Weekend of July 12-14

Dan Creel

WPSL South Region playoffs

This year’s South Region playoffs are being held at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Host club, Pensacola FC, was a championship finalist last year and looks to be the team to beat again this year. Pensacola crushed their Gulf Conference competitors ending the season with a 8-0-0 record and wracking up 53 goals with only 4 against. Midfielder Mollie Rouse leads the team with 9 goals and her 9 assists is tied for the league lead. Rouse transferred to the University of Central Florida Knights in the spring semester after spending two years at Louisville. She also brings international experience with her as she was a starter on the England that earned a bronze at the 2018 FIFA U20 World Cup.

In the first semifinal, Pensacola will face Miami-based FC Surge. The Surge completed an undefeated Sunshine Conference campaign at 5-0-2. The highlight of the season may be a defense that only gave up 1 goal over 7 league games. Christina Velazquez, the sophomore starter at Florida International University, anchors FC Surge’s defense in goal.

Two expansion clubs will take part in the second semifinal. The Charlotte Eagles won the South Division of the Carolinas Conference with an undefeated 6-0-1 record. Highpoint University forward, Skyler Prillaman, leads the Eagles’ offense with 10 goals, tied for third highest in the league this year. With a 10-1-1 record, the Red Wolves took first in the Southeast Conference. With a 0.68 goals against average, starting goalkeeper, Danielle Kryzyzaniak, provides the Red Wolves with a wealth of experience in the net. A first-year graduate assistant coach at Jacksonville State, Krzyzaniak also spent time with the Chattanooga FC club.

WPSL South Region semifinals are Saturday, July 13 starting at 9am. The finals are Sunday, July 14 at 1pm.

Shawn Laird

Miami FC vs. Miami United

This weekend we have two massive matchups in the NPSL playoffs. First up, we have a battle of perennial heavy weights in Miami. Sunshine Conference winners Miami FC play host to third place Miami United at Barry University. As was the case last year, Miami FC once again steamrolled through the conference, winning nine of their ten matches and finishing with a +43 goal differential. Miami United aren’t any slouch either in the conference. Even though they finished third this year, they still finished with a +22 goal differential. In the run up to this matchup, Miami FC thoroughly dismantled Jacksonville Armada U23 4-0, while Miami United had a tough test in Naples United FC. However, Miami United prevailed 2-1 to set up what I’m referring to as “The Magic City Derby.” The match is sure to be full of emotions and strong challenges, but I’m picking Miami FC to win by a score of 3-1.

FC Arizona vs. Academica SC

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, FC Arizona of the Southwest Conference takes on Academica SC of the Golden Gate Conference in one half of the West Regional semifinals. While FC Arizona didn’t win their conference, they still had an impressive season. They scored 46 goals en route to winning 12 matches and finishing with a +27 goal differential. FC also gets a massive boost in the goal scoring department with the addition of Alejandro Aguilar to the active roster.

Academica had a solid season as well, but had a relatively balanced record. Overall, they managed to win five matches and scored 27 goals. Unfortunately, they also gave up 19 goals to their opponents. However, I feel that their record doesn’t reflect well on their talent. I fully expect them to give Arizona a few issues during the match.

This Southwest matchup is sure to have a few highlight reel worthy plays and I fully expect Academica to give it their all, but I think FC Arizona move on by a score of 4-0 to take on the winner of Crossfire Premier and ASC San Diego.

Dan Vaughn

NOSL Championship Match

I love the tiny regional leagues that seem to be on the upswing currently. It’s exciting to see grassroots soccer developing on a micro level all across the country. The Northern Ohio Soccer League just wrapped up its first season with 5 teams (started with 6). It was an amazing start to a brand new league that’s still ironing out all the kinks.

With the semifinal matches complete, we’ve got the final on Saturday between Amish Country United and FC Accipiter. Because the league is so small, both these clubs have played each other twice this season. One was a win for FCA and the other a draw, after ACU had jumped out to an early lead. So these are two clubs that know each other well and won’t be surprised by anything when they face off. I think this will be a great match. I suspect we’ll see Amish Country United hoisting the first ever championship of the NOSL, but when there’s so little room for error, it could go either way.

Weekend of July 5-7

Dan Vaughn

Southwest FC vs. FC Grande

I’m going all homer on this one. FC Grande is my home club and I’ve followed and supporting them since they founded a year ago. Last season FC Grande lost in the Southwest Championship so finishing short of that would be a disappointment. The problem is, the conference continues to improve, with Southwest FC no longer the little brother to FCG. Sporting AZ FC continues to dominate and the rest of the clubs are beginning to catch up in talent and organization.

Last week, FC Grande hosted MSC United and went to PKs to win. This week they face Southwest FC in El Paso. It will be a challenge but not impossible. These two clubs are two of the best in the conference and the match is always decided by a goal or two. Southwest won both regular season matches, so they should be considered favorites this weekend. But I say nah, I’ll take FCG.

Joshua Duder

Timbers U23s vs. Vancouver TSS FC Rovers

On Sunday, the last place Timbers U23s take on second to last place Vancouver TSS FC Rovers in what is expected to be a very important match—but not for what is a happening on the pitch rather, for what’s going on in the stands. The Timbers Army Capital City Company invites its supporters, and any other interested person to join them for the last home match of their season and bring a new stuffed animal with you for a good cause. When given the signal, anybody who brought with them a stuffed animal will be directed to launch it onto the track surrounding the pitch. It’s always a great party with the Capital City Company; the weather should be mild, and your participation supports local children in need. Salem, Oregon at McCullough Stadium at 2:00 pm.

