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USL Weekend Preview – Week 1

By USLSoccer.com Staff, 03/24/17, 1:05PM EDT

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The new season kicks off with three rivalry clashes highlighting a 13-game slate

TAMPA, Fla. – The 2017 USL Regular Season kicks off on Saturday as the biggest Division II league in the world brings a 13-game slate to fans across the United States and Canada. Three major rivalry contests highlight the schedule, while two clubs will play their first home games in new soccer-specific stadiums, two more will make their debuts in the USL, and two more will get their historic 25th seasons underway.

The opening game of the regular season could be the biggest of the weekend, as Louisville City FC plays host to Kings Cup rival Saint Louis FC at Louisville Slugger Field to get the season underway in a Saturday afternoon matinee. Later on Saturday, the Tampa Bay Rowdies welcome Orlando City B for the first edition of the I-4 Derby, while the Charleston Battery and Richmond Kickers kick off their 25th seasons, and Phoenix Rising FC opens its new complex to an eager fan-base. Then on Sunday the weekend concludes with the South Texas Derby, as Rio Grande Valley FC welcomes San Antonio FC to H-E-B Park for the first time.

Every game of the 2017 USL season will be available on the league’s Match Center, with updates from across the league also available via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

GAMES TO WATCH


Photo courtesy Em-Dash Photography / Louisville City FC

Saturday, March 25
Louisville City FC vs. Saint Louis FC
2 p.m. ET, Louisville Slugger Field

One of the fiercest rivalries in the USL serves as the curtain-raiser for the new campaign as Louisville City FC and Saint Louis FC resume battle at Louisville Slugger Field on Saturday with the hosts looking to maintain their standing as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Louisville has reached the Eastern Conference Final in each of its first two seasons in the USL, and on Wednesday rewarded Head Coach James O’Connor and his staff with new contracts that will keep them at the club through the 2020 season. The side has seen some departures since the end of last season, with leading scorer Chandler Hoffman joining Real Monarchs SLC, and both Aodhan Quinn and Kadeem Dacres heading to FC Cincinnati. The team does have a strong core returning, led by goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh and midfielder George Davis IV, as 10 players who saw action in last season’s finale against New York are back in the fold.

Saint Louis, meanwhile, has undergone a complete makeover this offseason after the hiring of National Soccer Hall of Fame member and 2014 USL Coach of the Year Preki to lead the club into its third year. In turn, the side pushed for upgrades across its roster, with 2016 USL All-League goalkeeper Devala Gorrick, 2013 USL Most Valuable Player Jose Angulo and former USL Cup champions Ivan MirkovicOctavio Guzman and Christian Volesky among the new faces. Saturday’s game will offer a big challenge as the club looks to get its season off to a strong start.

Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Orlando City B
7:30 p.m. ET, Al Lang Stadium
The Tampa Bay Rowdies, and a star-studded squad, make their debut in the USL against their in-state rivals from the opposite end of I-4 at Al Lang Stadium looking to place a marker for their intentions this season. Orlando, which reached the USL Cup Playoffs in its inaugural season, has also added some strong new pieces as the rivalry between the two clubs starts the new season.

Led by former England international and Premier League champion Joe Cole, the Rowdies enter the new season having made some significant additions to their squad before their first year in the USL. Signings like that of German Marcel Schäfer, who departed VfL Wolfsburg as its leading in outfield appearances in the Bundesliga, and former MLS standout Deshorn Brown have bolstered an already-solid squad that returns goalkeeper Matt Pickens and defenders Tam Mkandawire and Neill Collins.

Orlando’s squad doesn’t boast the same level of experience as its rivals, but the addition of 2016 USL All-League defender Zach Carroll, and players with the ability of midfielders Paul Clowes and Jordan Schweitzer and forward Ben Polk – all offseason signings – should boost Head Coach Anthony Pulis’ side. With the return of leading scorer Michael Cox and the veteran presence of Lewis Neal, Orlando should give Tampa Bay a test to start its new era.

Reno 1868 FC vs. Orange County SC
10 p.m. ET, Greater Nevada Field
Reno 1868 FC begins its inaugural season in the USL with high hopes after building what on paper looks like a good squad for Head Coach Ian Russell to lead into action. The hybrid partner of the San Jose Earthquakes welcome an Orange County SC side that has undergone a major overhaul this offseason, with a new brand and new partnership with LAFC.

