MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Two red-hot teams matched up Saturday night at AutoZone Park, with Memphis 901 FC extending its winning streak to four matches and snapping Saint Louis FC’s five-match winning streak with a 1-0 victory.
Memphis 901 FC (8-13-7, 31 pts) now has the longest winning streak in the Eastern Conference. 901 FC is one of just three teams in the entire USL Championship currently riding a winning streak of four matches or longer, along with Phoenix Rising FC and Orange County SC.
Marcus Epps found the back of the net off a corner kick by Cam Lindley in the 54th minute to account for the match’s only scoring. The goal came as a result of a halftime adjustment on set pieces and was set up perfectly letting Epps put it home across the front of the net.
“We told the guys that it was going to be a one or two goal game, so weren't frustrated (that we didn't score in the first half),” 901 FC head coach Tim Mulqueen said. “We felt that we let moments go that we could have been better on. We knew we had a lot of the ball, we knew that we were good with it, but that last pass was letting us down. So we just told the guys, when we get in the final third, let's finish our plays.”
“During halftime, the coaches said 'first and second corner, we're doing this,” said Epps. “Everyone hit their spots, and for me to get the goal, it was great. It's tough because everything has to go according to plan, and that's not always the case in soccer. If everyone is diligent and sticks to their roles, you get goals like this.”
901 FC goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell and the Memphis defense weathered multiple Saint Louis (11-10-8, 41 pts) threats down the stretch and finished off the club’s first clean sheet since an Aug. 6 match at Saint Louis FC.
“I think confidence is the key word,” Caldwell explained. “I think we have honed in on what we are about and what we are good at. We are building our identity, and that's hard to do with a new team. We have gotten better at just making plays at the right time and understanding what it takes to get the job done.
“Right now, we're in a good way. Regardless of results, I think it's important to continue to understand what our strengths are and become even better in those areas.”
Before Saturday, Saint Louis had not allowed a goal in its last four matches.
Memphis remains at AutoZone Park for a Tuesday night game against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and next Saturday for a contest against Bethlehem Steel FC. Both matches are scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m.
“Our squad depth is good,” Mulqueen said, heading into the short turnaround before the Pittsburgh match. “We got guys like (Adam) Najem, Lagos (Kunga), (Duane) Muckette and Ewan (Grandison) who can all affect the game for us on Tuesday night in a good way. We knew we were going to have to balance minutes. We get (Dan) Metzger back in the team from suspension. We'll take tomorrow off and recover and get ready to go to work on Monday.
“We know nothing short of this performance will do against Pittsburgh. It will be a great night.”
Tickets for the remainder of the season are available at https://www.memphis901fc.com/tickets.
For the latest information on the team, visit https://www.memphis901fc.com and follow the club on social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Two red-hot teams matched up Saturday night at AutoZone Park, with Memphis 901 FC extending its winning streak to four matches and snapping Saint Louis FC’s five-match winning streak with a 1-0 victory.
Memphis 901 FC (8-13-7, 31 pts) now has the longest winning streak in the Eastern Conference. 901 FC is one of just three teams in the entire USL Championship currently riding a winning streak of four matches or longer, along with Phoenix Rising FC and Orange County SC.
Marcus Epps found the back of the net off a corner kick by Cam Lindley in the 54th minute to account for the match’s only scoring. The goal came as a result of a halftime adjustment on set pieces and was set up perfectly letting Epps put it home across the front of the net.
“We told the guys that it was going to be a one or two goal game, so weren’t frustrated (that we didn’t score in the first half),” 901 FC head coach Tim Mulqueen said. “We felt that we let moments go that we could have been better on. We knew we had a lot of the ball, we knew that we were good with it, but that last pass was letting us down. So we just told the guys, when we get in the final third, let’s finish our plays.”
“During halftime, the coaches said ‘first and second corner, we’re doing this,” said Epps. “Everyone hit their spots, and for me to get the goal, it was great. It’s tough because everything has to go according to plan, and that’s not always the case in soccer. If everyone is diligent and sticks to their roles, you get goals like this.”
901 FC goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell and the Memphis defense weathered multiple Saint Louis (11-10-8, 41 pts) threats down the stretch and finished off the club’s first clean sheet since an Aug. 6 match at Saint Louis FC.
“I think confidence is the key word,” Caldwell explained. “I think we have honed in on what we are about and what we are good at. We are building our identity, and that’s hard to do with a new team. We have gotten better at just making plays at the right time and understanding what it takes to get the job done.
“Right now, we’re in a good way. Regardless of results, I think it’s important to continue to understand what our strengths are and become even better in those areas.”
Before Saturday, Saint Louis had not allowed a goal in its last four matches.
Memphis remains at AutoZone Park for a Tuesday night game against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and next Saturday for a contest against Bethlehem Steel FC. Both matches are scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m.
“Our squad depth is good,” Mulqueen said, heading into the short turnaround before the Pittsburgh match. “We got guys like (Adam) Najem, Lagos (Kunga), (Duane) Muckette and Ewan (Grandison) who can all affect the game for us on Tuesday night in a good way. We knew we were going to have to balance minutes. We get (Dan) Metzger back in the team from suspension. We’ll take tomorrow off and recover and get ready to go to work on Monday.
“We know nothing short of this performance will do against Pittsburgh. It will be a great night.”
Tickets for the remainder of the season are available at https://www.memphis901fc.com/tickets.
For the latest information on the team, visit https://www.memphis901fc.com and follow the club on social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
