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USL Championship Talking Points | Week 20

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 07/25/22, 10:00AM EDT

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SD Loyal overcomes test from Toros, Weidt delivers for Hounds, normal service resumed for Las Vegas


Photo courtesy San Diego Loyal SC

On a weekend filled with late drama – no fewer than four games out of the 13 on the slate saw result-changing goals arrive in second-half stoppage time – the playoff races in both the Eastern and Western Conferences continued to take shape.

Here are 10 things we took away from the weekend’s action.

1. SD LOYAL COMES THROUGH CHALLENGE FROM TOROS

Rio Grande Valley FC had been struggling for form going into its game on Saturday night against a San Diego Loyal SC side that had won three of its last four outings to sit in the top three of the Western Conference.

SD Loyal’s 2-1 victory at Torero Stadium on Saturday night would seem to bear out the current trajectory of both clubs when it comes to the playoff race, but the challenge a team like the Toros posed illustrated to San Diego Head Coach Landon Donovan the parity that currently exists up and down the Western Conference standings.

“This was just a hard game,” said Donovan. “There wasn’t a lot of rhythm to it, there was a lot of transitions. The way they play lends the game to being very open and a lot of one-v-one moments, but I thought our guys did really well in those moments considering it’s not how we’re used to playing. I thought we adapted well and did a really good job within the game.”

San Diego now sits in second place ahead of Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC thanks to its head-to-head tiebreaker after Tumi Moshobane and Evan Conway each recorded a goal and assist. Staying there over the next three months, though, is a challenge Donovan and his squad appear well aware of.

2. SAN ANTONIO PRODUCES ‘CHAMPIONSHIP’ DISPLAY

Saturday night’s clash between hosts El Paso Locomotive FC and current Western Conference leader had all the feel of a postseason contest. Featuring few good chances for both sides – the teams combined to only record 32 touches in the opposing penalty area, with El Paso narrowly edging out the xG matchup 0.76 to 0.70 – it came down to which side could execute.

As it has so often this season, that was San Antonio, which took a 1-0 victory and the Copa Tejas for this season thanks to Santiago Patiño’s fifth goal of the season early in the second half. As a potential look-ahead to what could be yet to come in the USL Championship Playoffs, it was another test passed by last year’s Western Conference Finalist.

“That’s a championship performance tonight,” said SAFC forward Justin Dhillon, who provided the assist on Patiño’s goal. “There was a trophy on the line, it’s not easy to come here, the had a long unbeaten streak at home. For us to come out and play the way we did, with so much grit, so much energy, so much fight, and to come out with three points I think shows that this group is something special.”

3. WIEDT GIVES HOUNDS JUST REWARD

If you thought the clash last week between Rio Grande Valley FC and Las Vegas Lights FC was one-sided, somehow Saturday night’s meeting between Hartford Athletic and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC almost managed to top it.

This time, however, the side that dominated the game came out on top.

Shane Wiedt’s goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time gave the Hounds a 2-1 victory they richly deserved after hammering away at Hartford’s goal for almost the entire 90 minutes, with Conor McGlynn’s wonderstrike – the latest in his collection – the only shot the hosts managed during the contest. For Wiedt, it was a second goal in the past three appearances, but his crisply-struck finish to the top-right corner was a beauty for the center back’s fourth career goal overall in the league.

“I don't want to say it was a desperation play, but we definitely are pushing for all three points every single game,” said Wiedt. “There was no holding back, and we definitely needed to get that second goal.”

4. ROWDIES’ DOS SANTOS GETS REWARD AFTER SETBACKS

The numbers said the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ 3-1 victory against Atlanta United 2 on Saturday night that ran the side’s undefeated run to 11 games and its winning streak to five in a row could have been by a wider margin – the Rowdies posted a 4.19xG mark on 29 shots overall – but the two-goal performance by Steevan Dos Santos that allowed the hosts to overcome an early sucker-punch finish by the visitors was at the top of the list when it came to standout displays.

The 32-year-old Cape Verde forward has seen setbacks due to injury this season, but his alertness in the penalty area remained sharp as shown by a deft headed finish off a cross by Leo Fernandes that put the hosts ahead for good in the first half at Al Lang Stadium, a reward that Head Coach Neill Collins believed the veteran richly deserved.

“Steevan’s worked hard to sustain his fitness during his injury,” said Collins. “He got his goals tonight, he got his goal last week. He’s a great finisher. Steevan’s proven that, so very pleased for him. He’ll know he’s left a few goals out there. Hopefully he’ll get them back between now and the end of the season.”

5. BRETT’S QUALITY SHINES IN LATE EQUALIZER

Trailing late on the road, New Mexico United had produced some good looks on goal, but not the quantity of big opportunities that had put Detroit City FC ahead at Keyworth Stadium on Saturday night.

Enter Neco Brett. The Jamaican – who ranks tied for second in goals in the Championship’s regular season since the start of the 2018 season – was presented a golden opportunity to salvage a point in a well-worked build-up and finished clinically, highlighting the reason he was such a big addition for New Mexico’s squad this offseason. It might only have earned a point on the road, but the endeavor the visitors showed at venue where Le Rouge have lost only once all season was appreciate by Head Coach Zach Prince.