Paul Kowalczyk

Detroit City FC vs. The World

Detroit City FC will be busy this weekend as they play tonight against Grand Rapids FC and on Sunday at AFC Ann Arbor. Detroit sits at the top of the Great Lakes Conference Division and only needs three more points to secure a playoff spot, but it won’t be easy as AFC Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids FC are in second and third place while also still in contention for the playoffs. Detroit has been one of the best teams in the NPSL this year and are currently on a 9-game unbeaten streak coming off a 6-0 victory against Toledo Villa FC. Ranked #4 in the Grassroots Soccer Media Union Top 25, wins against previously ranked Grand Rapids FC and #15 AFC Ann Arbor would surely make an argument for them to move up in the rankings as the regular season comes to a close in the NPSL.

Shawn Laird

Tropics SC vs. Boca Raton

This weekend marks the end of the UPSL Spring season here in Florida. Tropics SC play host to Boca Raton FC, who are in their first season in the league. However, Boca Raton face a tough opponent in Tropics SC, who went undefeated in the spring season at 11W-0L-0D and an impressive +33 goal differential. That doesn’t mean Boca didn’t perform admirably this season though. On the other hand, they amassed an impressive 25 points from their 11 games and a goal differential of +12.

Both clubs faced stiff competition in the run to the championship and now they face each other for a shot at a spot in Texas at the UPSL national championship. Both teams rightfully deserve to be champions but in the end, I think Tropics will take this one on penalties 4-3.

Dan Creel

Northeast Elite Soccer League Opening Weekend

I’m looking forward to the opening weekend of the Northeast Elite Soccer League’s second season. This is a mini-league run by four of the State Associations in USASA Region I. Five of the top teams from those associations were invited to take part in this end-of-summer competition. The Maryland State Soccer Association is represented by Steel Pulse FC and the Garden State Soccer League’s FC Motown is the New Jersey Soccer Association’s representative. The Eastern New York State Soccer Association provides the Cedar Stars Academy, and the Eastern Pennsylvania Soccer Association offers the final two clubs: West Chester United and Philadelphia Lone Star. Each team will play each other once over the next four weekends, with semifinals and a two-leg final held in August.

This Sunday will see Steel Pulse FC, this year’s Maryland Major Soccer League champs, traveling to United Soccer League of Pennsylvania winners, West Chester United. The second match will find Philadelphia Lone Star FC at home to the Cosmopolitan League runners-up, Cedar Stars Academy.

Weekend of June 28-30

Paul Kowalczyk

Dekalb County United vs. Hrvatski Orlovi

This weekend, the Midwest Conference Central Division of the UPSL wraps up its final games with the division winner, and a spot in the UPSL playoffs, yet to be decided. In only their second year of existence, Dekalb County United will need some luck for a playoff berth as Milwaukee Bavarians still have three games to play, needing only one win to secure the division title. Tonight the Bavarians will be taking on the Croatian Eagles of Hrvatski Orlovi in Milwaukee and on Sunday will travel to Dekalb, Illinois to play in front of the Silo Supporters of United. If the Bavarians win tonight, they will go to Dekalb as division champions and undefeated in  UPSL play over two years. However, the Green and Black would be happy to snap this streak and take revenge on the only team to beat them in league play this season. Not only is Dekalb County United excited about a top two finish, but also the release of 815 Brewnited. In an effort of community support, this English Style Bitter is named after the local area code and is in collaboration with The Forge Brewhouse, a brewery located in Dekalb. The official unveiling event will be held this Saturday the 29th at the Forge Brewhouse from 12:00-2:00 p.m. The beer can be found on tap at the Forge Brewhouse, the Forge in Sycamore, IL and Fatty’s Pub in Dekalb with cans being sold at regional Hyvee grocery stores as well as American Liquors Dekalb.

Dan Vaughn

Denton Diablos vs. Midland-Odessa Sockers FC

There is no club more surprising this year than Denton Diablos. Currently the Diablos are second in the NPSL Power Rankings and have already clinched a playoffs spot in their first season. With some good luck in their final two matches, they will also clinch home field advantage in the playoffs. This is a club that has exceeded everyone’s expectations. On the other side, Midland-Odessa are sitting second in the conference. While the visiting Sockers do sport an impressive +14 GD, Denton is at +24 with only a single match more played. This should be a great match this Saturday and definitely worth following!

Weekend of June 21-23

Paul Kowalczyk

Med City FC vs. Duluth FC

On Saturday the 22nd, first place Duluth FC will travel south to take on third place Med City FC. Both teams are undefeated and Med City FC will have the chance to leap frog Duluth into first or second place of the North Conference with a win, depending on Minneapolis City SC’s results against Minnesota TwinStars. Duluth’s midfielder Carlyle Junior was named NPSL player of the week yesterday after a 4-goal 1-assist performance against the Dakota Fusion last Saturday and bagging another goal in midweek action against the TwinStars. Med City FC fought back against Sioux Falls Thunder after trailing 2-1 at the end of the first half to finish the game 2-2 with goals from Andrew Wilkinson and Jack Hilton Jones. With only a few games left in the season this match up could have big playoff implications as only the top two teams from the conference will move on to the NPSL playoffs.

Dan Vaughn

Red Force FC vs. Boca Raton FC

When Boca Raton stepped out of the NPSL for a season (or more, we don’t know yet), there were some that wondered about the direction of the program. It was hard to not see the move to the UPSL as a downward step by the club, though there are plenty of legitimate reasons for making that decision. But then Chad Johnson started practicing with the club, though it was unsure if he would actually play. And then he did start playing for the club, but how good would he be. And then he turned out to be pretty good (not too much surprise, the man is a gifted athlete). So earlier this week, BRFC knocked off Florida Soccer Soldiers in the playoffs and are now in the semifinals against the number 1 seed on their side of the bracket, Red Force FC. Red Force has been dominate so far in their playoff run, scoring seven goals in two matches. This should be a great matchup between two strong clubs. I can’t wait to see this one!

