skip navigation

USL Weekend Preview – Week 26

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 09/15/17, 3:22PM EDT

Share

Conference contenders close in on clinching playoff positions

TAMPA, Fla. – With the second berth in the 2017 USL Cup Playoffs being claimed by San Antonio FC in midweek action, another three clubs will take aim at booking their place in the postseason this weekend, as Week 26 of the 2017 USL regular season wraps up with a 14-game slate of games that will continue to shape the race for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference leader Louisville City FC will get the first crack at a playoff berth on Friday night when it hosts Bethlehem Steel FC at Slugger Field needing a win to claim a place in the postseason. Saturday night’s action brings a massive clash in the middle of the standings as seventh-place FC Cincinnati is expected to welcome a record crowd when it squares off with the sixth-place New York Red Bulls II in its regular-season home finale at Nippert Stadium, while the Charlotte Independence host Ottawa Fury FC with a chance to reach the playoffs for a second consecutive season with a win and some help elsewhere.

Reno 1868 FC is also on the verge of clinching a playoff spot as it visits Rio Grande Valley FC on Saturday night at H-E-B Park, with the 2017 USL expansion side knowing a win would be enough for a postseason berth. Also on Saturday night, Phoenix Rising FC plays host to Western Conference-leader Real Monarchs SLC looking to continue its recent run of form, while Sunday brings the final Black Gold Derby of the regular season with OKC Energy FC in need of a win to boost its playoff hopes when it hosts Tulsa Roughnecks FC at Taft Stadium.

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 FC Cincinnati

Friday, September 15
Louisville City FC vs. Bethlehem Steel FC
7:30 p.m. ET, Slugger Field

Louisville City FC will host its first Friday-night contest when it welcomes Bethlehem Steel FC for a clash that could see Louisville clinch a playoff berth for a third consecutive season and close within three points of Real Monarchs SLC in the race for the USL Regular Season Championship.

Louisville (15-5-5, 50pts) has won five of its last six outings after a 3-0 victory against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds last Saturday night moved the side three points clear at the top of the Eastern Conference. Sitting fourth in goals in the league this season with 48, City has scored multiple goals in seven of its last 10 outings and will be hopeful of claiming another win in front of its passionate home support.

Steel FC (10-11-4, 34pts) is looking to break a four-game winless streak in its visit to Louisville, and would move back into the playoff positions should it claim victory at Slugger Field. Sitting two points out of the playoff positions, but holding two games in hand on both seventh-place FC Cincinnati and eighth-place Orlando City B, Bethlehem’s speed on the counterattack will be key to the side getting a result that would boost its postseason hopes.

Saturday, September 16
FC Cincinnati vs. New York Red Bulls II
7 p.m. ET, Nippert Stadium

FC Cincinnati and the New York Red Bulls II square off for FCC’s regular-season home finale with a USL regular-season record crowd guaranteed to be on hand. Cincinnati could break its overall single-game attendance record that was set during the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs in a matchup that will be crucial to the playoff hopes of both clubs.

Seventh-place Cincinnati (9-9-9, 36pts) has been held to back-to-back draws in its last two outings to keep the club hovering above the red line in the Eastern Conference. A stoppage-time equalizer by Jimmy McLaughlin on Tuesday night claimed a 1-1 draw with the Harrisburg City Islanders, leaving the club with plenty of work to do in its final five games of the regular season to secure a postseason berth.

By comparison, the sixth-place Red Bulls II (11-11-5, 38pts) have hit a strong run of form recently and took a third win in their last four games on Saturday night in a 2-1 win against Toronto FC II. The defending USL Cup champions will be looking to replicate their success of a season ago when they took a 2-1 win at Nippert Stadium to extend an undefeated streak that has reached six games, and seen the side scored 12 goals in its last four outings.

Rio Grande Valley FC vs. Reno 1868 FC
8:30 p.m. ET, H-E-B Park

Reno 1868 FC will try to clinch a place in the playoffs at its first attempt when it visits Rio Grande Valley FC on Saturday night, as a win against the struggling Rio Grande Valley FC would secure the 2017 USL expansion side its first trip to the postseason against.

The Toros (7-13-7, 28pts) suffered another major blow to their playoff chances last Saturday night, as they squandered a second-half lead in a 2-1 defeat to Sacramento Republic FC. The Toros are now six points out of a playoff position with five games to go, making this a must-win if the side is to hope to reach the postseason.

1868 FC (14-5-7, 49pts) has no such issues with playoff qualification, with the question being when the side will clinch rather than if it will. After San Antonio FC’s midweek victory against Orange County SC on Wednesday night, Reno will clinch its spot with a win as it looks to extend a seven-game undefeated streak.

Phoenix Rising FC vs. Real Monarchs SLC
10:30 p.m. ET, Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex

Phoenix Rising FC will try to continue its seven-game undefeated streak when it plays host a Real Monarchs SLC side that has gone winless in its last two outings to allow the race for the USL Regular Season Championship to tighten.

