USL Championship & CPL round-up, April 20

Detroit City made it five wins out of five in the USL Championship on Saturday when they turned away Oakland Roots from Keyworth Stadium. Danny Dichio's side maintained their perfect start with an eighth minute long-range goal from Ben Morris getting things underway, Maxi Rodriguez adding a penalty to make it 2-0 on 27 minutes after Bryan Tamacas fouled Alex Villanueva in the box. Victor Bezerra made it three six minutes into the second-half following good work from the ever-busy Morris, and Justin Rassmussen's goal for the visitors six minutes later proved to be nothing more than a consolation in the end, Le Rouge worthy 3-1 winners. They sit third, although both of the teams above them have played more games, and both of whom won away on Saturday. Louisville City bounced back from defeat in their last game to win 1-0 at Loudoun United, a Florian Valot own goal in the 67th minute enough to give City the points despite United having the better of the game. Louisville are now second, behind a Charleston Battery team in fantastic form, FC Tulsa the latest victims of their relentless, attacking game on Saturday afternoon. MD Myers opened the scoring in the eighth minute with his fourth goal of the season, Battery making it two on the half-hour when Juan Torres got on the end of a fast break to shoot past Tulsa 'keeper Joey Roggeveen. The visitors' Aaron Molloy fouled Harvey St Clair in the Tulsa box six minutes later, Justin Portillo slotting home the resultant penalty, but that reduction in arrears lasted for just four minutes before Nick Markanich continued his terrific season to tap in after a Myers shot hit the post. The best of the second-half chances fell to Tulsa, with Alexander Dalou forcing a save out of Adam Grinwis, but it was Myers who had the last word, heading home with six minutes to go to give Battery a 4-1 win.

Hartford Athletic started the season with three wins from their first four games, a Friday night defeat away at North Carolina FC the only blot on their record so far, but the visit of 2022 USL_C winners San Antonio FC brought first class opposition to Connecticut for the first time this season. The visitors took the lead with the first chance of the game when Machop Choi headed home Lucas Silva's cross in the seventh minute, with Choi, Luke Haakenson, and Juan Agudelo all going close to extending in the following ten minutes. It was Hartford's ex-San Antonio man Markus Epps who got the second goal, though, levelling the scores when he slotted home following a fast-breaking move, and the teams went into the break at 1-1 despite further chances for Choi and a good effort from Deshane Beckford for the home side. Both sides had chances to take the lead as the game resumed, with Haakenson forcing a save out of Athletic 'keeper Paul Walters, but it was an own goal from Joey Akpunonu that eventually gave the Texans the lead with twelve minutes to go. Things got worse for Hartford when Joseph Farrell brought down Kameron Lacey, allowing Luis Solignac to score from the spot, and the 3-1 win might have slightly flattered the visitors but they were worth their win. The rebuilding job at The Miami FC seems to be taking longer than they'd have liked, extended by at least another week as they lost at home again, this time to Birmingham Legion at FIU Soccer Field (where at least the 1,000 in attendance were more visible and vocal than at the cavernous gridiron stadium next door). It took the home side 36 minutes to have a chance at goal, Legion 'keeper Fernando Delgado (deputising for the suspended Matt van Oekel) turning away Robert Molina's header, but it was the away side who had most of the game, eventually turning their domination into a goal when Stefano Pinho scored just past the hour from a quick break following a Miami attack. The Legion defence then closed the game out for the 1-0 win, leaving Miami head coach Antonio Nocerino scratching his head, wondering where to go next...

After winning USL League One last year, North Carolina FC have looked competitive in the higher division so far without pulling up too many trees. With that win over Hartford Athletic and three draws from their six games so far, they're not too far away from finding a winning formula but again came up short at home to New Mexico United on Saturday. A crowd of almost 2,000 were buoyed when Julian Placias was found by Collin Martin and put the home side ahead, but that lead lasted for just two minutes before Paco Craig brought down Marco Micaletto in the box, Greg Hurst stepping up to score the penalty kick. North Carolina got their noses back in front nine minutes later when Ezra Armstrong headed in Rafa Mentzingen's cross, but United hit back almost immediately again, Hurst's second coming from a through ball from Arturo Astorga. Placias, Armstrong, and Louis Perez all had chances to put NCFC back in front either side of the half, but the game looked like it was heading for a draw when Sergio Rivas got New Mexico's third - and winning - goal. El Paso Locomotive have made a dreadful start to the season, drawing one and losing five of their six games before Saturday's visit to Tampa Bay Rowdies. Three of those defeats came at home and they were a better side on the road for much of last season, too, and so a trip to St Petersburg wasn't without some optimism of gaining a result. So it proved as they escaped with a 1-1 draw courtesy of a Francisco Nevarez goal - lofted over 'keeper Jordan Farr from inside the El Paso half - that gave them the lead in the 64th minute from before Manuel Arteaga equalised for the Rowdies with as much closer-ranged header nine minutes later.