Weekend of June 14-16

Shawn Laird

Boca Raton FC vs. Florida Soccer Soldiers

This weekend the UPSL Florida Playoffs kick off, starting with the UPSL Tropics facing off against GOSA and Leg A-Z International battling The Institute FC. While I’m excited for this whole tournament, I’d have to say the game of the weekend will be Boca Raton FC vs the feelgood story of the US Open Cup, Florida Soccer Soldiers. Essentially a David versus Goliath matchup down in South Florida. In the end, I have a feeling that the Soccer Soldiers will advance through the whole tournament and challenge for the national championship in Texas.

Joshua Duder

UPSL Last Frontier, Alaska City FC vs Cook Inlet SC

While most conferences and divisions across the country are coming to a close, and playoff seeds are being determined, UPSL’s Last Frontier Conference in Alaska is just getting warmed up. With just three teams in conference play, there is only one match scheduled per weekend and up this week is Alaska City FC vs Cook Inlet SC. While Alaska City is listed at the “Home” side, and will host CISC at Machetanz Stadium, all of the clubs rotate between four or five listed fields and there’s no real home field advantage. Cook Inlet beat City by two goals to none on June 1st, which was a pre-season game, and it will be interesting to see if City can come up with some offense this time around. They were able to score three vs Arctic Rush in another pre-season game, but last week in the Conference’s inaugural match, Alaska City and Arctic Rush drew nil-nil. This is Cook Inlet’s first match in this league, but the organization was founded in 1982 and will be looking to test their “Premier” team in this brand-new league for Alaskan soccer.

For more information about Last Frontier.

NPSL Northwest Conference, PDXFC vs FC Mulhouse Portland

Last year’s league semi-finalist FCMP start a stretch of three games over the next ten days, all of which are in the Portland area, and two of them are against last place PDXFC. FC Mulhouse Portland have two games in-hand on Conference toppers Crossfire Redmond, and their second game of this home stretch could be a proverbial 6-pointer against that very side. FCMP are already in 2nd place in the Conference, but if they can haul in enough points to fend off the rest of the competition, they can secure their place in the NPSL playoffs yet again, and it would not be a surprise to see them repeat the task of knocking off their opponents in the first and second round—this team is that good. PDXFC, on the other hand, are sitting in last place in the division, and haven’t won a regular season match since 2017. They’ve failed to record a shutout this year and have been outscored 24 goals to 7. They might be just playing for pride in what some call the Battle for Portland and others call the Black-and-Blue Derby.

Dan Creel

Mississippi Blues SC at Northshore United

Returning to the Gulf Coast Premier League for the second week in a row, I’m looking at current league leaders Northshore United. On Saturday they get a home match against Mississippi Blues SC. The Blues are sitting well down in the standings and normally should be a fairly easy opponents for the Norsemen. But, this will be a test to see how well Northshore can handle two games in four days.

United beat Motagua New Orleans 3-2 at City Park in a rescheduled mid-week Pontchartrain Derby game that jumped them to the top of the standings with four wins and one draw. And, at this level, rescheduled matches can be the bane of a club’s record.

Northshore is a club looking to win the league. Defeating a less talented opponent while managing the complications caused by unforeseen developments will be an indication the lads in yellow could be well on their way.

Kickoff is 7pm at Wolverine Stadium in Covington.

Weekend of June 7-9

Dan Vaughn

Brooklyn Italians vs. New York Cosmos

This is a matchup of conference heavyweights. Neither club has lost a match this season, with 12 wins and a single draw between them. Both clubs are 1 (NYC) and 2 (BI) in scoring in their conference, while Cosmos holds a slight lead in goals given up 2-7. While the Cosmos have been the consensus number 1 in the GSMU poll all season, the Brooklyn Italians have slowly climbed the poll, jumping 9 slots in week 4, taking over the #10 spot. This is a big fucking match. I’m really pumped!

Paul Kowalczyk

SC United Bantams vs. South Georgia Tormenta 2

This weekend on Friday at 7 p.m. I’ll be looking forward to the SC United Bantams taking on the South Georgia Tormenta 2 in a USL 2 Deep South Division first vs second place match up. The Bantams have won five straight while the Tormenta have a game in hand and are also unbeaten, dropping points for the first time last game against the Dalton Red Wolves. While Bantams sit on top of the table, they will need to penetrate a solid defensive unit in South Georgia who have only conceded one goal in four games.

In the UPSL, this weekend I’ll be paying attention to the South Florida playoffs which take place on Saturday and Sunday. This tournament will have 16 teams for the first time and will have teams such as the Florida Soccer Soldiers, Miami United FC, Hurricane FC and Boca Raton FC (who have former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson) fighting for the title.

Dan Creel

#6 Tormenta 2 at SC United Bantams

A matchup of the top two teams in USL2’s Deep South Division. South Georgia Tormenta 2 is ranked #6 in the most recent Grassroots Soccer Media poll. After five games, the team is unbeaten in league play with only one draw maring their record. They have a +15 goal differential and have only given up one goal. On top of that, the team made it to the Second Round of the U.S. Open Cup after taking down a USL1 side in the First Round.

But, Tormenta 2 currently sits in second place in the Deep South Division behind SC United Bantams. While their goal numbers aren’t quite as gaudy, the Bantams have a perfect 5-0-0 record in league play. SC United is currently unranked but a win over Tormenta 2 will likely vault them into the top 25.

Kickoff is 7:30pm at the Monticello Soccer Center in Columbia.

