Might as well do a League One thread, since today is the kickoff of the season. Only 11 teams this year, but hopefully they all stick around and the 3 expansion teams (Fort Wayne, Lexington, and Spokane) all come online next season like the current plan suggests they will. All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-C site. Games are on ESPN+ unless otherwise noted (I've been able to watch ESPN Deportes matches on E+ as well). Week 1: Saturday 4/2 RIC v TUC 5:30PM GVL v CHS 6:00PM CHA v MAD 6:30PM TRM v NC 6:30PM Charlotte, Northern Colorado, and Omaha aren't playing opening weekend, leaving out the defending champs, one of the expansion sides, and the team moving down from USL-C, but all 3 have matches next weekend. Central Valley Fuego are making their debut as an expansion team tonight, playing at the Greenville team that has played in the 2 finals games and won the title via regular season record in the only other season of the league's existence.
Richmond just assaulted Tucson 4-0 and that scoreline flattered the team from Arizona. Central Valley are up 2-0 late at Greenville, in front of a big crowd that has to be disappointed with the home team's play. Chattanooga is up 1-0 at halftime over Madison. This is my first time really watching some action in that stadium, and that's fantastic for a League One side. Haven't checked in on the Tormenta v North Carolina match yet, but NCFC is winning 1-0 at the half.
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-C site. Games are on ESPN+ unless otherwise noted (I've been able to watch ESPN Deportes matches on E+ as well). Week 2: Friday 4/8 CLT v CVF 6:00PM (The league site is using CHS for Central Valley) Saturday 4/9 RIC v NCO 5:30PM NC v CHA 6:00PM MAD v OMA 7:00PM
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-C site. Games are on ESPN+ unless otherwise noted (I've been able to watch ESPN Deportes matches on E+ as well). Week 3: Saturday 4/16 CLT v NCO 6:00PM NC v GVL 6:00PM TRM v OMA 6:30PM CHA v RIC 6:30PM TUC v MAD 9:00PM Our first 5 game week of the season. Still too early to tell who is good and who isn't, but the Chattanooga v Richmond matchup seems like the one to watch this week.
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-C site. Games are on ESPN+ unless otherwise noted (I've been able to watch ESPN Deportes matches on E+ as well). Week 4: Saturday 4/23 GVL v TRM 6:00PM OMA v CV 6:00PM CHA v TUC 6:30PM
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-1 site. Games are on ESPN+. Week 5: Monday 4/25 CLT v RIC 6:00PM Friday 4/29 GVL v CHA 6:00PM Saturday 4/30 MAD v CV 5:00PM CLT v OMA 6:00PM NC v NCO 6:00PM TUC v TRM 9:00PM
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-1 site. Games are on ESPN+. Week 6: Saturday 5/7 RIC v MAD 5:00PM CHA v NCO 6:30PM TRM v CLT 6:30PM TUC v NC 9:00PM CV v GVL 9:30PM - This is the inaugural home game for Central Valley It's obviously still too early to tell, but that Tormenta v Charlotte game seems like it might give us a hint about how good each one actually is. The new stadium opening will have my attention. Doing it 30 minutes after the new stadium opening for USL-C Monterey Bay means I'm going to have some late night split screen action going to to check both out. The other items that interest me are watching a game in Chattanooga's stadium and seeing if Madison can get a win since they're the only team not to notch one yet.
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-1 site. Games are on ESPN+. Week 7: Friday 5/13 GVL v MAD 6:00PM Saturday 5/14 NC v TRM 4:00PM RIC v OMA 5:30PM CHA v CV 6:30PM Sunday 5/15 CLT v TUC 5:00PM It's obviously still early, and even though it's week 7 Chattanooga will be the only team with 7 games played at the end of this weekend, but a couple of these stick out. North Carolina v Tormenta feels like one that can tell us a bit about how good the teams are. Richmond will hopefully pull a good crowd against an Omaha team that's probably outside of the playoff spots due to them only playing 4 league games so far. Chattanooga v Central Valley feels like the match of the week to me if the NC v Georgia one isn't. I really hope Tucson sticks around after this year and all 3 expected expansion teams join (the league website doesn't list Ft Wayne). Tucson is bad on the field and they're drawing very sparse crowds now. I hope that's not the beginning signs of them disappearing soon.
