Soccer Game Preview: Manchester vs. James River Midlothian

Manchester hasn't had much luck against James River Midlothian recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Lancers are taking a road trip to square off against the Rapids at 7:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty goal totals in their previous games.

Manchester's defense heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. Everything went their way against Highland Springs as they made off with a 10-0 win. The result was nothing new for Manchester, who have now won six contests by three goals or more so far this season.

James River Midlothian's found some homefield redemption this week after a overtime loss to Glen Allen on Tuesday. The Rapids were the clear victors by a 5-0 margin over Clover Hill.

Manchester pushed their record up to 7-2 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only given up one goal over those five games. As for James River Midlothian, their victory bumped their record up to 2-3.

Manchester came up short against James River Midlothian when the teams last played back in April of 2024, falling 2-0. Can the Lancers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.