USL League One, NISA & MLS Next Pro previews, May 17-19

Action in the third-tier USL League One kicks off tonight with two games featuring three of this season's title contenders. First up at midnight (all times BST and all USL games shown live on the USL YouTube page) is the visit of Union Omaha, unbeaten in the league, to Charlotte Independence, a repeat of last year's play-off semi-final, won on penalties by Independence in Omaha. The home side are in generally good form, although they lost at home in the Jägermeister Cup last week, but Omaha will present an entirely different challenge from their last league opponents, Central Valley Fuego. Still, the sides did draw 0-0 in Omaha earlier in the season so it is possible that Charlotte could get a result here. Friday's second game comes from the Fresno, California, home of Central Valley Fuego, who entertain One Knoxville in a 3.30am kick-off. Fuego are still yet to get things together under new head coach Jermaine Jones and, while I'm sure the board will give him time, it's a matter of if not when he'll pull things round at the moment. Knoxville have looked good this season while also suffering some surprise defeats. Last week's 5-1 reverse at home against Northern Colorado Hailstorm may have been in the Jägermeister Cup, but it will still have unsettled more than a few at Regal Stadium.

Saturday's two games start with the midnight kick-off between Richmond Kickers and Greenville Triumph at City Stadium. The sides met in the Jägermeister Cup three weeks ago, with Kickers triumphing in a shootout after the game finished 1-1 in normal time, but that was a rare victory for the Virginians. Greenville top the table and have completed a smooth transfer under new head coach Rick Wright. They score goals even when they lose and the Richmond defence will have to be on its game tomorrow night. Starting half an hour later - and 500 miles south - is South Georgia Tormenta versus Chattanooga Red Wolves, a repeat of the unexpected 2022 USL League One championship game. Both sides have struggled since that point, the reality of being a talent farm for clubs at higher levels kicking in, but this is only Red WOlves fourth league game of the campaign after problems with their home field forced the postponement of early games. It's seems to be all or nothing with Tormenta this season and so there should at least be a winner come Saturday night. The weekend's final game in USL-1 sees Forward Madison travel to Spokane Velocity for an intriguing clash of two of the league's more forward (no pun intended) looking clubs. Velocity have been drawing well in their first season and currently sit fourth, but Madison are yet to lose a league game this term and have Christian Chaney in good goalscoring form. It should be a lively game and it starts at 11pm.

Week seven in the NISA league begins in San Luis Capistrano, right at the southern limits of Los Angeles, where Capo FC face local rivals Irvine Zeta at JSerra Field in a 3.30am kick-off tonight. The sides - both new to professional soccer this season after years in the youth and semi-professional ranks - have almost identical W1 D2 L1 records so far, although Zeta have scored two more goals, and the plethora of LA derbies in the NISA Western Conference this season has meant a general levelling out of competition out west. The action moves back eastwards on Saturday with a pair of midnight kick-offs from Detroit and the DMV area. Maryland Bobcats had a big win last week to get things back on track after a 2-0 defeat the week before and will welcome the visit of Savannah Clovers to the Maryland Soccer Plex in Boyds. Clovers had a turmultuous winter, with the sale of the club held up by issues with Russian money, and they've not started this season well, although they did enjoy a derby victory over Georgia in midweek. Bobcats, meanwhile, have played just three games so far, winning two, and will see the absence of last year's heavy hitters Chattanooga FC and Albion San Diego as a chance to bring silverware back to the DMV. 2022 champions Michigan Stars had a strong start to the season but were humbled 4-1 by new boys Georgia FC last week. They'll be hoping to put that behind them when they face the veterans of Club de Lyon, the Florida side who were on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline themselves last week. Stars should have enough to stay on course for a second title, but the Lions did win away at Georgia the other week...

We're only following the two independent clubs in MLS Next Pro this season and the weekend's fixtures throw up the visit of Carolina Core to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday to face Inter Miami II. Core have just one win so far in their six league games, although they manage a shootout victory at the end of a drawn match (as all ties are settled in this competition), but that was in their last match at Atlanta United 2 and thus they have a chance to go on a run if they can beat the youngsters of Miami. With just five goals in six games, scoring is their issue and, given Miami have conceded more goals than any other team in the Eastern Conference this year, this would be a good place to start putting that right. Elsewhere, third plays fourth in the East as FC Cincinnati II travel to New York Red Bulls II on Sunday, and there's a California derby in the West, where The Town FC welcome Los Angeles FC 2 to Moraga.