After a busy midweek of Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup action over the past three days, the USL Championship campaign resumes on Saturday with an 11-game slate over the weekend. Here’s a look at the key storylines to watch for, including one of the big postseason rematches this campaign, and a pair of teams looking for a turnaround – one after an Open Cup victory in midweek, and one after another setback.

1. ORANGE COUNTY, SAN ANTONIO SET FOR SHOWDOWN

The last time Orange County SC and San Antonio FC squared off this past November in the Western Conference Final of the 2021 USL Championship Playoffs, a tense contest went to a penalty shootout at Championship Soccer Stadium before the hosts prevailed thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky. The stakes won’t be as high on Saturday night when SAFC returns to California for the first meeting between the clubs since then, but the changes that have occurred in both lineups should make for an intriguing contest all the same.

While there have been notable departures – Orange County wishing farewell to Ronaldo Damus after his transfer to Sweden’s GIF Sundsvall, and San Antonio to its prodigious Academy talent Jose Gallegos to Sonderskie in Denmark – the new faces have already begun to make an impact. With three goals in all competitions after his tally on Tuesday in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Orange County’s Milan Iloski has hit the ground running, while Erick “Cubo” Torres picked up his first assist in the sides’ late draw with New Mexico United just over a week ago.

San Antonio, meanwhile, saw the latest product of its academy break through in midweek Henrik Sakshaug, with the 17-year-old scoring twice in the club’s 3-1 Open Cup victory against D’Feeters Kicks SC on Tuesday. After making his Championship debut in SAFC’s defeat to Phoenix Rising FC last weekend, it will be intriguing to see if another opportunity presents itself to test the youngster against the defending USL Championship title holders here.

2. ROWDIES, GUENZATTI AIM TO DEFEND HOME TURF

The Tampa Bay Rowdies have established Al Lang Stadium as one of the most difficult places to get a result over the past three seasons, and a key reason for that has been the play of captain Sebastian Guenzatti. The veteran forward has recorded 51 goals across the regular season and playoffs since the start of the 2019 season and has been particularly prolific against Saturday’s visitor to Tampa Bay, in-state rival Miami FC. Guenzatti’s six goals in seven games against Miami are in part a function of the hyper-regionalized schedule the league has played the past two seasons, but with forward yet to find the net this season through five games it could provide the ideal opportunity for the 31-year-old to get on track and continue Tampa Bay’s undefeated start to the season.

3. LOUCITY’S PEREZ, LOUDOUN’S GUEDIRI A MATCHUP TO WATCH

When Loudoun United FC plays host to Louisville City FC on Sunday afternoon at Segra Field, one of the best one-on-one matchups of the season so far could be on display as Loudoun’s Sami Guediri and LouCity’s Manny Perez potentially go head-to-head on the flank. Both offseason acquisitions – Guediri arriving in Loudoun from Inter Miami CF and Perez joining Louisville after competing on loan last season for Austin FC – the two have been dynamic in the early going and key to their club’s success.

Perez leads the Championship with 20 completed dribbles on 28 attempts, while putting up one assist, three Big Chances Created and an Expected Assists mark of 1.14xA from the right side for LouCity. Guediri has completed 6 of 9 dribbles and leads the league with five Big Chances Created, and his absence on the left side was notable as United fell for the first time this season last weekend in Pittsburgh after his late red card against Miami FC in Week 3. Which player comes out on top on Sunday is likely to have a role in which club comes away with points.

4. PHOENIX NEEDS POSITIVE ENERGY AFTER OPEN CUP ESCAPE

Phoenix Rising FC got its league campaign back on track last weekend with a 2-0 road victory against San Antonio FC, marking the first time the side had won at Toyota Field in its history. It followed that up with a late escape in Wednesday’s Open Cup match against Valley United FC as Claudio Repetto’s 115th-minute goal sent the side through at Wild Horse Pass, another dip in what’s been an up-and-down start this campaign.

“Everything we did well in San Antonio, we did the opposite tonight. We didn’t play with urgency. We didn’t play with conviction,” said Rising FC Head Coach Rick Schantz. “They fought. They were very organized. The red card hurt them quite a bit. They made it difficult, and we made it worse by playing with no energy or tempo.”

Finding the right energy level is going to be important on Saturday when the LA Galaxy II come to Arizona, as while Rising FC has dominated the series overall since the start of the 2017 season, the 3-0 defeat Los Dos handed them in September last year to break Phoenix’s 13-game winning streak in the series should be a reminder of what can happen when the side isn’t focused.

