TAMPA, Fla. – The latest new venue to open in the USL this season gets a grand unveiling on Friday night and stands as part of a major sequence of games in the USL’s Western Conference that highlights a 13-game slate to conclude Week 22 of the 2017 USL regular season.

Orange County SC officially opens Champions Soccer Stadium on Friday night as Phoenix Rising FC visits for the USL Game of the Week on ESPN3, with the new permanent home for Orange County drawing rave reviews from the club’s players and staff. Also on Friday night, there’s a top-three Western Conference clash between the Swope Park Rangers and Real Monarchs SLC, while Saturday sees fourth-place Reno 1868 FC visit fifth-place Sacramento Republic FC in the battle for a home playoff game in the USL Cup Playoffs.

The Eastern Conference also sees some big games in terms of the race for the playoffs, with FC Cincinnati looking to gain a little revenge for its Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup elimination on Tuesday night when it visits the New York Red Bulls II on Saturday. Two of the league’s historic clubs also meet on Saturday, with the fifth-place Rochester Rhinos hosting the third-place Charleston Battery with only three points separating the teams.

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

Friday, August 18
Swope Park Rangers vs. Real Monarchs SLC
8:30 p.m. ET, Children’s Mercy Victory Field
The third-place Swope Park Rangers will try to gain ground on Western Conference-leader Real Monarchs SLC when the teams meet for the second time this season, with Real holding a double-digit lead on the rest of the conference as it looks to push toward the USL Regular Season Championship.

The Rangers (12-5-4, 40pts) have slowed in their pursuit of the Monarchs, recording back-to-back draws entering Friday’s contest. Swope Park took an early lead against Orange County SC last Saturday night through Kharlton Belmar’s team-leading seventh goal of the season, but was unable to hold the lead to fall 11 points behind Real.

The Monarchs (16-3-3, 51pts) extended their undefeated streak at home to 12 games, dating back to 2016, with a 2-0 victory last Saturday against Rocky Mountain rival Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. Chandler Hoffman’s 14th goal of the season gave Real the early lead, while Connor Sparrow’s penalty-kick save helped stave off a rally attempt as the Monarchs moved closer to a first postseason berth.

Orange County SC vs. Phoenix Rising FC
Champions Soccer Stadium, 10:30 p.m. ET
Orange County SC opens its permanent home with a crucial game against Phoenix Rising FC, with the spotlight of the USL Game of the Week on ESPN3 set to be directed toward Champions Soccer Stadium as two teams just below the playoff line square off on a celebratory night at Orange County Great Park.

OCSC (7-6-7, 28pts) is coming off back-to-back draws over the past week, which included a 0-0 result against Tulsa Roughnecks FC on Tuesday that saw Charlie Lyon notch a four-save shutout. Orange County has been held scoreless in each of its past two home games and will be hoping it can make history at its new home with an opening goal and an opening victory.

Phoenix (7-7-5, 26pts) almost grabbed a vital three points last Saturday night, but a stoppage-time goal by Rio Grande Valley FC gave the Toros a 1-1 draw at H-E-B Park. After earning a 1-1 draw through Didier Drogba’s late strike when the teams first met this season on July 8, the visitor will try to spoil the party and boost its playoff hopes.

Saturday, August 19
New York Red Bulls II vs. FC Cincinnati
4 p.m. ET, MSU Soccer Park
FC Cincinnati returns to league action after its remarkable run in the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup came to an end in the Semifinals on Tuesday night with a crucial contest against a Red Bulls II side that would pull level on points with FCC should it take victory.

New York (8-11-4, 28pts) slipped out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference midweek as Orlando City B took victory, making a home win all the more essential against the seventh-place FCC. The Red Bulls II have won their last two home games, however, and earned a 1-1 draw on the road against the Charleston Battery last Saturday, as Stefano Bonomo found the net.

FCC (8-8-7, 31pts) fell to the Red Bulls’ MLS squad 3-2 in overtime in the Open Cup Semifinals, as the host welcomed the second-largest crowd in the tournament’s history of 33,250 to Nippert Stadium before taking a two-goal lead that was overturned by the two-time MLS Supporters’ Shield winner. With nine games remaining in the regular season, FCC will now focus on ensuring a second consecutive playoff berth, starting with trying to defeat last year’s USL Cup winner.

OKC Energy FC vs. San Antonio FC
8:30 p.m. ET, Taft Stadium
The final meeting of the regular season between OKC Energy FC and San Antonio FC sees the hosts in major need of a victory to bolster its push for the playoffs after falling to its in-state rival last weekend.

Energy FC (8-9-5, 29pts) slid out of the top eight in the USL’s Western Conference after Seattle Sounders FC 2’s victory on Thursday night and will be trying to rebound from a 2-1 defeat to Tulsa Roughnecks FC last Saturday night at ONEOK Field. OKC has earned a draw in each of the prior two meetings this season with San Antonio, but with 10 games to go in the season, it needs to add to its seven wins at home this season on Saturday night as the playoff race tightens.

