April 26, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Memphis 901 FC News Release
After three matches in seven days last week, 901 FC looks to snap a cold streak in the USL Championship Regular Season on Saturday, but they’ll face another tough challenge in the Southern Harm Derby at Birmingham.
The Beale Street Boys look to not only make a statement against a rival, but also reverse some unlucky bounces and costly mental errors that have come over the first six matches of the season.
Memphis ranks toward the top of the league in shots and chances per match, yet have put only four goals in the back of the net. Head Coach Stephen Glass and his staff are confident the goals will come with the way the squad has created opportunities.
“Our players believe that we’re capable of doing better than we have,” Glass said. “We show them the video and show them bad teams don’t make the chances that we make and really good teams take them every week. We’ve still got the opportunity to be a good team this year.”
Renewing the Rivalry
Memphis will work to break through a couple of streaks as they look for their first win at Birmingham since 2021. Winners in two of their last three outings, Birmingham sit at No. 5 in the Eastern Conference with a 3-2-1 record.
“We know we need to be competitive. Anytime you play against Birmingham, it’s a tough game. If you’re not competitive you’ll be on the receiving end of a sore one. We’re looking forward to the challenge of going down there. It’s never easy, but we’re looking forward to it and hoping to start building and get some wins.”
With Memphis’ move to the Western Conference this season, the two clubs could only meet once this season, after playing at least twice a season since 2019. Legion FC were victorious in two of three matchups in 2023 including and Open Cup Round of 32 matchup.
A second Southern Harm Derby day is still in the cards, however with the two clubs drawn in the same U.S. Open Cup mini-bracket. A Memphis win over MLS side FC Dallas and a Birmingham victory over Tampa Bay at Al Lang Stadium on May 8 would lead to a second date, with heightened stakes, in the Open Cup Round of 16.
“The boys need to be aware of the competitive nature of the game we’re going into,” Glass said. “Most of them have already played in it, some of them on both sides. They’ve experienced it before and they’re looking forward to it. Some of it is keeping the emotions in check and I’m sure Birmingham, just like us, are hoping that we get the…