Memphis, Tenn. – After their 10-day break, Memphis 901 FC hits the road on Wednesday night to take on New York Red Bulls II in their first of two matches this week.
Memphis is looking to get back to their winning ways and pick up three points after their 1-1 draw on the road at Indy Eleven on July 23.
Memphis moved to 12-5-3 on the season with the draw and holds the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference standings after 20 games played. 901 FC have yet to drop two consecutive matches this season.
New York currently sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference looking for their third win of the season. The Red Bulls are currently ranked last in the league in goals with 11 and have a goal differential of -32 on the season.
Memphis took the most recent matchup with the Red Bulls 3-0 at MSU Soccer Park on Sept. 19 of last year. New York led the match with 21 shots however only landed four on target while 901 FC took 11 shots hitting nine on target.
The Memphis push for the crown in the Eastern Conference continues with 14 matches remaining and postseason home field advantage on the line. Kickoff for Wednesday’s match is set for 6 p.m. CT.
Quotables
“They’re a young team which means they could, on paper, potentially be a little bit less experienced, but what they may lack in experience, they make up for with emotion and spirit. They’re a very strong club top to bottom so they have that club spirit and team comradery. The second thing is they have an identity of how they want to play, how they want to make us suffer. They’re as good of a pressing team as there is in this country. They’re going to use that philosophy and when they win it, they want to go quickly. They have very good players that can make us suffer, especially in those transition moments.” – Ben Pirmann
“They’re definitely a young team and have a lot of quality players in that organization. They’ve got a lot of ways to hurt you, especially with the younger players. They’re maybe a little bit less mature, but they still have good qualities so we’re going to have to find ways to break them down. What we’ve identified just in this week is their defensive pressure, so trying to play through a high press, high tempo, while still keeping the ball and making them suffer.” – Trey Muse
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 11 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 12 goals this season, currently tied for third in the USL Championship. Memphis is unbeaten in 10 of the 11 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 – Milan Iloski – 16
2 – Ottar Magnus Karlsson – 15
T3 – Phillip Goodrum – 12
T3 – Preston Judd – 12
T3 – Leo Fernandes – 12
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 near the top of the league in assists. Kelly has been at the center of the 901 FC attack since moving from the back line this season, tied for third in the league with seven assists in 20 appearances while Molloy has made his hay as the squad’s primary kicktaker 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 Molloy has picked up six Team of the Week nods this season.
Assists Leaderboard:
1 – Hadji Barry – 8
1 – Kenardo Forbes – 8
T3 – Jeremy Kelly – 7
T3 – Hugh Alexander Dixon – 7
T3 – Michee Ngalina – 7
T3 – Robbie Mertz – 7
T7 – Aaron Molloy – 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.