5. BIRMINGHAM, AGUDELO AIMING FOR ATTACKING BUMP

New Birmingham Legion FC signing Juan Agudelo saw his first action for the club in Thursday night’s 3-1 victory against Southern Stars SC and while he didn’t find the net himself, his role as the center forward in the club’s 3-4-3 formation is going to give him a chance to be the focal point of the club’s attack as he looks to take on a No. 9 role for the first time.

“I want to take a different approach than I have before,” said Agudelo. “I’m gonna focus a lot on scoring. Before, I wasn’t really playing as a 9, I want to see if I can have that No. 9 mentality that those guys in MLS have where they shoot from everywhere and see if that works for me.”

Agudelo could make his league debut for Legion FC as it plays host to Hartford Athletic on Sunday afternoon at Protective Stadium as the side looks for its first victory in the Championship this season.

6. EL PASO GETS CHANCE FOR TURNAROUND

There’s no sugarcoating that 2022 hasn’t begun the way El Paso Locomotive FC or its fans expected. Tuesday night’s defeat against USL League One club Central Valley Fuego FC was the fifth in a row for the side in official competition, with the three-time postseason participant now sitting as the lone club without a point in the Western Conference.

While it’s always too early to say a game is a must-win less than a month into the campaign, the turnaround for El Paso may not get a better opportunity to begin that at home on Saturday when expansion side Monterey Bay F.C. – which is also coming off its own Open Cup loss in midweek – visits Southwest University Park. Three points here and a positive display will give Head Coach John Hutchinson’s side a much-needed lift.

7. CHANGE OF FORTUNE DUE FOR TOROS?

By the underlying numbers, Rio Grande Valley FC is currently a little bit upside down in terms of where they could be in the Western Conference standings. The side has scored three goals on a 5.73xG mark, while having conceded five goals on a 3.89xGA mark. It’s an illustration of how the fine margins that make a difference over 90 minutes can have an impact in the short-term. After the confidence boost the Toros should have received after their comeback victory on the road against USL League One side North Carolina FC on Wednesday night, there’s a chance for RGVFC to tilt things in the opposite direction this weekend.

Goals by Frank Lopez, who now has three in all competitions this season, and Frank Nodarse, his first in the professional ranks, proved the difference in North Carolina. With an Indy Eleven side that is having its own difficulties in finding form coming to H-E-B Park, the chance to use the Open Cup as a springboard for league success is there for Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera’s side.

8. TULSA HOME STREAK SET FOR TEST FROM HOUNDS

After FC Tulsa’s 2-1 victory against Tulsa Athletic on Wednesday night in the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at ONEOK Field – a contest that marked the first meeting between the two clubs in official competition – the hosts have now won six consecutive games on their home turf dating back to last season. That’s a run that will get tested in a special Saturday matinee as the currently undefeated Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC come to visit in what should be an intriguing first meeting between the sides all-time.

With his side in solid shape following its midweek outing – which saw Brian Brown and Ronald Rodriguez both score their first goals for the club – Tulsa Head Coach Michael Nsien is hoping the confidence from the club’s home success can carry forward.

“We have to continue to build momentum,” said Nsien. “It’s important. The guys wanted to win, and they wanted to win by a lot for the fans of course, but at the end of the day, it’s good to get out of the match healthy and now all eyes are on Pittsburgh.”

9. SD LOYAL MEASURING UP AS CONTENDER

San Diego Loyal SC might have left it late to advance from its first contest in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, but everything else is currently pointing to the side making that next step from playoff side to playoff contender this season. With 10 goals in five league games – including three apiece in the past two contests – the attack is delivering as the Charleston Battery head west to Torero Stadium on Saturday night.

Maybe the most notable aspect so far is that in league player the side has had seven different players find the net. Add in Jacob Crull notching his first professional goal for the winner against Albion SC on Wednesday night, and there’s a diversity to SD Loyal’s presence in the attacking third that may not need one dominant goalscorer to emerge, as preferable as that might be over the course of the campaign.

10. SWITCHBACKS’ ATTACKING DEPTH MISSES MARK

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC used its Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup contest on Wednesday night as a chance to see whether its secondary attacking options could continue the success the side had achieved so far this season at full strength. Without Hadji Barry, Michee Ngalina and Cam Lindley, though, the Switchbacks came up empty in a 1-0 defeat to new USL League One side Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, highlighting the potential importance of that trio to the success of the side as this season goes on.

“We knew we were taking on a lot of risk tonight by making all those changes and introducing all those guys that haven’t played,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke. “It was a great opportunity for them and some of them missed it quite frankly, and that’s hard, but that’s part of building a roster and a team – you have to expose guys to uncomfortable situations, and tonight they didn’t react well to it.”

Colorado Springs will be back at full strength for its trip to Las Vegas Lights FC on Saturday afternoon as it looks to pick up where it left off in the league a week ago.