Phoenix Rising FC romped to an opening night victory, and Austin Bold FC took care of New Mexico United on its home turf, while Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies both took victories on the road and FC Tulsa scored late to earn a draw with Sacramento Republic FC in Saturday’s action in the USL Championship.   

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Rodrigo Da Costa scored a second-half equalizer as FC Tulsa earned a point against Republic FC to open its new era at Papa Murphy’s Park.

Sacramento opened brightly and within two minutes Matt Mahoney had forced a low save from Tulsa goalkeeper Sean Lewis. The Tulsa shot-stopper came up big twice more a minute later, making big stops to deny an initial shot by Mario Penagos and then a rebound effort by Sam Werner that he turned wide for a corner kick.

Cameron Iwasa also went close to the opener in the 38th minute but he couldn’t control his finish on a cross from the right and sent the shot over the crossbar. Sacramento struck three minutes before halftime, however, as Drew Skundrich turned to create space at the top of the penalty area after a pass from Juan Barahona on the left and slotted a finish into the bottom-right corner of the net.

Sacramento’s pressure continued in the second half, and Lewis kept out a chance for Sam Werner in the 49th minute before Villyan Bijev shot over the crossbar from just inside the penalty area. But Tulsa pulled level with 11 minutes to go as a slide-rule pass by Lebo Moloto found Rodrigo Da Costa cutting in from the left before the Brazilian produced a low finish, and after Lewis made one final big save in stoppage time to deny a volley by Werner, the visitors walked away with a point.  

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Sean Lewis, FC Tulsa – Lewis recorded seven saves overall, including some key stops early to keep the game close, which allowed Tulsa to emerge with a draw.

PHOENIX – Rufat Dadashov scored a hat trick on his debut as Rising FC defeated T2 in front of a sellout crowd of 6,585 fans at Casino Arizona Field.

Phoenix got onto the front foot quickly and took the lead in the 13th minute when Portland goalkeeper Hunter Sulte did well to keep out Solomon Asante’s free kick to the top-left corner but couldn’t keep out Rufat Dadashov’s rebound effort, giving the Azerbaijani forward his first goal in Rising FC colors. Portland almost hit back in the 20th minute when Marcus Epps played a clever one-two and shot low to the near post from the right side of the penalty area, only to be kept out by Phoenix goalkeeper Zac Lubin, but four minutes later Dadashov notched his second as he turned home a bending cross by Asante from the right.

Jamaican international Junior Flemmings added to Phoenix’s lead in the 31st minute as he cut in from the left side and shot low into the left corner of the net, and Dadashov almost struck again two minutes later on a curling shot that skimmed the outside of the left post. T2 pulled a goal back just before halftime as Tomás Conechny volleyed home Pablo Bonilla’s cross from the right, but Dadashov completed his hat trick 20 minutes into the second half as he tapped home Asante’s low cross from close range.

Both Conechny and Gio Calixtro threatened to pull a goal back for T2 on back-to-back chances with 15 minutes to go, while Jordan Schweitzer almost added to Phoenix’s lead four minutes later. Lagos Kunga and Asante added late goals for Phoenix, but the night belonged to Dadashov as he made a big first impression in his official debut for the hosts.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Rufat Dadashov, Phoenix Rising FC – Dadashov recorded a hat trick on his debut, assisted twice by Solomon Asante, to lead a big opening-night victory for Rising FC.

AUSTIN, Texas – Andre Lima converted from the penalty spot to lift Bold FC to victory against New Mexico to get its 2020 campaign off to a winning start at Bold Stadium.

New Mexico had a good early chance when Chris Wehan’s first-time shot was denied by Austin goalkeeper Diego Restrepo, while Devon Sandoval tried an ambitious bicycle kick from 20 yards just past the half-hour mark that was also gathered in. Austin’s Thomas de Villardi shot just wide of the left post in the 42nd minute, but the visitors had the best chance of the first half in stoppage time when Amando Moreno shot just high after a low cross from the left by Kalen Ryden.

