Welcome to sdh's coverage of everything going on USL Championship. It is backward forward week at a time. We'll go back over the last seven days. Get you ready for the next seven days. We've got news, matches of the week, all the material you need to keep you prepped and prepared for activity in the second division in the United States. All right, let's get into the week that was in USL Championship since we were officially a Daly zone. Get
you into the match of the week as well. When it came to the last weekend, in the last days of August, literally it was everybody line up on Saturday, there'll be a test in a bit. Early match had Pioneer Oakland over New Mexico United one nil one one. Detroit City and Hartford Athletic tied at Keyworth at the MIC same score, India eleven in Pittsburgh South Day Key You Field at pitt Bull Stadium. The MIAMIFC gets the win over Monterey Bay a long time that Miami had
not gotten a win on the board. Full points at home with the name change of the home field in Boca Raton on the campus of Florida International University, so that gets us to wake med match number one of our review of USL Championship. And if you've got a seat belt, find it. Make sure that you're locked in tray tables to their full upright and locked positions. Loose
City visiting North Carolina, Dean Linky on the call. Here's your highlights courtesy of our friends at USL Championship, ESPN Plus and YouTube.
Man, here we go USL Championship to have Louisville City FC.
Yeah, certainly a home, Dean, but they're a way for no, no, no one near. I was good, good opportunity here for Louisville City FC. But that shot right there coming from Dabola, the man that you feature before we boarded, it.
Was great to get to talk to everybody football.
Played in by Louisville City FC.
Back across saying sky In it was the sitter right there, make an excellent point. For some reason, Maldonado's like it's gonna wave off the Costa.
He's not, though, the Costa's gonna finish. And how about North Carolina f C da Costa with a wonderful wow.
Just as you were saying, Dean, you had a feeling today that Roderie, the coach that was gonna.
Score a boy, were you right? Look what it means to him.
Unbelievable free kick, obsolute perfection, up and over the wall, whips it pace, no chance, but Damien Loss in the goal for Louisville and the Brazilian boy the Costa in this pace, Alex Hederson Junior Loss comes.
Out a little reckless, still loose. Alex Henderson Junior is the blended of the line.
Rapha can't do anything with it and had still one zero after all of that.
Another cornerkick coming wide open.
Tapper in that easy when you come out and you don't get it and you leave Jansen Wilson wide open, that's how you can tie this game.
Up pretty quickly. And that's what's happened. We're tied at one one. Congratulations to Louisville City FC.
That's gonna take it out and I think last got his hand on it as it bounced.
Up or it was going in.
Another beautiful free kicks and it'll be the September can you believe it?
And then they'll go to the next station September. Can you believe it? Left side? Ezra Armstrong, Ezra good Weight on.
Itc Alex Henderson.
Whipped across, headed first by Rafa as Armstrong goes off his five sent back into the it's in deflexted goal and McGuire can't get to it.
I think it went off, Craig, and it's too too.
We'll take another look at it.
Was it, Craig, Yeah, he counts him trying to get He's having to keep it out and in unvertently steered.
Into the still loose and another sitter. It was.
Yeah, they're gonna count it, and it's the second sitter right there for Jansen Wilson that somehow just sneaks through.
And there's Jansen Wilson all of a sudden, he got a little bit cloudy, but he's still elbows would bother middle Martin. Martin with a chance drop.
Back over the Costa Da Costa.
Keeps it whom bicycle kick from Alex Anderson. I didn't want to say it because I'm starving. It's good food at Alpaca corner kick coming.
Flex Barbosas and Hall North Carolina c good.
Paco crack, get.
It back, Cossa, look at it, Ezra armshean it might have been a nutmeg Ezra Armstrong knows how to find Alex Anderson Junior, perhaps better than anybody on the team. Ezra Armstrong now drops it to Alex Anderson Jr.
Alexanderson Jr. Trying to find the angle.
Oy and go North Carolina. C Anderson pas two on, Oh what's And.
And another assist for Ezra Armstrong. Oh my goodness are they pointing spots like that? And a yellow card issued to Craig.
I think we'll get me into Washington now he's gone to Craig.
See it again?
Oh yeah, it's not a good sackle gets an awful amount of fun. Anytime you go to the ground is an offender. You're in trouble. You see, McFadden gets the bull first. It's a crunching tackle from Craig. Be nuts.
Here we go. Wilson Harris has tied at poor Poor Louisville City FC.
