USL League Two Week 9: Preview
Tuesday:
Flint City Bucks vs South Bend Lions: 6:30 PM – Atwood Stadium at Kettering University, Flint, MI – Eleven Sports
Four points back from second place in the division, Flint City has a test on their hands as we head towards the end of the season. The Bucks have been 2-0-1 in their last three matches and want to keep that run of form going. South Bend has gone 1-1-1 in their last three and is sitting outside the playoff race at this point but could make it harder for the Bucks to earn their spot.
FC Wichita vs Kaw Valley FC: 7 PM – Stryker Sports Complex, Wichita, KS – Eleven Sports
In a division dominated by Des Moines and Chicago the winless FC Wichita host Kaw Valley FC in a Battle of the Sunflower State on Tuesday night. Wichita will want to earn their first points of the season on home turf against their rival from the East. However this is a match of pride and state supremacy as both sides are out of the running for the playoffs.
Wednesday:
Kalamazoo FC vs Oakland County FC: 6 PM – Mayors Riverfront Park Football Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI – Eleven Sports
Another rivalry match on a Wednesday night. Kalamazoo FC has already guaranteed themselves a playoff spot for 2021 but a win over mid-table Oakland County can bring them closer to a division title. Look for Oakland County to bring their A-Game on Wednesday night as a win will help immensely in attempting to earn a seat at the playoff table, while a loss brings those odds to slim.
Grand Rapids FC vs Toledo Villa: 6 PM – Midwest United Soccer Complex, Grand Rapids. MI – Eleven Sports
Mid-table sides face off with the winner earning a better shot towards the 2021 USL League Two playoffs. Both teams sit just outside the three spots the Great Lakes Division gets but neither is completely out of the race yet. This is the first match of a home and home series between the sides over this week.
Chicago FC United vs Des Moines Menace: 6 PM – Bridgeview Dome, Bridgeview, IL – No Stream Announced
Both teams have just three matches left on the season and Des Moines has already clinched a spot in the playoffs for this season. The question now is can the visiting Chicago FC United side take down the dominate Menace they face in Bridgeview. The two teams have goal differentials of +19 (DSM) and +21 (CHI) so look for this match to be one of the best games of the USL League Two calendar.
Thursday:
Kaw Valley FC vs St. Louis Scott Gallagher: 7:30 PM – Rock Chalk Park, Lawrence, KS – Eleven Sports
After defeating Wichita on the road on Tuesday Kaw Valley returned home to face St. Louis Scott Gallagher. While Kaw Valley only had one day of rest SLSG had an entire week coming off their loss to Chicago FC United. This match however will have no implication on the remainder of the season except for final divisional placing as Des Moines and Chicago have already punched their postseason tickets.
Friday:
Toledo Villa vs Grand Rapids FC: 5 PM – Paul Hotmer Soccer Field, Toledo, OH – Eleven Sports
Mid table sides Toledo and Grand Rapids face off with Grand Rapids looking to inch closer to a playoff spot. GRFC has three matches to play and can jump as high as second place as Kalamazoo FC has already clinched their way into the playoffs with more points than Grand Rapids can achieve. Home side Toledo will have their season finish after their final two games as Wednesday’s loss to Grand Rapids knocked them out of contention.
Dayton Dutch Lions vs Oakland County FC: 6 PM – Dayton Outpatient Center Stadium, Dayton, OH – Gem City Sports Network
Lowly Dayton hosts mid table Oakland County in the Dutch Lions penultimate home match of the season. DDL at 0-1-9 with one point on the season have four matches left to gain their first win of the season, something they look increasingly capable of doing after drawing Fort Wayne 2-2 on Sunday. OCFC is looking for a playoff push as with also having four matches left they are not out of the race yet and can also mathematically take first place in the Great Lakes.
Green Bay Voyageurs vs FC Wichita: 7 PM – Capital Credit Union Park, Ashwaubenon, WI – Eleven Sports
While this match is the bottom two teams in the Heartland this could very much prove to be an exciting match to watch. Last Friday the teams went to a 1-0 scoreline with Green Bay taking their first set of three points in 2021. Both sides will be looking to intensely take the win and with Green Bay looking to sweep the season series while Wichita is just looking to strike their first win before ending the season next Saturday against Chicago FC United.
Bad news. After hours of flight issues through Delta Air Lines, we are certain there is no way to arrive in Green Bay for kickoff. Unfortunate! 😔
— FC Wichita 🏆 (@FCWichita) July 2, 2021
Saturday:
South Bend Lions vs Fort Wayne FC: 6 PM – TCU School Field, South Bend, IN – No Stream Announced
Two of the bottom three sides in the Great Lakes division play one of the two matches on Saturday night. South Bend (3-3-5, 12 points) hosts Fort Wayne (1-5-5, 8 points) in the second go around between the Indiana expansion sides. Last time out the Lions got the best of Fort Wayne, winning 3-1 on the road.
Kaw Valley FC vs St. Louis Scott Gallagher: 7:30 PM – Swope Soccer Village, Kansas City, MO – Eleven Sports
After hosting a game earlier this week in Kansas, Kaw Valley FC heads to Sporting KC’s Swope Soccer Village in Missouri to host St. Louis Scott Gallagher in each teams penultimate match of 2021. SLSG has already clinched the season series with a 2-1 win (June 16th) and 6-2 win (July 1st) this season. Both sides enter with a 2-0-1 record in their last three matches.
Sunday:
Oakland County FC vs Flint City Bucks: 4 PM – Clawson Stadium, Clawson, MI – No Stream Announced
The lone match on Sunday wraps up League Two action this weekend as Flint City travels to Oakland County. Both teams are in the playoff race for the three spots in the Great Lakes division, however the Bucks are the ones sitting in a spot at this time. Both sides need a win as it will push the Bucks closer to locking up a spot while one will bring OCFC closer to getting into one.
*Note All Times CT