Aaron Molloy warned them, to be fair. His first-half left-footed pile driver had thundered off the crossbar after some nifty footwork, but the Irishman was in no mood to show such mercy again. So when Molloy collected a layoff just outside the box in the 2nd half, it was no surprise that his shot found its way into the bottom corner to give Memphis a 2-1 victory over Tulsa. The 901 FC captain is leading by example, and the rest of his teammates are following suit. And that’s a good thing, since the last couple days have seen a sizable shake-up at the top of the pitch.
Early-season foibles aside, 901 FC have been humming along nicely under coach Stephen Glass. They haven’t quite yet achieved the stoutness of Ben Pirmann’s peak last season, with goalkeeper Bill Hamid having to make several crucial stops last Friday. But everything’s moving in the right direction, as evidenced by the team’s current seven-match unbeaten streak in the USL. A big part of that is the dynamic midfield duo of Molloy and Jeremy Kelly, who are helping Memphis control possession (an average of 55 percent-per-match so far this season) and frequently pop up in goal-scoring sequences. The two bossed Tulsa’s midfield last weekend, leading all players on the field with 63 and 60 completed passes, respectively.
And most crucially, Molloy scored the winner with his first goal of the season, while it was Kelly’s deflected shot that led to 18-year-old Nighte Pickering opening the scoring for Memphis. Pickering eased into action after he signed last season before breaking out with a debut bicycle kick goal, but his importance to the team is growing. In seven appearances, he has two goals and two assists, and already looks like he belongs among the rest of last season’s Eastern Conference semifinalists.
Memphis has gone goalscorer-by-committee, with plenty of players contributing to the attack. Luiz Fernando leads the way with four goals and two assists in nine appearances (evidence of his own growing influence on the team), while three players are sitting on two goals scored. That’s just as well, since last season’s top scorer Phillip Goodrum has been ice cold in league play since he accused Memphis of blocking his exit over the summer. But that’s immaterial now, as 901 FC announced Monday that Goodrum would be headed to Tulsa, in exchange for Rodrigo da Costa and an undisclosed transfer fee.
It’s a bit grating to see another high-caliber striker depart, but it just hadn’t been clicking for Goodrum in Memphis this season. But newcomer da Costa should provide yet another high-quality option for an attack that already boasts Laurent Kissiedou, Bruno Lapa, and Dylan Borczak, among others. The Brazilian debuted in USL in 2019, and since then has notched 36 goals and 25 assists. This season, he’s got three goals and one assists in nine appearances, and in terms of chances created, his 30 is second only to … that’s right, Molloy. da Costa can function as both a midfielder and an attacker, giving Glass another option to unleash as part of a fluid attack.
Memphis doesn’t play again until Saturday, June 3rd against Miami FC. That should give da Costa plenty of time to bed in and help Memphis move up from its 6th position in the Eastern Conference Standings.
