Duluth FC vs. Muskegon
Oakridge Highschool | Muskegon, MI
July 22nd, 2022 | Game #16 Current 2022: Records (W-L-T):
Duluth: 8-0-1; 4-2-0 at home/on the road
Muskegon: 4-0-1; 4-0-1 at home/on the road
After the big first-round win on Tuesday, Duluth will be moseying on down to Muskegon, Michigan to take on the red-hot Risers. A squad that has not yet dropped a match all season but has only competed in 10 games to our 15 already played. This may prove to be a difference maker as Duluth is clearly more battle-tested and has faced a wider range of competition. This is mostly because the North has eight teams compared to the Great Lakes Conference, which is only built up of five. Muskegon will have an advantage of their own possibly being more well rested than the BlueGreens with their last match being a week ago and ours just three days. Muskegon is also the furthest the fellas have had to travel all year so that could have a bit of an impact as the boys have been playing their best soccer when they get a couple more days of rest. It is the playoffs though, so Duluth will be taking extra precautions to ensure they are ready to go when the whistle blows.
Another thing these teams have in common is that both of their most recent wins were against FC Columbus. We were able to beat them pretty handily 3-1 limiting them to only a couple of shots all game. Same story for the Risers as they were able to hand them the 2-0 “L” at home after a draw with them earlier this summer. Both squads have also had a high-powered offense all year which is something new for the BlueGreens. Most of our toughest opponents were ones with good offensive ability but a really solid defensive core that communicate and get on the ball quickly. This will for sure be an interesting matchup and an even more intriguing chess match between coaches as each tries to manipulate their strategies to compete with an intimidating offense that each possesses. Another beautiful 80 degrees and partly cloudy day in Muskegon will make for another splendid and exciting night of NPSL soccer. Hopefully, Duluth can crack it open in the begging like the last match, and never look back.
Kick-off is expected at 6:30 pm, July 22nd. The stream for the match will be available on This Link.
By: Ryan Tigner
