USL League One, NISA & MLS Next Pro preview, April 12-14

The third-tier USL League One weekend kicks off tonight in Tennessee as One Knoxville welcome Union Omaha to Regal Stadium for an 11.30pm (BST) kick-off. The home side won their first three league games before their US Open Cup loss to Greenville Triumph, who subsequently leapfrogged them in the USL-1 table (although with a game more played). The visitors also have a perfect league record this season, although they have played just one league game so far. An hour later, Greenville Triumph put their unbeaten record on the line when they visit near-neighbours Charlotte Independence. The home side have won one and lost one so far this season and welcome USL Championship expansion side Rhode Island FC to American legion Memorial Stadium in the Open Cup on Tuesday but first they have to get past Rick Wright's table-toppers who have so far only been frustrated by a solid Forward Madison defence.

The Wisconsin side are involved in the first of Saturday's games when Richmond Kickers travel to Forward Madison having won their first league game for nine months last week. Madison are yet to lose this season, with a win and two draws, but bowed out of the Open Cup in their last fixture and so will look ripe for the taking by a Kickers side never short on attacking flair. Saturday's other game in USL-1 comes from California, a 3.30am kick-off showcasing the questionable talents of Central Valley Fuego and Chattanooga Red Wolves. The visitors are having a difficult season so far, with their CHI Memorial Stadium out of use for the time being, but they will travel with some confidence to Fresno to face a Fuegos side that hasn't clicked yet under new head coach Jermaine Jones. The final game of the weekend sees expansion side Spokane Velocity make their first visit to Georgetown, Kentucky, to play a Lexington SC that really haven't got going yet this season.


The NISA news this week was dominated by revelations about the low pay structure found in that league, a story which has some way to run. On field, week two begins tonight in Atlanta, where Georgia FC - already renamed and under new management since their unveiling as Georgia Lions over the winter - face Daytona beach side Club de Lyon at Silverbacks Park, a 10pm (BST) kick-off if you fancy tuning in on NISA+. There are two games on Saturday, the first of which sees another crisis club in Savannah Clovers (for whom the league have pledged to cover the wage bill) at home to Maryland Bobcats, a league mainstay and probably worth better than this competition.

Los Angeles Force drew 2-2 with new local rivals Irvine Zeta last week and will welcome another expansion side to Long Beach Community College at 3am on Saturday in the shape of Arizona Monsoon. Monsoon lost their first ever game - a US Open Cup defeat to fourth-tier Lubbock Matadors three weeks ago - but are an unknown quantity, with a side made up laregly of local amateur and college recruits. The weekend's final game is another of the many Los Angeles derbies that will take place this season and sees Irvine Zeta - who share the Championship Soccer Stadium with USL Championship side Orange County SC - welcome another new club, Capo FC. Like Arizona, Capo lost their first match to fourth-tier opposition (the Sasha Kljestan-enhanced Des Moines Menace), but build on almost two decades of organisation as a youth and amateur organisation. Zeta have looked impressive so far, though, and a home win looks a banker.


The weekend's action in the third third-tier league - MLS Next Pro - gets underway tonight but that's all about MLS reserves sides playing MLS reserve sides and so of minimal interest to this reporter. Only one of the two independent clubs in MLS Next Pro are in action this weekend, with Chattanooga FC welcoming the kids of Inter Miami FC II to Finley Stadium. The Chatts have won one and drawn two (with a win and a loss in the subsequent shootouts) so far this season and it's way too early to tell whether their decision to jump from NISA to this league has been a success. Taylor Gray and Jesus Ibarra have both been amongst the goals already, though, and Miami's defence will need to be wary of their threat.

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