Memphis, Tenn. – Memphis 901 FC heads on the road to Indianapolis for their second match of the season against Indy Eleven on Saturday, July 23 at 6 p.m. CT.
Memphis looks to sweep the series and pick up another three points after falling to Louisville City FC 2-1 in a drama-filled match at AutoZone Park last Saturday night.
Memphis moved to 12-5-2 on the season and holds the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference standings after the loss, sitting one point behind the second-place Tampa Bay Rowdies and four points behind the conference leaders in Louisville.
Indy currently sits in ninth in the eastern conference standings, seven points out of playoff contention half way through the season. Indy is currently on a six-match losing streak, not scoring in over 450 minutes of league play and was ranked at the bottom of the league in power rankings after falling to New York Red Bulls II, who have accumulated two wins and nine points this season.
While Indy are fighting for playoff hopes, 901 FC are still in the middle of the regular season Eastern Conference title race between the top three clubs in the USL Championship.
Memphis will be without starting defender Patrick Seagrist after two yellow cards against Lou City, but will have goalkeeper Trey Muse available after a successful appeal of a red card for denial of a scoring opportunity.
Memphis took the first match against Indy 2-1 at AutoZone Park on May 14, with goals from Zach Carroll in the 34th minute and Laurent Kissiedou in the 58th minute. Indy’s only goal came off an error by Muse in the 66th minute.
901 FC outshot Indy 12-7, landing four shots on target compared to Indy’s two. Memphis led with 15 interceptions and had a 78.6% tackle success rate in the match.
Memphis and Indy both look to capitalize off the three points, 901 FC looking to reposition themselves toward the top of the east and Indy snap a disappointing stretch of form.
History in the Making..
Memphis 901 FC is currently enjoying their best season since its start in the Bluff City in 2019. After a playoff appearance last season, the club has established itself as a title contender with only five losses in 19 games played. The battle at the top of the Eastern Conference has only intensified entering the second half of the season after last week’s loss to Louisville City FC. 901 FC sits at third in the Eastern Conference with 15 matches remaining in the regular season, including a September 23 rematch against Lou City.
#DefendMemphis…
Memphis 901 FC have defended AutoZone Park with only three losses in their 10 matches at home. The Boys in Blue managed a six-match home winning streak going back to May 14 while averaging 3.60 goals per match and +14 goal differential, puting 901 FC in the top three in both categories in the league.
The Race for the Golden Boot…
Phillip Goodrum has been the jetfuel as the man up top for one of the most dangerous attacking teams in the league. The forward has netted 11 goals this season, currently tied for third in the USL Championship. Memphis is unbeaten in nine of the 10 matches Goodrum found the back of the net including a 5-2 statement victory on June 5 when he scored two goals against his former club ATL United 2.
Goals Scored Leaderboard:
1 – Ottar Magnus Karlsson – 15
2 – Milan Iloski – 12
T3 – Phillip Goodrum – 11
T3 – Preston Judd – 11
T3 – Hadji Barry – 11
The Distributors…
Memphis 901 FC boasts one of the most dynamic duo of midfielders in the USL Championship with both Jeremy Kelly and Aaron Molloy in the top five for assists. Kelly has been at the center of the 901 FC attack since moving from the back line this season, tied for second in the league with seven assists in 19 appearances while Molloy has made his hay as the squad’s primary kick taker with 6 assists. Kelly was tabbed as the USL Championship Player of the Month in May after a stretch of three goals and three assists in four victories for 901 FC while picking up six Team of the Week nods this season.
Assists Leaderboard:
1 – Hadji Barry – 8
T2 – Jeremy Kelly – 7
T2 – Kenardo Forbes – 7
T4 – Aaron Molloy – 6
T4 – Hugh Alexander Dixon – 6
T3 – Cameron Lindsey – 6
Set Piece Superstar…
Aaron Molloy has made his name as one of the most dangerous legs from the set piece in the USL Championship. All six of the midfielder’s assists this season have come off of the set piece, but not before scoring his first goal of the season on a free kick strike from 20 feet out against Oakland Roots on March 19. Molloy is currently ranked ninth in chances created with 31 this season and tied for 10th with his five assists.