Rising FC (10-7-7, 37pts) recorded its biggest win of the season last Saturday, as its 2-1 victory against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC caused some separation between the top seven in the USL Western Conference and the teams below. With victories in three of its last four outings, and the potential return of Didier Drogba to the lineup at hand, Phoenix is playing arguably its best soccer of the season as it enters a busy home stretch.

The Monarchs (17-4-5, 56pts) are looking to get back on a winning track after a 0-0 draw last Saturday night against the last-place Portland Timbers 2 at Providence Park that saw T2 outshoot its visitors handily. Real is still in the driver’s seat to claim the first silverware of the season but will be looking over its shoulder if it can’t pick up three points on the road in Phoenix. 

Sunday, September 17
OKC Energy FC vs. Tulsa Roughnecks FC
Taft Stadium, 6 p.m. ET

OKC Energy FC faces a crucial contest to its playoff hopes when it hosts Black Gold Derby rival Tulsa Roughnecks FC at Taft Stadium but will need to overturn two prior defeats to its in-state foe this season in order to try and move up from ninth position in the Western Conference.

Energy FC (9-10-7, 33pts) was held to a 0-0 draw by Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 last Sunday at Taft Stadium as WFC2 goalkeeper Sean Melvin kept the hosts at bay with a seven-save shutout. A point behind eighth-place Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC with a game in hand in the standings, OKC will know where it stands going in after the Switchbacks visit to Seattle Sounders FC 2 on Saturday night.

The Roughnecks (12-10-4, 40pts) are in much better shape in the playoff race, sitting in fifth place to open the weekend’s action. A victory for Head Coach David Vaudreuil’s side would bolster that position and also deliver another major blow to OKC’s playoff hopes which would delight the travelling support expected to make the trip from Tulsa.

NUMBER CRUNCHING


Photo courtesy Em-Dash Photography / Louisville City FC

25,309 – FC Cincinnati announced last week it had pre-sold 25,309 tickets to Saturday’s game with the New York Red Bulls II, which guarantees it will surpass the USL regular-season single-game record held by the club of 25,308 when it hosted Orlando City B earlier this season.

660Louisville City FC has recorded 660 touches in opposing penalty areas this season, the most of any club in the league.

11Ian Svantesson’s 11 goals this season have equaled Tulsa Roughnecks FC’s single-season record, held by current Sacramento Republic FC forward Sammy Ochoa.

7San Antonio FC has recorded seven 1-0 victories this season, with the most recent coming on Wednesday night as the club defeated Orange County SC to book a place in the USL Cup Playoffs.

4 – Real Monarchs SLC goalkeeper Connor Sparrowwho this week was signed to an MLS contract by Real Salt Lake – leads the USL with four penalty-kick saves this season.

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES


Photo courtesy Darren Abate / San Antonio FC

- Tulsa Roughnecks FC’s Jorge Corrales signed with the Chicago Fire on Thursday, becoming the first player to move to the MLS club since the two clubs agreed to a partnership this past offseason. A Cuban international, Corrales will remain with the Roughnecks on loan for the remainder of the season as the club pursues a place in the 2017 USL Cup Playoffs.

- USL 2018 expansion club Las Vegas Lights FC announced this week the hiring of Steve Pastorino as the club’s Vice President, Corporate Partnerships. Pastorino most recently worked for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball and also brings expansion experience from the launch of both the Chicago Fire and Real Salt Lake, where he was the first General Manager in RSL’s history.

- The Charleston Battery (11-7-8, 41pts) will try to break a run of only one win in their last 10 games when they play host to longtime rivals the Richmond Kickers (6-13-8, 26pts) on Saturday night at MUSC Health Stadium (7 p.m. ET | Match Center). Richmond is nine points out of a playoff place with five games remaining but has gone 3-1-0 in its last four outings, as it has kicked into form late in the season. One of those wins was a 3-1 victory against the Battery last month at City Stadium, the Kickers’ first in the series since the 2014 regular season. Charleston also suffered a 1-0 defeat to Louisville City FC before its contest this past Saturday against the Charlotte Independence was postponed due to Hurricane Irma. After going 1-5-4 since July 8 the Battery need to start winning again to hold onto their top-four position in the Eastern Conference.

- The Charlotte Independence (13-5-8, 47pts) could clinch a playoff berth with some help over the weekend as it plays host to Ottawa Fury FC (7-9-10, 31pts) at the Sportsplex at Matthews on Saturday night (7 p.m. ET | Match Center). After recording a third consecutive draw to remain four points out of the playoff positions last Saturday, Fury FC is in major need of a repeat of its 3-1 victory against the Independence when the teams met last month at TD Place. The Independence have lost only once at the Sportsplex at Matthews since the venue opened, however, and took a 3-0 victory in their last outing against the Richmond Kickers. A win for Charlotte coupled with a draw or a loss for either FC Cincinnati or Orlando City B would allow the Independence to clinch a playoff berth this weekend.

