Lower league round-up: What you need to know for USL’s opening weekend around the region

Image via Charleston Battery

While we enter the third week of MLS action, the two professional leagues of the USL kick things off themselves this weekend. The second division USL Championship enters its fourteenth season of play, and the newer third division USL League One begins season number six. Here, I’ll be taking a look at the matchups of interest involving teams around the southeast region as they gear up to get underway.

USL Championship

Memphis 901 FC-Las Vegas Lights FC, 4:00 PM ET/3:00 PM CT, AutoZone Park, ESPN+

The Beale Street Boys are back in town, as Stephen Glass, Emerson Hyndman, and Luiz Fernando host Las Vegas Lights FC in one of the first games of the opening slate to kick off. Memphis ended the 2023 season as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and hosted Louisville City in the first playoff round, where they fell in penalties, 5-4. Meanwhile, the Lights are coming off of a dismal season, winning only three matches and finishing last place in the West. Now owned by former MLB All-Star José Bautista, Las Vegas look for immediate improvement in the season opener, with a new head coach, Dennis Sanchez, and a slew of new signings, including former Atlanta United 2 player Coleman Gannon.

North Carolina FC-Charleston Battery, 7:00 PM ET, WakeMed Soccer Park, CBS Sports Golazo Network (Free)

A major matchup in Cary sees USL League One champion and recently “promoted” North Carolina FC make their return to the USL Championship against the neighboring Charleston Battery, the reigning Eastern Conference champion, who fell at home to Phoenix Rising FC on penalties in the Final. There’s some history to this one, marking the revival of the Southern Derby, which will be contested for by both sides over the course of the season. A revamped Charleston roster includes former Atlanta United striker Jackson Conway, while NCFC retain the services of Oalex Anderson, whose 17 goals last year earned him second in the League One Golden Boot race. This intriguing match will stream on the CBS Sports Goalzo network as part of the new broadcasting deal with CBS.

Phoenix Rising FC-Birmingham Legion FC, 9:30 PM ET/8:30 PM CT, Phoenix Rising Stadium, ESPN+

The Three Sparks pay a visit to the defending champions to start the year, following a 2023 performance that saw Birmingham reach 7th in the East during the regular season and play in the Conference Semifinals, losing to eventual finalists Charleston. The champions of that final, Phoenix Rising FC, are fresh off of their first championship in club history, which should supply plenty of motivation around a team that already benefits from home field advantage. A lot of roster turnover, especially in attack, will leave some questions for the hosts coming into this one.

USL League One

Greenville Triumph SC-Spokane Velocity FC, 7:00 PM ET, Paladin Stadium, ESPN+

One of the league’s originals in Greenville will host the league’s newest in what is the inaugural match for expansion side Spokane Velocity FC. The Triumph had a decent 2023, finishing 5th in the table before making an early playoff exit to finalist Charlotte Independence. In the offseason, Greenville retained some mainstays like Brandon Fricke and Evan Lee, while adding plenty of talent from Championship sides, including Phoenix midfielder Carlos Anguiano. Spokane’s inaugural roster is nothing to sneeze at though, bringing in some MLS experience in former Minnesota United defender Romain Métanire and USMNT capped midfielder Luis Gil.

South Georgia Tormenta FC-Central Valley Fuego FC, 7:30 PM ET, Tormenta Stadium, ESPN+

2023 was not what either Tormenta or Central Valley had hoped for, with the former unable to crack the playoffs in their title defending season and the latter coming in dead last in the twelve team league. South Georgia purged their roster at the end of the year, returning only six players, just one of which helped win the 2022 title. Young Player of the Year Jackson Khoury remains, along with centerback pairing of Jake Dengler and Preston Kilwien, but plenty is yet to be seen of the roster. Central Valley went through a similar purge at the behest of new head coach, USMNT legend Jermaine Jones, who makes his managerial debut in Statesboro. Fuego return only four, and bring in new faces including former Tormenta midfielder Chris Heckenberg. Both sides are ranked at the bottom of USL League One’s power ranking, and will be keen to get off to a good start and build positive momentum as they seek to right the previous year’s wrongs.