It’s getting toward the end of June and there’s too much soccer to shake a stick at! The Protagonist Staff has picked out a handfull of matches to watch and are happy to share why you should watch them too!

Ryan Stallings - USL League Two Regular Season - Western Mass Pioneers vs Seacoast United Phantoms
- Friday, June 23rd at 7pm EST on ELEVEN
- The game is one of just two over the weekend in League 2 pitting divisional #1s versus #2s. The Pioneers and Phantoms are running back their season opening 1-1 draw in New Hampshire at Massachusetts’ Lusitano Stadium. If either side can find a lead before the final whistle in this edition, it could spot them enough space between the loser, and a hard charging Vermont Green, to claim the divisional crown over the next two weeks.
Ryan is also watching - USL League Two Regular Season - San Francisco Glens vs Monterey Bay Union FC2
- Sunday, June 25th at 10pm EST on ELEVEN
- That second #1 vs #2 meeting in USL2 will cap the weekend’s competitions on Sunday night when the San Francisco Glens look to exact revenge on the Monterey Bay FC 2 side above them in the standings. It was a close affair the last time these two sides met in Salinas, with MBFC2’s Francisco Ponce’s 22nd minute goal the only separation between the sides. IF SFG can limit Ponce’s chances this weekend, they could even this series and make a dead heat of the NorCal Division race.

Dan Creel - USL League One Regular Season - Union Omaha vs SG Tormenta FC
- Saturday, June 24th at 8pm EST on ESPN+
- It’s a matchup of two League One sides that are struggling…but really shouldn’t be. Both squads are packed with talent but neither are currently in the playoffs. Each team needs a win but another draw would keep both grappling with a season slowly slipping away.

John Howard-Fusco - EPSL Semi-Finals - NoVa FC vs NY Pancyprian Freedoms & Oaklyn United FC vs Fall River FC

Saturday, June 24th starting at 5:30pm EST on New Logical Youtube
I just can’t pick one, so I’m going with both semi-final matches in the Eastern Premier Soccer League. NoVa against Pancyprian is a marquee matchup of two sides who have had much success. In the second match, I know I will be pulling for Oaklyn United FC out of South Jersey to get to the final. And the aforementioned final will be played on Sunday at 1pm EST.

Dan Vaughn - NISA Regular Season - Chattanooga Football Club vs Club de Lyon FC

Saturday, June 24th at 7:30pm EST from Finley in Chattanooga, TN
This match used to be boring then Ignacio Ten Lopez entered NISA and became a one man scoring machine. Can he halt CFC’s run?

Dennis Pope - NISA Independent Cup - Snohomish County FC vs Wenatchee All-Stars FC

Saturday, June 24th at 9pm EST on SnoHoCo Youtube
The tournament gets underway in full this weekend, and this is a massive matchup in the Pacific Region. It’s SnoCo FC’s first appearance in the tournament. WASFC, the Pacific Region champion last year, was the only amateur club to defeat a NISA pro club (Bay Cities FC) last year.

MaryBeth Zmuda - USL League One Regular Season - Chattanooga Red Wolves vs Charlotte Independence

Saturday, June 24th at 7:30pm EST on ESPN+
After only half a season at the helm, head coach Ziggy Korytoski has parted ways with the Red Wolves - who's season thus far could be described as less than ideal. It will be interesting to see if interim coach Jimmy Weekly has what it takes the get the team back on course and possibly get to the post season.

Joshua Duder - UPSL Conference Playoff Finals - Chiriaco FC vs Laguna United FC

Saturday, June 24th at 10pm EST on ELEVEN
40 goals from 12 different goal-scorers led by Armando Ibara of Chiriaco FC, who have breezed through the Del Real Foods SoCal Central Division and face one more hurdle before heading into the UPSL National Playoffs as an undefeated side - Laguna United FC. Laguna United lost at home, 0-3 to Chiriago FC back at the end of April and their own leading goal-scorer, Jordan Bueno Navarro, will be looking for sweet revenge.

by the Protagonist Staff
Edited & Graphics by Joshua Duder