This week will have it all! Top of the Table clashes and mid-table battles while teams are jockeying for playoff spots - we discussed last week’s results and previewed upcoming fixtures on the most recent episode of One League Under the C - we were also fortunate enough to catch up with Dion Acoff of Union Omaha! Go give it a listen for sure but for your reading pleasure we turned our podcast notes into a USL League One update below.

Forward Madison have hung in 5th for few weeks despite results no going exactly how they would hope. Sure they earned a point on the road in an epic barn-burner with the Fuego but they lost crucial defender Jacob Crull to a red card and have to go on the road this weekend.
*The Red Card has been rescinded
Here’s an interesting fact - Central Valley Fuego have not lost by more than one goal since the end of May. They don’t get blown away and are always in it. Its such a shame a few of the close losses couldn’t be draws and a couple of those draws couldn’t be wins. That’s how close this team was from having a good season.

Lexington SC move up a spot after a late Diouf winner over a very out of form Richmond Kickers. Not much of a match to write home about but they won’t have to see Richmond again until next season - while neither a mathematically out of the playoffs, the odds are very slim that both would make it.
The team who won the regular season last year with the golden boots of the legendary Terzhagi look down and out. The Roos have not won since July 1st and that only makes one win in their last 10 games. The home fans get 4 more games at City Stadium to celebrate their team, but honestly, the offseason can come soon enough - this squad needs to hit the reset button.

Holding on in 6th place - sure they lost to kinda rivals Union Omaha at home, but they’ll get a chance to exact their revenge in the playoffs… they have to keep doing what they do and try to earn a result away to Lexington SC this weekend.
The Red Wolves scratched their way out of the bottom last week and got a draw at home which is enough to keep them just above the Fuego.

Results from August 18th & 19th

North Carolina FC 1-2 Northern Colorado Hailstorm
Greenville Triumph SC 1-2 Union Omaha
One Knoxville SC 1-1 Charlotte Independence
Chattanooga Red Wolves 4-4 SG Tormenta FC
Lexington SC 1-0 Richmond Kickers
Central Valley Fuego 4-4 Forward Madison
Richmond Kickers 3-3 Central Valley Fuego

THIS WEEK’S FIXTURES:

SG Tormenta FC vs One Knoxville SC
A Crucial 7th vs 8th 6-pointer - The Champs started scoring goals - loads of goals! Tormenta have bagged 10 goals in their last 3 games and earned enough points to skip over One Knox and into 7th place. It's not a playoff spot, but a step in the right direction!
So what, they dropped a spot, they got a good draw against a top side last weekend and haven’t lost since the first week of August. One Knox go on the road to Tormenta and if they are going to mount a charge to the playoffs in their first season, it might have to really kick off this Friday.

Union Omaha vs North Carolina FC
Los Buhos’ ascension to second place is no longer a surprise - they are legit contenders to the title and have rattled off 6 wins in a row. What’s more, they have 10 wins out of their last 12 games. Union Omaha get a good rest before hosting NCFC next week in what is going to be an epic showdown between first and second.
Before they head to Omaha, NCFC have to take care of business at home vs the wooden spoon contenders, Central Valley Fuego. They can’t lose first place if they fail to win, but any other result puts a big target on their back with UO looking to leap right over them into first.

Northern Colorado Hailstorm vs Charlotte Independence
Northern Colorado seem to have gotten back on track after a slight hiccup in the beginning of August - they have pulled back a win and two draws since then to leap over Charlotte into the three spot. Coincidentally, the two sides face off in a crucial match this coming weekend.
Meanwhile, the Independence have earned 7 points from their last three games but somehow lost that number three spot we thought they had wrapped up. No matter - they will continue to grind and fully expect them to trouble Hailstorm when they visit.

Friday, September 1st

Lexington SC vs Greenville Triumph SC - 4:00pm (PST) / 7:00pm (ET)
SG Tormenta FC vs One Knoxville SC - 4:30pm (PST) / 7:30pm (ET)

Saturday, September 2nd

North Carolina FC vs Central Valley Fuego - 1pm (PST) / 4pm (ET)
Chattanooga Red Wolves SC vs Forward Madison FC - 4:30pm (PST) / 7:30pm (ET)

Sunday, September 3rd

Northern Colorado Hailstorm vs Charlotte Independence - 3:00pm (PST) / 6:00pm (ET)

Wednesday, September 6th

Union Omaha vs North Carolina FC - 5pm (PST) / 8pm (ET)
Northern Colorado Hailstorm vs Lexington SC - 6:00pm (PST) / 9:00pm (ET)

Go Under the Surface and Listen to the latest episode of One League Under the C!

by Joshua Duder