NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



United Soccer League Championship

USL Weekend Preview - Week 14

June 24, 2016 - United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release


TAMPA, Fla. - With a busy midweek schedule already concluded, the 14th week of the 2016 USL season brings 14 games this weekend that include the resumption of the River Cities Cup in the USL Game of the Week on ESPN3, and a key Western Conference contest between current conference leader Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 and 2015 Western Conference Finalist OKC Energy FC.

Every game of the 2016 USL season will be available on the league's Match Center, with updates from across the league also available via Twitter, Facebook, Vine and Instagram.

GAMES TO WATCH

Saturday, June 25

Louisville City FC vs. FC Cincinnati

7:30 p.m. ET, Slugger Field, ESPN3

Two of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference meet at Slugger Field in the second clash for the River Cities Cup on Saturday night, with Louisville looking to bolster its lead at the top of the Eastern Conference, and Cincinnati aiming to close the gap and square the season series in this exciting new rivalry (Match Center).

Louisville has taken a six-point lead at the top of the East after its 4-1 win on Tuesday night against Toronto FC to extend its undefeated streak to 13 games. City (10-1-4, 34pts) got a pair of goals from Guy Abend in that contest, but has been led overall by Chandler Hoffman, whose 10 goals put him tied for second in the race for the USL Golden Boot. Hoffman had a hat trick the last time these teams met, a 3-2 win in front of 20,497 fans at Nippert Stadium on April 16.

Since that contest, Cincinnati (8-2-3, 27pts) has built a nine-game undefeated streak of its own that has moved the club into third place, seven points back of Louisville, but with two fewer games played. Sean Okoli has scored seven goals this season, while the team is coming off a five-game home stand that saw it take 13 out of a possible 15 points heading into Saturday's game.

OKC Energy FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2

8 p.m. ET, Taft Stadium

Energy FC will try to close the gap on Western Conference leaders WFC2 when the two teams meet for the first time this season, with Coach Jimmy Nielsen's side nine points back, but sitting with three games in hand on Coach Alan Koch's side as they meet in Oklahoma City (Match Center).

Energy FC (5-2-4, 19pts) rallied from an early deficit a week ago to defeat the Swope Park Rangers on the road, as Michael Thomas scored just before halftime to level things up before Wojciech Wojcik and Daniel Gonzalez struck in the second half for a 3-1 win. Wojcik's goal was his second in three games for OKC after arriving at the club.

WFC2, meanwhile, left it late to grab victory against Cascadia rivals the Portland Timbers 2 last Sunday night as Daniel Haber scored with three minutes to go for a 1-0 win at Thunderbird Stadium. Vancouver (8-2-4, 28pts) has claimed a four-point lead at the top of the West nearing the midway point of the season, but has gone 4-1-2 so far on the road this season as it kicks off a four-game stint away from home on Saturday.

Arizona United SC vs. Sacramento Republic FC

10:30 p.m. ET, Peoria Sports Complex

Arizona United SC has worked its way back into the playoff conversation with a good string of form, but on Saturday will face a major test against a Sacramento side that has used a seven-game undefeated streak to move into second place in the Western Conference entering the weekend's action (Match Center).

Arizona (4-5-4, 16pts) is in its best form so far this season with seven points from its past three games. After back-to-back home wins against current top-eight teams Orange County and Saint Louis FC, United went on the road in midweek and earned a point against Rio Grande Valley FC, illustrating the progression the side has made since the start of Coach Frank Yallop's first season.

Sacramento (7-3-3, 24pts) will pose an even bigger challenge for United than those previous three contests, however, with the side currently on its first three-game winning streak of the season. Emrah Klimenta scored a late game-winner last Saturday in a 3-2 win against the Toros, while Cameron Iwasa also scored a pair of fine goals to give him five for the season, as Coach Paul Buckle's side appeared to be clicking into gear for a run at a second title.

Sunday, April 26

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. Real Monarchs SLC

3:30 p.m. ET, Switchbacks Stadium

The Switchbacks and Monarchs will renew their Rocky Mountain rivalry on Sunday afternoon with both teams looking to rebound from disappointing defeats in their past outings, and Real looking in particular to arrest a slide down the conference standings that has put it outside the top eight playoff positions (Match Center).

Colorado Springs (7-3-2, 23pts) slid back to third place in the West after a 2-1 defeat on the road against the recently resurgent San Antonio FC last Saturday night. The Switchbacks have been outstanding at home this season with an undefeated 4-0-1 record at Switchbacks Stadium, however, with only one goal conceded in those five contests, which should make for a big test for the Monarchs' attack.

Real (4-7-4, 16pts) reached the midway point of its regular season last weekend in a 1-0 defeat to Orange County Blues FC, and now sits in 11th place in the Western Conference, two points back of the eighth-placed Blues. After a good start to their second season, the Monarchs have hit a little bit of a wall over the past six games, going 1-4-1 in that span, and will need to rebound strongly from three consecutive defeats to get back into the playoff picture.

MILESTONES

- Wednesday night saw Jack McBean become the fifth LA Galaxy II player to sign with the Galaxy's MLS side, as the USL's leading scorer this season saw his first top-flight action since October, 2013 in a 0-0 draw against the Colorado Rapids.

- Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 captain Kyle Greig will face off against his former side when WFC2 visits OKC Energy FC on Saturday, with Greig's career-best 10 goals currently placing him tied for second in the league.

- There are currently 10 different players tied for the league lead in assists, which stands at four. Of those, Louisville's Niall McCabe, Kyle Smith and Paolo DelPiccolo are the only teammates in the group.

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES

- San Antonio FC (4-5-5, 17pts) picked up back-to-back wins for the first time in its history on Thursday night with a 3-2 victory against Orange County in the first game of the Blues' two-game trip to Texas this week. Goals by Franck Tayou and Milton Palacios brought SAFC back from a 2-1 deficit early in the second half at Toyota Field.

- The LA Galaxy II (5-2-8, 23pts) and Tulsa Roughnecks FC (2-9-2, 8pts) will complete their home-and-home series on Friday night (10:30 p.m. ET | Match Center) that saw the teams play to a 2-2 draw last Friday night. The Galaxy II's eight draws lead the league this season, and put the side four away from the USL's single-season record of 12 set by the Richmond Kickers in 2013.

- Saint Louis FC (5-5-4, 19pts) announced a sellout on Thursday evening for Saturday night's game against the Portland Timbers 2 (5-8-2, 17pts) at World Wide Technology Soccer Park (8:30 p.m. ET | Match Center). STLFC is an undefeated 2-0-3 on home turf so far this season.

- The New York Red Bulls II (8-1-4, 28pts) play host to Wilmington Hammerheads FC (4-4-5, 17pts) on Sunday afternoon (3 p.m. ET | Match Center). The Red Bulls II are undefeated in their past seven games (5-0-2), and took a 1-0 win at Legion Stadium in the first meeting between the teams this season, but Wilmington is on a four-game undefeated streak of its own entering the contest.

Check out the United Soccer League Championship Statistics

• Discuss this story on the United Soccer League Championship message board...

United Soccer League Championship Stories from June 24, 2016


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central