1868 FC made a big splash with its first signing in club history, adding USL all-time leading scorer Dane Kelly, who last season helped the Swope Park Rangers to the USL Cup Final in their inaugural season. The side will be without El Salvador international Junior Burgos for its first USL contest, but the likes of defenders Brenton Griffiths and Jimmy Ockford and experience of Antoine Hoppenot and Brent Richards should help the side be solid from the start.

Orange County SC begins its new era under Owner James Keston with General Manager Oliver Wyss having chosen former Chicago Fire player Logan Pause as the club’s new Head Coach. OC has added some impressive talent after reaching the Western Conference Semifinals of the USL Cup Playoffs for a second consecutive season last year, with former LA Galaxy players Oscar Sorto and Joe Franco both added to the squad, and former Chicago Fire Homegrown signing Victor Pineda reuniting with Pause in California.

Phoenix Rising FC vs. Toronto FC II
10:30 p.m. ET, Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex
Phoenix Rising FC underwent a major overhaul this offseason, and will make welcome a sellout crowd for its debut at the Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex looking to get off to the right start to its new era when it plays host to Toronto FC II side that is looking to make a big jump forward in its third season in the USL.

Rising FC’s new ownership – led by the President and CEO of Kona Grill, Berke Bakay – has brought a new brand, new players and a new home venue to the city as the club looks for its first trip to the USL Cup Playoffs. Former Mexico and Chivas de Guadalajara striker Omar Bravo and former England international Shaun Wright-Phillips give the club some major star power, and Rising FC will be aiming to christen its new 6,000-seat stadium with a victory.

Toronto’s offseason signings were less splashy, with former New England Revolution defender Jordan McCrary and Saint Louis FC goalkeeper Mark Pais added to the squad to try and boost the side defensively. TFC II will again be driven by its strong young core, though, with five members of the squad having been part of Canada’s squad at the CONCACAF U20 Championship this February. With Luca Uccello, Liam Fraser and Shaan Hundal leading the way, the Reds would like nothing more than to ruin the party in the desert.

Sunday, March 26
Rio Grande Valley FC vs. San Antonio FC
7 p.m. ET, H-E-B Park

H-E-B Park opened to massive acclaim on Wednesday night when Rio Grande Valley FC hosted Liga MX’s C.F. Monterrey in front of a sellout crowd, and another crackling atmosphere is expected for the Toros’ first home regular-season game at the new venue as South Texas Derby rivals San Antonio FC visit with some big new additions for the new season.

The Toros were arguably the surprise package of the 2016 USL season, finishing second in the Western Conference. The side will have to contend with the move of former Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera to the same role with the club’s MLS partner, the Houston Dynamo, but with a strong returning group led by Ruben Luna, Emilio Garcia, Eric Bird and T.J. Casner, RGVFC has a great chance to keep rolling in its second season.

San Antonio almost joined RGVFC in the USL Cup Playoffs a season ago, only for a loss to the Toros on the final day of the regular season putting paid to their hopes. The side has made some impressive additions this offseason, though, with Cyprian Hedrick arriving from OKC Energy FC, Kris Tyrpak from the Swope Park Rangers, and Billy Forbes returning to San Antonio looking to reclaim his past success at Toyota Park. With the side still looking for its first win against the Toros, Sunday night’s contest has big stakes for both clubs. 

NUMBER CRUNCHING


Photo courtesy Ben Solomon / New York Red Bulls II

495 – The 2017 USL season will be the biggest in the league’s history, with a total of 495 games set to be played between now and the middle of November in the regular season and USL Cup Playoffs.

61 – The New York Red Bulls II set a USL record last season for goals in a regular season with 61, including 15 by 2016 USL All-League First Team selection and Rookie of the Year Brandon Allen.

20 – Twenty players with USL experience competed in the 2017 CONCACAF U20 Championship, including eight players in the U.S. squad that won the championship for the first time in its history.

10 – The USL will see 10 new Head Coaches this season, with notable names like Mike Petke (Real Monarchs SLC), Logan Pause (Orange County SC), Preki (Saint Louis FC) among those joining the ranks on the sidelines this season.

