Must Watch Fixtures – USL Championship Week 3 | OneFootball

We finally got to see Indy Eleven and Rhode Island FC last week, but Sacramento Republic and Hartford Athletic got their byes. The two teams leading the West have yet to concede a goal; the rest of that conference’s defenses leave much to be desired. The Eastern teams have scored and conceded 23 in aggregate. Whether this is boring, or a sign of disciplined soccer, depends on which side your fandom leans. Below are the USL’s week 3 Hooligan must-watch games. All are streaming on ESPN+ (unless otherwise noted).

Louisville City FC vs. Loudoun United FC

4:00 PM ET @ Lynn Family Stadium, Louisville, KentuckyLast season this would have been a shoo-in victory for Louisville. But Loudoun are pretty hot right now, with two straight conference wins and a less-than-emphatic victory over the lower league West Chester Predators in the Open Cup. This should be a match which tells us whether they’re the real deal.

New Mexico United vs. El Paso Locomotive

5:00 PM ET @ Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park, Albuquerque, New MexicoBased on standings, this doesn’t seem a particularly scintillating pairing. But El Paso, sitting on two straight draws, delivers thrilling, edge-of-your-seat soccer. I wouldn’t miss this one, and make sure you watch until the very end as both teams also have an extra-time goal apiece.

Lexington vs. Indy Eleven

7:00 PM ET @ Lexington SC Stadium, Lexington, KentuckyWith a win and draw in league, and a convincing 5 – 0 destruction of Southern Indiana FC in the Open Cup earlier this week, Lexington look legit. Indy is still somewhat of a question mark, as they’ve only played a single game this season. This will be the match where each team is given a chance to answer questions. The only question is why have I used “question” so many times in this blurb?

Oakland Roots vs. San Antonio FC

10:00PM ET @ Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CaliforniaThe Roots could set a USL record for home attendance in their new “dive-bar of stadiums” Oakland Coliseum, with over 25,000 tickets sold. Now all the team needs to do is perform. They are a deserved 0 – 2 with a -3 goal differential. On the exact opposite spectrum is San Antonio, who have yet to concede a goal but have scored only three.

Battle of the Bottoms

We have two fixtures to discuss under this heading… Miami FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies and Phoenix Rising FC vs. Rhode Island FC.

Miami FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies

Don’t let their Open Cup victory fool you… Miami FC are still the worst franchise in the USL. Tampa Bay used to be good. Win this match and you’ll be back in my good graces.

Phoenix Rising FC vs. Rhode Island FC

Bottom of the East visits the (second from the) bottom of the West. What could go wrong?

All The Rest

Byes

Charleston BatteryLas Vegas Lights FC