Gulf Coast Rangers at AFC Mobile

“Damn the penalty kicks, full speed ahead!” might be the catchphrase for this Gulf Coast Premier League tussle as the Gulf Coast Rangers cross Mobile Bay to take on East Conference leaders AFC Mobile. Both teams are undefeated after four games but Mobile holds a slight edge over the Rangers due to having one more win and one less draw. The matchup offers a clash of offense versus defense. Gulf Coast played a scoreless draw against Port City FC on Wednesday and has only scored five goals in league play. AFC Mobile can score goals but have given up double the number as the Rangers. Can Mobile break through the Gulf Coast defense? Or will the Rangers get their offense in gear and outscore the Azaleas?

Kickoff is 7pm at the Lipscomb Athletic Complex in Mobile.

Weekend of May 31-June 2

Joshua Duder

(UPSL Wild West) Contra Costa FC vs Pajaro Valley United FC

With just two weeks left in the 2019 Spring Season for the UPSL’s Wild West Division, Contra Costa FC top the table, with 21 points and a +16 but have not clinched the title yet. Pajaro Valley United FC, who have one less win and one more draw than Contra Costa, trail them by that two-point difference and the two clubs go head-to-head this Saturday at Northgate High School, in Walnut Creek, California. From scouring the league website, this appears to be the first time these two sides have matched up in UPSL play. Neither participated in 2018’s Fall or Spring seasons and neither are listed for seasons prior to last year. It’s my hope that it will be on mycujoo, but currently it is not listed and I may have to follow along via Contra Costa’s twitter handle and if you’re interested in attending, you can pay $7 at the door, or save a few bucks and buy your ticket online here.

(NPSL Northwest) Crossfire Redmond vs FC Mulhouse Portland

The NPSL’s Northwest Conference feels like it just got started last week, but newcomers Crossfire Redmond have gone unbeaten in their first four matches, accumulating 12 points and averaging 4.25 goals a game. They’re burying the rest of the division and have eight different goal scorers – led by Charles Ostrem with four, Declan McGlynn and Joseph Parish, with three goals each. Earlier in the season, Crossfire put five goals past FCMP during their home opener on May 18th; however, the Portland team have slowly recovered in the league and have won back-to-back matches with four goals bagged by former IPS FC man, Alcides “Paco” Thomas. This coming after their disastrous round one loss to Cal FC in the US Open Cup too—FCMP look ready to get themselves back into the NPSL playoffs. FC Mulhouse are set to host the match on Saturday at the Kiggins Bowl, in Vancouver, Washington (just across the Columbia River from Portland). Kickoff is set for 6:00 pm (PST).

Shawn Laird

Central Florida Panthers SC vs Naples United SC

Two weeks after securing their historic first win in the NPSL, the Panthers of Central Florida welcome the division leading Naples United to town. While this season hasn’t been what the Panthers wanted so far, they have the opportunity to exact some revenge on a club that trounced them in the first game of the season 4-0. The Panthers have kept things competitive as of late, however, narrowly losing to the Armada U23 squad last week 2-1.

On the other side of the coin, Naples comes in on a three game winning streak, averaging three goals a game in that stretch. Just based on the stats, Naples look like they’re firing on all cylinders early in the season. Granted, they haven’t ran into a solid opposition squad yet (not saying the ones they have face aren’t solid), I still feel like it’ll be hard to break the groove Naples is in currently.

If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Naples to take this matchup. I could see them matching the score from Week One or possibly putting a bigger number on the Panthers. My prediction: 5-0 Naples.

Daytona SC vs The Villages SC

Another week, another away match for The Villages. This week, they make the trek up to Daytona in a battle of second vs fifth. Last week, the Buffalo played scrappy and pulled off a late draw with the Lakeland Tropics, while Daytona also managed a draw with FC Miami City.

On paper, it seems that Daytona is the stronger side but I have to be honest with you, after watching The Villages have been putting together some solid performances recently. Having said that, I still give the edge to Daytona purely based on the table.

I’m hoping I’m wrong but I’ll take Daytona 2-1 over the Villages this week.

Dan Vaughn

BSSL McKenzie Cup 2019

I will be honest in saying I doubt many of these matches will be followable without simply trolling twitter, most Bay State matches aren’t streamed so you sort of have to make due with what you get. But the McKenzie Cup is the BSSL Cup and this weekend marks the last round before progressing into the quarters. I’m especially pumped about Providence City, the current top of the league table, going against Broadway Gunners. The Gunners eliminated Providence City AFC (Providence City’s B team) in the previous round, so this sets up as a payback round for the Rouges. Should be fun! Bay State Soccer League is one of my favorite regional leagues and this cup is a good one!

Aarik Long

This week is one of the most packed weekends of the year so far in the lower leagues. There are a ton of games featuring teams ranked in the latest Grassroots Soccer Media Union Poll. If you wanna see all of them, head on over to the GSMU twitter page. I’m just gonna highlight a handful.

First of all, the Steinbrecher Cup Final is Saturday. It’ll be between the winner of #22 Milwaukee Bavarians/Reading United AC and the winner of FC Motown/Flint City Bucks. The Steinbrecher Cup is a special competition every year, and this year should be no different considering the talent level of the teams.

We’ve also got two ranked matchups on Saturday. First up is #25 Inter Nashville taking on #21 Asheville City SC in a battle in the NPSL Southeast. Head up north and thirty minutes later we have our second ranked match of the day as #13 MPLS City take on #23 Duluth FC in the NPSL North.

The #1 team is in action Saturday as the NY Cosmos take on previously ranked Hartford City FC.

Sunday doesn’t feature any ranked vs ranked matchups, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some great games. #9 South Georgia Tormenta 2 have been on a tear lately and are going into a match against my hometown Dalton Red Wolves SC.

