The first game of the 2020 season is right around the corner. But the new-look Memphis 901 FC still has one more chance to iron out some of the kinks.

The city’s second-year United Soccer League franchise wraps up its preseason with a friendly against the University of Memphis Saturday. Kickoff is 6 p.m. at AutoZone Park.

It will be the first chance for fans to see the team, which appears to have upgraded its talent base significantly in the offseason. Among others, the team has brought in former Everton player Jose Baxter, Guyana national team member Keanu Marsh-Brown and promising 19-year-old forward Matt Hundley, who is on loan from Colorado Rapids of MLS.

Those two join a solid core of holdovers from 2019 led by leading goal-scorer Brandon Allen, captain Marc Burch, center-back Liam Doyle and midfielders Pierre Da Silva and Dan Metzger. 

Metzger was on target twice and Allen also scored in the team’s last friendly, a 3-1 victory over Forward Madison FC on Feb. 22. Memphis’ other preseason game was against fellow USL Championship team Saint Louis FC and resulted in a 2-1 loss on Feb. 8.

Memphis is coming off a 9-7-18 season (34 points) last year. The team finished in 15th place in the 18-team Eastern Conference but was mathematically alive for a postseason berth until the next-to-last game of the year.

Coach Richard Mulrooney’s Tigers, meanwhile, finished the 2019 season with a 10-7 record, losing to Temple in the AAC tournament. The roster features two former Houston High standouts, junior midfielder Peyton McKnatt and freshman defender Grant Caldwell.

Fans who have purchased either full or partial season-ticket fans will be admitted for free. The team store will also be open and concessions will be available at a discounted rate.

Memphis opens the regular season with a home match against Indy Eleven on March 7. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.