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USL’s Week Ahead – Interconference Clash Brings Contenders Together

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 04/18/18, 7:14AM EDT

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Rowdies host Monarchs on Saturday in one of Week 6's must-see matchups

TAMPA, Fla. – One of the two teams to make a perfect 4-0-0 start to the 2018 United Soccer League season will take its place in the spotlight on Saturday night as Real Monarchs SLC visits the Tampa Bay Rowdies in a rare interconference game that pits the two contenders from their respective conference against each other for the first time. Off to their best start in club history, the Monarchs will try to close in on the best start in USL history, as it visits a Rowdies side that has won all three of its home outings this season. The game arrives in a busy week of action across the league, which sees Sacramento Republic FC host Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in the USL Game of the Week on ESPN3 on Wednesday night to kick off the league’s national broadcast schedule. Other games to watch include Phoenix Rising FC’s clash with the Swope Park Rangers and a clash between FC Cincinnati and the undefeated Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC at Nippert Stadium on Saturday night and a Sunday soiree that sees Fresno FC play host to San Antonio FC.

All 561 regular-season games, the 2018 USL Cup Playoffs and the 2018 USL Cup can be accessed via USLSoccer.com’s Match Center.

11 THINGS TO KNOW

In the USL’s 11 Things to Know, Nicholas Murray looks at a big comeback victory that allowed Louisville City FC to maintain is perfect start to the regular season, the surge in form that has carried Orange County SC to the top of the Western Conference standings and the New York Red Bulls II, who might be the most entertaining team to watch in North America.

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Photo courtesy Trevor Ruszkowski / Indy Eleven

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USL REGULAR SEASON SPOTLIGHT | RAPID-FIRE PREVIEWS


Photo courtesy Michael Rincon / Phoenix Rising FC

Wednesday, April 18
Toronto FC II vs. North Carolina FC
BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario | 8 p.m. ET
North Carolina FC (1-3-0, 3pts) will try to build on its first win of the regular season as it makes a two-game trip to Canada in Week 6 that opens with a visit to Toronto FC II (0-3-0, 0pts). North Carolina took a 2-0 victory against the Charlotte Independence on Saturday night to earn its first victory in the USL as goals by Daniel Rios and Marios Lomis lifted the side to victory. Like NCFC, Toronto FC II has suffered defeat in each of its opening three games of the season and is coming off a 4-0 loss to Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on April 7 in its last outing. The Reds have also scored only once so far in the regular season – in their opening game on March 17, when Matthew Srbely struck against the New York Red Bulls II.

Fresno FC at Tulsa Roughnecks FC
Chukchansi Park, Fresno, California | 10 p.m. ET
Fresno FC (2-1-2, 8pts) will aim to continue its four-game undefeated streak when it plays host to Tulsa Roughnecks FC (0-3-1, 1pt) in the first meeting between the two clubs. The encounter will see current Foxes playmaker Juan Pablo Caffa face his former team for the first time, with the Argentine having helped lead the Roughnecks to the USL Cup Playoffs a season ago. Caffa has gotten off to a good start in Fresno, too, with two goals in four games including the equalizer against Saint Louis FC in a 1-1 draw last time out for the Foxes. The Roughnecks claimed their first point of the season in their last outings as they drew 0-0 with the Portland Timbers 2 at ONEOK Field, but they know they need to start putting wins on the board to get off the foot of the standings in the Western Conference and back into the playoff picture.

Portland Timbers 2 vs. Rio Grande Valley FC
Merlo Field, Portland, Oregon | 10 p.m. ET
The Portland Timbers 2 (2-2-1, 7pts) will aim to build on a solid road trip to start the season in their home opener at Merlo Field when they host Rio Grande Valley FC (0-2-2, 2pts). Portland swept to a 3-0 victory against OKC Energy FC to wrap up its five-game trip to start the season as Augustine Williams notched two assists to lead the side to victory. Portland can equal its win total from 2017 with victory against the Toros, who are still looking for their first win of the season after letting a halftime lead slip in a 3-2 defeat to Seattle Sounders FC 2 in the first game of their trip to Cascadia. RGVFC has had six different players find the net in its opening four games but has only two points to show for its attacking endeavors so far.