#20 NY Pancyprian Freedoms have a big match on Sunday as they face NY Shamrock SC in the Cosmopolitan League Semifinal.

There’s going to be a little bit of everything this weekend. If you wanna see two teams ranked in the Top 25 in the nation play each other, you’ve got a couple of chances. Wanna see a cup final? We’ve got you covered. How about a team in your area of the country playing in a game against a Top 25 ranked opponent? We’ve got you there, too. All in all, it will be a great weekend and could very well lead to a shakeup in the polls.

Paul Kowalczyk

An important North Conference match takes place Saturday, June 1st at 8 p.m. ET as #13 Minneapolis City Sc takes on #23 Duluth FC in Minneapolis. The two teams sit in the first and third spots in their conference with neither team losing a game so far. MPLS City SC have yet to drop any points and is coming off an exciting midweek 3-2 win against rivals Minnesota TwinStars FC where Abdallah Bah scored two and picked up an assist. Duluth FC also played this past Wednesday in a tight 1-1 draw against Med City FC.

In the Southeast, the Georgia Revolution look to get their first win travelling north to #12 Chattanooga FC who have only played one other NPSL game, tying #11 Greenville FC 2-2 with Max Wilschrey scoring both of Chattanooga’s goals. This game takes place June 1stat 7:30 p.m. ET and will be streamed on YouTube.

Weekend of May 24-26

Shawn Laird

The Villages vs. Lakeland Tropics

The Villages head to Lakeland Tropics Saturday night for another matchup in this young rivalry. Last time these clubs met was an epic match in the first round of the US Open Cup, where the Villages prevailed 8-7 in penalties.

Currently in league play, the Villages sit 6th at 1W-1L-0D, after losing to Florida Elite and winning recently against Sarasota Metro 2-1. Meanwhile, Lakeland sits above the Villages by a point in 4th, with a draw against Daytona and defeating Weston.

After watching both teams play recently, I feel that this matchup could end in a draw. I hope this rivalry really heats up and becomes one of the better ones in the lower leagues.

Dan Vaughn

Southwest FC vs. Sporting AZ FC

Can’t believe I’m picking this match, but I am. Sporting AZ FC comes into this match as the big dog in the Southwest Conference. Supposedly in the offseason they were supposed to be pushing in an all-Arizona conference, but that didn’t happen, so they continue to dominate in this conference. Always slick, always polished, always ready to play - I root for another club in this conference, so I hate them (because they are so damn good).

They travel to El Paso to play Southwest FC, the up and comers in this conference. After a great run in USOC qualifying, this club has kicked off the season undefeated, including a gutty 3-2 win over FC Grande last weekend. Csan Endy’s club pull of the upset and knock off Sporting, that would be a bit of an ask, but everyone else in the conference is hoping they can!

I think this is a great match and will be a thrill to watch. I also think Sporting AZ FC will continue to dominate and win this match. But let’s wait till Sunday to assume the win.

Several Matches in the NPSL (Both on Friday)

MPLS City vs Sioux Falls, Detroit City FC vs Ann Arbor - Both of these matches are fascinating. Both MPLS City and Ann Arbor are having great runs of form this season and both are in the GSMU top 25 poll. DCFC is tough at home, without a doubt and I expect them to push AAFC to the limit. MPLS City I expect to win against Sioux Falls, as they’ve been on the rise in form so far this season.

Weekend of May 17-19

Aarik Long

NPSL

The NPSL Southeast division has a few of the biggest games of the weekend. First off, the biggest game of the whole week. #12 Greenville FC takes on #25 Chattanooga FC in the first game of the week between two sides ranked in the Grassroots Soccer Media Poll. A win would be huge and help either side up the rankings. At the same time (7:30 p.m. ET), #5 Inter Nashville FC takes on Georgia Revolution FC, who did receive some votes. The third of the three division matchups this weekend is between Asheville City SC, who received votes, and Atlanta SC, who knocked off Georgia Revolution FC last week.

Out West, Riverside Coras and ASC San Diego face off on Sunday. Both of those squads received votes in this past week’s GSMU poll. We’ll also get to see #2 FC Golden State take on City of Angels FC on Saturday.

Up in the Northeast, the #1 New York Cosmos take on Greater Lowell Rough Diamonds on Friday, before taking a road trip on Sunday to take on #11 Hartford City FC in the second of two ranked matchups this weekend. Hartford is on the ropes after a tough loss last weekend. Cosmos will either be able to take advantage of a team down on their luck or get a team that’s fired up to get back on track. If you don’t find the time to watch any matches this weekend, make sure you try to catch #1 NY Cosmos B at #11 Hartford City FC on Sunday and #12 Greenville FC at #25 Chattanooga FC on Saturday. Two days, two fantastic matches.

Joshua Duder

USL League Two, Western Conference, Northwest Division

Last week, handful of teams got started with USL League-2, Western Conference, Northwest Division, regular season play; Lane United managed a point from their away match to Victoria, British Columbia, the Victoria Highlanders go their point, and Vancouver’s TSS FC Rovers took all three from Lane United as the team from Oregon was completing its Canadian double-header. This week both the Timbers U23s and the Sounders U23s get going, each with a double-header to kickstart their respective fixtures lists. The Sounders squad will host a pair of matches; Friday at 7:30 vs Calgary Foothills FC and Sunday vs Lane United, 2:00 pm kickoff at Sumner High School. The Timbers U23s begin their 2019 campaign on the road, starting tonight at TSS Rovers FC at Swangard Stadium. They get a day’s rest and then take the ferry from the city of Vancouver, BC to Victoria, on Vancouver Island to take on the Highlanders.

