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USL United Soccer League Championship

USL passes two million attendance, regular season enters final week

October 10, 2017 - United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release


TAMPA, Fla. - The United Soccer League, one of the most prominent Division II leagues in the world, enters the final week of the 2017 regular season having become the first Division II league in North American history to have surpassed two million total attendance. Three playoff positions are still available as four teams get set to battle for the final tickets to the 2017 USL Cup Playoffs in the next six days. With Real Monarchs SLC having claimed the USL Regular Season Championship on Saturday night, attention will focus on the Eastern Conference's Bethlehem Steel FC, New York Red Bulls II, FC Cincinnati and Orlando City B over the coming days, as they determine who's in and who's out when the postseason arrives next week. Here are the USL essentials for the week ahead:

11 THINGS TO KNOW:

In the USL's 11 Things to Know, Nicholas Murray looks at a historic achievement for the USL, its world-class ownership groups and its fans after Sunday's attendance milestone, the remarkable achievement of Real Monarchs SLC - who went from missing the playoffs in the club's first two seasons to claiming a championship in its third - and a side in Louisville City FC that could give the Monarchs and the rest of the postseason field more than a run for their money with a squad that has strength in numbers.

All 480 regular-season games, the 2017 USL Cup Playoffs and the 2017 USL Cup Final can be accessed via USLSoccer.com's Match Center: http://www.uslsoccer.com/match-center

RACE FOR THE PLAYOFFS

There are three places left available in the USL Cup Playoffs and four Eastern Conference teams in contention to fill them. Here's a breakdown of what to watch for in the remaining week of the season for all four teams:

- New York Red Bulls II (6th place, 13-13-5, 44pts): The Red Bulls II's dramatic 6-5 victory against Orlando City B put the side within a point of clinching a place in the playoffs for a third consecutive season. A positive result against the Rochester Rhinos would put the defending USL Cup champion into the postseason, but the side could clinch a berth prior to that should OCB fail to take victory on Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

- Bethlehem Steel FC (7th place, 12-11-7, 43pts): Steel FC can book its playoff place with a win on Tuesday night when it visits the Rochester Rhinos, and that would also give Bethlehem an outside chance at a top-four finish. Should it earn a draw, Steel FC would clinch a playoff berth with either a draw or loss for Orlando City B on Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Rowdies or a win or a draw against Saint Louis FC on Sunday in Bethlehem's home finale.

- FC Cincinnati (8th place, 11-10-10, 43pts): Cincinnati missed its chance to claim a playoff place as it was blown out 4-0 by Ottawa Fury FC on Sunday afternoon. Now, FCC will wait to see the Tampa Bay Rowdies can either defeat or earn a draw against Orlando City B on Thursday. If OCB fails to take victory, Cincinnati is into the playoffs. If Orlando wins, Cincinnati would need to take victory on Saturday night against Toronto FC II at the Ontario Soccer Centre.

- Orlando City B (9th place, 10-9-12, 42pts): Orlando's game with the Tampa Bay Rowdies is arguably the biggest game of the final week, with OCB needing victory to keep its playoff hopes alive and Tampa Bay needing victory to give it a chance of a second-place finish. If Orlando fails to take victory, though, all three of New York, Bethlehem and Cincinnati will advance to the postseason regardless of their results this weekend.

USL WEEK 30 SCHEDULE | RAPID-FIRE PREVIEWS:

Games in order of kickoff times (ET); host team listed first

Tuesday, October 10

Rochester Rhinos vs. Bethlehem Steel FC, 7:05 p.m. ET (Match Center): At Capelli Sport Stadium in Rochester, N.Y., the Rhinos (12-7-11, 47 points) and Steel FC (12-11-7, 43 points) both need victory in the USL Game of the Week on ESPN3, with the Rhinos hoping to keep their bid for a second-place finish alive and Bethlehem looking to clinch a playoff place while also opening up a chance at a home playoff game. The Rhinos took a 2-0 victory against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in their last outing, scoring twice in the opening 15 minutes to break a six-game winless streak and move within a point of the Charlotte Independence with a game in hand. Steel FC also took victory in its last outing, defeating Toronto FC II 4-2 last Friday night, as Santi Moar had two goals and one assist. Bethlehem would move within a point of the Rhinos with a win on the road and set up the chance to host the club's first playoff game on the weekend. (#ROCvBST) Wednesday, October 11