- The Harrisburg City Islanders (7-14-7, 28pts) will host Toronto FC II (5-16-7, 22pts) at FNB Field on Saturday night (7 p.m. ET | Match Center) in a contest that sees both teams well outside the race for the USL Cup Playoffs. Harrisburg was denied what would have been a major victory on Tuesday night as a stoppage-time equalizer by former player Jimmy McLaughlin earned FC Cincinnati a 1-1 draw to keep the City Islanders eight points out of the playoff positions with only four games remaining. Toronto is winless in its last three outings after suffering a 2-1 defeat to the New York Red Bulls II last Saturday night, and sits four points adrift at the bottom of the USL Eastern Conference.

- The Pittsburgh Riverhounds (8-9-10, 34pts) will try to rebound from the end of a five-game undefeated streak when they host the Rochester Rhinos (11-5-9, 42 points) on Saturday night at Highmark Stadium (7 p.m. ET | Match Center), with the Rhinos sitting comfortably in third place in the Eastern Conference. The Riverhounds fell 3-0 to Louisville City FC this past Saturday at Highmark Stadium and now sit two points out of the playoff positions with five games to go in the regular season. They’ll get a strong test from the Rhinos, though, with Rochester having taken 10 points from its past five games to move ahead of the Charleston Battery and Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Eastern Conference. The Rhinos have conceded the fewest shots of any team in the USL this season (210) as their tradition of being hard to break down under Head Coach Bob Lilley has continued.

- Saint Louis FC (8-12-7, 31pts) faces a potential make-or-break contest when Orlando City B (8-7-12, 36pts) visits Toyota Stadium – Saint Louis on Saturday night (8:30 p.m. ET | Match Center) with a five-point gap separating the teams and five games to go for Saint Louis this season. STLFC conceded a stoppage-time goal in a 2-1 defeat against the Harrisburg City Islanders last Saturday night to see its playoff hopes dim further with the side on a four-game winless streak entering its contest with OCB. Saint Louis has recorded only 85 shots on goal this season, the fewest of any side in the USL. Orlando has also struggled offensively this year with only 87 shots on goal itself but sits in the eighth and final playoff position even after suffering a 2-0 defeat to the Richmond Kickers in its last outing. OCB has also recorded six of its eight wins this season on the road, tied for fourth-best in the USL.

- Seattle Sounders FC 2 (9-15-3, 30pts) and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (9-11-7, 34pts) are both in major need of a victory when they meet at Starfire Stadium on Saturday night (10 p.m. ET | Match Center). The Switchbacks suffered what could be a crucial defeat as they look for a third consecutive trip to the postseason last Saturday, as Phoenix Rising FC took a 2-1 victory at Weidner Field and is now just holding onto the eighth and final playoff position in the Western Conference. S2 earned a 1-1 draw with Reno 1868 FC last Saturday but still sits four points out of the playoff positions as a result. S2 has taken victory in all three prior meetings at Starfire Stadium between the clubs and will need that trend to continue if it’s to have a chance at a second postseason berth in three seasons.

- Sacramento Republic FC (11-8-6, 39pts) will look to build on a dramatic road victory when it plays host to Southern California rival the LA Galaxy II (7-14-5, 26pts) on Saturday night at Papa Murphy’s Park (10:30 p.m. ET | Match Center). Sacramento got a goal in the 96th minute by Carlos Rodriguez to earn a 2-1 victory against Rio Grande Valley FC on Saturday night, which broke a four-game winless streak for the side and kept it in sixth place in the USL Western Conference. The contest also saw Villyan Bijev score his first goal for Sacramento since his loan move from the Portland Timbers 2, and Republic FC will be hoping for more of the same against a Galaxy II side that conceded late in its last outing to miss out on an impressive victory. After its 1-1 draw with San Antonio FC, however, Los Dos are eight points out of a playoff berth with six games to go, putting a fourth consecutive playoff berth far out of reach if they can’t claim a famous road victory.

- The Swope Park Rangers (13-7-6, 45pts) will try to rebound when they host San Antonio FC (14-2-10, 52pts) on Sunday night at Children’s Mercy Victory Field (5 p.m. ET | Match Center). Swope Park suffered a 2-1 defeat to Orange County SC last Saturday night and has now won only once in its last eight games. The fourth-place Rangers are still comfortably placed with a five-point gap to fifth-place Tulsa Roughnecks FC, but in order to have a chance at a top-two position, the Rangers will likely need to take victory against their visitors from Texas, who are coming off clinching a playoff berth on Wednesday night with a 1-0 victory against Orange County SC.

- Orange County SC (8-9-9, 33pts) will try to rebound from its midweek defeat when it travels to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 (5-14-8, 23pts) on Sunday afternoon at Thunderbird Stadium (7 p.m. ET | Match Center). OCSC suffered a 1-0 defeat to San Antonio FC on Wednesday night to remain in 10th place in the Western Conference and is in serious need of a win to try and keep itself in contention for the postseason as it looks set to battle eighth-place Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and ninth-place OKC Energy FC for the final postseason berth. Vancouver could act as a spoiler, though, as WFC2 played to a 0-0 draw last Sunday against Energy FC as goalkeeper Sean Melvin recorded a seven-save shutout. Orange County will have no desire to see the same happen to them as it fights for a place in the USL Cup Playoffs.

Follow the USL Championship

Most Recent News

Most Read News

Latest Videos