USL Championship & CPL previews, June 1-2

The USL Championship weekend gets underway with a quartet of midnight kick-offs on Saturday night (all times BST) , the pick of which seems to be Indy Eleven's visit to Highmark Stadium, home of a misfiring Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Riverhounds won the USL Championship Shield last year for the best overall record in regular season play, but then lost five of their starting eleven over the winter and have never really recovered. Indy, meanwhile, are on a run of seven consecutive victories and, such are the changed fortunes of the teams this year, it wouldn't be surprise to see them make it eight. Indy sit third in the Eastern Conference, one place behind Louisville City, who follow up their midweek demolition of Detroit City with a visit to struggling The Miami FC. With goals coming from just about everywhere, but especially from Wilson Harris, Los Morados should have no trouble carving through a vulnerable Miami defence and win will take them top. Loudoun United have enjoyed some great results recently, but they all seem to have come out West. They're at home this week to an FC Tulsa side that have won just two of their ten games so far this season and look very beatable, especially on the road. The final midnight kick-off comes from Connecticut, where a first ever New England derby between Hartford Athletic and Rhode Island FC should have some spice to it. Hartford beat Monterey Bay FC last week, while the Seals managed to hold Louisville City to a scoreless draw, and the teams are evenly matched, separated by just a couple of league points.

The next clutch of games comes at 2am, with Memphis 901's visit to San Antonio FC looking like the game to tune in to (all USL games are shown live on the USL YouTube channel). 901 have won four of their last five in the league and sent Pittsburgh Riverhounds away on the end of a 2-0 defeat last time out, while San Antonio are having an underpar season by their lofty standards. Still, a home win would change all that in a heartbeat and you can expect Alen Marcina's side to be up for the challenge. Across Texas, El Paso Locomotive play their first home game under new head coach Wilmer Cabrera, having shockingly won at Charleston Battery last time out in Cabrera's first game in charge. Their visitors tomorrow are a Birmingham Legion side who are unpredictable opponents and held Sacramento Republic to a 0-0 draw last week. If Locomotive give Enzo Martinez room to work his box-to-box industry, it should be a cracking game. The final 2am kick-off comes from the Centennial State, where Colorado Springs Switchbacks entertain Oakland Roots at Weidner Field. The hosts have won four on the spin after a terrible start to the season, while Roots have their own woes that led to the dismissal of head coach Noah Delgado last month. Interim coach Gavin Glinton has guided Oakland to two wins since taking charge so something has to give in Colorado.

Sacramento Republic were unseated from the top of the Western Conference last weekend when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Birmingham Legion, allowing New Mexico United to leapfrog them following their win over San Antonio FC. Republic are at home again this week, a 3am kick-off against a Tampa Bay Rowdies side that has won its last two league outings, and even without influential captain Forrest Lasso, the Rowdies will provide a tough test for the Northern Californians. Also at 3am is Orange County SC versus Detroit City at the Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine. Detroit were hammered 5-1 by Louisville City in midweek, although they didn't play badly in doing so and would have escaped with a result against less clinical opposition. OC, meanwhile, have lost their last four - two of them at home - and will be hoping that they can turn around what looked to be a promising season early on. 2023 USL Championship winners Phoenix Rising are the latest visitors to the new look Cashman Field, home of a new look Las Vegas Lights, and both sides will be looking to bounce back from single-goal defeats last time out when they meet at 3.30am on Saturday night. Rising, who lost their coach and star player in the close season, have struggled to repeat the late form that took them to the title, but they'll still be happier with their 2024 than Lights, even if the latter are rebuilding under new opener Jose Bautista. The weekend's final game comes from Seaside, California, where Monterey Bay FC host new Western Conference leaders New Mexico United. Union had an encouraging 0-0 draw with powerhouses Charleston Battery in midweek and will look to take that into the game with the Kings of Chaos, currently on a run of nine wins in their last ten games. United, though, look likely title contenders and - on paper at least - there looks to be only one winner.

Week eight in the Canadian Premier League begins on Saturday night, with a 9pm kick-off in Hamilton, Ontario. York United are the visitors to Forge FC and the Nine Stripes will be hoping to catch the hosts in a similar state to the one that led to a 3-0 defeat by Atletico Ottawa last week. Forge, though, should never be underestimated and it may well be that York bear the brunt of a backlash tomorrow. That's followed at midnight by Pacific FC versus Cavalry FC at Starlight Stadium on Vancouver Island. Pacific overcame Atletico Ottawa in the Canadian Championship in midweek to set up a clash with Vancouver Whitecaps of MLS and will be looking to get their league campaign back on track after successive defeats to Atletico and Vancouver FC. The Cavs are becoming the CPL's draw specialists, with five of their seven games ending all square this season, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them play for a draw tomorrow.

The first of two games on Sunday comes from the nation's capital at 7pm, where Atletico Ottawa entertain visitors from Nova Scotia in the shape of HFX Wanderers. The Halifax side have had a poor start to the season, with just one point from six games so far, but haven't looked outclassed. Atletico, by contrast, top the table and are yet to lose in the CPL in 2024 and it may well be another fruitless afternoon for the islanders. The weekend's final game is the 10pm Sunday encounter between Valour FC and the league's newest side, Vancouver FC. These were last season's bottom two, but the visitors are having a much better season so far, sitting second and having won away at Forge FC two weeks ago. Valour were pointless until that same weekend but have won one and drawn one since, and will set their sights on another win on Sunday.