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USL Memphis 901 FC

Keys to the Match: Back Home for Tampa Bay, Ready to Climb the Table

September 6, 2023 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Memphis 901 FC News Release


Memphis 901 FC is back at AutoZone Park for an extended stay after playing six of their last seven matches on the road, but the return home will prove to be a tough test as they host the No. 2 Tampa Bay Rowdies in a midweek matchup.

Tampa Bay rides into Memphis on a four-game winning streak, leading the league with 15 victories in 26 matches and leading the Eastern Conference at +21.

The Rowdies are one of the few clubs in the league to score at a higher clip, but the Beale Street Boys look to lean on their strong run of form defensively and home field advantage as 16 of their 45 goals this season have come on the road.

Memphis is looking to stride back into the top half of the Eastern Conference playoff picture with five of their next six matches at home. Starting with Tampa Bay and Monterey Bay on Wednesday and Saturday, the Beale Street Boys can climb back to No. 4 and snatch homefield advantage.

901 FC most recently fought back to draw Detroit City FC on the road thanks to a strong cross pass from Jeremy Kelly to Luiz Fernando, who put in a world class finish with the left foot to equalize.

Fans can visit the club's website get two tickets for the price of one now with promo code 'TIGERS'. Wednesday's match will be broadcast on WMC Bounce TV locally and ESPN+ nationally. Fans can also listen live on SiriusXMFC.

The Skipper Makes Club History

Leston Paul is the only player to be with 901 FC since the club's inaugural season in 2019. The Trinidadian midfielder has been the team captain since 2021 and achieved the extraordinary landmark with 100 career caps with Memphis 901 FC last Saturday at Detroit City FC.

Paul has over 7,000 minutes on the pitch as the club has risen to perennial contender status in the USL Championship.

Home Sweet Home

901 FC returns to home on Wednesday as they'll play five of their next six matches in the friendly environment of AutoZone Park. The Beale Street Boys rank in the top-5 in the USL Championship in goals per match this season and have failed to score only three times in 12 matches at AutoZone Park.

Rodrigo Answers the Call

Rodrigo da Costa leads Memphis 901 FC with nine goals this season, already matching his 2022 total and only three scores away from his career-high with seven matches remaining in the regular season.

"Rodrigo continues to give us what we knew he would when we got him," Head Coach Stephen Glass said. "We've not been disappointed since he got here."

The versatile Brazilian attacker joined Memphis 901 FC in a midseason acquisition, bringing his knack for scoring and distribution to one of the most dangerous attacking sides in the league.

Spreading the Wealth

Memphis hasn't missed a step even with injuries to key players this season. 901 FC has had 14 different players find the back of the net and 12 assist others in scores this year.

Leading the charge is midfielder Aaron Molloy, who leads the club with six assists this season, third most in the league. Molloy and Jeremy Kelly led the team with 10 assists each in 2022.

Romig Rises

Drew Romig has established himself as a strong starter in goal for this league after strong performances during August with two consecutive clean sheets while only allowing two goals in the five matches.

The goalkeeper earned Team of the Week honors for the first time after his fourth clean sheet of the season.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 6, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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