2 – Bethlehem Steel FC’s Hugh Roberts – an offseason signing from the Richmond Kickers – and Rio Grande Valley FC’s Charlie Ward were the only two players in the 2016 USL regular season to play every minute of every game.

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES

- Nine players will be absent from their clubs this weekend on international duty, with two notables Amer Didic and Mark Anthony Gonzalez of defending Western Conference champions the Swope Park Rangers, who were both named in Canada’s U23 squad to compete in a three-team tournament in Qatar. Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 also has a pair of absences, with defenders Deklan Wynne (New Zealand) and Kadin Chung (Canada U23s) both called up.

- The Richmond Kickers open their 25th season on Saturday evening at City Stadium as they host the Harrisburg City Islanders (5 p.m. ET | Match Center). The Kickers this offseason acquired a 40-year lease at their historic home, which will allow the club to invest $20 million into upgrades around the venue, and will play host to Harrisburg in the opening game of the season for a second consecutive season.

- The Charleston Battery also open their 25th season on Saturday night (7 p.m. ET | Match Center) in a rematch of their 2-1 victory against FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs. Both teams return a number of key players for the new season, but FCC will be without 2016 USL Most Valuable Player Sean Okoli – an offseason signing by New York City FC – as they begin the season with new Head Coach Alan Koch at the helm.

- The defending USL Cup champion New York Red Bulls II will open their defense on the road as they visit the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday evening (5 p.m. ET | Match Center). New York had a number of key departures this offseason, most notably 2016 USL Defender of the Year Aaron Long signing with the Red Bulls’ MLS squad, and fellow center back Zach Carroll joining Orlando City B, and they will have to contend with a Riverhounds side eager to make a return to the playoffs in its first full season under Head Coach Dave Brandt.

- Defending Western Conference champion the Swope Park Rangers begin their new campaign by playing host to OKC Energy FC at Children’s Mercy Victory Field on Saturday night (8:30 p.m. ET | Match Center). The Rangers have seen some offseason changes, including the promotion of Nikola Popovic to Head Coach, but return a good number of a squad led by captain Christian Duke. Energy FC, on the other hand, has been busy rebuilding its roster with 2016 All-League selection Jose Barril and former Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC standout Miguel Gonzalez among the new faces.

- Tulsa Roughnecks FC has undergone a major overhaul since finishing last in the Western Conference a season ago, and will face a major test to open the new season at ONEOK Field against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (8 p.m. ET | Match Center). The Roughnecks are now led by former D.C. United and Chicago Fire player David Vaudreuil, and have a partnership with the Fire as only two members of their squad (Christian Mata, Brady Ballew) returned from last season.

- Both USL Cup Playoffs clubs a season ago, the LA Galaxy II and Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 will each enter new eras on Saturday afternoon at StubHub Center (5 p.m. ET | Match Center). Mike Munoz is the new man in charge for Los Dos after Curt Onalfo was named the LA Galaxy Head Coach this offseason, while Rich Fagan takes over in Vancouver after Alan Koch’s offseason move to FC Cincinnati. Both look set to have young, talented squads at their disposal, with the Galaxy II looking for a fourth consecutive postseason berth this season.

- Real Monarchs SLC and new Head Coach Mike Petke will visit the Portland Timbers 2 on Saturday night at Providence Park (10:30 p.m. ET | Match Center) hoping their new high-profile additions on the field and the sideline can propel the club to its first postseason berth. The Monarchs signed former Louisville City FC striker Chandler Hoffman – who has scored 31 goals in the past three USL seasons – to lead from the front this season, but T2 returns a good squad led by 2016 USL Assists Champion Villyan Bijev after just missing out on a playoff berth last season.

- Sacramento Republic FC kicks off its new season on Sunday when it visits Seattle Sounders FC 2 at Starfire Stadium (5 p.m. ET | Match Center) with Head Coach Paul Buckle hoping to lead his side to a second consecutive first-place finish in the Western Conference. Sacramento has made some notable additions, including Trinidad & Tobago international Trevin Caesar from Orange County, and will be looking to use its experience against a young Seattle squad that is looking to get back to the postseason after a year’s absence.

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