USL League One Storylines and Soundtracks Around the Southeast: Week 14
What's facing the southeastern clubs this weekend? And what songs fit with the narratives?
The June 2025 schedule kicks off this weekend with a full slate of action across USL League One. All 14 clubs have scheduled matches, which of course includes our southeast region sides. Here are four storylines we’re watching, and some songs that fit the occasion.
The Clash of Underdogs on a Hot Streak
Spoon: The Underdog
You got no time for the messenger
Got no regard for the thing that you don't understand
You got no fear of the underdog
That's why you will not survive
The Chattanooga Red Wolves are flying. They haven’t lost or conceded more than one goal to a league foe since April 12th at AV Alta, and they’re unbeaten at home.
Sure, the pitch at CHI Memorial Stadium has been a hot mess after a soggy spring, but the squad is noticeably clicking. They look like a team that actually enjoys playing together, without egos and a clever awareness of the pre-season expectations we all had. Three months into what is still a long season, they’re sitting at fourth in the table.
But don’t overlook Portland Hearts of Pine in this weekend’s matchup: the expansion side also hasn’t lost to a league opponent since April 12th, and has a bonus win over USL Championship side Detroit City in the Jägermeister Cup to add to its resume. While defense has been fairly sound all season, it’s the offense that finally started clicking, culminating in a four goal performance against Detroit City.
We expect nothing less than chaos any time we watch Chattanooga, but a road-tested Portland might be the counterweight.
Greenville Triumph: Not Dead Yet?
Frank Turner: Get Better
I got me a shovel, and I'm digging a ditch
And I'm going to fight for this four square feet of land like a mean old son of a bitch
I got me a future, I'm not stuck on the past
I got no new tricks, yeah I'm up on bricks but me, I'm a machine and I was built to last
Greenville Triumph moves operations to Clemson University’s Riggs Field this weekend to host FC Naples. They’ll look to carry over momentum from a shocking 1-0 upset of USL Championship powerhouse Charleston Battery last weekend in the Jägermeister Cup. They’ll need to get past another powerhouse side, FC Naples, a team with a mixed record on the road.
We’ve asked numerous times this season if it’s time to panic in Greenville, and indeed, the club still sits just inside the bubble at 8th in the table with no regular season wins since April 5th. But that performance at Charleston was something else, and could be the catalyst to return to the upper side of the table where we’re used to seeing them.
It’s only June; Greenville can get better, ‘cause they’re not dead yet.
Don’t Ask Her on a Straight Tekiela Night
She'll start thinkin' about him, then she's ready to fight
Knoxville hits the road once again, and despite recent results, it’s a place where they’ve seen more success than failure. This time it’s a visit to Westchester, a team with a suspect defense and a high-octane offense. But it’s that Knoxville offense we’re still waiting to see open back up after a hot start that cooled after week two.
Mark Doyle’s absence due to injury has been a big factor in this, but after missing three, Head Coach Ian Fuller has had plenty of time to adjust. Is this the week we see the dual threats of Kempes Tekiela and Stavros Zarokostas hit the gas and open up a torrent of goals from Knoxville?
Charlotte Independence: Saying Goodbye
How do I say goodbye to what we had?
The good times that made us laugh outweigh the bad
I thought we'd get to see forever
But forever's gone away
It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday
Charlotte Independence has been hot recently, and sits at third in the table. A huge part of this has been the contributions of Alfredo Midence and Luis Álvarez, who combined for seven assists in regular season and Jägermeister Cup play this season. However, Lexington SC recalled Midence’s loan and then today, Charlotte transferred Álvarez to the Tampa Bay Rowdies for a record fee.
We dug into a bit in the linked story, but it does appear that Head Coach Mike Jeffries has been preparing for this with the addition of young talents Rafael Jauregui, Juan David Moreno, along with veterans Christian Chaney, Souaibou Marou and Jon Bakero. We’ll find out this weekend if the preparations are in place when Charlotte travels to South Georgia Tormenta.