USL Championship & CPL previews, May 10-12

The USL Championship weekend gets off to an early start on Friday night, when Loudoun United will entertain El Paso Locomotive at Segra Field in a midnight kick-off (all times BST, and all games live on the USL's YouTube channel). United will be buoyed by their surprise US Open Cup win away at Orange County in midweek but have enjoyed a middling season so far, something their visitors can only dream of, just two draws in their seven games so far leaving them propping up the Western Conference. Casual viewers can expect to see Locomotive 'keeper Jamahli Waite kept busy by Loudoun's young strikers, with Zach Ryan in particular a constant threat. The first of Saturday's games comes from Keyworth Stadium, home of Detroit City, at 10pm. Le Rouge won their first five league games this season before losing at Pittsburgh and drawing with Loudoun, but did manage to knock out reigning US Open Cup champions Houston Dynamo in midweek, albeit in a penalty shootout. They face 2023 USL Championship winners Phoenix Rising in a stern test of their title ambitions, with Rising in decent enough form without pulling down any trees so far. Still, they did manage to hold runaway Western Conference leaders Sacramento Republic to a draw last week, scoring twice in the process, and so City should be wary of their quality. The game between Hartford Athletic and Colorado Springs Switchbacks kicks off at midnight at a Trinity Health Stadium that looked like it might become something of a fortress under new head coach Brendan Burke at the start of the season when they won their first two games at home. Since then, they've been knocked out of the US Open Cup by third-tier opposition and lost at home to San Antonio, with their travels not bringing much joy, either, especially the 6-0 loss in Louisville two weeks ago. If anything, Switchbacks are in the opposite position, having gone winless in their first six games before winning their last two, although they were also eliminated by New York City FC II in midweek, forming a neat little club with their hosts. 

There are three 0.30am kick-offs, all with their points of interest, though I'd be remiss if I didn't start with the second Tampa Bay Rowdies versus Birmingham Legion clash in four days. The Open Cup match on Wednesday looked done and dusted after 81 minutes, with Rowdies leading 4-0, only for Legion fight back and take the game to extra-time. It finished 6-4 and only a fool would expect similar scenes on Saturday, but Rowdies are always a threat in front of goal thanks to Cal Jennings and Manuel Arteaga, while Legion have Stefano Pinho and the irresistible Enzo Martinez on hand. Expansion club Rhode Island FC may have just the one win so far but they've been competitive in all their matches so far, as they should be having recruited well in the off-season. Having drawn 0-0 with North Carolina last week, they face a completely different test on Saturday when Sacramento Republic come to town, one they're probably not expected to pass in all honesty. Despite never having won the USL Championship, Republic are one of the league's heaviest hitters and the addition of free-scoring Trevor Amann this season has only increased their threat in front of goal. If the Seals come away with even a point on Saturday they'll have done a very good job. The final 0.30am game comes from the Lynn Family Stadium as Louisville City face Orange County SC. Both sides went out of the Open Cup in midweek, but in very different circumstances as City took Seattle Sounders of MLS to penalties, while County lost 2-0 at home to Loudoun United. League form is another thing, though, and both sides have lost just once this season - to frontrunners Charleston and Sacramento, respectively. If you only watch one USL Championship game this weekend, make it this one.

San Antonio FC meekly departed from the Open Cup in midweek, losing 2-0 at Indy Eleven. They seem to be missing a piece of the puzzle this season but still find themselves fifth in the West and will hope that their 1.30am kick-off with Las Vegas Lights will point towards a brighter mid-season. Lights were beaten 3-1 at home by Los Angeles FC in midweek, no disgrace considering the clubs' relative positions, and the rebuilding job after a very poor 2023 continues at Cashman Field. Also at 1.30am is FC Tulsa versus Pittsburgh Riverhounds, a reverse fixture from the midweek open cup bout that the Oklahomans won 1-0. Riverhounds started the season in poor form, without a win in their first five games, but have turned things around, as you'd have expected a Bob Lilley team to do. In Kaziah Sterling, they have a prodigious goal threat which, Tulsa having conceded twelve goals in seven games, should be a factor on Saturday. New Mexico United pulled off one of the shocks of the Open Cup fourth round when they beat Real Salt Lake 4-2 in midweek and will go into their 2am fixture with Oakland Roots in a confident mood. The cup win came on the back of three wins in their last four league games, with Englishman Daniel Bruce in strings-pulling form in midfield. Roots sacked coach Noah Delgado after a home loss to Colorado Springs Switchbacks two weeks ago, and interim coach Gavin Glinton managed a draw away at San Antonio last week before narrowly losing to San Jose in the cup in midweek. A full house at Isotopes Park might be too much for them, though. Saturday's final game comes from Seaside, California, where Monterey Bay FC host Memphis 901 at 3am having both gone out of the cup in midweek. The home side have been enjoying a generally good season this year, although they did lose at home to Indy Eleven last week, while 901 are up and down. Last week - a 4-1 win against ten-man Tampa Bay Rowdies - was a definite up.

There's just one Sunday game this week and it's a midnight kick-off from Florida. The Miami FC are another side undergoing a rebuilding process and at least managed a win two weeks ago, even if they did slump back to defeat at the hands of Pittsburgh Riverhounds last week. It's not clear that Antonio Nocerino has found his best side yet, which bodes well for visitors Indy Eleven, a team very much in form right now. Despite mixed news about their stadium and the future prospects for the team (whether in MLS or the USL), Sean McAuley's side are playing well and winning games, having beaten North Carolina FC, Monterey Bay FC, and San Antonio FC in successive fixtures. ..

Week five in the Canadian Premier League starts in the Toronto suburbs on Friday night when York United welcome Valour FC to York Lions Stadium for a midnight kick-off. Valour were bottom last year and have been equally bad this, with a 7-0 reverse at the hands of Atletico Ottawa a definite low point so far. York have just one win from four games, a surprise 3-0 win over Vancouver FC two Fridays ago, and they'll hope that this augurs well for tonight's game. HFX Wanderers had last week off after tumbling out of the Canadian Championship to semi-professional opposition and have a chance to put things rights in their game against Cavalry FC on Saturday, a 7pm kick-off from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Cavalry were narrowly beaten at home by Vancouver Whitecaps of MLS in midweek and will look at Wanderers' three losses from three league games as a chance for an away win, although they themselves have only won once so far this season.

The only two teams to have won the CPL clash on Vancouver Island at 10pm when Pacific FC host Forge FC at Starlight Stadium. Forge have won three out of three in the league so far and drew 1-1 with CF Montreal in the Canadian Championship in midweek, but Pacific are unbeaten themselves, with just an uncharacteristic blank in Calgary two weeks ago even slightly blotting their record. That's also pretty much the case for Atletico Ottawa, who one draw (to add to three wins) also came against the Cavs. The capital side are on the road on Sunday for a midnight start against Vancouver FC, the league's newest side. The hosts won their first two games at home this season but have since lost their next two away, so it could be anyone's game at Willoughby Community Park, really.