC Dallas U23. Union leaned on their defense to frustrate the Dallas attack, and regular time ended locked up at 0-0. Dallas scored almost immediately after the start of overtime, and held tight to come away with a 1-0 win. Union's season has come to and end, after a great Summer. Dallas moves on to the national semifinal.