San Antonio FC vs. Portland Timbers 2, 8:30 p.m. ET (Match Center): At Toyota Field in San Antonio, SAFC (15-4-11, 56 points) will try to move into second place in the Western Conference when it plays host to T2 (3-21-6, 15 points) in a game that was rescheduled from Aug. 26 due to the threat of Hurricane Harvey. San Antonio enters the contest two points behind second-place Reno 1868 FC but will make up its game in hand on Wednesday night. SAFC grabbed a late 1-1 draw on Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, as Ever Guzman scored his first goal for the club with an 88th-minute equalizer. Portland remains on the bottom of the Western Conference and suffered a late 3-2 defeat on Saturday night to the LA Galaxy II to continue its tough season. (#SAvPOR) Swope Park Rangers vs. Seattle Sounders FC 2, 8:30 p.m. ET (Match Center): At Children's Mercy Victory Field in Kansas City, Mo., Swope Park (16-8-7, 55 points) will try to clinch a home playoff game to open the USL Cup Playoffs when it takes on Seattle Sounders FC 2 (9-17-4, 31 points) in the Rangers' regular-season finale. Swope Park fell 4-1 to OKC Energy FC on Sunday as it missed out on the chance to remain in the hunt for a second-place finish. It now needs to take victory against S2 or risk dropping to fifth in the standings behind Phoenix Rising FC. Seattle is coming in with little to play for except pride after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Tulsa Roughnecks FC on Saturday in the first game of its three-game road trip to end the regular season. (#SPRvSEA) Thursday, October 12

Orlando City B vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies, 7:30 p.m. ET (Match Center): At Orlando City Stadium in Orlando, Fla., OCB (10-9-12, 42 points) faces a must-win contest to keep its playoff hopes alive when it takes on its I-4 Derby rivals the Rowdies (13-7-11, 50 points) in the regular-season finale for both clubs. Orlando fell into ninth place in the Eastern Conference after a wild 6-5 defeat to the New York Red Bulls II on Saturday night, and with only 10 wins on the regular season, it must take victory to move into one of the final three places available in the Eastern Conference playoff field. Tampa Bay has plenty on the line as well, though, as it sits in third place, one point behind the Charleston Battery, going into the final week of the regular season. With a win, the Rowdies would move back into second place and put pressure on the Battery to match their result when they take on the Charlotte Independence on the road on Saturday night. (#ORLvTBR) Friday, October 13

Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 vs. Orange County SC, 10 p.m. ET (Match Center): At Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver, WFC2 (5-17-9, 24 points) and Orange County (10-11-10, 40 points) will close out their 2017 seasons with only pride on the line after OCSC's elimination from playoff contention this past weekend. Orange County's 4-1 loss to Reno 1868 FC on Saturday brought an end to the club's bid for a third consecutive playoff berth. Vancouver has been out of the playoff race for longer but did earn a 1-1 draw with Real Monarchs SLC in its last outing, and it will try to end the season on a high note in front of its home fans. (#VANvOC) Saturday, October 14