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-1 site. Games are on ESPN+. Week 8: Wednesday 5/18 CLT v NCO 6:30PM Friday 5/20 TUC v RIC 9:00PM Saturday 5/21 NC v GVL 6:00PM TRM v CV 6:30PM MAD v CLT 7:00PM
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-1 site. Games are on ESPN+. Week 9: Saturday 5/28 NC v RIC 6:00PM CHA v GVL 6:00PM TRM v TUC 6:30PM OMA v NCO 7:00PM CV v MAD 9:00PM
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-1 site. Games are on ESPN+. Week 10: Wednesday 6/1 RIC v CHA 5:30PM Saturday 6/4 RIC v TRM 5:30PM GVL v CLT 6:00PM CHA v OMA 6:30PM MAD v TUC 7:00PM Both North Carolina and Northern Colorado have this week off as they head into next Wednesday's official first game at the new stadium (looks like a combo baseball/soccer with dimensions that work for both). Richmond sits in 7th, one spot out of the playoffs at the moment with a game in hand on the top 6. Home games against Chattanooga and Tormenta could put them right near the top of the standings after this weekend. Greenville v Charlotte could allow for some early separation in the standings or just bunch everything together. Chattanooga v Omaha feels like a game that could get the Owls back on track in the league. Madison hosting Tucson has the appearance of a game between the two worst teams in the league even though they're both tied with Omaha at the moment.
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-1 site. Games are on ESPN+. Week 11: Wednesday 6/8 NCP v NC 8:00PM Saturday 6/11 RIC v CLT 5:30PM MAD v GVL 7:00PM NCO v TRM 8:00PM TUC v OMA 9:00PM CV v CHA 9:30PM Last night was the first ever home match for Northern Colorado, a 1-1 draw in front of 516 people.
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-1 site. Games are on ESPN+. Week 12: Saturday 6/18 RIC v NCO 5:30PM NC v CLT 6:00PM OMA v GVL 7:00PM CV v TUC 9:30PM Sunday 6/19 TRM v MAD 6:30PM
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-1 site. Games are on ESPN+. Week 13: Wednesday 6/22 CHA v CLT 6:30PM NCO v CV 8:00PM Thursday 6/23 MAD v RIC 7:00PM Saturday 6/25 GVL v NCO 6:00PM CHA v TUC 6:30PM TRM v OMA 6:30PM CV v NC 9:30PM Sunday 6/26 CLT v MAD 5:00PM An 8 game week in an 11 team league. That's kind of impressive, and to top it off there's also the Wednesday night US Open Cup match for Omaha.
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-1 site. Games are on ESPN+. Week 14: Wednesday 6/29 GVL v NC 6:00PM TUC v RIC 9:00PM Thursday 6/30 NCO v CHA 8:00PM Friday 7/1 OMA v CLT 7:00PM Saturday 7/2 RIC v NC 6:00PM CHS v TRM 9:30PM Sunday 7/3 TUC v GVL 9:00PM 7 games spread over 5 consecutive days gives us a dabble into the league without any overlapping kickoff times.
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-1 site. Games are on ESPN+. Week 15: Tuesday 7/5 NCO v MAD 8:00PM Friday 7/8 CLT v RIC 6:00PM Saturday 7/9 GVL v CV 6:00PM NC v OMA 6:00PM TRM v CHA 6:30PM TUC v NCO 9:00PM
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-1 site. Games are on ESPN+. Week 16: Wednesday 7/13 TRM v GVL 6:30PM NCO v CV 6:30PM Saturday 716 RIC v GVL 5:30PM CHA v NC 6:30PM MAD v TRM 7:00PM OMA v TUC 7:00PM Sunday 7/17 NCO v CLT 5:00PM #3 hosts #1 on Wednesday night while we get another matchup between the expansion teams who are tied in the standings but saw Northern Colorado win the first game 4-1. #2 hosts #1 on Saturday. Greenville has a chance to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the league if they can win both road matches. I suspect Richmond will see another USL1 season high in attendance for this game. Spots 3-10 are separated by only 3 points (17-20) and only Tucson is below that level so Omaha, who has only played 12 games compared to the 14 or 15 of everyone else, has a chance to start reasserting themselves as the power they've been in the first few years of League One.
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-1 site. Games are on ESPN+. Week 17: Saturday 7/27 GVL v OMA 6:00PM CHA v NCO 6:30PM TRM v NC 6:30PM TUC v CLT 9:00PM CV v RIC 9:30PM A single day with 5 matches in the quietest week in a while. #1 Greenville hosts #4 Omaha who has 4 games in hand on the league leaders and is 10 points behind. Chattanooga and Northern Colorado are part of a 3 way tie at 20 points with Chattanooga in the final playoff spot due to goal differential. The other meaningful matchup is Central Valley, the third team in that 3 way tie hosts #2 Richmond in the final game of the night.
All times are CENTRAL because that's better than either coast. The abbreviations are straight off the scores page on the USL-1 site. Games are on ESPN+. Week 18: Tuesday 7/26 MAD v OMA 7:00PM Wednesday 7/27 NC v RIC 6:00PM Friday 7/29 CLT v CV 6:00PM Saturday 7/30 GVL v TRM 6:00PM MAD v NCO 7:00PM OMA v CHA 7:00PM TUC v NC 9:00PM