A relatively short weekend preview this week, our teams being off on both sides of the Atlantic.
The most important part
Having played 6 games in 26 days, and having 5 games left over 22 days, the Legion is on a desperately needed break this weekend. And in about the only instance of favorable scheduling the Three Sparks have been granted in 2026, it also happens to be an international break. Since the Legion has 4 players, all defenders, off with their respective nations, that is absolutely necessary.
However, their return for club duty next week is questionable at best. Phanuel Kavita’s Rwanda has African Cup of Nations games today and Tuesday, which will give him little time to recuperate. A.J. Paterson’s Grenada, Amir Daley’s Antigua and Barbuda and Kadeem Cole’s Nicaragua are all playing in the CONCACAF Nations League. Grenada has games today, Monday and Friday. Antigua has games tomorrow, Thursday and the following Tuesday. Nicaragua has games Sunday, next Thursday and the Sunday after that. All three will certainly be out for Detroit. A.J. should be back in time for Sporting JAX October 10th. Amir and Kadeem should also be back but on limited rest (assuming they play). At least neither is traveling anywhere near as great a distance as Phanny.
Best of the rest
Like the Legion, Brooklyn is off this weekend, as are the Las Vegas Lights. There are games tonight and Saturday. Both Friday games could have an impact on the Legion.
Hartford Athletic v. Louisville City (Friday, 6:00pm, ESPN+)
This one will have a repeat next Sunday with the two facing off on the USL Cup final, again in Hartford. Lou City has performed far better in the Cup than in league play but cannot afford to look ahead a week. There are 3 teams below the playoff line who can catch them, which would knock them out of the playoffs for the first time ever. Hartford, for their part, are out of the home playoff spots only on tiebreakers (with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds) and are only 2 points clear of Louisville as well.
Sporting JAX v. Loudoun United (Friday, 6:30pm, ESPN+)
JAX were the first team eliminated from the playoffs (Monterey Bay in the West followed them soon after). Loudoun are 3 points behind the Legion and are using up their game in hand. JAX taking points from this game helps but is not critical, since the Legion plays Loudoun next month. The home team has nothing but self-esteem to play for and could revel in the role of spoiler. That being said, they also have a game against the Legion yet.
Charleston Battery v. Rhode Island (Saturday, 6:00pm, ESPN+)
The Battery are still holding on to 2nd in the East, 3 points up on Detroit but with an extra game played. Rhode Island are in the last playoff spot. However, they have played the fewest games in the entire league and have anywhere between 1 and 3 games in hand on everyone. They are also 1 point behind Indy Eleven. Both have a lot to play for here, although Rhody is in a stronger position to drop points.
Indy Eleven v. The Miami FC (Saturday, 6:00pm, ESPN+)
The aforementioned Indy is using up its game in hand on the Legion in this one. They are currently 10 points ahead in 7th. Miami is 4 points up on the same number of games. They have a remaining schedule about on a par with the Legion’s (they play both JAX and Loudoun yet). Thus, the best result here is probably a draw. A win either way could be problematic.
Back in the Old Country
Birmingham City, being in a league that respects the international breaks, also does not have a game this week. That follows a tough 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough last week in which the Blues fought back from a goal just before half-time with a Liam Millar goal. They were then gifted the lead on an own goal which was cancelled out by a late equalizer. That leaves Birmingham City in 10th on a 2-1-5 record and 2 points out of the playoffs still. Middlesbrough is 3rd.
The ladies’ introduction to the WSL continues to be rough. They lost 0-2 to Chelsea last Saturday. That has them 12th (of 14). However, in 3 games so far they have played the 1st and 3rd teams in the current table. Unlike the men, however, they are playing this weekend, against Crystal Palace (Sunday, 8:00am, Paramount+). Palace are 8th.
They also lost in the opening round of the Subway Players Cup (formerly the Women’s League Cup) Wednesday, 0-2 to Everton. It has a very similar format to the USL Cup, having a regional group phase with 6 games per team. WSL and WSL2 teams are grouped together. There are only 2 groups though; Northern and Southern (which still makes them geographically way smaller than the USL Cup regions). Regular-time draws are decided by a penalty shootout with the same points system as the USL Cup. However, all teams are in a single table, with the top 8 teams advancing to the knockout phase. Only 23 of the 26 teams are in the Cup; Manchester City, Arsenal and current champions Chelsea are all excused as they are playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
The only other news on the club this week was the announcement of a new third kit. This was met with mixed reactions with some fans liking it and others hating it on the grounds that it includes claret in the color palette. Claret, of course, is one of Aston Villa’s traditional colors.
