This has absolutely nothing to do with anything really but has anyone ever thought how much Matt van Oekel resembles Vulcan?
Anyway, this post will be shorter than usual, for a very obvious reason…
The most important part
The Legion is on a bye this weekend so we have nothing to preview for the good guys. This is in fact very good timing as it gives Mark Briggs a little extra time to work on getting his philosophy and culture instilled. Moreover, the Three Sparks have a double-game week ahead against two tricky opponents: Rhode Island FC and Detroit City. Both games are at home though. With that in mind:
Best of the rest
There is a game Friday evening: North Carolina FC v. Orange County SC at 6:00pm on CBS Sports Golazo. We don’t have that in our selections but it could be a good game. Everyone else (except the Legion and The™ Miami FC) play Saturday. Our picks:
Rhode Island FC v. Monterey Bay FC (3:00pm, ESPN+)
This is an obvious selection. The game will be Rhody’s second in their brand new digs and will likely be just as well-attended as the opening sell-out last week. They played San Antonio to a 0-0 draw, an almost predictable result given their history. Monterey Bay are 3rd in the West and serious contender this year coming off a tough 1-1 draw in Miami.
Hartford Athletic v. Detroit City (6:00pm, ESPN+)
Hartford finally put their scoring boots on last week but still got hammered 2-4 by the Charleston Battery. Detroit is next up after Rhode Island for the Three Sparks and will be itching to get a better result than the 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture earlier this season. This one will be looked at as a warm-up for that contest.
FC Tulsa v. El Paso Locomotive (7:00pm, ESPN+)
Tulsa are as up-and-down as you can possibly be; they have alternated wins and losses all season. They are due for a win on that basis after a tough 1-2 loss to Orange County. Still, they are 4th in the West. El Paso are right behind them in 5th and riding high after a huge win over rivals New Mexico United. This has the makings of a great game.
Sacramento Republic v. Indy Eleven (9:00pm, ESPN+)
SacRep are not only Mark Briggs’ former team but they are not that far off on the Legion schedule (June 18th at home). Indy are even closer on the schedule (June 4th, also at home) and are just above the Three Sparks in the standings at the moment. Sacramento are in the same position in the West so this is also theoretically an even matchup.