San Antonio (11-2-8, 41pts) is also looking to rebound after suffering only its second loss of the season last Saturday night when it fell 2-0 to Reno 1868 FC. SAFC has won only once in its last five games, allowing Real Monarchs SLC to stretch its lead at the top of the conference, and it will be hoping for a win or draw by the Swope Park Rangers on Friday night that might allow it to close the gap at the top.

Sacramento Republic FC vs. Reno 1868 FC
11 p.m. ET, Papa Murphy’s Park (Watch Live)
The fourth-place Reno 1868 FC visit the fifth-place Sacramento Republic FC – separated by just two points and both coming off victories in their last outings as they meet for the second time in the league and third time overall this season.

Republic FC (10-6-4, 34pts) has taken three consecutive victories, and four in the past five, to remain in touch with the top four in the Western Conference. Wilson Kneeshaw provided the only goal in the side’s most recent win – a 1-0 victory against the Portland Timbers 2 last Sunday – and also took a 2-0 victory against 1868 FC when the teams met in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Papa Murphy’s Park earlier this season.

Reno (10-5-6, 36pts) earned some revenge for that Open Cup loss by defeating Republic FC 2-0 when the teams met for the first time in the league at Greater Nevada Field in June. 1868 FC is coming off another impressive two-goal victory as well, defeating San Antonio FC last Saturday night, and could move even closer to the top three by the end of the weekend with a win.

NUMBER CRUNCHING

9,192 – The Swope Park Rangers became the first side to surpass 9,000 completed passes this season last Saturday, with the club’s passing accuracy rate of 83.5 percent also the best in the USL.

445 – The Tampa Bay Rowdies hold a 445-minute shutout streak at Al Lang Stadium going into Saturday’s game against Ottawa Fury FC, with the club having recorded four straight shutout wins on home turf.

51 – Reno 1868 FC became the first team in the USL to pass 50 goals for the season in its 2-0 win against San Antonio FC and is now just 10 shy of the league record set last season by the New York Red Bulls II.

25 – The Charlotte Independence’s Enzo Martinez (13) and Jorge Herrera (12) are the only teammates to have both recorded double-digit goals this season in the USL.

2 – Only two teams, the Swope Park Rangers and Tulsa Roughnecks FC, have yet to receive a red card this season.

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES

- FC Cincinnati’s magical run in the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup came to an end on Tuesday night as the New York Red Bulls took a 3-2 victory in front of 33,250 fans at Nippert Stadium to advance to the Final. FCC had taken a two-goal lead thanks to goals in either half by Corben Bone and Austin Berry, but a pair of goals by Red Bulls’ all-time leading scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips saw the MLS club rally to take a dramatic victory as it scored twice between the 75th and 80th minutes to force overtime before moving on to win.

- Ottawa Fury FC announced on Tuesday former Canadian international Julian de Guzman had been appointed as the club’s interim Head Coach and General Manager after Paul Dalglish resigned his position. De Guzman made 89 appearances for Canada in his career, captaining the side, but got off to an inauspicious debut, as his side fell 3-0 to Orlando City B on Wednesday night despite recording 20 shots for the game.

- Seattle Sounders FC 2 (9-13-2, 29pts) moved into the eighth and final playoff position on Thursday night as Henry Wingo’s first professional goal earned a 2-1 victory against Cascadia rivals the Portland Timbers 2 (2-18-3, 9pts) at Providence Park. S2 took the lead initially through Sam Rogers just before the hour-mark, but T2 hit back quickly, as Bill Tuiloma scored his first goal for the club. Wingo’s outstanding finish from the top of the penalty area to the bottom-right corner of the net settled the outcome with 18 minutes to go, however, as S2 recorded a second consecutive victory.

- Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (9-6-6, 33pts) will look to get back on a winning track as it plays host to the LA Galaxy II (5-12-4, 19pts) on Friday night at Weidner Field (9 p.m. ET | Match Center). The Switchbacks had a three-game winning streak snapped at the weekend by Real Monarchs SLC at Rio Tinto Stadium, leaving Colorado Springs in sixth place in the Western Conference. With only eight games remaining, however, every point is going to be vital as the side looks to return to the postseason for a third consecutive season. The Galaxy II’s hopes of a fourth consecutive playoff berth are fading fast after a 2-0 loss to Phoenix Rising FC on Aug. 5 in its last outing. Los Dos are now 10 points out of the eighth and final playoff place with only 11 games to go, a lot of ground to make up as the side enters the weekend in 13th place in the Western Conference.

- The Rochester Rhinos (9-4-8, 35pts) have the chance to pull level on points with the Charleston Battery (10-5-8, 38pts) as the Battery visit Capelli Sport Stadium on Saturday evening (6:05 p.m. ET | Match Center). The Rhinos have won three of their last four games (3-1-0), including a 1-0 victory against the Harrisburg City Islanders on Aug. 8 at FNB Field that saw Darius Madison score the only goal of the game. The Battery, meanwhile, are winless in their last seven games after a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls II at MUSC Health Stadium this past Saturday and have slipped to third in the USL Eastern Conference as a result. Romario Williams is tied for the league-lead with 15 goals, however, and the Battery will take some hope from the 5-1 victory they handed Rochester in the first meeting between the teams this season.

