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USL Championship News & Notes | Week 11

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 05/18/22, 10:10AM EDT

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San Antonio, Colorado Springs’ joint landmark, Orange County’s five-goal half, and the youngest goalscorer in the league this season


San Antonio FC and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC have each reached eight wins this season before the end of May, only the second time in league history that has occurred. | Photo courtesy Darren Abate / San Antonio FC

Welcome to the USL Championship’s weekly News & Notes column, where this week we take a look ahead to this Saturday’s top-two clash in the Western Conference, a notable first half for Orange County SC last Friday night, and a defensive rarity from the past weekend of action.

Dig into more on that, as well as a look at upcoming milestones coming into view for players across the Championship, and the Week 11 Discipline report. 

NEWS AND NOTES

COLORADO SPRINGS, SAN ANTONIO JOIN FOR MAY LANDMARK
San Antonio FC plays host to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Saturday night in one of this weekend’s marquee matchups with the two sides each sitting with eight victories so far this campaign, while having combined for only three defeats. It marks the first time since the 2017 USL Championship season that two teams from the same conference have reached at least eight wins by the end of May, with San Antonio and Real Monarchs SLC having each claimed nine victories at the end of May five years ago in the first occasion two teams had combined to accumulate that many wins by Memorial Day in league history.

ORANGE COUNTY NOTCHES SECOND FIVE-GOAL HALF IN ITS HISTORY

Orange County SC became the second team this season to record a five-goal half, and the 10th all-time to record a five-goal first half, in the USL Championship’s regular season in the club’s 5-1 victory against FC Tulsa on Friday night at Championship Soccer Stadium.

Orange County SC joined Las Vegas Lights FC in this year’s group, with Lights FC having scored all five of its goals in the second half of a 5-4 victory on the road against El Paso Locomotive FC on March 23. It was the second time Orange County had scored five goals in a half in club history, with the side having also notched five goals in the second half of its 5-2 victory against the Tacoma Defiance on June 4, 2016. On that occasion, OCSC rallied from a two-goal deficit as five different players found the net at Anteater Stadium.

RISING FC’S PAIR OF OWN GOALS PROVIDES SINGLE-GAME RARITY
Phoenix Rising FC became only the third recorded team in the USL Championship to concede a pair of own goals in a USL Championship regular season game as the side lost 5-1 to the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Sunday night at Wild Horse Pass. Both Sivert Haugli and Ryan Flood were credited with own goals in the second half as Tampa Bay became the first team to record five goals against Phoenix on Rising FC’s home turf in its history.

Current Indy Eleven defender AJ Cochran remains the only recorded player credited with two own goals in the same contest, having scored both own goals for Atlanta United 2 in a 4-1 defeat to Louisville City FC on September 29, 2018.

Multiple Own Goals in a USL Championship Regular Season Game
2 – Phoenix Rising FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies, 5-15-22 (Sivert Haugli, Ryan Flood)
2 – Atlanta United 2 vs. Louisville City FC, 9-29-18 (AJ Cochran 2)
2 – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC at Richmond Kickers, 6-11-16 (Hunter Gilstrap, Conor Branson)

Rising FC became the third different team to concede five goals on home turf this season following El Paso Locomotive FC’s 5-4 loss to Las Vegas Lights FC on March 23 and San Diego Loyal SC’s 5-2 defeat to Louisville City FC on April 16. Phoenix is also the 25th different team in the Championship’s history to have conceded five goals at home in a game in the league’s regular season all-time.

Phoenix’s defeat also marked the first time in 34 games across the regular season and playoffs that Rising FC had scored the opening goal of a game and suffered defeat dating back to the side’s loss in the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2019 USL Championship Playoffs. On that occasion, Real Monarchs SLC claimed a 2-1 victory on the way to earning the 2019 USL Championship title.

RED BULLS II’S TYRKUS ENTERS TOP 25 IN YOUNGEST GOALSCORERS

Making his fourth appearance in the USL Championship, the New York Red Bulls II’s Illia Tyrkus became the youngest goalscorer in the USL Championship this season this past Saturday night, and 23rd-youngest goalscorer in the league’s regular season history, as he recorded his first goal in the professional ranks aged 16 years, 9 months and 14 days old against Hartford Athletic at Trinity Health Stadium.

Tyrkus’ goal – which was nominated for the USL Championship’s Fans’ Choice Goal of the Week – also made him the third-youngest player to record a goal for the Red Bulls II in the Championship, surpassed only by Serge Ngoma (16 years, 1 month, 11 days vs. Charleston Battery, 8/20/21) and Dantouma Toure (16 years, 1 month, 28 days vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, 8/8/20).

Upcoming Player Milestones


Miami FC's Miark Segbers is on course to make his 100th regular season appearance in the USL Championship on Wednesday night against Detroit City FC. | Photo courtesy Orovio Photography / Miami FC

Appearances
Approaching 200 regular-season appearances

Alex Dixon (PIT) – 196

Approaching 150 regular-season appearances
Malik Johnson (COS) – 148
Matt Bahner (ELP) – 148
Santi Moar (PHX) – 147

Approaching 100 regular-season appearances
Mark Segbers (MIA) – 99
Matt Sheldon (CHS) – 98
Tobi Adewole (COS) – 98
Sean McFarlane (MIA) – 98
Zeiko Lewis (SAC) – 97
Shannon Gomez (SA) – 97

Minutes
Approaching 15,000 regular-season minutes

Evan Newton (ELP) – 14,806
Yann Ekra (TBR) – 14,749

Approaching 10,000 regular-season minutes
Wesley Charpie (LOU) – 9,955
Duke Lacroix (SAC) – 9,884
Bradley Bourgeois (TUL) – 9,880
Jordan Scarlett (TBR) – 9,842

Goals
Approaching 75 regular-season goals

Corey Hertzog (HFD) – 74
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) – 29
Oscar Jimenez (LOU) – 29
Alex Dixon (PIT) – 28

Saves
Approaching 250 regular-season saves

Connor Sparrow (MIA) – 236

Approaching 200 regular-season saves
Trey Muse (MEM) – 189

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

Discipline Report – Week 11

TAMPA, Fla. – The following is the USL Championship’s discipline report for Week 11 of the 2022 USL Championship season:

FC Tulsa’s Adrian Diz Pe has been suspended for one game following his red card for denial of a goalscoring opportunity during his side’s contest against Orange County SC on May 13. Diz Pe will be unavailable for selection in Tulsa’s contest against Hartford Athletic on Saturday night.

Monterey Bay F.C.’s Robbie Crawford has been suspended for one game following his red card for two cautionable offenses against Rio Grande Valley FC on May 14. Crawford will be unavailable for selection in Monterey Bay’s contest against Louisville City FC on Saturday night.

Phoenix Rising FC’s Joe Farrell has been suspended for one game following his red card for two cautionable offenses against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 15. Farrell will be unavailable for selection in Phoenix’s contest against New Mexico United on Saturday night.

Due to the postponement of the contest between San Diego Loyal SC and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on May 14, the one-game suspensions incurred by San Diego’s Collin Martin and Colorado Springs’ Triston Hodge will be served in their club’s upcoming contests. Martin will be unavailable for selection in San Diego’s contest against Rio Grande Valley FC this Saturday, while Hodge will be unavailable for selection in Colorado Springs’ contest against San Antonio FC this Saturday.

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