After earning a pair of 1-1 draws in road games against MLS teams, Memphis 901 FC picked up their first win of the preseason on Saturday night against the University of Memphis in front of a robust crowd at the Billy Murphy Track & Soccer Stadium.
Not only was this game for Memphis 901 FC their first win of the preseason, it was also the first game of the preseason played in Memphis (the previously scheduled game against Christian Brothers University having been canceled).
The theme thus far for 901 FC this preseason has been getting off to fast starts. Against Atlanta United, it was Nighte Pickering who opened the scoring early. The following game against Nashville SC, it was Luis Fernando giving 901 FC an early lead. On Saturday night against the UofM, it was new signing Marlon Santos who got the party started early for the Beale Street Boys. The fast starts are something that head coach Stephen Glass is certainly enjoying, even if that hasn’t necessarily been a point of emphasis.
“Yeah, you know I had forgotten that when it happened” Glass said with a grin. “It’s always great if you can do it. It gives you a little bit more stability going into the game and it’s not always going happen but it’s great when it does. I won’t claim any credit for it other than the boys are set up and they’re hungry to get going.”
And after getting off to a fast start, 901 FC was able to stretch the lead to two goals when Bruno Lapa converted a penalty after a Tigers handball in the box. The Beale Street Boys were able to hold that lead into the second half but the Tigers didn’t throw in the towel and they were right back in it when a free kick hit the crossbar, took a weird bounce, and rolled into the goal. With the last kick of the game the Tigers nearly equalized but sent the shot just wide of the post.
Despite the win, Glass feels there are still a few small things for the team to work on improving before the season starts.
“I think in the final third we can be a little bit tighter” he said. “There were a few times in the first half we came back out when we were in there and made it a little bit easy for their defensive side. So, we talked about that at halftime and put a little demand on ourselves to keep it in there and really pick a hole under pressure. Because we’re going to come under greater stress than that when the season starts. So, we need to try and mimic that now. But other than that, I thought the boys were brilliant. The work rate was great. Any time we lost the ball, we reacted really well. And that’s what we look for every time as well and that’s going to be a habit continually, so it was good to see it tonight.”
And it should be noted that for a preseason game, there was quite an atmosphere. Memphis 901 FC had a tent set up with stickers, Luiz Fernando trading cards, and an opportunity to win an all-you-can-eat table for four people to the season opener against the Las Vegas Lights on Saturday, March 9 down at AutoZone Park. The number of fans in attendance seemed to have enjoyed themselves, which the players and coaches took note of.
“It was brilliant” Glass said. “I think you can see the turnout. There’s a lot of people who came along tonight. I think there’s a lot of Tigers fans and a lot of 901 fans. A lot of both. Good night all around. I think a good night on the field as well. Everybody looked like they enjoyed it. It was a good workout for both sets of players, so really, really happy.”
Memphis 901 has one final preseason game to play. That is next Saturday on the road at St. Louis City II. After that they begin their sixth season in the USL Championship as they take on the Las Vegas Lights at 3pm at AutoZone Park on Saturday, March 9. They follow that up with another home game the next Saturday, March 16 against Indy Eleven with a kickoff time still to be announced.
Season tickets are, and have been, available for purchase. Single game tickets are now also available for purchase.