Welcome to the NISA Narrative, a weekly column that picks three narratives headed into the weekend’s sleight of matches. The idea sprang out of our Knights Who Say NISA podcast where we often discuss the idea of narratives in our match discussion. So I thought, I’d use this space to discuss my thoughts on the matches of each weekend.

Narrative One:

Chicago needs a point.

After last week’s home opener against New Amsterdam FC, Chicago House needs to right the ship. Facing Detroit City this Sunday makes that task all the more difficult. House showed well against Detroit in Keyworth three weeks back, scoring twice against a team that just doesn’t allow teams to do that. Of course, DCFC then scored a third and won the game anyway, because DCFC gonna DCFC.

Now if NAFC was just showing the signs of a future march to greatness, maybe that 4-0 loss for House is no big deal in the grand scheme of things. If, on the other hand, it was a massive exposure of some big problems for the expansion side, we may have issues. This weekend will be the good barometer. Detroit is on a roll and there’s little doubt NGS will be in tow to make Bridgeview more hospitable for guests. So, House, time to at least get a point against the team to beat in NISA.

Narrative Two:

Will the real team please stand up?

Chattanooga FC looked great against Maryland Bobcats last week, putting in 3 and maybe discovering a cure for its scoring problems (Daniel Jackson, please). Everyone is hopeful that CFC is back to being the competitive side it needs to be. But is it really back? Both wins have come against the bottom table clubs (Maryland and Stumptown), while the other match was a loss to New Amsterdam. CFC definitely needs to win matches against the lesser clubs in the league, but it also needs to pluck points from the big dogs. Cue the entrance music.

LA Force travels to Finley with 3 points from 3 matches, desperate to grab all 3 on the road. This matchup is a great opportunity to shake off the draw bug the team seems to be dealing with. Scoring has been an issue for LA, averaging less than a goal a match. Christian Chaney, the golden boot winner from last season, has struggled to score, only netting once in three matches. Can Chaney get on track and lead LA Force to a glorious home win? That’s the question.

Both teams need 3 and the confidence it gives the team moving forward. That’s it. That’s the narrative.

Narrative Three:

Is New Amsterdam for real?

Somehow, NAFC is tied with DCFC for the top spot on the NISA table. If it wants to continue to hold that spot, winning at home against a struggling Stars team is a must. Michigan is known for its stalwart back line, what will New Amsterdam be able to do against it? Mayele Malango has three goals in as many matches, can he outmuscle the Stars defenders the way he clowned Chicago? This match has become a must-see match!