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Match Preview | Greenville Triumph vs. North Texas SC

Greenville, SC – The Greenville Triumph host North Texas SC for the club’s 2021 home opener, presented by Spinx, on Saturday, May 1, marking the first of two meetings between the two League One title-winning sides.

After a hard-fought victory on the road, and down a man, John Harkes’s championship side is preparing for another challenging task as they host a speedy and creative North Texas team. And although this is the first match between two title-winning clubs, there is history between Greenville and North Texas including Greenville becoming the first team to win at Globe Life Park and North Texas defeating Greenville in the 2019 Finals.

Two championship sides, each paired with a Coach of the Year, and Triumph Stadium open for the first time in 2021 is bound to make for an exciting weekend of soccer in the Upstate. Tickets are sold out, but fans can watch locally on the CW62.

How To Follow

Kick off: 7:00 PM EST

Local TV: WYCW-62

Digital Stream: ESPN+

International Stream: YouTube

Social Media: Greenville Triumph SC on Twitter

App: Download for free on Apple or Android

scouting ntx

Last year, North Texas struggled through the majority of the season. Although there were glimpses, especially down the stretch, North Texas was not the championship winning side that reigned at the top for almost the entirety of the 28-week 2019 season. The 2021 season is still very young, and matches are still getting underway, but NTX has already shown themselves to be a dangerous team filled with as much speed and creativity in the attack as ever.

In their latest match against Fort Lauderdale CF, North Texas scored three goals after going into halftime knotted at one. For most teams, the disadvantage playing a team like North Texas is the speed of play — the speed of the individual, the pace at which they play and read the game. But there’s always a give and take to the game, and for North Texas, they give space in behind and down the flanks. If Greenville can transition well out of the back, the Triumph could catch North Texas caught in the awe of an attacking moment.

what to watch for:

Practice Makes Perfect: We’re convinced that no side is as prepared to face critical moments as John Harkes’s Greenville Triumph. Most of that preparation happens on the field during training. Following the Richmond match last Saturday, Harkes said, “A reward for us was seeing all of these little things, like passing patterns that led to the own-goal, like playing down a man for the last ten minutes of training, we’re starting to see those training moments come through into the game.” North Texas being under an MLS umbrella already throws a curveball into the equation. Players can move more fluidly into and out of all angles within the organization; and for that reason, scouting individual players and preparing for key playmakers can become much more challenging.

Collectively: Greenville’s performance at Richmond was a pure reflection of their commitment to training, their ability to compete and the soccer IQ present throughout the Greenville roster. With any team this early in the season, there are bound to be areas of improvement, which makes the willingness to grit out a win even more important during these early matches. The special teams, not individuals, are the ones like Greenville that can pair a blue-collar work ethic with a high level of intelligence. It becomes a team expectation and a reliance on every person doing their job well. Greenville’s ability to play as a collective unit, the ability to collectively work and collectively understand situational moments, will be a key difference between the two sides.

When To Go: Greenville’s ability to keep the ball is something we’ve all grown accustomed to, but their ability to keep the ball as well they did while playing a man down was impressive. What Greenville has shown throughout the past two seasons is their patience to build and wait. Greenville has also shown that they can produce wonderful attacking moments without too many numbers pressed forward. North Texas likes to push numbers forward, but defenders will often get caught high and out of position. Triumph’s decision-making of when to go quickly and when to build patiently will be important on Saturday.

News and notes

Team of the Week: Three Triumph players were selected to Team of the Week (3) after their performances during the 1-0 shutout victory in Richmond. Max Hemmings (D) returned to the starting lineup for the first time since tearing his ACL in 2019 and played a major role in the 10-man shutout while Tyler Polak (D) made two recoveries and nine tackles. Noah Pilato (M) continued his do-it-all performances from 2020 that earned him a spot on League One’s Team of the Week.

All You Need To Know: We are excited to be welcoming fans back in a limited capacity for the 2021 season. As we kick off the home season this Saturday, please take a moment to get re-familiar with our matchday policies and procedures. You can find all you need to know for matchday by checking out our A-Z guide.

Special Presentation: Make sure you are getting to your seats before kickoff at 7:00pm! We have a very special presentation for our loyal Triumph fans that you won’t want to miss.