Rochester Rhinos vs. New York Red Bulls II, 6:05 p.m. ET (Match Center): At Capelli Sport Stadium in Rochester, N.Y., the Rhinos take to the field for the second time this season to take on the Red Bulls II (13-13-5, 44 points), who may still need a draw to guarantee their place in the postseason. New York will have a keen eye on Thursday night's game between Orlando City B and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, and it would claim a playoff place if the Rowdies either take victory or secure a draw against OCB. Should Orlando take victory, however, New York would need a draw to earn its place in the playoffs against a Rhinos side that will be hoping for an Orlando win to open up its chance of finishing second in the Eastern Conference at the end of the regular season. (#ROCvNY) Charlotte Independence vs. Charleston Battery, 7 p.m. ET (Match Center): At the Sportsplex at Matthews, N.C., the Independence (13-9-9, 48 points) could need a victory against the Battery (14-8-9, 51 points) to earn a home playoff game for the first time in club history in a contest that will play a key role in shaping the top four in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is on a four-game losing streak after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Louisville City FC this past Saturday, which has put its top-four position under threat from the Rochester Rhinos. The Battery, meanwhile, could be looking at needing a victory to remain in second place in the standings. Should the Tampa Bay Rowdies take victory on Thursday night against Orlando City B, Charleston would need to match the result to give itself a chance at hosting two playoff games. (#CLTvCHS) Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs. Ottawa Fury FC, 7 p.m. ET (Match Center): At Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, the Riverhounds (8-12-11, 35 points) and Fury FC (8-10-13, 37 points) will look to close out their 2017 campaigns on a positive note after both having been eliminated from playoff contention. The Riverhounds suffered a 2-0 defeat to the Rochester Rhinos this past Saturday and will be looking to rebound strongly in front of their home fans. Fury FC put in a stellar performance in a 4-0 win against FC Cincinnati at TD Place this past Sunday in its home finale and could carry that momentum into its final game of the regular season. (#PGHvOTT) Louisville City FC vs. Richmond Kickers, 7:30 p.m. ET (Match Center): At Slugger Field in Louisville, Ky., Eastern Conference No. 1 seed Louisville (17-6-8, 59 points) will try to carry the positive momentum from its most recent outing into the playoffs when it hosts the Kickers (8-15-8, 32 points). City took a 2-1 victory against the Charlotte Independence on Saturday night to end a three-game winless streak as George Davis IV and Kyle Smith found the net. The Kickers also put in a positive performance as they defeated Saint Louis FC 1-0 this past Saturday and will look to end their season on a high note against the Eastern Conference leader. (#LOUvRIC) Toronto FC II vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. ET (Match Center): At the Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan, Ontario, Cincinnati (11-10-10, 43 points) could have to earn a result to secure its place in the playoffs when it visits Toronto (6-18-7, 25 points) in its regular season finale. Opening the week in eighth place, FCC will have an eye on Thursday night's clash between Orlando City B and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, with a Rowdies victory or a draw securing a place in the playoffs for Cincinnati. Should Orlando take victory, however, Cincinnati would need to take a win as well to book a playoff berth. Toronto fell in its most recent outing, 4-2 to Bethlehem Steel FC this past Friday night, but has recently taken victory against Louisville City FC and can't be underestimated on home turf. (#TORvCIN) Tulsa Roughnecks FC vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, 8 p.m. ET (Match Center): At ONEOK Field in Tulsa, Okla., the Roughnecks (14-13-4, 46 points) will try to hold onto sixth place in the Western Conference with a victory against the Switchbacks (11-12-8, 41 points) in the side's home finale. Sitting level on points with seventh-place OKC Energy FC, but holding the total wins tiebreaker, Tulsa will finish sixth in the standings with a victory against the Switchbacks. Should Colorado Springs either earn a draw or take victory, the Roughnecks could drop to the No. 8 seed with both Energy FC and Sacramento Republic FC - which sits one point back - having the chance to overtake. The Switchbacks were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention this past weekend but will still want to end their regular season on a high note on the road. (#TULvCOS) San Antonio FC vs. Rio Grande Valley FC, 8:30 p.m. ET (Match Center): At Toyota Field in San Antonio, Texas, SAFC will return to action for its regular-season finale looking to close out with a victory as it continues its pursuit of second place in the Western Conference. In its way is South Texas Derby rival Rio Grande Valley (9-14-8, 35 points), which will be hoping to emulate its 1-0 victory in its first trip to Toyota Field this season on Sept. 23. Should the Toros either take victory, or earn a draw, it would open the door for Reno 1868 FC to remain in second place in the Western Conference later on Saturday night. (#SAvRGV) Real Monarchs SLC vs. LA Galaxy II, 9 p.m. ET (Match Center): At Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, the Monarchs (19-5-7, 64 points) close out the regular season having clinched the USL Regular Season Championship, making getting through its regular-season finale healthy and Chandler Hoffman's pursuit of the USL Golden Boot the two potential focuses for the side when it hosts Los Dos (8-18-5, 29 points). The Galaxy II are coming off a dramatic 3-2 victory against the Portland Timbers 2 this past Saturday night but have conceded the most goals in the USL this season (62). With Hoffman entering the weekend two goals back of Reno 1868 FC's Dane Kelly for the Golden Boot, creating chances for the Monarchs' leading scorer to try and overtake that mark could be something to watch for from Real. (#SLCvLA) Reno 1868 FC vs. Sacramento Republic FC, 10 p.m. ET (Match Center): At Greater Nevada Field in Reno, Nev., 1868 FC (17-7-7, 58 points) and Republic FC (13-12-6, 45 points) meet in the final Donner Pass Derby of the season with Reno hoping to have a chance at the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and Sacramento looking to move out of the No. 8 seed. Reno has taken victory in each of the previous two regular-season meetings between the clubs this season, although Sacramento won when they met in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Coming off a 4-1 win against Orange County SC this past Saturday, 1868 FC will be hoping for San Antonio to fail to take victory in either of its games in the final week of the season, which would open the door for Reno to earn second place in the standings. Sacramento would move into sixth place should it take victory and both Tulsa Roughnecks FC and OKC Energy FC draw or lose in their regular season finales. (#RNOvSAC) Phoenix Rising FC vs. Portland Timbers 2, 10:30 p.m. ET (Match Center): At the Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex in Phoenix, Rising FC (16-8-7, 55 points) will be hoping the door is open to a home playoff game when it takes on T2, which heads to Phoenix after its visit to San Antonio FC in midweek. Rising FC sits level on points with the fourth-place Swope Park Rangers going into the final week of the regular season, with the teams sitting on identical records but with Swope Park (+17) holding a substantial advantage over Phoenix (+10) in goal differential. Should the Rangers win on Wednesday night against Seattle Sounders FC 2 in their regular-season finale, Rising FC would need to not only win but make up the goal differential margin to jump Swope Park in the standings. If the Rangers fail to take victory, however, the door would open wide for Phoenix to move into the top four as it hosts the last-place side in the West. (#PHXvPOR) Sunday, October 15

