Preview: Sporting KC II @ Memphis 901 FC

USL Championship Regular Season- Matchday 12

Sporting Kansas City II @ Memphis 901 FC

Saturday, June 26, 7:30 p.m. CST

Where: AutoZone Park, Memphis, Tennessee

How to Watch: ESPN+

For the second straight game, Sporting KC II will feature in a game between the two teams placed at the bottom of USL Championship’s Central Division. This time it will be on the road against Memphis 901 FC.

Currently on track to miss the playoffs for the third consecutive season, SKC II sits in last place of the division on seven points with a 1-6-4 record. Their poor record wasn’t aided by the officials in their most recent loss to the OKC Energy on Wednesday.

Despite showing some promise, that was Sporting II’s third straight one-goal loss. It won’t get any easier with likely much of the same group of players that played in OKC with the same injury news.

Forwards Tyler Freeman and Enoch Mushagalusa have each scored three goals. Mushagalusa also has the most shots on the team with 29, compared to second-place Rojay Smith with 12 shots.

This will be the third-ever meeting between these two sides. SKC II won their first meeting in 2019 in KC 2-1 before SKC II took a 4-2 loss in Memphis later that season.

Memphis 901 FC

Sporting KC II will be against Tim Howard and Memphis 901 FC. Howard, now into his first full year of retirement, remains with Memphis as the club’s sporting director and minority owner after making six appearances last year.

Looking to follow in Howard’s footsteps is former U.S. youth international goalkeeper Brady Scott. The 21-year-old is looking to carve out a pro soccer career on loan from Austin FC. His Memphis debut came in last weekend’s 1-0 loss in OKC.

Fresh off being named to the Team of the Week, former SPR right back Mark Segbers will get a go against his former coach and only a few former teammates. Former Osasuna and FC Dallas winger Roland Lamah is still looking to make his Memphis debut.

Memphis enters Saturday’s contest in seventh place of the division on eight points with a 2-3-2 record. They have a USL-low five goals scored this year.

Predicted Starting XI

I’ve got the same back four starting with Jahon Rad and Ozzie Cisneros joining Jake Davis in the midfield. Tyler Freeman and Enoch Mushagalusa keep their spots up front with Dominik Resetar getting the start on the right.

Final Prediction

Without much luck recently, SKC II will look to turn the tables. Maybe they can pull off a grimy win in Memphis.

For my final prediction, I am picking a 2-1 win for Memphis. I have picked an SKC II win in each of the last three games, and they have let me down with three straight losses.