With just one win so far this season since their switch to the Western Conference, Memphis 901 got off to the best possible start in their home tie with Monterey Bay FC, going a goal up in the first minute when Alex Lara scored an own goal. Unaccustomed to leading lately, 901 nevertheless held firm past the half-time break, even having chances through Bruno Lapa, Marlon, and Nighte Pickering to extend their lead. The Californian visitors began to turn up the pressure in the second-half, though, and went close through Carlos Guzman and Chase Boone before Tristan Trager was fouled by Mobi Fehr in the Memphis box, Trager himself firing home the penalty that resulted in the 68th minute. Monterey used that momentum to nudge ahead just two minutes later when Alex Lara made up for his earlier error with a header from a corner, Frank Yallop's side seeing out the game for a 2-1 away win. That was also the result at Cashman Field as Las Vegas Lights were beaten at home by expansion club Rhode Island FC, the Seals' first win in their franchise history. Solomon Asante brought a save out of visiting goalkeeper Jackson Lee in the twelfth minute but it was the visitors who took the lead, full-back Stephen Turnbull found by Noah Fuson in the centre of the box to notch his first goal for the club. Rhode Island doubled their advantage just before the break when Albert Dikwa's shot was blocked and Fuson fired home the loose ball, a 2-0 half-time lead slightly generous given the run of play. After the break, Lights came out on the attack and a Gennaro Nigro shot deflected out for a corner from which Valentin Noel headed in to reduce the gap to a single goal with 36 minutes left to play. Las Vegas substitute Khori Bennett forced two saves out of Lee in the closing stages but Rhode Island held on for a historic victory.

It was played five, lost five for Colorado Springs Switchbacks ahead of the visit of Indy Eleven to Weidner Field, a disappointing run for a side usually found in much higher altitudes in the Western Conference. Any nerves they might have been feeling were probably settled three minutes in when Ronaldo Damus headed them in front, the sides them trading chances,  with Indy 'keeper Hunter Sulte making a superb save from Damus just before the half-hour. That save looked even more important two minutes later when Indy's Aidan Stanley crossed in for Romario Williams to head an equaliser, and that was how it stayed, despite Wahab Ackwei's red card for the hosts, mostly thanks to some good saves from Christian Herrera in the Switchbacks goal. By the time Orange County SC and Sacramento Republic took the field at Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine, only one of the preceding ten matches had resulted in a home win, and OC must have felt an extra touch of trepidation to that usually felt when facing USL-C powerhouses Sacramento. Still, they'd been every bit as good as the visitors over six games so far this season and thus Trevor Amann's first minute headed opener for Republic must have been a shock. It was a game of few chances after that, with OC having just one shot on target to a total of three for the visitors, one of which resulted in Republic's second goal, a left-footed strike from Aldair Sanchez in the 25th minute. The 2-0 win took Sacramento top of the Western Conference in their own right, having shared that honour with OC of late, and the addition of Amann looks like turning perennial nearly men into serious title contenders this season.

The final game of the USL-C weekend saw defending champions Phoenix Rising welcome a winless Pittsburgh Riverhounds to Arizona, with the visitors recording two draws in their last two games after three straight defeats. Rising haven't exactly been in stellar form themselves but did manage to win at home last week, even if it was only against Colorado Springs Switchbacks. Riverhounds have struggled since 2023 USL-C MVP Albert Dikwa moved to Rhode Island FC over the winter, with Kaziah Sterling - brought in as a replacement from USL League One's South Georgia Tormenta - scoreless in his first three games in a Pittsburgh shirt. Of course it was Sterling, then, that opened the scoring for the away side, turning in a smart pass from Edward Kizza to give Pittsburgh a lead in the 26th minute, an advantage that lasted just two minutes before Remi Cabral levelled for the champions. Sterling had a good chance of a second a minute later, and then a very good chance of a second a minute into the second-half when he stepped up to take a penalty awarded by referee Brad Jensen for  handball for Papa Boye. Unfortunately, he skied it over the bar but picked himself to go close on the hour, his effort and a follow-up from Junior Etou saved by Rising 'keeper Rocco Rios Novo. Pittsburgh's pressure told, though, when Kizza grabbed the Riverhounds' second on 62 minutes and although Junior Azacar and Dariusz Formella came close to levelling just after, it was the visitors who rode the game out, adding a third from substitute Babacar Diene for good measure in the 90th minute.

Week two in the Canadian Premier League started early as Vancouver FC made it two out of two against HFX Wanderers on Thursday night, Rocco Romeo and Alejandro Diaz Liceaga with the goals in front of 2,702 fans at Willoughby Community Park in Langley. Action also came from British Columbia on Friday night, where Pacific FC also added another win to their opening day triumph on Vancouver Island, this time defeating Winnipeg's Valour FC 2-0 at Starlight Stadium. 2,851 were in attendance to see Josh Heard open the scoring just after the break, the win confirmed by a Sean Young goal on his 100th CPL appearance. Honours were shared in the nation's capital on saturday afternoon, where Atletico Ottawa and Calgary's Cavalry FC played out a 1-1 draw at TD Place. The week's biggest crowd of 4.569 came out for a clash of two sides sure to have a say in the play-offs come season's end, Amer Didic opening the scoring for Atletico just after half-time, only for a Kris Twardek own goal to earn the visitors a share of the points. The weekend's final game was the Sunday afternoon Ontario derby between York United and Forge FC at York Lions Stadium in suburban Toronto. Having won four of the last five titles, Forge look every bit like they intend to make it five out of six and joined Vancouver and Pacific at the top of the table with six points from six. Despite some good attacking play from the Nine Stripes of York, it was Forge who scored all three goals on the night, a single from Beni Badibanga and a brace from David Choiniere ensuring all three points went back to Hamilton.