Penalty kick taken, penalty kick made. Wilson Harris ties it at four. Scene flag stays down.
The big opportunity here for.
Louisville CITYFC, and they'll finish it.
That's what they do. Louisville CITYFC has scored again. Wilson Harris with back to back goals.
He's got a brace and it's five four Louisville CITYFC on.
Top and here it is good play Lincoln play with mcfondain and Johnson wo.
Maldonado Te Costa has that one saved.
It's still loose top the eighteen. Craig gonna try to win it. He does that corner kick coming Louise CITYFC ed by Craig, shot from distance and in just like that, and I believe it's the hat trick. Wilson. Yes, Wilson with a hat trick. Jansen. Wilson's got three of the six. Incredible, absolutely incredible. Look at those loose city funds that made the.
Track down here Labor Day weekend corners.
Of course, problems all day long. Pack of Craig's had. Is it not a bad one?
Oh?
It flicks off the is off the pack of Paco Craig. Surely not. I think it is.
Oh my.
Jake McGuire was on the sight and that is the final whistle. What a game.
I cannot remember the last time we had a ten goal match to talk about. That was one of them. Keep that one in mind as the season goes a big win for lou City figuratively and literally on the road at wake met Also at Burn Rhode Island FC A two nil win over Birmingham Legion Phoenix Rising at Segra one nil winners over loud In United San Antonio Charleston Battery a one to one draw at Toyota Field
that gets us to our Western matchup. Vegas Lights, Orange County sc here's your highlights once again courtesy of our friends at the USL Championship ESPN Plus and you two.
Katarina cor Leva is the referee for this affair and the opening whistle, Orange County gets the first touch in black and Orange wats Vegas in the Whites. Big game, big game in the Western Conference.
That now you get dude players high up the field that billy to express themselves.
And for Las Vegas, just grand the ball. You want to play this game at your.
Speed, show solid step over whips, the cross sloping header goes over the top. Collin Shotler remains in goal for this Orange County team.
You just put the ball in the mixer, go win your battle. Tried on training, quick execute enough football.
Hey Gary drives inside as the option wide plays, Jamison cuts it through fall popped out to Zubac, lasted by Haygarth comes back out to kasimply hangs that in Subac run it down, so he's backs County is waiting it over five games for a goal. They've got it in eleven minutes.
Fantastic stuff from Orange County, starting with Hayguard.
The patience to let Jamison come.
Around the corner. Top priority there, so make your defender engage. But as this ball comes back across, you don't turn off mentally fantastic technique Premka simply, but it's a clever finish from Zubac Number one. To keep yourself on side is one thing. It's a completely different thing to have the caliber of Danny stones in number one transition into the Western Conference. But he has to understand that it's a great.
Poll ball op Dan Zuebach pulled in by a ross arena.
You've had success, You've.
Been aligns with smart. Dunbar continues, now drives the cross, Hayguard is there, Haygard pulls through, pulls back across Sueba. Orange County is exercising demons. Nineteenth minute. It is two now off from zoe Bach.
Top class from Orange County and starting the build out of the back.
But look how.
Quickly they draw in this Las Vegas light side and they play wide. And now you're asking don Board to go one, be one and express himself. And you talk about confidence, the composure, the patience, So.
Let this play development.
In doing that, like now you afford the players around you to get into more advantageous opportunity. Chris Hagar, experienced player, understands if I continue my run and play wide, now I have every single player in a white jersey getting.
Through ball, good first stunts, plush from behind, penalty.
Charlie Adams into duty when it's a spacing from Valentine to well, that subtle movement he just takes a step.
To his left.
So now that pulls out the secondary defender with him. That opens up a windows.
Straight into Corey Bennet's feet. Fantastic for such as an attacker, but.
You just so between you. Corey Bennett scores set Shutler diving the wrong way and Las Vegas as they have all year, resilient right back in the miss totally remade. Now within two goals to one dunbar dunbar lashing knockdown a ross arena Noel taps this wide, flicks inside Noel. Noel went for goals. Shutler turned inside. That was beautiful football from Las Vegas, just all across. Still nobody there through again that her outside the post from Noel just
eight points off a franchise record. You'd have to take about a third of the remaining hall to do so. This drops in really kindly in behind Shuttler. It didn't go for Joo.
To throw off Joe jout.
Two back.
Soo back.
I was looking for a hat trick. Rosa Arena able to get down Dunbar don Bar leaves a man in his wake and for that near post didn't go.
