The much anticipated USL Championship Playoffs are here and the Beale Street Boys are back in familiar surroundings.
Opening the postseason at AutoZone Park has become an autumn tradition as Memphis 901 FC finished in the top four for the third consecutive time. But this year, they’ll navigate the Western Conference side of the bracket in pursuit of the title starting with Orange County SC in the conference quarterfinal round.
Memphis is unbeaten in six of their last seven matches and launched themselves into the top four with victories over reigning champions Phoenix Rising and No. 1 seeded New Mexico in the final two weeks of the regular season.
“The last two weeks the message was we knew we had to go get close to six points,” Head Coach Stephen Glass said. “We knew walking into tonight we needed to win. It speaks volumes of the players in the last two weeks in Phoenix and New Mexico to come away with six points. It sums up the resilience they’ve shown all season and what the players and staff have achieved has been nothing short of incredible.”
Memphis fell to Orange County 2-0 at AutoZone Park in the fourth match of the regular season and suffered a 4-1 loss on the return trip in July.
Orange County went on an eight-match unbeaten run to propel into the playoffs after a turbulent year with three different head coaches. Goalkeeper Colin Shutler has been a consistent force, however, conceding only three goals during their eight match run and earning September Player of the Month.
They’ll look to break down a Memphis side that’s tough to beat at home with a 13-match unbeaten streak at AutoZone Park, their last loss at home coming on April 20. With a proven home record and strong wave of momentum, the Beale Street Boys look to extend their playoff campaign with a victory on Saturday.
“We know that everyone that comes to Memphis now is going to want to knock us off of our perch,” Glass said. “We’ll be ready for it just like we have been the last two weeks on the road and we’ll do whatever it takes to win a playoff game. If we can get a big crowd behind us and make it hostile, not a lot of teams will have a response for what’s on the pitch and in the stands.”
Kickoff for the match is set for 1 p.m. CT with the first 500 fans receiving a free 901 FC Bucket Hat. Tickets are available now at the club’s official website.