Two teams have made blistering starts to the 2022 USL Championship season, coming close to the best eight-game start in league history, while Louisville City FC will try to join an exclusive club on Wednesday night as it tries to continue its best start to a season in club history.

Here’s more on both of those topics, a look ahead to upcoming individual landmarks, and the Week 9 Discipline Report in this week’s News & Notes.

NEWS AND NOTES

COLORADO SPRINGS, SAN ANTONIO MAKE FLYING START
Having each taken seven wins from their first eight games this season, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and San Antonio FC approach the quarter-mark of the campaign having equaled the second-best starts in a USL Championship regular season through eight games. Overall, eight teams in the Championship’s 12 seasons have accumulated at least 20 points through their opening eight games of the season, with Colorado Springs and San Antonio becoming the first two teams to do so since Real Monarchs SLC (21pts) and San Antonio FC (22pts) opened the 2017 campaign at a blistering pace.

As you’ll note from above, while Colorado Springs’ start is its best in club history – surpassing earning 18 points from its opening eight games in 2016 – San Antonio’s opening run is only its second-best in its history following its 2017 campaign. That season, SAFC opened the year with a 14-game undefeated streak (10-0-4) before finishing second in the Western Conference to the Monarchs. If there’s a warning from prior fast starts, though, it’s that it doesn’t always hold. Of the teams to record at least 20 points in their first eight games of a season, only one – the Rochester Rhinos in 2015 – went on to win the USL Championship Final.

Most Points through Eight Games in a USL Championship Regular Season
22 – San Antonio FC, 2017
21 – Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, 2022*
21 – San Antonio FC, 2022*
21 – Real Monarchs SLC, 2017
20 – Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, 2016
20 – Rochester Rhinos, 2015
20 – Orlando City SC, 2014
20 – Orlando City SC, 2012

LOUCITY GOES FOR 10 CONSECUTIVE GAMES UNDEFEATED

Louisville City FC has built its best start to a season in club history with 21 points through nine games after Saturday’s 2-0 victory against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, and now are looking to become part of the group of teams that have recorded a 10-game undefeated streak to start a USL Championship regular season on Wednesday night when they face Atlanta United 2.

LouCity would become the ninth team in the Championship’s history to record at least a 10-game undefeated streak to start a season. The record is still held by the Richmond Kickers’ 22-game run at the start of the 2013 campaign that also stands as the second-longest undefeated streak in the Championship’s history.

Longest Undefeated Streaks to Start a USL Championship Season
22 – Richmond Kickers, 2013
19 – Rochester Rhinos, 2015
18 – Orlando City SC, 2014
14 – San Antonio FC, 2017
13 – Tampa Bay Rowdies, 2019
11 – San Antonio FC, 2020
10 – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, 2018
10 – Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, 2016

MEMPHIS’ GOODRUM NOTCHES 13TH-FASTEST USL CHAMPIONSHIP GOAL

Memphis 901 FC’s Phillip Goodrum earned a place in the USL Championship Record Book last Wednesday night as he recorded the 13th-fastest goal in the league’s history, scoring after just 20 seconds against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in a 3-1 victory for Memphis at AutoZone Park. Goodrum’s goal was also the fastest in 901 FC history, surpassing a goal by Kyle Murphy after 1 minute, 52 seconds against Louisville City FC on September 25, 2021.

ROWDIES’ SUFFER FIRST COMEBACK DEFEAT SINCE 2018
The Tampa Bay Rowdies ended April with a 3-2 defeat against San Diego Loyal SC that broke one of the more notable active streaks in the USL Championship, with the side having not suffered a defeat after holding a lead in the USL Championship’s regular season since June 22, 2018 prior to its loss at Al Lang Stadium to SD Loyal, a span of 1,409 days.

The contest broke a streak of 50 consecutive games in which the Rowdies had earned either a win or a draw when holding a lead at halftime and was only the fourth time overall since the club joined the USL Championship that it had suffered defeat after holding a lead overall. There are now two USL Championship teams that currently sit with streaks of over 1,000 days since they lost a game in which they held the lead, with Phoenix Rising FC’s last comeback defeat coming in a 5-2 loss at Las Vegas Lights FC on October 10, 2018, and Indy Eleven’s last coming in a 2-1 defeat to the New York Red Bulls II on April 28, 2019.

Upcoming Player Milestones

Appearances
Approaching 150 regular-season appearances
Sebastian Dalgaard (TBR) – 149
Joel Johnson (HFD) – 148
Malik Johnson (COS) – 147

Approaching 100 regular-season appearances
Kyle Adams (SD) – 99
Ayoze (IND) – 99
Frank Lopez (RGV) – 99
Justin Dhillon (SA) – 99
Sean McFarlane (MIA) – 98
Pierre Da Silva (MIA) – 98
Tobi Adewole (COS) – 97
Mark Segbers (MIA) – 97

Minutes
Approaching 10,000 regular-season minutes
Chris Wehan (NM) – 9,976
Leo Fernandes (TBR) – 9,911
Bradley Bourgeois (TUL) – 9,880
Wesley Charpie (LOU) – 9,846

Goals
Approaching 75 regular-season goals
Corey Hertzog (HFD) – 73
Cameron Lancaster (LOU) – 71

Approaching 50 regular-season goals
Solomon Asante (IND) – 49
Kyle Murphy (MIA) – 47

Assists
Approaching 50 regular-season assists
Kenardo Forbes (PIT) – 49

Approaching 30 regular-season assists
Chris Wehan (NM) – 29
Santi Moar (PHX) – 28
Oscar Jimenez (LOU) – 28
Alex Dixon (PIT) – 27

Saves
Approaching 500 regular-season saves
Evan Newton (ELP) – 494

Approaching 200 regular-season saves
Sean Lewis (TUL) – 198
Trey Muse (MEM) – 188

Shutouts
Approaching 30 regular-season shutouts
Joe Kuzminsky (CHS) – 29
Matt VanOekel (BHM) – 28

Discipline Report – Week 9

TAMPA, Fla. – The following is the USL Championship’s discipline report for Week 8 of the 2022 USL Championship season:

Loudoun United FC’s Azaad Liadi has been suspended for two games following his red card for violent conduct against El Paso Locomotive FC on April 30. Liadi will be unavailable for Loudoun’s contests against Hartford Athletic this Saturday night and at Detroit City FC on May 14.

Phoenix Rising FC’s Darnell King has been suspended for one game following his red card for violent conduct against the LA Galaxy II on May 1. King will be unavailable for Phoenix’s contest against San Antonio FC on Saturday night.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s Dane Kelly has been suspended for one game following his red card for violent conduct against Louisville City FC on April 30. Kelly will be unavailable for Pittsburgh’s contest against Birmingham Legion FC on Saturday night.

El Paso Locomotive FC assistant coach Dominic Casciato has been suspended for one game following his red card for delaying the restart of a game against Loudoun United FC on April 30. Casciato will be unavailable for El Paso’s contest against FC Tulsa on Wednesday night.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies’ Steevan Dos Santos was suspended for one game following his red card for two cautionable offenses against Memphis 901 FC on April 27. Dos Santos served the suspension during Tampa Bay’s contest against San Diego Loyal SC on April 30.