901 FC primed for No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown against Louisville

By , Daily Memphian Updated: July 15, 2022 3:11 PM CT | Published: July 15, 2022 3:09 PM CT

All season long, there has been a good buzz surrounding Memphis 901 FC. As Saturday approaches, the noise is only getting louder.

Louisville City comes to town for a 7:30 p.m. match at AutoZone Park and — with the exception of 901 FC’s first-ever playoff game last season — it can safely be considered the biggest match in the club’s 3½-year history.

The visitors sit atop the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference standings at 12-3-3 (39 points), with Memphis a point behind in second place thanks to a 12-2-4 mark. Overall, they are the second- and third-best teams in the league; only San Antonio (with 40 points) is better.


Destination Memphis? 901 FC a hot topic around the USL (and beyond)


Both teams have played well lately. Memphis has three victories and a draw from its past five games, with the latest positive result coming in the 3-1 home victory over Phoenix on July 9.

Louisville is unbeaten in its past five (four wins and a draw). It leads the Championship with a plus-26 goal differential — a total bolstered by its 6-0 victory over New York in its previous match — with Memphis second at plus-18.

It’s a great matchup on paper and it certainly has the feel of one. Players and staff have made appearances on local radio sports talk shows, and Thursday’s media availability drew a healthy contingent to AutoZone Park. 

For the players, though, it’s just one game out of 34 on the schedule.


Phillip Goodrum a huge spark in 901 FC’s winning streak


“Obviously we want to be in first place and we’re going for three points, but we do that every game no matter who’s in front of us. We’re just looking to get three points and move up the table,” said fullback Rece Buckmaster, who provided the assist on Jeremy Kelly’s goal, the team’s second against Phoenix, while earning a spot on the Championship’s team of the week.

“We’re excited. Even straightaway after the match against Phoenix, we knew preparations were in order,” coach Ben Pirmann said. “We want to put our best foot forward at home to see where we're at as part of the big picture . . . (but) honestly (the game’s importance) hasn’t been addressed.

“When it’s first versus second, you want to put a little extra emphasis on it but we wanted to be entertaining and be the hardest-working team on the field. Then we’ll regroup next week for Indy Eleven.”


Free nachos, $1 hot dogs, $2 beer on deck at Redbirds games


First things first. Memphis has played Louisville seven times since its inaugural season in 2019, with the only victory coming in October 2021 as part of its late surge into the postseason.

Coach Danny Cruz’s squad is the league’s flagship, advancing at least to the conference finals in every season since its debut in 2015. Louisville also plays in swanky Lynn Family Stadium, a 15,034-seat facility that Memphis will visit for the return match on Sept. 23.

In terms of talent on the field, though, Pirmann’s men are rapidly closing the gap, and the coach said they’ll look to set an aggressive tone from the outset on Saturday.

“They’re one of the best, if not the best, possession team in the league,” he said. “They do a very good job with the goalkeeper and the center backs creating overloads in the buildup so we’ve got to be able to get pressure on them without exposing ourselves behind. Which is always the toughest balance.

“Second, when we have the ball we have to make sure we transition quickly, whether we’re going to goal or moving them around to try to get in space. If you look at the matches last year, we played them four times and we got better and better and better. And obviously at home, we want to be on the front foot and carry that for 90 minutes.”

Home-field advantage could well come into play. Memphis has won six consecutive home games and is averaging 3.6 goals in that span. Forward Luiz Fernando said being at AutoZone will certainly help.

“It’s going to be a tough match,” the Brazilian said. “I know those guys. I’ve been in this league for years and they’re always good. We’ve got to be prepared and we are. (Our crowd) is amazing; it’s a good energy they give us and I hope (many) people come.”

In an effort to draw the type of crowd Fernando is hoping for, the club is pulling out some big promotional stops. Selected tickets are on sale for as low as $3. And Memphis-based rapper Al Kapone will conduct the ceremonial pregame guitar smash.

Topics

United Soccer League Memphis 901 FC Ben Pirmann Rece Buckmaster
John Varlas

John Varlas

John Varlas is a lifelong Memphian who has covered high school sports in various capacities for over 20 years.


Comments

Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here

Get in the game

Manage Your Email Subscriptions