10 LA Force

Last match LA Force played was a May 15th loss to Albion San Diego 1-0. In the last two weeks, the club has hopefully sorted things out and is ready to score some goals. We will find out tonight, when they face the Big Bodies of Michigan, Michigan Stars. LA desperately needs to solve the scoring problem.

9 Valley United

After the incredibly terrible news that came out of the immigration scandal, VUFC took on Albion and got a 1-1 draw. Honestly, that’s a great result for a team in incredible flux. Tonight VUFC gets Syracuse Pulse. Can VAFUC continue to rebuild a roster in tatters? We shall find out!

8 Flower City Union

After starting the season looking every bit the expansion side, FCU has grown into a defensive-minded club who doesn’t give up a lot of goals and can occasionally punch you in the mouth on the counter. Last week that almost earned them a point against Cal United, before they conceded a late goal. Tonight they get Bay Cities on the road. Can they repeat their performance against another strong Western side? Short time off may not help the team on the road.

7 AC Syracuse Pulse

The team that we can’t seem to predict get struggling VUFC tonight. Should be a winnable match for Pulse, but the club has been off for a solid two weeks after its 2-2 draw with Michigan Stars. Pulse is one of those up and down sides that reflect the true age of the club and roster. This is an expansion side and they play like it. Having two weeks off may not be a good thing for a club trying to find its rhythm.

6 Maryland Bobcats

Maryland is in big trouble and desperately needs to find the solution for its roster. Injuries have taken all the sting out of MDB’s attack and the team is on a string of 1 goal performances. In fact, you’d have to go all the way back to April 9th to find a match where Bobcats scored more than a single goal. Averaging a single goal over almost 2 months is not a recipe for success. Maryland’s match with Syracuse on Saturday is a chance to break that streak.

5 Albion San Diego

Albion has been playing respectable soccer as of recently, earning 4 points in their last two matches. Somewhat worrying is the fact that both matches have only yielded a single goal for the San Diego side. That might work against clubs that struggle to score (LA Force, VUFC), but this weekend Albion travels to face Bay Cities FC, who CAN score goals when they are on. Should be an interesting match up this weekend.

4 Bay Cities FC

While there’s plenty to be excited about, BCFC is not in great form at the moment, coming off back to back losses to Stars and CFC. It was a long and rough road trip and, now at home, the club has another short break between matches! Tonight Bay Cities will host visiting Flower City Union who played well against Strikers last weekend. Bay Cities needs to find a way through the stout FCU defense and get a goal early. Letting FCU counter strike has the potential for disaster.

3 Michigan Stars FC

Man oh man. Stars keep climbing. Hard not to be impressed with this Trevor Banks’ led side. The team is playing well, defense continues to be aggressive while the offensive attack continues to improve. Stars now sit in second place in the East with a match in hand on CFC. In the month of May, Stars averaged 2 goals a match and showed a level of polish not always seen from the Michigan Stars teams of the past. Tonight, Michigan has last place LA Force on the road and should expect three points and a continuation of its run of success.

2 Chattanooga FC

Funny how just a month ago we were lamenting the plight of CFC. Since the club’s unexpected loss to Flower City Union, the Blues have been on a stellar run. Wins over Bobcats (2-1), Flower City Union (5-1), and Bay Cities (4-2) gave CFC the 9 points it needed to go from last to first in the East. With this weekend off, next matchup will be with visiting AC Syracuse.

1 California United Strikers

Super sub Christian Thierjung was the difference against FCU.

Hard to not love what Strikers have done this season overall. Great run in USOC (farthest of any NISA club) that featured a host of new and young players getting real minutes in competitive matches. Coach Ebert has leveraged all that experience to keep his team fresh without sacrificing talent. Last weekend’s win over visiting Flower City Union was further proof of that with forward Omar Nuño sitting out and super sub Christian Thierjung providing the game-winner midway through the second half. Strikers are rolling right now and are clear number ones.