Ranking the Top 5 Biggest Memphis 901 FC wins of all-time

Wednesday night’s dramatic win by Memphis 901 FC over Atlanta United in the 3rd Round of the US Open Cup could be considered the biggest win by the team in its five years of existence. But what are some of the other big wins in the history of this organization? Bluff City Media has a very accurate and scientific list that everybody will be in 100% agreement on. So without further ado, here are the five biggest wins in Memphis 901 FC history, plus a few honorable mentions.

Honorable Mentions

2019: Memphis 901 FC 5-0 Bethlehem Steel – With the opposing coaching staff complaining about the size of the penalty box (which was exactly as big as it was supposed to be) an hour before kickoff it was immensely satisfying to see the Boys in Blue come out and absolutely smash them. It was a win that kept their faint playoff hopes alive but turned out to be the last win of the year.

2019: Memphis 901 FC 4-0 Hartford Athletic – The second of three wins against Hartford that Memphis registered in their inaugural season. This one however was in the 3rd Round of the US Open Cup and set up a home game against Orlando City of MLS. This was the first time that 901 FC played in the stadium at Mike Rose Soccer Complex (before a crowd of 1,819 on the same week that the City of Memphis celebrated it’s founding in…..1819)

2022: Memphis 901 FC 5-0 Charleston Battery – Not only did Memphis completely undress one of the oldest and most established teams in the USL, but Charleston also completely self-destructed by having five members of the team dismissed from the game. Three players were sent off and shown red cards, an assistant was shown a red card after the game for berating the referee crew as they were leaving the field, and their manager (former USMNT striker Connor Casey) was shown a red card for running onto the field after one of his players was sent off. This one is perhaps bittersweet though as former Memphis manager Ben Pirmann is now the manager in Charleston.

#5: May 22, 2022: Memphis 901 FC 3-0 Loudoun United

The game itself was nothing special. 901 FC went out and handled a team that they were much better than which put them into first place in the Eastern Conference. But it was one of the few road games last season that the organization had a watch party scheduled at a local brewery only for the weather to delay the game for hours on end. The delay meant 901 FC was unable to return home until the wee hours of the following morning, prompting Ben Pirmann to say in a local radio interview that week, “Teams in first place aren’t allowed to take naps.” Being in first place, combined with the associated press attention, led to 901 FC drawing their largest crowd of the whole year (6,073) the following weekend against Atlanta United 2.

#4: September 23, 2022: Memphis 901 FC 2-1 Louisville City

Getting a win against a rival at their place is always a big deal. But this particular game meant just a little bit more. Lynn Family Stadium had been a house of horrors for 901 FC since it’s opening in 2020 (a 4-1 loss, a 3-0 loss, and a 3-1 loss) so exorcising those demons was good. The win also kept the pressure on Louisville for the #1 spot in the East heading into the last four games of the regular season. However, it was the way the game finished that really makes it stand out. Memphis tied the game at 1 in the 61st minute through Derek Dodson before Graham Smith scored the winner in the 95th minute that caused all hell to break loose as three players were sent off and shown red cards: Philip Goodrum and Rece Buckmaster for Memphis plus Tyler Gibson for Louisville.

#3: September 4, 2021: Memphis 901 FC 3-2 Birmingham Legion

The turning point in the history of this organization. Southern Harm. A rivalry win to spark a playoff run. This game could very seriously be considered the most important win in Memphis 901 FC history. 2019 was a tough debut season but not entirely unexpected. 2020 was absolutely atrocious and led to the dismissal of Tim Mulqueen as manager. 2021 was playing out largely the same way that 2019 did. That is, until everything changed in the 93rd minute of this game on Labor Day Weekend. With 901 FC trailing 2-1 in stoppage time it was all hands on deck and Roland Lamah found the equalizer sending AutoZone Park into ecstasy. Normally that would have been a decent enough night but the Beale Street Boys weren’t quite done as just minutes later they got another corner kick that Raul Gonzalez came flying out of nowhere to bury and take the fans into whatever is beyond ecstasy. The turnaround that win sparked was dramatic and immediate. 901 FC won eight of their next eleven games and made the playoffs for the first time in team history.

#2: April 26, 2023: Memphis 901 FC 2-1 Atlanta United

The first ever Cupset in team history. A road win against an MLS team in the oldest soccer tournament in the United States. Stoppage time equalizer and extra time winner. Memphis manager Stephen Glass beating a team that he used to manage. What else is there to say about this game? Atlanta United came out of the gate with guns blazing and promptly found themselves up 1-0 after three minutes. But then 901 FC completely played them off the field the rest of the game and in the dying moments of normal time, drew a penalty that Philip Goodrum buried for his first goal of the season. Once it got to extra time, there was never any doubt that 901 FC would be the winner. They had been the better team all game and had stunned Atlanta by drawing level in stoppage time. Sure enough, Nighte Pickering scored a fabulous goal just four minutes into extra time and Memphis scored the biggest Cupset of the Open Cup (so far).

#1: October 22, 2022: Memphis 901 FC 3-1 Detroit City

While each of the last two entries on this list could certainly make a case for being #1, there’s just something about winning games in the playoffs that trumps all else. And not only was it a playoff win, it was against a team whose supporters directed unholy amounts of vitriol towards Memphis 901 FC as an organization, towards Memphis as a city, and towards manager Ben Pirmann (who had great success with Detroit in the NPSL prior to being named an assistant for 901 FC). To be able to not only advance in the playoffs but to beat the team whose fans were so obnoxious was incredibly rewarding. It also just so happened that the game was only a few days after the announcement that Memphis was getting a soccer stadium built, which led to the 3rd best crowd of the season (6,010). A cagey first half gave way to the second half when Chris Allan broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute. Unfortunately, Detroit equalized just five minutes later causing many nerves to fray within AutoZone Park. But in the 88th minute Graham Smith delivered and put 901 FC up 2-1, followed shortly by Philip Goodrum putting the icing on the cake in the 94th minute to send 901 FC on to the next round and Detroit back home.