Sacramento Republic FC vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Papa Murphy’s Park, Sacramento, California | 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN3)
Sacramento Republic FC (3-0-2, 11pts) will put its undefeated record on the line in the first USL Game of the Week of the season on ESPN3 when it hosts Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (3-3-0, 9pts), which itself is riding a two-game win streak. Republic FC earned a 1-1 draw against Las Vegas Lights FC this past Saturday to put itself in third place in the Western Conference going into this week’s action, as Christian Eissele’s scored his second goal of the season in the second half to level the score. Sacramento has won both of its outings at Papa Murphy’s Park this season under new Head Coach Simon Elliott, but the Switchbacks will hope to end that as they come in confident after a 4-0 victory against Reno 1868 FC on Saturday. Veteran midfielder Luke Vercollone had a goal and assist in that victory which moved Colorado Springs back to .500 for the season.

Saturday, April 21
Ottawa Fury FC vs. North Carolina FC

TD Place, Ottawa, Ontario | 2 p.m. ET
Ottawa Fury FC (0-3-0, 0pts) will try to end a tough start to the season as it welcomes North Carolina FC for its home opener at TD Place. Fury FC conceded a late goal against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC this past Saturday to fall to a 1-0 defeat, the third in a row to start the season for new Head Coach Nikola Popovic. Getting back on track in front of an enthusiastic home crowd will be the goal, as Fury FC welcomes North Carolina back to Canada’s capital for the first time since the 2016 season. NCFC wraps up its trip north of the border against Fury FC after visiting Toronto FC II on Wednesday night.

ATL UTD 2 vs. Louisville City FC
Coolray Field, Gwinnett, Georgia | 7 p.m. ET
Two undefeated clubs square off at Coolray Field in the first meeting between ATL UTD (1-0-2, 8pts) and Louisville City FC (4-0-0, 12pts). As defending USL Cup champion, Louisville’s perfect start to the season hasn’t come as a big surprise with Head Coach James O’Connor’s side earning its sixth consecutive regular-season win dating back to the 2017 season this past Saturday, thanks to a stoppage-time winner by George Davis IV in a 2-1 victory against the Richmond Kickers. On the other hand, Atlanta’s early success has been impressive, with the club playing to a 1-1 draw with Penn FC in its last outing. After taking victory against the New York Red Bulls II on home turf earlier in the season, ATL UTD 2 will be out for another big display against one of the Eastern Conference’s top dogs.

FC Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio | 7 p.m. ET
FC Cincinnati (2-1-1, 7pts) will look to break the undefeated streak of Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (2-0-2, 8pts) when the teams meet for the first time this season. Cincinnati is winless in its last two outings and needed a second-half goal by Nazmi Albadawi – his first for the club – to pick up a 1-1 draw on the road against Bethlehem Steel FC this past Sunday. Riverhounds SC, meanwhile, is the lone side yet to concede a goal in the USL this season after its 1-0 win against Ottawa Fury FC on Saturday. The Hounds could also come into the game with some added confidence from Head Coach Bob Lilley, whose Rochester Rhinos side went 3-0-1 against FCC over the past two seasons prior to his arrival in Pittsburgh.

Penn FC vs. Charleston Battery
FNB Field, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | 7 p.m. ET
Penn FC (0-1-2, 2pts) welcomes the Charleston Battery (1-2-1, 4pts) for its home opener at FNB Field in the second meeting between the clubs this season. The Battery took their only win of the season so far when the teams met on March 24 at MUSC Health Stadium as Ataulla Guerra’s goal earned Charleston a 1-0 victory on home turf. Since then, Penn has earned a pair of draws on the road, the most recent a 1-1 draw against ATL UTD 2 on April 8 at Coolray Field that saw Tommy Heinemann score his first goal for the club. The Battery are also coming off a draw, having played to a 1-1 draw with Bethlehem Steel FC at Goodman Stadium in their last outing in a game that saw Skylar Thomas score his first goal for the club.

Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Real Monarchs SLC
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Florida | 7:30 p.m. ET
Real Monarchs SLC (4-0-0, 12pts) will try to continue its perfect start to the season when it visits the Tampa Bay Rowdies (3-2-0, 9pts), who will be keen to put a lopsided defeat in their last outing behind them when they return to Al Lang Stadium. The Rowdies suffered a 5-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls II on Saturday for their second defeat of the season and third in four meetings with the Red Bulls II since Tampa Bay’s arrival in the USL. The Monarchs come in looking to continue their best start to a season in club history, though, with both Real and Louisville going into the weekend only two wins away from tying the Richmond Kickers (2011) and Rochester Rhinos (2012) for the best start to a season in the USL’s modern era. Masta Kacher, one of numerous attacking weapons the Rowdies will have to keep an eye on, scored his first two goals for the Monarchs in a 3-1 victory against Seattle Sounders FC 2 last Wednesday night.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. Seattle Sounders FC 2
Weidner Field, Colorado Springs, Colorado | 8 p.m. ET
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC returns home after its midweek visit to California for the USL Game of the Week on ESPN3 to take on Seattle Sounders FC 2 (2-4-0, 6pts), which is coming off its first win since the opening weekend of the regular season. S2 rallied for a 3-2 victory against Rio Grande Valley FC this past Saturday, as Felix Chenkam scored twice and Azriel Gonzalez notched the winner – his first goal in the professional ranks – with eight minutes to go. Seattle will be hoping to emulate its first visit to Weidner Field a season ago, when it took a 3-2 victory against the Switchbacks to earn a 1-1-1 split in the regular-season series between the sides.

OKC Energy FC vs. Saint Louis FC
Taft Stadium, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 8 p.m. ET
OKC Energy FC (1-4-0, 3pts) will try to break a four-game losing streak when it squares off with Saint Louis FC (2-1-2, 8pts), which enters on a three-game undefeated run. STLFC continued its recent uptick in form with a 1-0 win against the LA Galaxy II this past Saturday as Joey Calistri scored the only goal of the game for the hosts at Toyota Stadium – Saint Louis. Energy FC, meanwhile, has scored only twice in its four-game slide, with the club falling to a 3-0 defeat to the Portland Timbers 2 in its last outing on April 7. The meeting between the teams is the first since the 2016 season, when they played to three draws that included a pair of 2-2 draws at Taft Stadium.

Phoenix Rising FC vs. Swope Park Rangers
Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex, Phoenix, Arizona | 10 p.m. ET
A rematch from the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2017 USL Cup Playoffs arrives in Arizona as Phoenix Rising FC (3-1-1, 10pts) takes on the Swope Park Rangers (3-1-1, 10pts) for the first time since the Rangers’ thrilling penalty shootout victory last fall. Rising FC enters off a win in its last outing as Didier Drogba’s first goal of the season lifted the side to a 1-0 win on the road against the LA Galaxy II. The Rangers, meanwhile, played to a 1-1 draw with San Antonio FC, also on the road, in its last outing on April 7, and with both teams having had this past weekend off, they should both be fresh for what is expected to be an exciting atmosphere at the Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex.

Portland Timbers 2 vs. Reno 1868 FC
Merlo Field, Portland, Oregon | 10 p.m. ET
The Portland Timbers 2 complete a busy week at Merlo Field with a visit from Reno 1868 FC (0-3-1, 1pt), which is looking to break its winless streak to start the new season. 1868 FC suffered a 4-0 loss to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC this past Saturday, continuing the club’s tough start to 2018. Reno hasn’t led in a contest since it opened the scoring against the Swope Park Rangers in its first game of the season and will be hoping a visit to a Portland side it went 2-0-1 against a season ago will see it pick up a first win of the regular season.

Sunday, April 22
LA Galaxy II vs. New York Red Bulls II

StubHub Center, Carson, California | 8:30 p.m. ET
The second meeting all-time between the LA Galaxy II (0-4-2, 2pts) and New York Red Bulls II (3-1-1, 10pts) brings together two teams that have made very different starts to the new season. Los Dos are still looking for their first win after being edged out twice in Week 5, suffering 1-0 defeats to both Phoenix Rising FC last Wednesday and Saint Louis FC last Saturday. The Red Bulls II, meanwhile, enter the week as the highest-scoring side in the USL after a 5-0 victory against the Tampa Bay Rowdies that saw Stefano Bonomo score one goal and record two assists and Brian White tack on two goals to double his total for his rookie season. The Galaxy II came out on top a season ago, however, as they took a 2-1 victory at Red Bull Arena in the only prior meeting between the clubs.

Fresno FC vs. San Antonio FC
Chukchansi Park, Fresno, California | 9 p.m. ET
Fresno FC welcomes San Antonio FC (1-2-2, 5pts) for the first meeting between the clubs to wrap up the week at Chukchansi Park, with SAFC aiming to break out of a three-game winless streak. San Antonio hammered away against Orange County SC this past Saturday but was twice denied by the woodwork and by an eight-save shutout from OCSC goalkeeper Andre Rawls in a 3-0 defeat at Toyota Field that saw the side slip to its second loss of the season. The Foxes will go into their second game of Week 6 after facing Tulsa Roughnecks FC on home turf on Wednesday night.

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