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After a full slate of matches, here is everything that went down from the Week 21.
East Scores
| HOME | AWAY | |
| FC Montreal | 4-1 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds |
| Louisville City FC | 1-1 | Harrisburg City Islanders |
| New York Red Bulls II | 5-1 | Orlando City B |
| Charlotte Independence | 1-0 | Wilmington Hammerheads FC |
| Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 2-1 | Bethlehem Steel FC |
| Richmond Kickers | 1-1 | FC Cincinnati |
| Charleston Battery | 1-3 | FC Montreal |
| Louisville City FC | 1-1 | Rochester Rhinos |
| Toronto FC II | 0-1 | Harrisburg City Islanders |
West Scores
| Home | Away | |
| Real Monarchs SLC | 0-0 | Colorado Springs |
| Whitecaps 2 | 0-1 | Orange County Blues FC |
| Colorado Springs | 1-0 | Tulsa Roughnecks FC |
| RGVFC Toros | 6-0 | Sounders 2 |
| Saint Louis FC | 3-4 | Sacramento Republic FC |
| OKC Energy FC | 0-0 | LA Galaxy II |
| Real Monarchs SLC | 1-0 | Swope Park Rangers |
| Arizona United SC | 1-0 | San Antonio FC |
| Timbers 2 | 2-1 | Orange County Blues FC |
Five Stories
RGVFC Put on Offensive Clinic
Rio Grande Valley FC extended their shutout streak to six straight matches after a 6-0 victory against Sounders 2 on Saturday. Emilio Garcia recorded a brace in the dying moments of the first half, but the floodgates really opened in the second half, when RGVFC scored four goals. The Toros currently sit in the middle of the Western Conference playoff race and are within striking distance of the top four. Sounders 2 are only three points behind the final playoff spot and will look to regroup against San Antonio FC on Saturday.
High-Scoring Republic
In their highest scoring match of the season, Sacramento Republic held off a late surging Saint Louis FC for a 4-3 win. Goals were in abundance as Republic scored three times in the first 20 minutes. Matt LaGrassa and Tommy Thompson each posted two assists on the evening. Cameron Iwasa found the back of the net twice, adding to his team-leading goal tally. The win boosted Republic into second in the Western Conference table. Saint Louis FC dropped out of a playoff spot with the loss and now find themselves in tenth.
FC Montreal Post Successive Wins
After struggling for most of the year, FC Montreal has started a hot streak and have won two consecutive matches. They opened the week by defeating fellow cellar dweller, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 4-1. They continued to show their offensive prowess with a 3-1 road win over Charleston Battery on Saturday. Interestingly, FC Montreal scored more goals in these two matches than they did through their first ten games this season. Anthony Jackson-Hamel and Jean Ballo Tabla were stand-out stars for the Quebec club, both recording a goal in each match. Do not be surprised if FC Montreal go on a run towards the season's end.
NYRBII Win Big, Again
After ending July on a sour note, New York Red Bulls II made sure to start August on the right foot. After their big victory 5-0 over Harrisburg last week, the Baby Bulls scored five goals once again during their rout of Orlando City B, on Friday night. Over the past two matches, NYRBII have outscored opponents 10-1 and have found the back of the net in seven consecutive matches. The recent success has pushed the Baby Bulls to tie at the top of East.
Another developing story to follow for the rest of the season will be the trials of Video Assistant Referees, or VAR, who made their debut during the NYRBII v Orlando City B match. VARs will work closely with on-field officials for video reviews and VAR testing trials will be conducted in each of the Baby Bulls' five final home matches this season.
Points Shared in Richmond
A clash between top clubs in the East ended with the points being shared as Richmond played to a 1-1 draw with FC Cincinnati. The Kickers opened the scoring with a Sunny Jane goal in the 63rd minute. FC Cincinnati's Andrew Weideman found the back of the net off a free kick in the 80th minute to tie the match. While the draw brought an end to Richmond's six match winning streak, the Kickers remain unbeaten through seven and have only two losses in their last ten. FC Cincinnati added to their recent good form by extending their own unbeaten streak to four, and have now scored a goal in each of the last eight matches.
East Standings
| Club | GP | PTS |
| New York Red Bulls II | 22 | 47 |
| Louisville City FC | 24 | 47 |
| FC Cincinnati | 22 | 42 |
| Richmond Kickers | 23 | 39 |
| Charleston Battery | 22 | 37 |
| Charlotte Independence | 22 | 36 |
| Rochester Rhinos | 23 | 36 |
| Orlando City B | 22 | 31 |
| Bethlehem Steel FC | 23 | 26 |
| Harrisburg City Islanders | 25 | 25 |
| Wilmington Hammerheads FC | 22 | 24 |
| Toronto FC II | 25 | 23 |
| Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 22 | 16 |
| FC Montreal | 23 | 13 |
The plot thickens at the top as Louisville, after weeks of being in sole possession of the table lead, now sit even with New York Red Bulls II at 47 points each. Seeing as Louisville and NYRBII hold a five point advantage over third place FC Cincinnati, this Friday's match between the two teams could decide the fate of Eastern Conference leader.
West Standings
| Club | GP | Pts |
| Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | 23 | 37 |
| Sacramento Republic FC | 23 | 37 |
| Whitecaps 2 | 23 | 37 |
| LA Galaxy II | 22 | 36 |
| OKC Energy FC | 21 | 34 |
| Rio Grande Valley FC | 22 | 33 |
| Orange County Blues FC | 24 | 31 |
| Arizona United SC | 22 | 30 |
| Swope Park Rangers | 22 | 29 |
| Saint Louis FC | 23 | 28 |
| Seattle Sounders 2 | 23 | 27 |
| Real Monarchs SLC | 23 | 26 |
| Portland Timbers 2 | 22 | 25 |
| San Antonio FC | 21 | 25 |
| Tulsa Roughnecks FC | 22 | 18 |
The week ends with a three-way tie at the top of the table, with Switchbacks, Republic, and Whitecaps 2 each with 37 points. Los Dos stay close to the top, sitting only a point behind the top three. The race for the final playoff spots remains very tight, with spots seven through ten only separated by four points.
What are your thoughts on the recent week of USL action? Are there any stories we missed? Let us know in the comments below!