Arlington, Texas – The Greenville Triumph break their three-week gap with a trip to Texas for the team’s second meeting with North Texas SC. Greenville has played just five games so far this season, tied for least in the league, but the Triumph remains the only unbeaten side with a 4-0-1 record and 13 points collected.
The last time Greenville stepped onto the pitch for a match was on May 22 at Erk Russell Park and resulted in a 1-0 Greenville victory. Marios Lomis was the goal scorer, a league-leading five goals, while Don Smart recorded his, team-leading, second assist on the season.
Kick off: 7:00 PM EST
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Watch Party: at Society Sandwich Bar & Social Club
scouting north texas
North Texas is always an interesting team to play, especially at their home field. Because of the MLS umbrella and the ease of pulling players from the first team, the home side 18-man roster for North Texas always leaves room for surprise.
North Texas is 2-3-1 on the season, losing three of their last five matches including the 4-0 loss at Triumph Stadium on May 1. North Texas has had almost as long of a break from play as Greenville with their last match played on May 29, a 1-1 draw with Toronto after losing 2-1 to the Canadian side just seven days earlier.
what to watch for
Repeat, anyone? Last time these two sides met, it was a decisive 4-0 victory in the Triumph’s home opener that saw two Marios Lomis goals and goals from Andrew Booth and Lachlan McLean. It was a statement performance for the defending league champions, and it was the second time Greenville notched four goals against Eric Quill’s side (July 26, 2019 at Toyota Stadium). Who says we go for a third?
Worry About Us: Other than the sheer amount of talent at their disposal, one of the elements that makes North Texas tricky to prepare for is their ability to pull from the first team, especially given the ease of playing at their home stadium. For John Harkes and Greenville, while that is an element to be aware of, it certainly doesn’t affect the way training is approached. Harkes and the Triumph players say, almost endlessly, each week that the focus has to stay on what they do well. Building that confidence week in and week out has not changed over the mid-season hiatus.
Fearless: North Texas is a very talented side despite their latest results. As said by Harkes, “They’re a fearless team, and this will be a challenge.” One key approach to Greenville’s success is being calm with not having the ball all of the time. North Texas is a side that can possess well, move defensive shapes and penetrate quickly. Greenville’s defensive patience and discipline will go a long way in Sunday’s matchup.
Jaye with Guam: Since the break, Triumph goalkeeper Dallas Jaye has been representing Guam’s Men’s National Team in the second round of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Guam is out of the running to qualify for the World Cup but will likely advance to a playoff round to stay alive in AFC Asian Cup qualifying. After opening the tournament with a loss to China PR, the tournament was moved to a neutral site in the UAE, forcing Guam to face top-seeded Syria which resulted in a 3-0 loss. Guam faced the Philippines on June 11 to finish the second round of qualifiers. It is unclear if Jaye will be available for Greenville on Sunday. If unavailable, Paul Christensen or Ben Hale will log his first start in a Triumph kit.
news and notes
Player of the Month: Dutch striker Marios Lomis was selected as USL League One’s Player of the Month (May) after scoring five goals in Triumph SC’s opening five matches. Lomis ended the month of May leading the Golden Boot race and has an active four-game scoring streak, longest in the league so far.
Milestones: Several Greenville Triumph players are approaching USL appearance milestones including Alex Morrell who, if playing on Sunday, will hit 150 USL appearances. Dallas Jaye and Tyler Polak crossed 50 USL League One appearances, including playoff matches, in Triumph’s May 22 match against Tormenta. If playing on Sunday, Evan Lee will hit his 50th USL League One appearance as well.
Stadium Capacity Plans for June: The club will continue a phased approach towards a full reopen, raising stadium capacity to 70%, allowing for roughly up to 2800 fans. For more information, click here.
Women’s Soccer in GVL: The Greenville Triumph Soccer Club will launch a women’s soccer team to begin play in 2022 as part of a new league announced today by the United Soccer League (USL). Greenville is among a group of exciting founding markets awarded franchises as part of the newly formed W League. For more information, click here.
upcoming
The Greenville Triumph return home to Triumph Stadium for the club’s first Wednesday match of the season on June 16 at 7:00pm against North Carolina FC.