Timbers U23s, from Salem, Oregon, were undefeated in pre-season play with matches against a variety of lower league opponents. First, they scraped past the NPSL’s PDXFC with a stoppage time PK winner from Kohl Hurtado. Lucas Bueno had been fairly effective that match, with multiple chances created and an assist to Timur Zhividze, who put a cross away to score his first goal of the year. Their second match was against an amateur side from Albany, Oregon, TFA U23s – whom the beat 1-0 with a goal from Lucas Bueno. Finally, they played Snohomish County Steelheads FC of the Western Washington Premier League, and got two assists out of Rey Ortiz – resulting in another preseason goal for Zhividze and one for newcomer Martin Ngoh. All three of the Timbers preseason matches were at home, so it will be interesting to see if head coach Aaron Lewis can get the season off to a fast start with positive results on the road.

Maryland Majors, 1st Division

Steel Pulse are at the top of the Maryland Majors, 1st Division table, with 13 points from 6 matches and will host 5th place World Class Premier Elite II on Sunday, May 19th at 4:00 pm, Eastern. Meanwhile, second place Christos FC, who have two matches in hand on Steel Pulse, head to Academy FC for a 1:15 pm kickoff on Sunday as well. Christos are a perfect 4/4 with 12 points and a +12 goal differential and look to continue their good form this weekend. In the second division, FC N.I.M. sit atop the North group with 18 points from a perfect six win start. They play away to second place La Dolce Vita who are on 16 points and have shown a propensity to score as well, with a +15 goal difference.

The second division, south group is tighter with All Stars United leading the way on 16 points. Just behind them are Columbia FC and Sure Sport with 15 points a piece from their first five matches. At the bottom of the table are Fortitude FC, who recently announced they will cease operations. With matches scheduled against IFK and Motorik this weekend, it remains to be seen if they will finish out the season or are done, effective immediately. Fortitude have had to forfeit the last 3 matches due to a shortage of players and with only five matches left, may politely choose to not waste their conference opponent’s time. Motorik, third bottom in their table, could really use the points to inject some positivity into their season and kickstart a climb up the table—looks like they’ll get those forfeited points and a bit of rest to prepare for the back end of their season.

Dan Vaughn

Bay State Soccer League, Division 1

Look, I will not lie and say I follow this league as closely as the many national leagues, but you could do a lot worse than watching BSSL. One of the most competitive and compelling regional leagues in the country, hands down. Division 1 has all the names you’ve heard before: Providence City, Merrimack Valley United, Washington Square FC, GPS Omens, Kendall Wanderers, etc. Currently Providence City has been on a tear - they are the only club without a loss this season, already five matches into the season. The goal differential is the best in the two top divisions of the BSSL, +13, and it would be in the top three if you checked GD in all four divisions of the league. They are clicking at the moment and will face off against 7th place First Wave on Sunday. Interestingly, Providence City FC are only up three points on the second place side, Merrimack Valley United FC. MVUFC only has a single loss at the moment and will be playing against the eighth place club, Eagles. This is one of the best regional leagues in the country, very much wish the league could begin including streaming for those of us who have nothing more than box scores and twitter updates. But I also get it, I do.

Weekend of May 10-12

Aarik Long

We have an exciting weekend of grassroots soccer ahead. Chattanooga FC opens their 2019 season this Saturday with a road game against Inter Nashville SC and you know I love me some Boys in Blue. Also on Saturday is the first in state matchup of the season between rivals Atlanta SC (formerly Atlanta Silverbacks) and Georgia Revolution. On Sunday, Crossfire Redmond take on PDXFC in the NPSL’s Northwest division. Another great one to keep an eye on will be Detroit FC opening up their 2019 campaign at home. Also, keep your eyes open for a brand new weekly media poll ranking the lower league sides starting Monday. This is the most excited I’ve been for a weekend of grassroots action in a while! No matter what part of the country you’re in or which team(s) you support, there will be some high quality games on.

Stephen Packer

AFC Ann Arbor returns to action this Sunday against Kalamazoo FC after a mixed start to the season. After winning away at Michigan Stars to open their NPSL season, the Mighty Oak crashed out of the US Open Cup at Lansing Ignite on Wednesday. They will be hoping to get back to winning ways as they branch out for their first game at their new home of Concordia University; a multiyear agreement was announced in February that will see Ann Arbor move to the more permanent home after hopping around area high schools since the team was founded in 2014. Meanwhile, K-Zoo will be aiming to put one over on their Michigan rivals, who also happen to have been their first ever opponent in a match played almost three years to the day. The Mighty Oak won that 2016 game 2-1.

Dan Creel

The WPSL’s 2019 season opens this weekend. On Friday evening expansion club, Salsa Soccer Club, hosts defending Coastal conference champs, Beach Futbol Club. Kickoff is set for 7pm Pacific (10pm Eastern) at North Torrance High School Stadium. Saturday, includes a game between two Ohio Valley Conference rivals. Columbus Eagles FC travels to take on AAFC Lumberjills at Al Ritt Stadium in Dexter, Michigan with kickoff at 8:30pm Eastern (5:30pm Pacific).

On Sunday, two expansion clubs take the field at Mission Bay High School when ASC San Diego hosts San Diego Surf. The teams are part of the San Diego Division of the PacSouth Conference. Kickoff for the derby starts at 2pm Pacific (11am Eastern). Another expansion club, Chattanooga Red Wolves FC, hosts Southeast Conference rival, Peachtree City MOBA. Kickoff at David Stanton Field is set for 7:30pm Eastern (4:30pm Pacific).

All four of these games will be available to watch via the MyCujoo streaming platform.

