Sports stats



USL United Soccer League Championship

Louisville Looks to Narrow Gap Behind Rochester in Week 22

August 14, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release


TAMPA, Fla. - Louisville City FC's dominant midweek victory against the Harrisburg City Islanders has now created the potential for a change atop the Eastern Conference.

City enters the weekend three points behind the East-leading Rochester Rhinos when the squad prepares for a conference crossover match against the West's Tulsa Roughnecks FC on Saturday at ONEOK Field. Louisville defeated the Harrisburg City Islanders 5-1 on Wednesday and is now three points behind Rochester, which hosts Wilmington Hammerheads FC earlier in the day.

In the West, the anticipated rematch of conference-leading Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and defending champion Sacramento Republic FC takes place at Sand Creek Stadium. The Switchbacks moved into first in the West after posting a 1-0 win against Republic FC at Bonney Field in Week 21.

GAMES TO WATCH

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. Sacramento Republic FC

Friday, 9 p.m. ET, Sand Creek Stadium

For the second time in a week, the Switchbacks and defending USL champion Republic FC square off, this time at Sand Creek Stadium. Last Saturday, Colorado Springs rushed out to a one-goal lead in the third minute and held tight for a 1-0 win at sold-out Bonney Field in Sacramento. The win pushed the Switchbacks into first place at 12-7-2 and 38 points; eight of Colorado Springs' 12 wins have been shutouts this season. The Colorado Springs defense is anchored by goalkeeper Devala Gorrick, who is one of three USL goalkeepers allowing less than one goal per game, the other two being the Rochester Rhinos' Brandon Miller and the Charleston Battery's Odisnel Cooper. The Switchbacks head back to Sand Creek where they lost for just the second time this year on Aug. 5, dropping a 1-0 decision to Tulsa Roughnecks FC. Colorado Springs is still a respectable 8-2-1 at home and Sacramento is 4-4-2 on the road. (Preview; Switchbacks, Republic FC Face Rematch)

Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs. Charlotte Independence

Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, Highmark Stadium

As the only Eastern Conference team without a road win this season, the Independence will need to buck that trend with four of their next five matches away from Charlotte. The Independence (6-6-7, 25 points) are below the playoff cutline, where the Riverhounds currently occupy the sixth spot with a 9-8-4 record and 31 points. Charlotte had a chance for a road win with a 1-0 lead on the New York Red Bulls II with less than 20 minutes remaining on Wednesday. But host NYRB II's Stefano Bonomo found the equalizer to push Charlotte's road record to 0-4-4. The Riverhounds have rebounded from their three-game losing streak in July with back-to-back wins to open August. Pittsburgh and Charlotte met once earlier this season, with the host Independence earning a 2-1 victory on June 13. The Riverhounds are 6-2-3 at Highmark, where they have scored 28 of their league-leading 45 goals this season. Rob Vincent has led the offensive charge all season for Pittsburgh with 17 goals and Kevin Kerr's nine assists are tops in the USL. (Preview; Key Eastern Clash Set For Highmark)

Tulsa Roughnecks vs. Louisville City FC

Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ONEOK Field

The Eastern Conference's second-place City enters the weekend within striking distance of the first-place Rochester Rhinos, who have had a stronghold of the conference from the start. Louisville (12-4-5, 41 points) is three points behind the Rhinos (12-1-8, 44 points) and is coming off of an important 5-1 victory against the Harrisburg City Islanders on Wednesday. With Matt Fondy posting the first four-goal game in the USL this season, Louisville distanced itself from third-place Charleston to create some momentum heading into the weekend. City leads the USL with a plus-20 goal differential, outscoring its opponents 43-23 this season. Tulsa will have a shorter rest following its 5-1 victory against Real Monarchs SLC on Thursday. The Roughnecks moved into the positive side of the playoff cutline in the Western Conference and also went above .500 for the first time this season, improving to 10-9-5 (35 points).

MILESTONES

- Matt Fondy's first-half penalty kick goal during Louisville City FC's 5-1 win against the Harrisburg City Islanders on Wednesday was the 2,500th in USL regular-season play history. The tally was Fondy's third of four that evening as he is the only player this season to record a four-goal game.

- OKC Energy FC forward Danni König, the USL's goal scoring leader with 19 this season, is one short of matching the league single-season record set by Orlando City SC's Kevin Molino (20 goals in 2014). König and OKC host Real Monarchs SLC on Saturday at Taft Stadium.

- Rochester Rhinos goalkeeper Brandon Miller leads the USL with 10 shutouts. That mark is one shy of the USL record shared by Kristian Nicht (11 for Rochester in 2012) and Miguel Gallardo (11 for Orlando in 2011). Rochester hosts Wilmington Hammerheads FC on Saturday at Sahlen's Stadium.

- Arizona United SC's Dennis Chin and Louisville City FC's Juan Guzman each enter the weekend with 99 career USL regular-season appearances as they near the century mark. Arizona United hosts Orange County Blues FC on Saturday at Scottsdale Stadium and Louisville visits Tulsa Roughnecks FC on Saturday at ONEOK Field.

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES

- The Charleston Battery's 21-game unbeaten streak at home is on the line when they host Saint Louis FC on Saturday at MUSC Health Stadium. Charleston is the only USL team that is unbeaten at home this season with a 6-0-5 mark. It is a key match for the third-place Battery as they will then go on the road for four consecutive games from Aug. 20-Sept. 5. (Preview)

- The Portland Timbers 2 and Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 meet at Merlo Field on Sunday in what is turning into a must-win for both sides as they are below the playoff cutline in the Western Conference. WFC2 enters the weekend in eighth place (8-10-5, 29 points) and Portland is in ninth (8-12-2, 26 points). WFC2 holds the series lead with a 2-1-0 record, dropping its most recent meeting 4-2 to Portland at Merlo, where T2 is 5-5-0 this season. WFC2 is 3-8-1 on the road. (Preview; Make Or Break For T2, WFC2)

- The LA Galaxy II, who lead the USL with six road victories this season, are in need of one this weekend when they visit the Austin Aztex on Saturday. Los Dos have dropped three consecutive matches and are fourth in the Western Conference standings heading into the weekend with an 11-8-3 record and 36 points. Austin (7-11-3, 24 points) is basically in must-win mode as the Aztex try to stay in the hunt for a postseason spot. They have a long way to climb as they sit nine points behind the sixth-place Orange County Blues FC. (Preview)

HOW TO FOLLOW

Every game of the 2015 USL season can be seen live, free and in HD on YouTube (www.Youtube.com/USL), with updates from throughout the league also available via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Check out the United Soccer League Championship Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 14, 2015


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