The Red Wolves head to Greenville to take on the defending champions Greenville Triumph at Legacy Early College. The last time out for Obleda and the side saw a 1-2 defeat in their regular season finale at CHI Memorial Stadium, with a late Juan Galindrez goal proving to not be enough to kick start a rally following a pair of Paul Rothrock goals for Toronto.
It was a game that the Red Wolves dominated, holding 71% possession, and creating 10 chances throughout the course of the match. While there is encouragement to be found in the Red Wolves vicious press and ability to retain possession, Greenville now becomes a must win game in the hunt for a top-two finish that comes with home field advantage and an all-important first round bye.
The Triumph have turned their season around in roundabout fashion following an eight-game winless streak that began at the beginning of July and didn’t end until the end of August. Now John Harkes has his side in fantastic form, unbeaten in their last seven games while securing 17 out of a possible 21 points during that stretch.
The last time out the Triumph secured an important three points at home against playoff rivals New England thanks to a 57th minute goal from Allen Gavilanes. The Triumph controlled the game while only holding 45% of the ball, outshooting New England 20-2 and creating 16 chances to New England’s 1. A good showing from the Triumph was enough to see off a rather toothless New England side, and now have a chance to move into second place with a victory against the Red Wolves.
The all-important match between Greenville and the Red Wolves all but decides who will take home second place in the league, with playoff implications that will affect the rest of the top 6.
The Triumph hold the sixth best home record in the league at six wins, four draws, and three losses. On the other side, the Red Wolves hold the league’s fourth best away record with four wins, five draws, and three losses. In the all-time head-to-head series, Greenville holds the advantage with four wins and two draws with only two losses.
The match features two of the top five leading goal scorers in USL League One as well, Mario Lomis has netted 13 for the Triumph while Juan Galindrez has 10 in the campaign. Ricky Ruiz still leads the league with nine assists, and in chances created with a remarkable tally of 53 in the 2021 campaign. For the Triumph, Allen Gavilanes leads the way with 3 assists this season.
The Biggest match of the 2021 campaign kicks off at 7 PM EST on Saturday, October 23 on ESPN+, as the Red Wolves travel to Greenville looking to secure a top two finish in USL League One.