And Gando good slip.
Ball of half equalizer Las Vegas better to two brace for Zoo Bac Bennett responds with the brace of his own to to It led them to the title. One of the most blistering runs in recent memory. Last year, when Shaplow was relieved, Carlson came in chance here Bennett held by Shutler. Scott comes high, sorto, get that right, You're a hero. Incredible all through and Gondo looping header. Shutler reached up for it.
Bend does really well, put enough power on it and Ben the right on top of the head and Joe Joll understand that I don't need to hit it hard.
Service to the top of the area. Ah, what a save.
Shutler lifts it over slide in nothing doing across and how did that steak inside? And fun Covil just his second appearance, bags his first Lights goal on the road and from two goals down, Vegas Lights and the San Diego native pulling the lights out of the doldrums.
Get just a bit too casual from Orange County trying to overcomplicate things that his ball comes back across. Really well done yet again from Charlie Adams, who's been the best player for the Las Vegas Lights. Hek over his right shoulder, a bit of an awkward deflection from knock him. But give credits. It's a credits to Covo. You put the bond in dangerous area and you get rewarded. Do you think at the last.
Master class Las Vegas in stoppage time Orange County does not get a snap. Las Vegas from two goals down accumulate another massive victory away a three two win over Orange County to continue their climb in the Western Conference.
So we had ten in the first match of the week, we had five. In the second match of the week, Vegas Light's a big win over Orange County in the West, so that gets us out of August and into September. And it was literally just the one match on Sunday to get you ready for Friday, September first switchbacks four to one winners over FC Tulsa. So that sets up the standings and how things are in USL Championship Prinks
Performance Standings presented by Prinks Tires. In the East, Low City two matches in hand on Charleston, they've got a three point lead fifty six to fifty three. Then Tampa Bay's at forty three points, just kind of hanging out right now in the three spot, five points clear of Detroit City at thirty eight. Rhode Island is now fifth after all of those draws early in the season eight five and thirteen, unbeaten in their last four, They're at
thirty seven points. Indy Eleven's at thirty six. They have lost two of three. They have lost three of five. Legion are at thirty five points, they've lost three in a row. Loud United's at thirty four points. They've hit each column once in the last three matches. Below the bar. Right now, it's Pittsburgh at thirty two points, unbeaten in their last five, but only one win in that stretch for thirty two points. North Carolina FC at thirty points.
They've lost two of three. All Right Ford Athletica is unbeaten in four of five. They're at twenty nine points. The MIAMIFC gets their third win of the season in their twenty sixth match three twenty one and two in a goal difference to minus thirty seven, and they are at eleven points. In the West, New Mexico United seven points clear at forty eight points, Sacramento forty one points, Roots unbeaten in five at forty Memphis nine ozho one.
They've hit each column once in their last three. They're thirty nine switchbacks at thirty eight. They've won two in a row. They have one more win than Vegas, who have ten wins in thirty eight points. FC Tulsa has lost two of three. They're in seventh place at thirty points, and the tiebreakers lean their way ahead of Phoenix, rising with identical records, in Phoenix having a better goal difference, but the tie breakers lean Tulsa's way head to head
points earned in regular season matches. That takes it to Tulsa over Phoenix right now in the seven. In the eight, Orange County is you're nine. They have lost four of five. They finally did score a goal as you heard in the Match of the week section of the show. Monterey beys at twenty eight points, one less win. San Antonio is at twenty five five points. They've hit each column once in their last three. In El Paso five point fifteen and five they have done the same thing. They've
hit the each column once in their last three. So that gets you your standings in the USL. So let's get into all of the news and what to watch and where to watch it all over a very very busy weekend. Player of the Month nominees USL Championship Player of the Month nominees for August Nick Merchanic, Corey Bennett from Vegas Lights, Mama dud Jang from Hartford Athletic, and Jansen Wilson for lou City. No real surprise in all
of those four. Six players to watch from the championship in League one in concor Cab Nations League as that is going on right now and it is very very cool to see how things have evolved in USL Championship in League one players getting call ups as we go. It's legaland the archer from Charleston for Trinidad and Tobago.
