WPSL Central Region, Week 6: Preview
Wednesday:
Mankato United vs Rochester United – 7pm- Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato, MN – Eleven Sports
Unbeaten Rochester took a tie against Kato at their home and the visitors enter the match unbeaten on the season, having tied their last three matches. Mankato will look to rediscover some momentum, with their only win of the season a 7-2 drubbing of Fire SC 98 to open the season.
Cincinnati Sirens vs Dayton Dutch Lions – 7pm – Lakota West High School, Liberty Township, OH – No Announced Stream
The unbeaten Sirens will expect their fourth victory from four against a club who are only 1-3-1 on the season.
Fire and Ice vs St Louis Lions – 7pm – Althoff Catholic High School, Belleville, IL, Eleven Sports
An up and down season for the hosts is still preferable to the 3 straight losses for the Lions to open theirs and they will expect their form to continue.
Thursday :
Minnesota Thunder vs Salvo SC – 7:45pm – Academy of Holy Angels StarDome, Richfield, MN – Eleven Sports
The surprise package of this Central season so far, Thunder have so far proven the value in a youth pipeline approach to WPSL play. Having won their last three matches, they will enter play against perennial threat Salvo with plenty of confidence although the league leaders did drop the corresponding fixture 2-1 to their neighbors.
Friday:
Fire SC vs Dakota Fusion FC – 7pm – Centennial High School Stadium, Circle Pines, MN – Eleven Sports
Fire and Fusion have both been on the receiving end of some ugly results early in their seasons so this basement battle could really show whether those results are indicative of deeper malaise.
Mankato United vs MapleBrook Fury – 7pm – Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato, MN – Eleven Sports
MapleBrook have managed a 1-1 draw with second placed Rochester and a 4-1 win over struggling Fire SC so it will be interesting to see where a match against third placed Mankato registers. The home side sit third, with a game in hand on the two teams above them and will be hoping they can punish a possibly rusty Fury squad.
Milwaukee Bavarian SC vs Chicago Red Stars Reserves – 7pm – Bavarian Soccer Club, Glendale, WI – No Announced Stream
Even though this match is at the friendly confines of the Bavarian Soccer Club, expect another win for the juggernaut that is Chicago Red Stars Reserves. That said, BSC limited the damage to just one goal when the two sides met recently.
Saturday:
Chicago City SC vs Green Bay Glory – 4pm – Chicago Hope Lions Complex, Chicago, IL – Eleven Sports
Green Bay come into Chicago 0-4 on the season and will be hoping for better results against a CCSC squad which is 1-2.
Chicago Dutch Lions vs Milwaukee Torrent – 6pm – Benedictine University, Lisle, IL – No Announced Stream
Second placed CDL face a hungry Torrent squad who are only a point behind them in the standings.
Cincinnati Sirens vs FC Pride – 7pm – Lakota West High School, Liberty Township, OH – No Announced Stream
The undefeated Sirens play host to the table topping FC Pride, who are 4-1-1 on the season, raising the prospect of a very good game.
Dayton Dutch Lions vs St Louis Lions – 7pm – West Carrolton High School, Dayton, OH – No Announced Stream
Dayton will need to get to grips defensively but they face a St Louis squad with no wins at the time of publication and a -15 goal difference.
Fire and Ice vs Columbus Eagles – 7pm – Althoff Catholic High School, Belleville, IL – Eleven Sports
This match pairs two teams with unappetizing starts to their seasons, so this will be a litmus test of their direction.
Sunday:
Salvo SC vs MapleBrook Fury – 3pm – Reynolds Field, Roseville, MN – No Announced Stream
Salvo should win this battle of the Twin Cities, but MapleBrook’s stop start season so far makes it difficult to rule out any result.
Mankato United vs Dakota Fusion – 5pm – Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato, MN – Eleven Sports
Having sought to exorcise demons against Rochester, Kato will face a Fusion squad which has had a slow start to their own season and the hosts should expect an easy win.
Fire SC 98 vs Minnesota Thunder – 7pm – Seafoam Stadium at Concordia University, St Paul, MN – Eleven Sports
Rolling into the week top of the division, Thunder should dispatch the struggling Fire without much difficulty.
Chicago City SC vs Milwaukee Bavarian – 5pm – Chicago Hope Lions Complex, Chicago, IL – Eleven Sports
With one win against their name, and playing host, CCSC will be hoping to deepen the gloom of a winless Bavarian squad fresh off a match against the Red Stars Reserves.
Dayton Dutch Lions vs Lady Victory – 4:30pm – West Carrolton High School, Dayton, OH – No Announced Stream
Lady Victory, on 4-1 for the season, will fully expect to beat a DDL squad with only one win to their name.
St Louis Lions vs Columbus Eagles – 5pm – Tony Glavin Soccer Complex, Cottleville, MO – No Announced Stream
This matchup of leaky defences and sputtering offences could well end up a goalless draw.