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Republic FC Hosts First-Place S2 at Bonney During USL's Week 8

May 8, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release


TAMPA, Fla. - The Western Conference leaderboard has been a merry-go-round this season. Highlighting Week 8 of the 2015 USL season is first-place Seattle Sounders FC 2 (4-2-1, 13 points), which is traveling to Bonney Field to take on Sacramento Republic FC (4-4-0, 12 points). Sacramento held the top spot just one week ago.

The Eastern Conference-leading Rochester Rhinos (5-0-2, 17 points) host Toronto FC II this weekend, but both teams will look to gain ground, or even overtake the undefeated Rhinos should they slip up. The Charleston Battery (4-0-2, 14 points) host the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, while the Richmond Kickers (4-0-3, 15 points) travel to Charlotte to face the Independence on Friday.

OKC-Galaxy II Postponed: OKC Energy FC's match against the LA Galaxy II on Saturday has been moved to Tuesday, Aug. 4, at Taft Stadium. The kickoff will be at 8 p.m. ET. The game was rescheduled because of the potential for severe weather in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday. (USL Announces OKC-LA Postponement)

GAMES TO WATCH

Charlotte Independence vs. Richmond Kickers

Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET, Eagle Field

The Kickers, one of three remaining unbeaten sides this year, will have an opportunity to climb into first place in the East if they earn a victory against Charlotte. Richmond pulled off a 2-2 draw against the Charleston Battery last week, thanks to a late goal from Matthew Delicâte. The Independence garnered their first victory last week, defeating Louisville City FC, 1-0, at Transamerica Field. Patrick Slogic scored his first goal for a Charlotte side that has only managed five tallies this season. Before the draw against Charleston, Richmond's defense was stellar, posting four consecutive shutout victories. The Kickers have outscored their opponents 13-5 this season. (Preview; Video Preview)

Charleston Battery vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, Blackbaud Stadium

The Battery (4-0-2, 14 points) return to Blackbaud Stadium for the first time since April 18, and they managed a couple good road results in between. Charleston defeated Wilmington, 2-1, and most recently played the Richmond Kickers to a 2-2 draw. The Riverhounds (2-2-2, 8 points) have been hot and cold this season. Pittsburgh's two victories have featured five goals in each match against Harrisburg and Toronto, respectively. The Riverhounds are coming off a 3-2 road loss to the New York Red Bulls II. The bright spot of that match was Riverhounds midfielder Rob Vincent. He scored both goals and has had a stellar season with a league-leading six goals and 15 points. Vincent already has surpassed his 2014 scoring output of four goals in 26 games. (Preview)

Sacramento Republic FC vs. Seattle Sounders FC 2

Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, Bonney Field

Seattle and Sacramento meet for the second time this year, with S2 earning a dominant 4-2 victory on March 21, the opening day of the 2015 season. Republic FC, normally invincible at Bonney Field, lost its last match at home against Orange County Blues FC by a 2-1 margin. Sacramento followed that up with a 1-0 road loss to Real Monarchs SLC on April 29, and the current two-game losing streak matches the longest in the club's history. While Western Conference-leading S2 poses an obvious threat, Seattle has not had its success on the road thus far, posting a 0-2-1 record away from Starfire. (Preview; Republic FC Duo Braun, Lopez Displaying Guidance)

NEWS AND NOTES

- Louisville City FC has brought in forward Sidney Rivera, who is on loan from Major League Soccer partner Orlando City FC. Rivera was a fourth-round selection in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. (Louisville Adds Rivera)

- The New York Red Bulls II's Saturday match against the Harrisburg City Islanders will be their second-to-last regular season game at Red Bull Arena. NYRBII, which has gone 2-2-1 in its games at Red Bull Arena, will move to a new host site at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium on the campus of Columbia University later this month. (Preview)

- Austin Aztex head coach Paul Dalglish will face a familiar organization when his side faces Real Monarchs SLC on Saturday. Dalglish served as an assistant coach for Major League Soccer's Real Salt Lake last year. (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.

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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.


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