USL Championship & CPL previews, May 3-5

The front-runners are starting to emerge in the race for the 2024 USL Championship, with both Charleston and Sacramento flying high in their respective conferences. Neither side is yet to lose a game and both have a strong candidate for top goalscorer in Nick Markanich and Trevor Amann. The USL Championship weekend, however, kicks off in Tennessee at 9pm (all times BST) on Saturday, where Tampa Bay Rowdies - the only other undefeated side in the league - visit Memphis 901. The hosts were surprise 3-0 winners in Birmingham last weekend, much against the run of play, and will be hoping that a similarly strong effort can keep the adventurous Rowdies quiet, while looking to steal a goal or two of their own. That game is followed at 11.30pm by Charleston Battery versus Hartford Athletic, a game which looked very much like it might have gone Hartford's way after the first two weeks of the season. Since then, Battery have been unstoppable and beat Las Vegas 6-0 at Patriots Point last week. Athletic - who lost 6-0 themselves in Louisville - will not be looking forward to this one.

There are three midnight kick-offs, the most interesting of which is probably Pittsburgh Riverhounds' home clash with The Miami FC. Riverhounds have won their last two, over 2023 champions Phoenix and the previously impregnable Detroit, and will saver the visit of a Miami side that has been totally rebuilt from last season, with mixed results so far. Speaking of Detroit City, they travel to Loudoun United on Saturday hoping to get back on track after dropping their first points in six games last week. United are a funny side in that they have bags of promise but only occasionally come good on it, but City should be wary of the firepower of Zach Ryan and Kamil ElMedkhar. The final midnight start comes from Cary, where promoted side North Carolina FC face expansion club Rhode Island FC in their first ever meeting. The newcomers prop up the Eastern Conference with just one win apiece but both have quality where it counts and can be expected to have better days at the office than they've so far enjoyed this season.

Birmingham Legion will look to bounce straight back from last week's home defeat to Memphis when they welcome FC Tulsa to Protective Stadium for a 0.30am kick-off. Neither side has played anywhere near their level so far this season and both sit in mid-table, although the quality of players such as Enzo Martinez and Stefano Pinho for the home side, and Phillip Goodrum for the visitors will always shine through. Oakland Roots sacked head coach Noah Delgado after last week's loss at home to the previously woeful Colorado Springs and will have assistant coach Gavin Glinton in charge as they head to San Antonio FC for a 1.30am start. The Texans are always a formidable outfit at this level but they lost last week, too, to a similarly previously lacklustre Miami side. On paper, it's San Antonio all the way but what do they say about soccer and paper..? There'll be a tiny bit of confidence at Colorado Springs Switchbacks this Saturday, especially as their 2am game is against El Paso Locomotive, the only team below them in the table. Switchbacks managed to come away from Oakland with a 2-0 win last week, while Locomotive lost a home again. That the game is in Colorado actually plays to El Paso's strengths but it's fair to say that this won't be one of the weekend's most watched games on TV.

There's just the one match from California this weekend, a 3am kick-off in Seaside as Monterey Bay FC face Indy Eleven. Indy fans are still trying to process the news that Mayor Joe Hogsett is ready to throw them over for a touch of the MLS's skirt but they rallied behind their boys to urge them on to a win over North Carolina last week. Frank Yallop's Monterey side lost to Orange County last week but still sit third in the Western Conference and have Tristan Trager in good form. This one could go either way. As could the 3.30am kick-off in Sin City between Las Vegas Lights and New Mexico United. Lights were embarrassed 6-0 in Charleston last week and will no doubt be gagging to put things right, especially as they welcome Los Angeles FC to Cashman Field in the US Open Cup next week. United also have work to do, having been well beaten - although by only three goals rather than six - at Tampa Bay last week. The final game of the weekend is probably its most anticipated as 2023 champions Phoenix Rising host Sacramento Republic at 38th Street & Washington. Rising's defence of their title has been an up and down affair thus far, the most important statistic being that they have lost half their eight games so far, while Sacramento - always a threat at this level - are yet to lose, although three teams have taken them to a draw. Whatever the outcome, this one should be as hot as the desert it's played in.

Week four of the Canadian Premier League throws up some interesting fixtures, none more so a quick return to Calgary for Vancouver FC, who lost 1-0 in the Canadian Championship to Calvary FC ten days ago. The repeat encounter - a midnight kick-off on Friday - comes after Vancouver lost 3-0 at York United last week, while Cavalry drew a blank with Pacific FC, the first to take points off the Tridents all season. Pacific FC are at home in Saturday's lone game, a midnight kick-off at Starlight Stadium against York United. The home side narrowly squeaked through the preliminary round of the Canadian Championship on Wednesday night, needing penalties to beat semi-professional opposition, but are yet to conceded a goal in this year's CPL. United, on the other hand, were beaten in the cup by Forge and lost their first two games of the season, although they did rally to beat Vancouver 3-0 last week. With HFX Wanderers visiting Forge FC on Tuesday, the final game of the weekend comes from the nation's capital, where Atletico Ottawa face Valour FC in a repeat of the cup game that finished 7-0 to Atletico in midweek. Surely the visitors from Winnipeg can't be quite so bad again? Or will Ollie Bassett, Ruben del Campo, and company get to fill their boots again? One thing is for sure and that's that, after two first round exits in the Canadian Championship and a last-place finish in the league in 2023, head coach Phillip dos Santos will be looking over his shoulder...