One Carlos Oberbont from Honduras and or one Carlos obergone Is for Charlotte Independence, Raiko Rosarina from Cuba for Vegas lights in between the sticks, Henriquez from El Salvador and his work with switchbacks, Nico Cardona from Puerto Rico with the MIAMIFC, and Christian Ortiz from the Dominican Republic going from a USL academy signing to the rowdies and now he is getting call ups for the Dominican Republic. It
is for the list of the full thirty. You have Burkina Fasso, Congo, Cuba, Curisau, Dominican Republic, two from L Salvador, Ethiopia, French Guiana, two from Grenada, one from Guinea Bissau, one from Haiti, two from Honduras, one from Jamaica, one from Malta and Jenigiankum from lex SC three from Puerto Rico, two from Rwanda, one from Sierra Leone, one from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Alexanderson. South Sudan gets one
with michop Chol from San Antonio. Trinidad and Tobago has five of the thirty in the USL, and the Virgin Islands have a j Ashua Ramos from South Georgia Tormenta, and they've got a couple that have getting their first call ups for their countries. Christian Ortiz for the Dominican Republic in Tampa Bay, Obergone for Charlotte for Honduras, Steven at Schevaria for Switchbacks for Puerto Rico. So really cool stuff involving collps this time around for senior international teams.
Monterey Bays brought back Christian Veleski for a second stint at the Club Monterey Bay, looking to shore things up as the run in as well underway. He had eighteen goals ten asists across all comps in the prior to seasons with Monterey Bay, but he gets the call back for the remainder of this season after performing with the Halifax Wanderers in the Canadian Premier League. It is his second stint with Monterey Bay. The transaction pending league and
Federation approval. Also on the board, Oakland Roots added veteran midfield to Rafa Baca, and Baca ends up helping Oakland Roots, or at least that is the hope anyway, that they will help out Oakland Roots. The former CRUs usul mainstay. After competing for Monterey Bay for a while, he is back pending league and Federation approval. So he goes from
Monterey Bay to Oakland Roots. And he started his professional career with San Jose, helping the team win the Supporter Shield in twenty twelve, then goes to krus Asoul nine years there and to help them out, spend some time once again with Monterey Bay, and now he is with Oakland for the remainder of the season, once again pending league and Federation approval. F C Tulsa has bolstered their
attack ending Matthew Belt on loan from RSL. That news also hitting over the last seven days, so once again, the first round selection of the twenty twenty four Super Draft All American at Marshall. Now he's going to help out FC Tulsa for the remainder of the twenty four season, pending league and Federation approval the number sixteen pick in
the Super draft after his career. Marshall All America first team MLS debut twenty minutes against Portland and Mario Sanchez is looking forward to seeing how things evolve with Bell as a part of the roster. So we'll keep an eye on all of that activity going forward and we'll
see where we are with Bell. Trying to keep FC Tulsa north of the playoff bar ifviewing guide for September four through seven, and we will do this for both the USL Championship and for League One, starting things off in the Championship on Friday, lou City in Loud United's on tuda Ena and ESPN plus Colossal Network. What can MIAMIFC do for an encore? We find out at the Lab nine o'clock Eastern time, Phoenix Rising hosting FC Tulsa late night at the corner of thirty eighth in Washington.
That's an ESPN two Saturday on the Plus Hartford and Indy, Pittsburgh and Rhode Island, Charleston and Sacramento, North Carolina and Oakland, Colorado Springs, Tampa Bay, El Paso and Detroit City, Monterey Bay and San Antonio FC League one Saturday, all the matchups on the Plus one, Knox hosting Charlotte, Chattanooga hosting Ford Madison, Union, Omaha hosting Greenville, Hailstorm hosting LEXSC Spokane,
Velocity hosting at Central Valley Fuego. So that's your rundown of all of the matches and where to catch all of them. We'll get into your juice boxes for the matches that have the juice boxes coming up, and we will analyze that as well. Here in the month of September, we mentioned all of the matchups on Friday, and we mentioned all the matchups on Saturday to get you into
the weekend and through the weekend. Next matchups are on Wednesday at eight o'clock at Protective Tampa Bay plays Birmingham, eight o'clock at Auto Zone, Memphis nine oh one hosting Hartford Athletic, and it is eight thirty at one oh k FC Tulsa and Vegas Lights. So that gets us into the juice box and what to watch for the activity in the championship. So we will catch all of the all the odds and let you know what's going on with juice boxes and so on. Traditionally, with our
friends at Odds Portal. It is a composite roughly twelve or thirteen separate purveyors, and they let you know what's going on, so we'll give you the favorites and if