Triumph on ESPN: Greenville has been chosen as the host of the first USL League One National Telecast as part of the expanded USL linear television schedule. The May 16 match against Union Omaha will be aired on ESPN2. Read all the details here.

UPCOMING

The Greenville Triumph return to Triumph Stadium at Legacy Early College on May 16 as host of the first League One national telecast set to be aired on ESPN2. Greenville will face Union Omaha at 7:00pm with gates opening at 6:00pm and happy hour specials running from 6:00pm to kickoff.

2021 Match Day Policies

As we get closer to welcoming fans back to Triumph Stadium at Legacy Early College, we wanted to remind our fans and community members about a few key match day policies in place for the 2021 season. This interview, with Triumph SC Director of Stadium Operations Trey Kolak, is brought to you by Bravo 1 Protection services. Bravo1 Protection is Upstate South Carolina’s leading private security company specializing in hospitality-driven armed and unarmed services.

What services does Bravo1 Protection provide to the Triumph?

Bravo provides several different services for us during match days starting with security personnel and armed guards. For most fans, the Bravo1 staff are the first people you come into contact with as they perform bag checks and wanding upon your entrance into the stadium. They also provide security escorts for all players and the officials.

What type of positions do they cover inside Triumph Stadium at Legacy Early College?

Bravo personnel cover all Field-Level entrances and general Field-Level security points. They are also positioned in front of all “Player and Staff Only” entrances including home player locker rooms, away player locker rooms and the referee locker rooms. Bravo escorts teams and officials to and from these entrances as well. For fans specifically, they will most likely come into contact with Bravo1 Protection personnel at the stadium entrances.

Speaking of entrances and bag checks, what are fans allowed, or not allowed, to bring into Triumph Stadium?

Some key items not allowed into the stadium on a match day would be umbrellas, food and beverages, purses and strollers. We actually have an extensive A-Z guide on our website that will cover this question more extensively, but below are a few more common prohibited items on Triumph match day:

cigarettes and e-cigarettes
beach balls, noise makers, aerosol cans, plastic horns or whistles
coolers and any food containers
backpacks, luggage, camera bags, briefcases of any kind
professional camera equipment
launching objects and confetti
fireworks and weapons
pets (except for service animals)

What COVID-19 policies does Bravo1 help enforce throughout match day?

Bravo helps us emphasize the importance of mask-wearing throughout the stadium. They will not let you enter the gates without a mask, and they also ensure fans are keeping their masks on throughout the match. One other thing Bravo helps us with, in regards to COVID-19 policies specifically, is the social distancing aspect. Bravo personnel will make sure that fans are meeting the social distance requirements when standing in line for food, drinks, restrooms and other potentially high-traffic areas.

What has been the most impressionable to you regarding the Bravo company and their services?

Bravo has been an impressive and easy company to work with on several fronts. I’ve been most impressed with their professionalism and attitude. Their staff is always upbeat, kid-friendly and extremely respectful to both my staff and our fans. They preach punctuality which is essential to keeping our operation running on a smooth schedule.

The Triumph return home to Legacy Early College this Saturday, May 1 for a 7pm kickoff off against the 2019 USL League One Champions, North Texas SC.

Triumph to Host Community Pick-Up Games

The Greenville Triumph and Joan Herlong & Associates are excited to welcome fans to participate in pick-up soccer games at the Triumph Stadium at Legacy Early College on select dates throughout the season.

For only $10, each person will receive access to the pick-up pitch, a GTSC t-shirt and a ticket to the Triumph match that evening.

Pick-up games run from 7:30am-9:00am, and each participate must sign a waiver prior to entering the stadium. Anyone under the age of 18 looking to play must have a parent or guardian sign a release form.

Community Pick Up Soccer Dates:

May 1, May 16, July 10, July 17, August 7, August 22, September 11, September 19, October 16, October 23

Three Triumph Players Selected to League One's Team of the Week

Greenville, SC – Three Triumph players were named to USL League One’s Team of the Week for Week 3 following the club’s 1-0 win at Richmond to open their season. Triumph defenders Max Hemmings and Tyler Polak, as well as midfielder Noah Pilato, earned the honors after holding off Richmond despite playing down a man for more than an entire half of action.

