As the month of June draws to a close, let us take a look back at everything that happened in the USL this week.
Eastern Scores
HOME | AWAY | |
Harrisburg City Islanders | 2-3 | FC Montreal |
Louisville City FC | 4-1 | Toronto FC II |
Harrisburg City Islanders | 1-3 | Charlotte Independence |
Charleston Battery | 1-0 | Harrisburg City Islanders |
Rochester Rhinos | 2-1 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds |
Louisville City FC | 0-0 | FC Cincinnati |
FC Montreal | 1-3 | Orlando City B |
New York Red Bulls II | 4-0 | Wilmington Hammerheads FC |
Toronto FC II | 0-1 | Charleston Battery |
Western Scores
Home | Away | |
RGVFC Toros | 1-1 | Arizona United SC |
San Antonio FC | 3-2 | Orange County Blues |
LA Galaxy II | 2-0 | Tulsa Roughnecks FC |
OKC Energy FC | 1-1 | Whitecaps 2 |
Saint Louis FC | 1-0 | Timbers 2 |
Arizona United SC | 1-1 | Sacramento Republic FC |
Colorado Springs | 0-1 | Real Monarchs SLC |
Sounders 2 | 0-2 | Swope Park Rangers |
RGVFC Toros | 1-2 | Orange County Blues |
Five Stories
Scoreless in Louisville
Despite the build-up to the most anticipated match of the Eastern Conference thus far, the night ended with Louisville City and FC Cincinnati sharing the points in a scoreless draw. Both sides had their share of chances, but each failed to find the back of the net. This is the first scoreless draw in club history for FC Cincinnati. Expect another highly contested -- and hopefully high-scoring -- match at the end of July when these two meet again at Nippert Stadium.
Charlotte Moving Up
After going a month without a victory, Charlotte Independence have now won two in a row. Three second-half goals made the difference in their victory over Harrisburg early Saturday afternoon. The recent positive results have moved Charlotte into the top five of the Eastern Conference. July offers the promise of even more upward mobility, as four of Charlotte's next five matches are against clubs in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference.
Monarchs Defeat Rocky Mountain Rival
A pair a red cards from both sides highlighted Sunday's match between Real Monarchs and Colorado Springs Switchbacks. While it was a memorable one for the Monarchs, it was one to forget for Colorado Springs Switchbacks captain Luke Vercollone, who missed a potential equalizer from the penalty spot in second-half stoppage time. Watch for the rematch between these two sides on Wednesday. The Switchbacks will be looking to avenge the loss and Vercollone will want to make up for his penalty miss.
A Pair of Draws for Arizona United
With two games in four days, this past week was a busy one for Arizona United. First they played Rio Grande Valley FC Toros to a 1-1 draw in Texas on Wednesday, then they collapsed late and had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Sacramento Republic FC at home. Tyler Blackwood made a big impact for United, scoring in both the week's matches. Unbeaten in four and having scored a goal in their last seven, AZU will look to continue this momentum with their next five matches -- all against clubs from the bottom half of the Western Conference.
Blues Victory at the Death
It was a close match all the way to the end, but Orange County Blues were able to post their third win in five games thanks to a Didier Crettenand penalty in second-half stoppage time. The Blues face their in-state rivals, LA Galaxy II and Sacramento Republic in their next two matches and have a chance to move into the top four with a win in either match.
Eastern Conference Standings
Club | GP | PTS |
Louisville City FC | 16 | 35 |
New York Red Bulls II | 14 | 31 |
FC Cincinnati | 14 | 28 |
Charleston Battery | 15 | 27 |
Charlotte Independence | 14 | 24 |
Rochester Rhinos | 13 | 21 |
Orlando City B | 15 | 21 |
Richmond Kickers | 15 | 20 |
Bethlehem Steel FC | 14 | 18 |
Wilmington Hammerheads FC | 14 | 17 |
Harrisburg City Islanders | 16 | 13 |
Toronto FC II | 17 | 13 |
Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 13 | 9 |
FC Montreal | 15 | 7 |
The top six teams going undefeated this week means no movement near the top of the table. The bottom four also remain the same, with each side suffering at least one loss this past week. Thankfully there was some movement in the middle, with Orlando City B moving up to seventh after a win over FC Montreal and Wilmington dropping a spot after giving up four goals in a loss to New York Red Bulls II.
Western Conference Standings
Club | GP | Pts |
Whitecaps 2 | 15 | 29 |
LA Galaxy II | 16 | 26 |
Sacramento Republic FC | 14 | 25 |
COS Switchbacks FC | 13 | 23 |
Rio Grande Valley FC | 16 | 23 |
Saint Louis FC | 15 | 22 |
Orange County Blues | 15 | 21 |
OKC Energy FC | 12 | 20 |
Real Monarchs SLC | 16 | 19 |
Swope Park Rangers | 14 | 17 |
Timbers 2 | 16 | 17 |
San Antonio FC | 14 | 17 |
Arizona United SC | 14 | 17 |
Sounders 2 | 15 | 13 |
Tulsa Roughnecks FC | 14 | 8 |
Whitecaps 2 hold their top spot for another week, with Los Dos and Republic rounding out the top three. Orange County moves up to seventh after a last-second goal gave them all three points over RGVFC. 10th through 13th are all level at 17 points, but Timbers 2 have played two more matches than the others. There was no change at the bottom of the table, with Sounders 2 and Tulsa both suffering yet another loss.
What are your thoughts on the recent week of USL action? Which stories did we miss? Let us know in the comments below!