Memphis 901 FC is on the road again, this time against Loudoun United with both clubs working to grab an elusive three points in an interconference matchup on Saturday, April 13 at 3 p.m. CT.
The Beale Street Boys travel to the Old Dominion looking to grab three points and snap a three-game losing streak. With a focus on finishing their many chances and eradicating defensive lapses, Memphis can get back on track on the road.
901 FC ranks in the Top-5 in the USL Championship in shots per 90 minutes through five weeks, but have struggled to put balls in the back of the net lately. The club has tallied over a dozen shots and 70 final third entries in two of the last three matches with one goal to show.
Head Coach Stephen Glass said the club can make small adjustments to see a few more of those shots go in.
“I think we need to be a little bit cleaner on the ball,” Glass said. “In the final third, we were not as good as we would like to be keeping it when we had possession. We’re still making a good number of chances, but we’d like to increase that so they have more opportunity to score and there’s less pressure on them when they get those chances to score.”
Loudoun is coming off two straight losses, the most recent coming at Birmingham Legion. Loudoun scored early in the second half but conceded three goals over the final 25 minutes of the match despite holding 61% of the possession
The clubs have two wins, two draws and two losses a piece in the all-time series after playing to a scoreless draw in their last meeting at Segra Field. Both of 901 FC’s wins in the series came at Segra Field.
Kickoff for the match is set for 3 p.m. CT with streaming available on ESPN+.
901 FC returns home for two home matches in four days at AutoZone Park next week. They’ll face Miami United FC in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, April 17 at 6:30 p.m. CT. The club will then host Monterey Bay F.C. on Saturday, April 20.
Finishing Badges
The Beale Street Boys are living up to their reputation as a strong attacking club, but haven’t seen the return in goals so far in 2024. 901 FC ranks fifth in shots per match this season and has looked capable of breaking down every defense they’ve faced, but have put away three goals in four matches.
Memphis will look to return to the formula that won the season opener and last year’s form, when the club ranked near the top in every attacking statistic, including goals per match.
The Young Buck Meets The OG
Memphis has shown a combination of veteran presence and young energy at the top of the formation in the last two matches with the duo of Neco Brett and Nighte Pickering. Brett signed with Memphis ahead of the 2024 season as the USL Championship’s second all-time leading goalscorer (81) while Pickering has emerged as a top young American talent delivering spectacular goals with 901 FC since signing with the club at age 17 in 2022.
Pickering was called up to the U19 USYNT for the March International Window earlier this season.
Dunko from Down Under
Zac Duncan has been a bright spot in the club’s first four matches filling in the role of the box-to-box midfielder and primary set piece taker. The former Aussie international standout leads the club in shots (7), tackles (11) and interceptions (13) this year and has been on the field for all but four minutes for the Beale Street Boys.
Duncan will look for his first USL Championship goal after many close chances so far in 2024.
LISTEN: Zac Duncan on the 901 FC Podcast
Bruno Hits 100 Mark in USL
Midfielder Bruno Lapa is available for selection to make his 100th USL Championship regular season appearance on Saturday in his fourth season as a pro.
Lapa switched Southern Harm Derby sides after signing with 901 FC ahead of the 2023 season. He’s tallied five goals and four assists for the Beale Street Boys since signing with the club.