Des Moines Menace face St. Louis Ambush on Sunday, Jul 12 at 2:00 AM in a basement battle that neither side can afford to lose. Both clubs are deep in the relegation picture in the USL League Two, and defeat here could prove costly come the end of the season.

Des Moines Menace come into this fixture in good form (3W 1D 1L recently). St. Louis Ambush travel out of form (1W 2L recently), which may hand the initiative to the hosts. Des Moines Menace won their last outing, while St. Louis Ambush suffered defeat — home advantage backed by momentum.

History strongly favours Des Moines Menace here — they've won 3 of 3 previous meetings against St. Louis Ambush. Their last encounter ended in St. Louis Ambush won 0–1. These two tend to produce goals — averaging 4.7 per game in recent meetings.

Verdict: Des Moines Menace look the stronger side on current evidence. Expect them to control proceedings at home, though St. Louis Ambush will make it uncomfortable. Des Moines Menace to win.