Memphis 901 FC @ Louisville City Preview

A couple of bye weeks in quick succession for the Beale Street Boys could not have come at a better time as they gear up for the final push, not just into the playoffs, but to host a home playoff game for the third straight season. Memphis 901 FC has five regular season games remaining. All five of those games are against teams currently in the top seven places of their respective conferences, meaning Memphis will play five straight games against playoff teams to close the season. Two of those five are road games against the number one team in both the Eastern and Western Conference of the USL Championship. They close the season on the road against New Mexico United, the top team in the West. But their next game is on the road against, not just the top team in the East, but the top team in the whole league: Louisville City.

Much has been made of Memphis 901 FC’s potent attack this season (and justifiably so) but lately they have been very stout defensively. They have kept clean sheets in their last two games (a 3-0 home win over North Carolina and a 0-0 home draw with Hartford Athletic) and in three of their last five. In fact, Memphis 901 FC has conceded multiple goals in a game just once in their last six outings (a 3-1 loss on the road against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks). They’ve parlayed that stingy defense into a solid run of form, as they are unbeaten in five of their last six games. But a trip to Louisville figures to be a very tough test.

Memphis and Louisville have always had a rivalry at the college sports level, especially on the hardwood with the Denny Crum vs. Dana Kirk years and the Rick Pitino vs. John Calipari years. Memphis 901 FC’s addition to the USL Championship in 2019 gave fans hope that the rivalry between the two cities would be reignited on the soccer field. It took some time, but it finally got going. Louisville dominated the series early, especially at Lynn Family Stadium, which was a long-time house of horrors for the Beale Street Boys. Recently, Memphis has been able to find their footing in the rivalry, winning the last two games in Louisville. 2022 saw a thriller which 901 FC won in the 97th minute on a goal by Philip Goodrum, who was sent off with two other players (and who, in an ironic twist of fate, now plays for Louisville City). Last year saw the two teams draw at AutoZone Park and Memphis get a 3-1 win in Louisville. The two teams met in the first round of the playoffs, which Louisville City won on penalties, despite falling behind less than a minute into the game.

Louisville has already clinched a playoff spot, the first team to do so this year. They sit atop the Eastern Conference standings but are only three points ahead of the Charleston Battery (though they do have two games in hand). Astonishingly, Louisville is nearly 20 points ahead of the Tampa Bay Rowdies in third place. Their form the last five games has gone back and forth. They lost a 2-1 decision on the road to the Hartford Athletic before winning their next three games, which included a wild 6-4 game against a North Carolina FC team that Memphis just held scoreless. Most recently, they were on the road for a nationally televised game against Detroit City, which they lost 2-1. Philip Goodrum was sent off and shown a red card early in the second half, meaning he will be unavailable to play against his former team.

When, Where

Date: Saturday, September 28, 2024

Venue: Lynn Family Stadium

City: Louisville, Kentucky

Time: 6:30pm CT

TV: ESPN+, WMC 5.3

All-Time Series

Memphis 901 FC trails 3-6-3

Last Meeting

Date: Saturday, October 21, 2023

Venue: AutoZone Park

City: Memphis, Tennessee

Attendance: 3,587

Result: Memphis 901 FC 1 (4 pen) – (5 pen) 1 Louisville City

Conference Standing

Memphis 901 FC: 4th in West (43pts)

Louisville City: 1st in East (62pts)

Next Game

Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024

Competition: USL Regular Season

Match-Up: Memphis 901 FC vs. Oakland Roots

Venue: AutoZone Park

City: Memphis, Tennessee

Time: 7pm CT

TV: ESPN+, WMC 5.3

Tickets: Memphis 901 FC vs. Oakland Roots tickets