Other games include the Red Wolves’ WPSL debut when they travel to take on Asheville City SC at Memorial Stadium with kickoff Friday at 7pm Eastern (4pm Pacific). Another Sunday match sees the North Carolina Fusion U-23 travel to Ting Park in Holly Springs to take on, Wake FC. While both are new names in the Carolinas Conference, only Wake FC is an expansion club. N.C. Fusion is the new name of the Carolina Dynamos. The match starts at 7pm Eastern (4pm Pacific).

Weekend of May 3-5

Steven Ramirez

FC Golden State vs. FC Arizona (NPSL)

Quite possibly the biggest match all weekend. The two NPSL Southwest giants facing off at Rio Hondo College in Whittier, CA. Currently FC Golden State occupy first place with 22 points, only beating out FC Arizona by goal differential.

FC Arizona remain the only undefeated side in the Southwest and have one, if not, the best defense in the division. Currently the club has only allowed 9 goals all season. The club is led by goal scoring duo Cesar Mexia and Omar Nuno who have both tallied five goals a piece. Mexia is a FC Arizona veteran who has been with the club since its inaugural year where they won the SW championship, while Omar Nuno is a recent transfer and 2018 NPSL golden boot winner.

When it comes to goal scoring prowess, no other team topples FC Golden State who have averaged over three goals a game. This club has had strong goal performances, including an 8-2 win over Riverside Coras FC, but recently lost its first match of the season against Orange County FC. FCGS is one of the most dominant brands in grassroot soccer and have a strong player pool that has proven to develop talent that has gone on to play in MLS and internationally.

This will be the final time that these clubs will play each other during the regular season. The last meetup, on March 20th, ended in a 1-1 draw. Regardless of the opposition, both teams have gone on to put in strong performances which has led them being tied at 22 points. This matchup is a battle between and organized and mostly mistake free defense, against a high flying offense who has scored in every match that the club has played in. The winner of this match will separate themselves from the pack and put themselves in the best position to win the division.

Dan Vaughn

Sporting AZ FC vs. FC Grande (UPSL)

The UPSL is beginning to fire up all over the country, bit by bit. For those of us that live in the southwest part of the United States, we’ve been waiting for our local conference to go live. This weekend brings a full slate of matches for the conference and its hard to not be excited about seeing your club in action.

Last year, this matchup was the big one in the Southwest Conference. The clubs finished 1-2 in the conference and every match they played was a good one. For those that don’t know, Sporting AZ won every match up between these clubs, including the conference championship. Will that dominance continue or will there be a power shift in the Southwest?

The Conference is strong and it will be interesting to see if these two clubs can maintain their stranglehold on the rest of the clubs. Southwest FC also plays in this conference, and after their strong showing in the USOC qualifiers, it seems clear their level of play is improved over last season. But this weekend will be all about the big boys of last season kicking off conference play in Arizona. Should be a good one!

Weekend of April 26-28

Joshua Duder

New York Cosmos B VS New York Athletic Club

NPSL’s Northeast Region, North Atlantic Conference opens regular season fixtures this weekend with the world-famous New York Cosmos hosting conference foe New York Athletic Club, 7:00 pm kickoff at the Mitchel Athletic Complex. While we’ve already provided a season preview of the entire conference (https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/east-region/north-atlantic) it’s always exciting to dig in to one of the most well-known soccer teams of all time. Long gone are the heady days of Pele, Giorgio Chinaglia, Franz Beckenbauer and the NASL of the 1970s & 80s. Even the revival period of the club in the new NASL, having won Soccerbowl in 2013, 15 and 16, is in the past after the league failed and Cosmos B was all that remained. However, that pedigree and winning spirit still exist today, as the club thrives in the NPSL and looks to the near future, where it will be one of 11 initial members of the Founder’s Cup and top-tier division of the league.

Last year, head coach Carlos Mendes oversaw his club’s massive success, tearing off 11 straight wins to start the 2018 campaign—according to the league site, they drew 1-1 vs the Brooklyn Italians on July 14th, however, the table shows them as having gone 10-0. Either way, it was a fantastic season, with 12 different goal scorers who contributed to a +32 goal differential; led by Bljedi Bardic with 12. Bljedi, as well as Darwin Espinal (7) and Danny Szetela (6) are all listed on the club’s website as returning for duty in 2019. Wojciech Wojcik (8) has made the move to USL Championship side Hartford Athletic. Both Zaire Bartley and Ivan Berterame earned themselves braces in the playoffs last year, before Cosmos were dumped out in round two by eventual runner-up FC Motown.

The Cosmos will be playing through an entire schedule before getting stuck into the Founder’s Cup and first up will be New York Athletic Club. NYAC finished outside of the playoffs in 2018, in 6th place on 14 points. Despite boasting three clean sheets to start the season, and having started the campaign looking fairly strong, Athletic Club was blown out 4-1 on June 9th by none other than New York Cosmos B. To be fair, they played the very next day against Seacoast United Mariners and had a resounding win of their own 4-0 but after that weekend they never looked the same. With just six players combining for 14 goals, they ended with a -5 goal differential and according to their club site, sacked head coach Barclay Mackinnon—replacing him with Ridi Dauti.

With the North Atlantic Conference having lost Elm City Express, TSF FC and Seacoast United Mariners in the offseason, the schedule looks more balanced—offering a home and away scenario for both Cosmos and Athletic. If NYAC can go to Mitchel Athletic Complex this weekend and get a result, it will really set them up well for their homestand over next three weeks. They will host Rhode Island Reds, Boston FC and Greater Lowell Rough Diamonds, none of which were playoff teams in 2018. Cosmos, on the other hand, need to pick up the win at home before heading off to Kingston Stockade next weekend—just days after that away match, Cosmos will host a US Open Cup Round One match at home vs Black Rock FC of the USL League Two on May 8th. They alternate home and way with Boston FC, Greater Lowell Rough Diamonds and Hartford FC over the successive weeks. But if they win in USOC Round One, then there will be another match thrown into the mix. Not to mention their upcoming international friendly with a visiting FC St. Pauli of the 2. Bundesliga on May 23rd. It seems that success breeds a very busy fixtures list—and I’m looking forward to seeing how they pull it all off.