there's anything that to kind of raise the eyebrow. On Friday, lou City of minus two seventeen hosting Loud another plus four sixty eight, New Mexico my minus five twenty six, the MIAMIFC north of one thousand to win outright, Phoenix Rising of minus one sixty nine hosting FC Tulsa, who's close to plus four hundred on your activity For Saturday, Hartford Athletic Indy eleven pretty much dead even within the
margin of era in and around plus one fifty. Either side draws a plus two forty five, Pittsburgh minus one o eight hosting Rhode Island at a plus two to eighty, Charleston minus one thirty nine hosting Sacramento at a plus three twenty six. Your draw option is a plus two sixty nine North Carolina minus one forty three hosting Roots
at plus three and a quarter. Colorado springs an underdog at home to Tampa Bay at a plus one sixty two, Tampa Bay at plus one thirty nine, your draws a plus two forty six, l Passol plus one twenty seven, hosting Detroit City at a plus one ninety five, and Monaey Bay and San Antonio. That one also is within the margin of ERA at a plus one fifty seven. So interesting matchups along the way for activity in USL
Championship over the next seven days. Once again, those three matches on your three matches in the midwek next week, you got to keep an eye on those. USL Championship dot Com is where you can pick up all the
information that you need on a daily basis. Also follow along on social media on the two hundred and eighty character app on the Facebook and on the IG the Instagram or the the ig the Instagram or the Graham either one of those three on social media and you can keep an eye on everything going on in USL Championship. Had a bit of a brain lock trying to remember the nickname for the Instagram. We mentioned Save of the
Week contenders. Once again, you can vote on Gold of the Week and Save of the Week and do that Monday through Thursday or Tuesday through Friday. You do that by going to USL Championship dot Com and voting for it. This week, it was a choice among Areena and Ribero from Hartford, Carlos Saldania from Detroit City, Matt van Okel first Save of the Week for Birmingham Legion, and Brandon
Gongora for San Antonio FC. So it was Roberto Saldonia, Van Okel Gongora for Save of the Week and it is looking like Brandon Gongora is running away with it at eighty one percent. Remember you can vote at USL Championship dot Com for Save of the Week Tuesday through Friday and Gold of Theek is Monday through Thursday every single week. But that was your Save of the Week
contenders for twenty six. Also on the board your Championship Power Rankings for week twenty six, and then the Goal of the Week since we mentioned Save of the Week, Goal of the Week contenders this past week or once again Monday through Thursday is where you vote. Rodrigo to Costa North Carolina FC. You heard that goal with Dean Linky, Danny Griffin from Pittsburgh, Mario Williams Fromandy eleven, Juan Da vid Torres from the Charleston Battery presented by Select, the
Official soccer Ball of the USL Championship. Power Rankings. We mentioned that for week twenty six in USL Championship, And remember this is power rankings. This is not any kind of like a ranking ranking or anything like that. Lu Citi's up two to number one, Charleston State at number two, which means New Mexico United had to drop to the three spot. Sacramento, Vegas, Rhode Island. I'll stay in lockstep
with each other. Oakland up three to ten or from ten to seven, up three, Tampa Bay stays at eight, Switchbacks up four to number nine, Loud and down three to number ten. Other big movers Memphis down three to twelve. North Carolina's down one, Pittsburgh, Detroit City and Hartford Athletics stay in place. Indy eleven up one to sixteen, Phoenix rising up two, which means FC Tulsa and Legion drop L Paso, Locomotive, San Antonio stay at twenty and twenty one.
Orange County and the MIAMIFC go up a spot one hundred and twenty six days after their last victory. The MIAMIFC Gota win, but then they get to head to New Mexico Monterey Bay down two to twenty four. Once again, that's power rankings that is not like actual rankings. Rankings that is pieced together at the league office, So that's
where that's where that information goes. If you are in the market and you want to follow along and catch up with your favorite USL Championship teams, please do so because once again you get to see the great talent that is there and see what their next steps are and their professional careers. If you are in market, can't make it, follow along on local providers and then what you can do is continue your support that way and
follow along on their social media platforms as well. And then if you are out of market, still want to keep an eye on things, what you do is you follow along on social media, You follow along on your favorite platform, and you catch up with us here at SDH every week and we let you know what's going on in USL Championship. That is another round of what's going on in USL Championship. The margins are kind of wide at the top spots, but the chase group really
getting closer. So that's your activity and your itinerary this week when it comes to the USL Championship. I'm just John. Thanks for dropping buys you always do to catch up everything with everything going on in USL Championship, Play safe, everybody, enjoy your games.