Are you ready for a fantastic weekend of soccer? The first round of the 2024 US Open Cup Qualifiers kicks off on Saturday, we get the NISA and NISA Nation regular seasons; UPSL’s Fall/Winter season is well underway now; and finally, the USL League One and USL Championship regular seasons are getting closer and closer to playoffs.

Our contributors and friends took a look at all that and gave us a list of games to catch if possible - check it out!

Josh Duder Picks…
- Little Haiti Supreme FC vs City Soccer FC - UPSL
  - Saturday, September 9th - 4:00p PST / 7:00p EST
    from Little Haiti Soccer Park in Miami, FL
  - Last fall, Little Haiti Supreme FC fought to the Playoff Quarterfinals and they hope to go a step better this year. They’ve started off well with 9 points from 3 played and led by Kervens Jolicoeur, who is averaging over a goal a game so far! They look to make it 4 in a row but face a tough City Soccer FC who are currently in 5th place in the Florida South Conference, with a win and draw, themselves averaging 2 goals a game. Should be a tight affair.

Dennis Pope Picks…
- Matias Almeyda FC vs Texas Premier SC - NISA Nation
  - Saturday, September 9th - 5:00p PST / 8:00p EST
    from Matias Almeyda Training Center
  - It’s the opening of another new NISA Nation Region, this time in Texas as two of Houston’s strongest academies face off at the Matias Almeyda Training Center. Both clubs are previous members of the UPSL. For MAFC, the move to a new league is about self determination. For TPSC, being in NISA Nation is about the ability to make a positive impact.

Tim Howerton Picks…
- Forward Madison vs One Knoxville SC - USL League One
  - Saturday, September 9th - 5:00p PST / 8:00p EST
    from Breese Stevens Field in Madison, WI on ESPN+
  - This is a matchup of teams 6 and 7 respectively in USL 1 coming down to the final stretch of the season. On August 12, before their last meeting (in Madison), the Mingos were flying high and 11 points above One Knox in the standings. 4 matches (and 1 point) later One Knox is only 2 points behind Madison for the final playoff spot. Answers could come with the acquisition of midfielder Ozzie Ramos from CV Fuego, who reunites with former teammate Christian Chaney, but with 4 of Madison’s final 6 games against current playoff teams, the Mingos need to figure it out quickly. Three points here would go a long way toward doing that.

Harry Austin Picks…
- Detroit City FC vs THE Miami FC - USL Championship
  - Saturday, September 9th - 5:30p PST / 8:30p EST
    from Keyworth Stadium on ESPN+
  - Huge match for both clubs, as they try to make a push for the playoffs. For Detroit City they sit one point behind Tulsa with a game in hand. Miami FC sits three points behind FC Tulsa also with a game in hand. So this is a game that really can push each team towards its first goal of the season and make the playoffs. Fun Fact. in USLChampionship DCFC has yet to beat THE Miami FC (2 draws and 1 Miami Win)

Josh Duder Picks…
- San Francisco Vikings vs Inter San Francisco- 2024 US Open Cup - First Round Qualifiers
  - Saturday, September 9th - 11:00am PST / 2:00pm EST from Beach Chalet Soccer Fields in San Francisco, California
  - Founded in 1922, the San Francisco Vikings won the most recent regular season of the San Francisco Soccer Football League and Inter San Francisco finished 4th. However, Inter would go on to knock Vikings out in the League Semifinals 4-1. The two also met in the regular season, where Inter won 2-1 in June and Vikings won 1-0 in March. Some fans from other clubs in the league have no love lost for Inter SF and there may be a little shade thrown their way…

Ben Brannigan Picks…
- Hartford Athletic vs RGV Toros FC - USL Championship
  - Saturday, September 9th - 4:00p PST / 7:00p EST
    from Trinity Health Stadium on EPSN+
  - This is just a random fixture to me that couldn't be further apart geographically. But so alike in footballing terms this season as both are not doing so well. Only second time ever to match up against each other and the last game was a tie. Hartford had 1 win in their last 6 and Rio Grande also have just the 1 win from 6 but two ties were thrown in there. This game could be anything or nothing but it's worth watching for this nuance of geographical nature of the fixture and its just the second ever game between both sides - not saying lots of goals but both teams have been involved in more than 1 goal games. Tune in and see it and have fun.

