Written by: Izzy Ponce

The Maryland Bobcats are on the hunt for a win after a four game winless streak. Their next matchup is against Club De Lyon FC on Wednesday, July 12th. This will be the third and final game between the Bobcats and Club De Lyon during the NISA 2023 regular season. During the first matchup between the two teams, the Bobcats came away with an impressive 5-1 victory that saw four different Bobcats’ players on the scoresheet. The two teams met again for the second game just under two weeks ago at the Bobcat’s home stadium. This match did not go as favorably for the Bobcats, with the game finishing in a 0-1 loss. This final match will take the Bobcats to Club De Lyon’s home stadium in Florida, where they will be looking to showcase the tenacity and teamwork needed to come away with a win. 

Club De Lyon is one of the newest clubs in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), having just been founded in 2021. Initially, the club played in the Premier division of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL), before making the switch over to NISA for the 2023 season. They currently play in the Florida Region and play their home matches at Daytona Stadium in Dayton Beach, Florida. Club De Lyon currently sit in 5th place in NISA Standings, with forward Ignacio Lopez and midfielder Matias Pourrain leading their team with 4 goals apiece. The Bobcats’ will certainly need to keep Lopez and Pourrian’s steady performance this season in mind as they prepare for this matchup. 

On the other hand, the Maryland Bobcats come into this match as 6th in NISA standings, just under Club De Lyon. Veteran forward, Darwin Espinal, leads the Bobcats with 6 goals. His crafty ability to convert opportunities into goals will certainly be a factor that Club De Lyon will need to pay close attention to. Forwards Nicholas Likulia and Malik Thom have also displayed their strength and talent consistently throughout the season with one goal apiece, and will be looking to extend this in Wednesday’s matchup. In the midfield, Andrew Wivell and Josselin Possian have been a strong presence for the Bobcats, with a combined 4 goals between the two.

The Bobcats will be looking to use the many talents at their disposal to shift the tide and break their four game winless streak. Given the last two matchups between the Bobcats and Club De Lyon, this game is certain to be a great contest. The match will kick off at 7:30pm EST and will be streamed live on Eleven Sports.