Austin took the lead from the spot seven minutes after the break, however, after Justin Schmidt had fouled Ema Twumasi in the area. Lima stepped up and fired into the top-left corner of the net out of the reach of NMU goalkeeper Cody Mizell. New Mexico’s chance to respond were then limited by the hosts, whose best chance to equalize arrived in the 88th minute when Wehan’s flicked header was saved by Restrepo. Austin saw out the remaining minutes and sealed all three points.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Diego Restrepo, San Antonio FC – Restrepo made a three-save shutout and also distributed well throughout the contest, commanding his penalty area well.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Switchbacks got their season off to a winning start with a victory on the road against Energy FC at Taft Stadium.

The Switchbacks opened the game well and took the lead in the 16th minute when Aidan Daniels’ low cross from the right side was bundled home at the back post by Christian Volesky. OKC’s Frank Lopez almost answered for the hosts five minutes later only to be denied as Colorado Springs goalkeeper Sean Melvin came off his line quickly to snuff out the chance.

Lopez also had a chance nine minutes before halftime as he fired just wide of the left post from 25 yards, but in the 58th minute Energy FC hit back as Atiba Harris headed home a free kick by Tucker Stephenson from 40 yards out on the left into the bottom-right corner of the net. Lopez then had a chance to put OKC ahead on the hour-mark, only to be denied again by Melvin.

Volesky also had a chance at his second goal of the night with 20 minutes to go as he volleyed over the crossbar from 15 yards, but with 12 minutes to go the decisive moment arrived as a powerful low shot by Colorado Springs’ Uvaldo Luna was turned into his own goal by Stephenson for what proved the winner for the visitors.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Andre Lewis, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC – Lewis completed 61 of 69 passes and had three key passes as he consistently linked play for the visitors in their victory.

CHESTER, Pa. – The Union II and Loudoun United ended deadlocked at Subaru Park as Philadelphia goalkeeper Matt Freese and Loudoun goalkeeper Colin Miller each made key saves to earn their sides a point.

Loudoun had the first good chance of the game in the 18th minute when an angled cross by Peabo Doue was headed on frame by Alioune Ndour, but Freese saved comfortably. The better chances arrived in the second half, however, with United going close six minutes after the break as Moses Nyeman found space on the right side of the penalty area but couldn’t beat Freese with a powerful near-post shot.

Philadelphia’s Yomi Scintu had a big chance in the 63rd minute as he got into the right channel but was denied by a low save from Miller. Scintu then could have grabbed all three points for the hosts in the final minute but sent his shot off the left post after good work by Zach Zandi set up the chance. That would end as the best chance of the match as the sided ended scoreless.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Colin Miller, Loudoun United FC – Miller recorded three saves, including a key second-half stop to keep his side on level terms, to earn Loudoun a point on the road

MONTCLAIR, N.J. – The Rowdies claimed their first points at MSU Soccer Park in the club’s history as Leo Fernandes’ second-half goal earned the victory against the Red Bulls II.

Tampa Bay’s Sebastian Guenzatti missed out on a chance to give the visitors the lead midway through the first half on a breakaway, but the Rowdies took the lead in the 57th minute as Zach Steinberger’s cutback from the left byline found Fernandes, who poked home a finish from the top of the six-yard area.

The Rowdies thought they had doubled their lead in the 62nd minute when Juan Tejada put home the rebound off a shot by Fernandes that rang off the right post, only for the offside flag to be raised. The Red Bulls II then carved out a big chance as Jared Stroud found space on the left and delivered a back-post cross for Sebastian Elney that was turned away by Louro, while Tampa Bay’s Aaron Guillen also failed to capitalize on a breakaway late on that could have put the game away. Fernandes’ goal proved enough, however, as the Rowdies’ defense earned a road shutout to start the season.  

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Leo Fernandes, Tampa Bay Rowdies – Fernandes scored the deciding goal and also hit the post as the Rowdies came away with its first road win against the Red Bulls II.