- The Charlotte Independence (12-4-7, 43pts) and Orlando City B (7-6-10, 31pts) both take to the field for the second time in Week 22 having taken victories in midweek when they meet at the Sportsplex at Matthews on Saturday night (7 p.m. ET | Match Center). The Independence moved to 5-0-1 at their new home venue, as Enzo Martinez’s goal earned a 1-0 victory against Bethlehem Steel FC on Wednesday night. The win, which was aided by goalkeeper Cody Mizell’s seven-save shutout, moved the Independence five points clear of Louisville City FC at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. OCB took a 3-0 victory against Ottawa Fury FC behind a brace by Hadji Barry, which extended the club’s undefeated streak to nine games and moved it into the top eight in the East. OCB will be looking to even the season series after Charlotte took a 3-1 victory when the teams last met on May 27 at Orlando City Stadium.

- The Richmond Kickers (3-12-8, 17pts) and Toronto FC II (4-13-6, 18pts) square off sitting in the last two positions in the USL Eastern Conference, and both are in need of a win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive when they meet at City Stadium on Saturday night (7 p.m. ET | Match Center). Richmond fell 1-0 to Orlando City B this past Saturday as the side continued to struggle in front of goal this season, while Toronto conceded twice late in a 3-1 defeat against Bethlehem Steel FC on Sunday evening at Goodman Stadium. Both teams sit more than double-digit points behind eighth-place Orlando City B going into this weekend’s action.

- The Tampa Bay Rowdies (10-6-7, 37pts) will try to continue a four-game home winning streak as they meet Ottawa Fury FC (7-8-6, 27pts) for the third and final time in the regular season at Al Lang Stadium on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET | Match Center). The Rowdies have not conceded a goal in their past four home victories, outscoring opponents 9-0 over that span, but they are coming off a 4-3 road defeat to Saint Louis FC this past Sunday that knocked the side to fourth place in the East entering the week. Fury FC will be looking to rebound from a 3-0 defeat to Orlando City B as it completes its week-long trip to Florida and will try to score for the first time this season against the Rowdies. Tampa Bay took a 1-0 win at home when the teams first met this season, and the teams then played to a 0-0 draw in their lone meeting this season at TD Place.

- Rio Grande Valley FC (7-10-5, 26pts) will try to build on a late equalizer in their last outing when it hosts Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 (4-12-6, 18pts) at H-E-B Park on Saturday night (8:30 p.m. ET | Match Center). RGVFC’s Ivan Magalhaes scored a stoppage-time goal against Phoenix Rising FC to earn the side a 1-1 draw last Saturday, moving the club to 1-0-2 in its last three outings. The Toros still have ground to gain in their bid for a second consecutive trip to the playoffs, however, sitting three points back of eighth-place Seattle Sounders FC 2 entering the weekend. Vancouver, meanwhile, suffered a 3-0 defeat against S2 on Sunday as its playoff hopes continued to slide away. WFC2 is winless in its last 11 games (0-7-4) as it sits 14th in the Western Conference.

- Saint Louis FC (7-9-5, 26pts) will look to build on a dramatic victory in its last outing when it hosts the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (6-8-9, 27pts) in a game that will be crucial to playoff hopes at Toyota Stadium – Saint Louis (8:30 p.m. ET | Match Center). STLFC recorded a 4-3 victory against the Tampa Bay Rowdies this past Sunday, as second-half goals by Seth Rudolph and Konrad Plewa earned the side victory after it had blown an early two-goal lead. The result kept Saint Louis a point behind the Riverhounds, who took an impressive 3-0 win against the Harrisburg City Islanders on Saturday to claim the Keystone Derby Cup. The victory broke a seven-game winless streak (0-2-5) for Pittsburgh and helped keep the Riverhounds in with a chance at a playoff berth.

- Bethlehem Steel FC (10-9-3, 33pts) returns to action after visiting the Charlotte Independence on Wednesday night for another big test of its playoff credentials as Louisville City FC (11-4-5, 38pts) enters off its biggest league win in club history for a contest on Sunday evening at Goodman Stadium (5 p.m. ET | Match Center). Louisville’s 5-0 victory against FC Cincinnati saw City set a club record with 13,812 fans in attendance at Slugger Field, and the side now has the inside track to the top of the Eastern Conference should it continue its recent momentum. Second-place Louisville has won three of its last four games (3-1-0) and holds three games in hand on the Independence as the week begins while sitting five points back in the Eastern Conference standings. Steel FC almost took a point from its meeting with the Independence on Wednesday night, only to fall 1-0 at the Sportsplex at Matthews, and could now do the Eastern Conference leaders a favor if it can upend Louisville on home turf.