Harry Austin Picks…
- Alamo City SC vs Central Texas Lobos - 2024 US Open Cup - First Round Qualifiers
  - Saturday, September 9th - 6:00p PST / 9:00p EST
    from Alamo Sportsplex in San Antonio, Texas
  - A matchup between San Antonio and Austin. No matter the level these are heated matchups between the two cities. Alamo City SC qualified from the UPSL, and is coming into the USOC Qualifying coming off a playoff run in the UPSL Spring 23 season. Alamo City finished the season at 7 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses. Central Texas Lobos from the GCPL, is also coming into USOC qualifying off a playoff run that saw them make a deep run to the GCPL Cup FInal. Central Texas' record was 6 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. One player to watch from Central Texas Lobos is Michael Quintanilla who has had 18 goals in the last two years.
- A Second Shout from Ben Brannigan
  - A matchup between San Antonio and Austin. No matter the level, these are heated matchups between the two cities. Alamo City SC qualified from the UPSL, and is coming into the USOC Qualifying coming off a playoff run in the UPSL Spring 23 season. Alamo City finished the season at 7 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses. Central Texas Lobos, from the GCPL, are also coming into USOC qualifying off a playoff run that saw them make a deep run to the GCPL Cup Final. Central Texas' record was 6 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. This will have goals and I believe it be on FIFA tv too.

Dennis Pope Picks…
- JASA RWC vs Bay Area United FC - 2024 US Open Cup - First Round Qualifiers
  - Saturday, September 9th - 7:30p PST / 10:30p EST
    from Red Morton Community Park in Redwood City, CA
  - This is a rivalry that started to heat up in the Pacific Premier League, blossomed in NISA Nation and now carries over into the Open Cup! It’s Peninsula vs. East Bay and possession vs. attack. Winner will have bragging rights for at least a year, maybe longer. Bay Area United FC won the last league meeting, 1-0, on the final day of the NISA Nation’s Spring Season on July 8.

Josh Duder Picks…
- Lansdowne Yonkers Bhoys vs Ole Football Club - 2024 US Open Cup - First Round Qualifiers
  - Saturday, September 9th - 5:00pm PST / 8:00pm EST from Tibbets Brook Park
  - Lansdowne Yonkers FC kick off their fall EPSL season on Tuesday when they host the NY Greek Americans. Before they get to that, however, they host the UPSL’s Ole Football Club in a USOC qualifier. In 2016, the Bhoys made it to the 3rd Round Proper and look to replicate that glorious run starting this weekend.
    Ole FC, on the other hand, sit third in the New England Division with a win and two draws from three games - averaging 3 goals a game. That comes largely from winning in week 1, 7-0. Ole are currently scheduled to host a UPSL match the following day and may be a little stretched this weekend.

Dan Vaughn Picks…
- Club De Lyon FC vs Flower City Union - NISA
  - Sunday, September 10th - 4:30pm PST / 7:30pm EST from Daytona Stadium
  - This matchup is chock full of playoff implications as Club De Lyon currently sits in the final playoff spot (6th), while Flower City Union holds the 7th, just outside of glory. FCU has struggled to gain on CDL, choking away several chances to jump the Florida squad. So this is the big chance for CDL to shut it down for good or for FCU to finally get it done.

MaryBeth Zmuda Picks…
- Albion San Diego vs Chattanooga FC - NISA
  - Sunday, September 10th - 5:00pm PST / 8:00pm EST from The Stadium at Canyon Crest Academy
  - My, my, my, how things can change in just a few days. Chattanooga FC's 17 match unbeaten steak was snapped by LA Force this past Wednesday which let the Force leapfrog into 2nd place.
    ALBION San Diego went from that 2nd place spot to 4th place- without even playing a match.
    After their weak performance against Savannah Clovers (0-0 draw) on August 27 and another draw against LA right before that ALBION has zero room for error if they want to get back to 2nd place for advantage on the playoffs.
    But Chattanooga is still Chattanooga and now they have a chip on their shoulder. This match will be INTENSE!

Dan Creel Picks…
- Irvine FC vs Irvine Zeta FC - 2024 US Open Cup - First Round Qualifiers
  - Sunday, September 10th - 8:00pm PST / 11:00pm EST from Orange County Great Park in Irvine, CA
  - One of the oddest events from last year’s US Open Cup was Club de Lyon having its UPSL squad qualify via the Open Division qualification process and its NISA squad automatically qualify via its professional status. Even long-time soccer fans learned what “cup-tied” means because of the situation as CDL’s veterans played on the amateur team while the pro roster was made up of mostly young amateurs. The exact same thing could happen this USOC because while Irvine Zeta are currently playing in the UPSL, next season the club will join NISA. If you watch this match you may get a good look at a number of Irvine Zeta players who will move up to NISA next season. Irvine FC is also in UPSL and taking part in its second straight USOC qualifying.

Josh Duder Picks…
- New York Pancyprian Freedoms vs New York Braveheart SC - 2024 US Open Cup - First Round Qualifiers
  - Sunday, September 10th - 5:00pm PST / 8:00pm EST from Belson Stadium at St John’s University
  - NY Braveheart SC are currently 3rd in their UPSL Northeast - American division and are scheduled to host Philly Lone Star on Saturday. 24 hours later they will head out to Jamaica, NY to take on three time US Open Cup winners (1980, 82, 83) NY Pancyprian Freedoms. Freedoms are slated to begin their fall EPSL season the following Thursday. It’s all kicking off in NY this week!

by the Protagonist Staff