Max Hemmings (D) logged his first start for Greenville since suffering an ACL injury in Richmond two seasons ago. He played a major role in Greenville’s 10-man shutout win and was unlucky not to score on a header in the first half. Hemmings won four duels while completing 84 percent of his passes.

Tyler Polak (D) did well to limit chances for Richmond’s dangerous attackers despite his side being down to 10 men throughout the second half, making two tackles and nine recoveries.

Noah Pilato (M) reprised his do-it-all performances in the center of the park which were so common last season. He was dispossessed zero times during the match, won five duels, and made three interceptions while recording two shots and a key pass.

The Greenville Triumph return to Triumph Stadium to host North Texas SC in a battle of the two previous League One champions for the club’s 2021 home opener. The match will include a trophy celebration and presentation ahead of the 7:00pm kickoff and will be broadcast locally on The CW-62 as well as ESPN+.

Greenville Triumph Grit Out 1-0 Road Win To Open Season

Richmond, VA – Despite going a man down early in rainy and cold conditions Saturday night at City Stadium in Richmond, a resilient Greenville Triumph side collected three points on the road after a Richmond own-goal midway through the second half of action. The 1-0 win will send Greenville back to the Upstate tied for first ahead of the club’s home opener on May 1.

The match started out with a controlled and deliberate pace of play from the defending League One Champions, as, the Triumph possessed and switched the point of attack well through the first 40 minutes of action. Richmond’s sloppy play out of the back and turnovers in dangerous parts of the field led to promising moments for Greenville early on.

Perhaps the best chance of the match came for Greenville at the midway point of the first half, when an unmarked Max Hemmings had a free header on the back post only to be snatched with a tremendous save by the Richmond goalkeeper, Akira Fitzgerald.

As the game began to stretch and play got chippy, right back Cesar Murillo was shown a second yellow and given an automatic red card, which resulted in the Triumph playing with 10 men for the remainder of the match.

The Triumph controlled almost every ounce of the first half, including the last five minutes when John Harkes’s side was down a man. However, the Triumph head coach made immediate changes heading into the second half that included a formational change, Abdi Mohamed making his 2021 debut, a much deeper Triumph backline and a more conservative attacking mindset.

Richmond struggled to move the ball effectively into dangerous positions throughout the second half, only recording two shots on goal and recoding less shots in the second 45 minutes (5) than in the first 45 (7) despite being up a man for more than an entire half.

At an obvious disadvantage, the Upstate side made every move with purpose. In the 74th minute, off a Dallas Jaye punt, Andrew Booth found the well-timed diagonal run of Lachlan McLean to put him behind the Richmond backline and down the right flank. McLean served a dangerous cross into the box and found the foot of retreating Richmond defender Luke Pavon, who cleared into the back of the his own net for an own goal.

The match was full of obstacles and adversity for the defending title-winners, but John Harkes’s side proved to be mentally prepared for whatever situation came their way, something the Greenville head coach has been working on daily leading up to the team’s first match.

The Greenville Triumph return to Triumph Stadium at Legacy Early College on May 1 for the club’s 2021 home opener and welcome fellow title-winning side North Texas. There will be a trophy and banner presentation to the Triumph fans ahead of the 7:00pm kickoff with gates opening at 6:30pm.

FINS CAR WASH: Clean sheets? Clean cars! Head to Fins Car Wash and mention the Greenville Triumph’s 1-0 clean sheet for $3 off. Valid the entire day after a Triumph clean sheet.

Week 1 Media Round Up

Leading up to the first match of the regular-season, take a minute to catch up on the Greenville Triumph in the local news!

Match Preview | Greenville Triumph at Richmond

Richmond, VA – The Greenville Triumph begin their title defense this weekend at City Stadium, opening their 2021 campaign against the Richmond Kickers. The Kickers followed closely behind Greenville at second throughout a heavy portion of the 2020 season, and lead the all-time series 2-3-0.

Throughout the offseason, Richmond has built out their depth, with a total of 10 new faces made up of notable League One players and a handful of young internationals. The Kickers are one match into the League One season that began last Saturday, as they scored three goals and earned a shutout on the road against NE Revolution II.

The two sides last met on August 29, 2020 at City Stadium, with Richmond winning 2-1. Greenville is entering Saturday’s match on the heels of a 2-1 preseason victory against USL Championship side, Charlotte Independence.