FENTON, Mo. – Two teams battling for playoff position in the USL’s Western Conference meet on Saturday night (8:30 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+) when Saint Louis FC hosts Reno 1868 FC at Toyota Stadium – Saint Louis in a crucial six-pointer for both sides.

Here are five things to watch for as the USL Cup Playoffs hopefuls square off for the second time this season.

1. STREAK SPOILT: 1868 FC brought a 16-game unbeaten run into its first matchup with STLFC on July 28, but left Greater Nevada Field that evening with a deflating 2-1 defeat. Midfielder Eric Calvillo picked up two yellow cards in the game’s first 15 minutes, leaving the home side with a lot of work to do. 1868 FC still found itself in the lead at half time through Christopher Wehan’s strike in first-half stoppage time, but the hosts were pegged back 30 minutes after the break by STLFC’s Wal Fall before Sam Fink’s header in second-half stoppage time secured three points for Saint Louis.

2. WRONG SIDE OF THE LINE: STLFC enters Saturday night’s contest with 39 points from 27 matches, leaving the side just outside of the final Western Conference playoff spot. That could change quickly though, as STLFC sits just one point behind San Antonio FC and can draw even with 1868 FC with a victory though Reno has a game in hand.

3. WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?: 1868 FC forward Brian Brown continued his good run of form last Saturday, finding the back of the net for the fourth time in four games. The 25-year-old Jamaican forward is now up to 13 goals on the season, leaving him five off the pace of Dane Kelly’s franchise record set a season ago and Louisville City FC’s Cameron Lancaster in the race for the USL’s Golden Boot. 

4. HOME SWEET HOME: After picking up just one point on its recent two-game road trip to the Pacific Northwest, STLFC returns to the comforts of Toyota Stadium where it has won four straight contests and is unbeaten in its last six (4-0-2). The side is 7-2-4 overall at home this season and has outscored its opponents 11-4 over the span of its current four-game winning run

5. ROAD SWEET ROAD: 1868 FC, which is making its first ever trip to St. Louis, has been similarly strong away from Greater Nevada Field this season (6-1-7). The side’s only road defeat this campaign came against Western Conference leaders Real Monarchs SLC (2-1) in August.