After three matches in seven days last week, 901 FC looks to snap a cold streak in the USL Championship Regular Season on Saturday, but they’ll face another tough challenge in the Southern Harm Derby at Birmingham.
The Beale Street Boys look to not only make a statement against a rival, but also reverse some unlucky bounces and costly mental errors that have come over the first six matches of the season.
Memphis ranks toward the top of the league in shots and chances per match, yet have put only four goals in the back of the net. Head Coach Stephen Glass and his staff are confident the goals will come with the way the squad has created opportunities.
“Our players believe that we’re capable of doing better than we have,” Glass said. “We show them the video and show them bad teams don’t make the chances that we make and really good teams take them every week. We’ve still got the opportunity to be a good team this year.”
Renewing the Rivalry
Memphis will work to break through a couple of streaks as they look for their first win at Birmingham since 2021. Winners in two of their last three outings, Birmingham sit at No. 5 in the Eastern Conference with a 3-2-1 record.
“We know we need to be competitive. Anytime you play against Birmingham, it’s a tough game. If you’re not competitive you’ll be on the receiving end of a sore one. We’re looking forward to the challenge of going down there. It’s never easy, but we’re looking forward to it and hoping to start building and get some wins.”
With Memphis’ move to the Western Conference this season, the two clubs could only meet once this season, after playing at least twice a season since 2019. Legion FC were victorious in two of three matchups in 2023 including and Open Cup Round of 32 matchup.
A second Southern Harm Derby day is still in the cards, however with the two clubs drawn in the same U.S. Open Cup mini-bracket. A Memphis win over MLS side FC Dallas and a Birmingham victory over Tampa Bay at Al Lang Stadium on May 8 would lead to a second date, with heightened stakes, in the Open Cup Round of 16.
“The boys need to be aware of the competitive nature of the game we’re going into,” Glass said. “Most of them have already played in it, some of them on both sides. They’ve experienced it before and they’re looking forward to it. Some of it is keeping the emotions in check and I’m sure Birmingham, just like us, are hoping that we get the opportunity again in the open cup. But we’ll look after this one first.”
A Magic City Return
Bruno Lapa is one that’s played this rivalry in both Black and Gold and Bluff City Blue. Lapa signed with 901 FC ahead of the 2023 season after three campaigns in Birmingham, scoring five goals and four assists.
The second year 901 FC midfielder said he, along with fellow another former Birmingham player Marlon, will block out the reaction from supporters of his former club and stay focused on returning home to Memphis with a victory.
“It’s nice to go back and see some old friends but we’re going there to win, get three points and get the team back on track,” he said. “It’s always going to be like that when you play away, a little bit of negative atmosphere. I have great respect for the people there,for the fans and the time that I was there. If they want to boo me, that’s fine. I use it as motivation to go in and take three points.”
The derby is set for a 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff at Protective Stadium. Fans can watch the match on ESPN+ and WMC Action News 5 Plus locally.
Memphis 901 FC returns home on Saturday, May 4 for Star Wars Day at AutoZone Park.
