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USL Memphis 901 FC

Memphis 901 FC to Face Regional Rival on Saturday

July 9, 2021 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Memphis 901 FC News Release


Memphis, Tenn. - Memphis 901 FC (2-4-3) will resume its three-match road trip as the club will visit Birmingham Legion FC (7-3-1) on Saturday. The match will kick off at BBVA Field at 6:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on CW30 Memphis and ESPN+.

After jumping out to an early 2-0 lead thanks to a Kyle Murphy brace, Atlanta United 2 surged back to grab a late point at home in a 2-2 draw on Saturday, July 3 in Kennesaw, Ga. Building on a goal against Sporting Kansas City II on June 26, Murphy took in a long pass from Andre Reynolds, poked the ball away from the rushing keeper and slotted it home in the 21'. Not long after, Murphy again found the ball in the box, this time off a Leston Paul deflected shot, and sent it past the keeper. While Memphis conceded two goals in the second half, the club has scored two goals in each of its last two matches as the attacking corps has found its rhythm.

While Memphis sits at eighth in the Central Division-although having played a few matches less than most divisional opponents-Birmingham Legion FC has found a winning formula as the club has recorded four wins in its last five matches and sit atop the divisional standings. While dropping a midweek matchup in Louisville on June 16, Birmingham has secured victories against The Miami FC, OKC Energy FC, FC Tulsa and Atlanta United 2 over those last five matches.

Finding success with a strong attacker and a stout keeper between the posts, Birmingham forward Neco Brett and goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel have had strong starts to the season. Sitting one spot behind league leader Hadji Barry, Neco Brett has secured eight goals so far this season with five of those coming in the past five matches. On the other end of the pitch, veteran goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel boasts an 82.6% save success rate with the third-most saves in the league with 38. Additionally, Van Oekel is tied for the league-lead in clean sheets with five.

For Memphis, Kyle Murphy has shot up the ranks with a brace in his last match and three scores in his last two matches, propelling the forward to a tie for sixteenth in the league with four goals on the season. In just the twelfth multi-goal match in Memphis 901 FC history, Murphy is now tied for fifth in club history with four goals in a season.

Personnel changes will affect the Memphis lineup as the team will be without Mark Segbers-who is serving a suspension due to an ejection in the Atlanta match-and Dre Fortune-who is with the Trinidad and Tobago contingent at the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup. Memphis 901 FC announced the addition of goalkeeper Kyle Morton on loan from Houston Dynamo FC on Friday, adding a necessary depth and experience to the goalkeeping corps.

Birmingham holds a 3-1-3 advantage over Memphis 901 FC in the clubs' seven previous matchups. While the first match of the season resulted in a slim, one-goal victory for Birmingham at Legion Field on May 15, the three matches prior to that resulted in a Memphis victory or Memphis draw. With five of the previous seven matchups being decided by a goal or less, the growing rivalry between regional rivals is typically a tightly contested one.

For the latest information on the team, visit www.memphis901fc.com and follow the club on social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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