Dan Vaughn

Hartford City FC vs. Boston City FC

While my insight into this match isn’t what Joshua Duder’s is into his pick for the weekend, I’m pumped to see these east coast matches starting to fire up in the NPSL. The West has been up and running for over a month now, but now its time for the East to get going. Hartford City should have a strong defense, with several key components returning from last year, including the East Region’s Keeper of the Year, Hami Kara. Across the field, Boston City FC is a club that has massively revamped their roster and club leadership and is a big unknown for this season. That’s good considering their disappointing results last season, time to kick start a new season. I’m curious to see these two clubs clash this weekend and can’t wait to see what direction they are headed in 2019

Weekend of April 12-14

Dan Vaughn

I’m going local for my quick kicks today. Not that there’s not national matches worth going out for, always support your local soccer clubs. So this weekend I’ll be tied up on Sunday morning, but my local club will be playing a friendly against a local university. On Sunday the 14th, FC Grande will make the short trip up the road to play against the University of Texas - El Paso at 10am at University Soccer Field in El Paso. The match will probably be closer to a scrimmage than a true match, but I always welcome a local club trying to expand their footprint, especially when it comes in the home town of a rival club, Southwest FC.

But one match I will be attending, even if it’s outside of my normal interest, will happen Saturday night. El Paso Locomotive has been working their butts off to gain fans in our city and are doing really well at bringing in the die-hards. I’m not a USL guy, but the fans have won me over. The supporters group, 8th Notch, showed up to the Southwest FC’s 4th Qualifying Round of the USOC and I can’t help but feel good about the supporters of one club showing up to back another. This Saturday they will be taking on Phoenix Rising in El Paso and I’ll be there with 8th Notch, putting my voice to good use. Locomotive hasn’t been great in their first season, only getting one win so far, but I’m down to support a local club and a SG.

Steven Ramirez

Once upon a time, in a soccer landscape not so different from ours today, there was a competition that surpassed them all. A competition that pitted any team in the country against another, no league biases, just soccer. That competition is called the US Open Cup. This once shiny and decorated gift has become rusted and tainted with time.

Today's Open Cup isn't so open. It is the carrot on the stick for any club not affiliated with MLS and SUM. Long are the days where a group of amateurs could come together and achieve glory, now those amateurs are casted aside and considered inferior. The real truth is that those same amateurs are the backbone of American soccer. The ones who fight to keep the dream alive.

Maybe now is the time that grassroot soccer realizes its worth. Maybe now is the time that the lower divisions choose not to conform to how soccer is developing in this country. Maybe now is the time that amateur/ semi-pro soccer rejects the “Open” Cup and focus on something else. What is that something else? Maybe it's the amateur cup, maybe it's regional cups, but let's make a decision and let's make it for us.

Joshua Duder

El Farolito vs Academica SC (NPSL, Western Region, Golden Gate Conference)

The season is a little over a month along for both El Farolito and Academica SC of NPSL’s Golden Gate Conference. Both teams are stick in the middle of the pack. After winning their Conference last year, with 32 points from 14 matches, El Faro are siting on two losses and a win—only able to punch in three goals so far; two for Ronaldo Herrera and one for Leonardo Fredes. Head coach Santiago Lopez will be looking to convince his troops that its not to late to turn things around. They will host Academica SC at historic Matthew Boxer Stadium in San Francisco, Saturday April 13th at noon.

Academica SC, who recently scraped past non-league competition in the US Open Cup qualifier, head to El Farolito for this league match just days after having drawn them for their first-round opponent in the Cup. This matchup will serve as a bit of a preview for the USOC game, scheduled for May 7th. Head Coach Sergio Sousa is getting a lot more scoring out of his side, however, and may be looking forward to this match as a way to see how El Faro set up and give some fresh legs a runout. Academica SC has six different goal scorers; Edwin Rodriguez, Marco Torralva, Gerardo Cazares, Fermin Chaidez, and Cody Golbad all have one. Who will add to their total this weekend?

Oakland Stompers vs Real San Jose (UPSL, Western Conference, Wild West Division)

Three weeks in for both Oakland Stompers and Real San Jose of the UPSL’s Wild West Division and neither have any points in the table. Which sets up a compelling, “Somebody’s gotta win” scenario for Saturday night. Oakland had kept it close in their first two matches to AFC Hearts SF and Nevada Coyotes, losing by only one match in both of those; however, their last game away to JASA ended in a tragic 1-6 scoreline and a -7 goal differential headed into week four. Sometimes its too early to call a match a “must-win” but for Oakland, they need to get it rolling.

For Real San Jose, the stakes are even more dire; they last time they even scored a goal was opening day away to Pajaro Valley, a match which the eventually lost 2-3. They have been shutout since, in losses to Vacaville Elite and league leader Contra Costa FC. (There might be a result missing from the league’s website, 0-0 draw with San Leandro United but its not accounted for in the table). Head coach Markus Kothner will need his veteran players like Juan Rojas, Mohanad Elshafie, or Jonathan Arellano to provide direction and leadership on the pitch. Despite having only scored a pair of goals, they’ve only given up four from 3 (or 4) matches and the defense seems solid. This match is listed on MyCujoo as available for streaming this Saturday, live from Raimondi Park in Oakland, at 7:00 pm.