Lexington SC (1-1-1, 4 points, 5th in USL1) look to bounce back after suffering 2 defeats on the road last week in the US Open Cup and their first league loss of the season as they return home to take on the Greenville Triumph (1-1-0, 4 points, 3rd in USL1) in the 4th edition of the Green Team Gauntlet. Greenville and Lexington have played some thrilling matches in their brief history, with Greenville snatching away victory from Lexington 2 different times with a late extra-time equalizer from Jamie Smith – who might be the most hated opposition player among Lexington fans in the club’s short history.

Greenville is an interesting case, as they come into this match riding a 3-match unbeaten run. Still, in league play, they have started very similar to Lexington, having beat the new kids on the block in Spokane 3-1 to open the season, followed by a 0-0 draw with Madison this past Saturday. They have also gone through a similar offseason to Lexington, having changed their coach after the legendary John Harkes stepped down and moving on to long-time assistant Rick Wright. However, despite this change, Greenville remains very solid defensively, having only conceded 1 goal across all competitions, which was a penalty to Spokane. Greenville has always been a defensively sound team, but it is the midfield that Lexington will need to crack to get back to winning ways. As Tyler Crane pointed out in his match preview, Greenville’s midfield has looked impressive this season and has been the catalyst to Greenville’s new fun attacking style showcased in all but their last match. It may be another long night if they can get that flow back against Lexington.

Lexington comes into this match having a lot of questions being raised around the league about whether they are on fraud watch or were overhyped in the preseason – primarily around the offense, having only scored 1 goal in league play across 3 matches despite the names on the roster. Powell will have to find a way for this attack to reach its full potential and apply pressure on Greenville. All matches, in my eyes, to get a dominating win that can right the ship. We have seen glimpses of the potential of this attack but have yet to see a full match of its capabilities, and Greenville may be the team, given they tend to keep possession at a similar rate to Lexington. If LSC can capitalize on the possession and put similar pressure on the Greenville defense as Knoxville did on Lexington’s last week, the lads can grind out the 3 points. Positive results could come down to whether or not Maltese international Yannick Yankam returns to the starting XI for Lexington, as his international duty ended on Tuesday. Still, the turnaround could lead to him coming off the bench or not in the 18 at 6 pm tomorrow. If he is not in the 18, I suspect we will see new signee Daniel Chica on the roster. He provides a versatile position as CDM and could be the answer when Yankam is unavailable.

Players to Watch

Lexington SC

Jorge Corrales – Corrales has been critical to Lexington’s success at home, and his veteran presence has solidified the backline. When Corrales is at his peak, the rest of the defense is also at his peak. However, he also appears crucial to the attack, playing a similar role to Mohammed or Robertson from last season, and getting more dangerous balls up to the forwards will be vital in this match.

Greenville Triumph

Zion Scarlett – The 19-year-old is making a case for himself to be the USL1 Young Player of the Year so far, having played well over his first 2 league matches. Scarlett is still very raw, but if he can have a game as he did against Spokane, another player may be gesturing to hear the Lexington faithful.

Final Score Prediction
Lexington 1-1 Greenville