Bethlehem Steel FC vs. Saint Louis FC, 3 p.m. ET (Match Center): At Goodman Stadium in Bethlehem, Pa., Steel FC will be hoping to have already clinched a playoff place earlier in the week by the time it takes on Saint Louis (9-14-8, 35 points), but it will also know whether the chance at a top-four finish is also available by the time the action kicks off. Saint Louis will complete a third consecutive season that will not see the club reach the postseason on Sunday, looking to end matters on a positive note after suffering a 1-0 loss to the Richmond Kickers in its home finale this past Saturday night. (#BSTvSTL) OKC Energy FC vs. Seattle Sounders FC 2, 6 p.m. ET (Match Center): At Taft Stadium in Oklahoma City, Energy FC (13-11-7, 46 points) will hope the chance to move into sixth place in the Western Conference is available when it takes on S2 in its home finale. Coming off a 4-1 victory against the Swope Park Rangers, which gave OKC four wins in its last five games, Energy FC is level on points with sixth-place Tulsa Roughnecks FC going into the final weekend of the regular season. Should the Roughnecks fail to take victory against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Saturday night, the opportunity would open for OKC to bump up its seed one position with a win in its home finale. (#OKCvSEA) USL WEEK 29 RESULTS:

Wednesday, Oct. 4

Orange County SC 3, Sacramento Republic FC 1 Phoenix Rising FC 4, Tulsa Roughnecks FC 3 Tampa Bay Rowdies 3, New York Red Bulls II 2 Friday, Oct. 6

Bethlehem Steel FC 4, Toronto FC II 2 Saturday, Oct. 7

Charleston Battery 4, Harrisburg City Islanders 0 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 1, Sacramento Republic FC 0 LA Galaxy II 3, Portland Timbers 2 (2) Louisville City FC 2, Charlotte Independence 1 New York Red Bulls II 6, Orlando City B 5 Phoenix Rising FC 2, Rio Grande Valley FC 0 Real Monarchs SLC 1, Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 (1) Reno 1868 FC 4, Orange County SC 1 Richmond Kickers 1, Saint Louis FC 0 Rochester Rhinos 2, Pittsburgh Riverhounds 0 San Antonio FC 1, Tampa Bay Rowdies 1 Tulsa Roughnecks FC 1, Seattle Sounders FC 2 (0) Sunday, Oct. 8

OKC Energy FC 4, Swope Park Rangers 1 Ottawa Fury FC 4, FC Cincinnati 0 2017 USL MEDIA RESOURCES:

Visit the 2017 USL Media Resources section on USLSoccer.com for the league media guide, media contacts and the league's press kit: http://www.uslsoccer.com/media-resources

Check out the United Soccer League Championship Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from October 10, 2017


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