“I really appreciate the effort and attitude we showed toward the end of the game,” Prince told the Albuquerque Journal’s Ken Sickenger. “I think we could’ve taken the initiative sooner and we had some missed opportunities, but getting that late score was big.”

6. RISING FC FINDING REASON TO BELIEVE AGAIN

Phoenix Rising FC didn’t get the win it was looking for, but after a second consecutive shutout there were signs in the club’s 0-0 draw at home to Sacramento Republic FC that the side might be close to turning the corner and salvaging its chance at extending its run of postseason appearances.

While Republic FC was not at full strength – holding players in reserve for Wednesday’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinal with Sporting Kansas City, the visitors handed a debut to recently called-up U.S. U-19 international Santiago Suarez – Phoenix had more than enough chances to claim three points, posting a season-high 27 shots and accumulating a 2.68xG mark only to be thwarted by Sacramento goalkeeper Carlos Saldaña.

There’s still ground to be made up – Phoenix is now six points out of the playoff positions with 14 games to go – and Wednesday’s clash with Oakland Roots SC is now almost a must-win, but there’s reason to believe again for Rising FC fans.

“After a difficult game on Wednesday that was played in insane humidity, I thought our guys played extremely well tonight,” said Rising FC Head Coach Rick Schantz. “Our pressing was fantastic. The defending by our forwards was very good. There were a few mistakes here and there, but we created a lot of chances. We just needed to put one away.”

7. HENRIQUEZ QUICKLY MAKES PRESENCE FELT

If there was a silver lining to be taken from Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC’s 3-3 draw against the Charleston Battery, it was in the debut of Jairo Henriquez.

The El Salvador international had an immediate impact off the bench for the hosts at Weider Field, first creating for Hadji Barry’s 12th goal of the season before being felled in the penalty area himself, upon which he stepped up and buried the ensuing penalty kick to give him a goal and assist inside 10 minutes of his introduction.

As shorthanded as the Switchbacks have been due to injury recently, Henriquez’s presence seems to offer another attacking weapon that when the side is reformed in full will give Head Coach Brendan Burke an even greater embarrassment of riches in the attacking third.

"Jairo was phenomenal,” said Burke. “He showed all his quality, and he did it in such a short space of time and he deserved a better outcome.”

8. TREJO, LIGHTS FC RESUME NORMAL SERVICE

Prior to Week 19’s victory against Rio Grande Valley FC, the litmus test for whether Las Vegas Lights FC would end up in the win column had been Danny Trejo, who had scored in all seven of the club’s prior victories before its 1-0 win against the Toros on Morten Bjorshol’s thunderous finish.

On Saturday, normal service was resumed. Trejo’s 10th goal of the season opened a 2-0 victory against an Oakland Roots SC side that was reduced to 10 players shortly before halftime due to a red card for goalkeeper Paul Blanchette. The win lifted Lights FC back above the playoff line while dealing another blow to Oakland’s chances of a second postseason appearance.

It wasn’t always the prettiest performance – Oakland created the better chances before being reduced to 10 men – but when a team has a duo with the caliber of Trejo and strike partner Cal Jennings available, they can produce enough magic to deliver results. That could be enough to send Las Vegas to its first playoff berth in club history.

9. MONTEREY BAY BUILDING MOMENTUM

It’s still a longshot that Monterey Bay F.C. is going to be part of the USL Championship Playoffs field in its inaugural season, but Saturday’s 2-0 victory against the New York Red Bulls II despite playing more than a half down a player showed the positive strides the side is making overall as it enters the second half of its inaugural campaign.

A first goal for Simon Dawkins early on set the tone for the hosts at Cardinale Stadium, who are now undefeated in their last four games and have posted three consecutive shutouts as Antony Siaha and Dallas Jaye – who made a late cameo appearance before his retirement – combined to continue the side’s defensive solidity. With 10 points to make up and 15 games to go, MBFC is only rated a 6% chance to reach the playoffs by fivethirtyeight.com, but it could have a major say in who ends up above the playoff line when it’s all said and done.

“When you get games like that, when everything’s clicking, it breeds confidence and obviously we’ve needed that this season,” said Dawkins. “To get three points at home is very important for us obviously, because we want that playoff push. We have to take that confidence and bring it into the next game as well, but we’re happy with tonight.”

10. INDY ENDS SCORELESS STREAK, BUT HOLE GETS DEEPER

The good news for Indy Eleven is its scoreless streak is finally over. Solomon Asante’s first goal for the Boys in Blue – and his 50th in the Championship’s regular season – in the ninth minute of Saturday’s contest against Memphis 901 FC ended that run at 459 minutes and gave the hosts an early lead at Michael A. Carroll Stadium.

The winless run? Well, that’s going to be another day. The 1-1 draw between Indy and Memphis certainly provided a boost for the hosts as 901 FC hit the woodwork twice while recording an overall shots advantage of 14-7. After Miami FC’s late victory against Loudoun United FC later on Saturday night, though, the hole Indy has to dig itself out of to get into the postseason field got that little bit deeper.

“Some really good things, some things that we’re not too happy with again,” said Indy Head Coach Mark Lowry. “As always, we’ve got to keep getting better, but tonight gave us a bit of a foundation to build on after a few interesting weeks, a point of reference to build on and get better. I loved the effort and the determination of the performance tonight. The guys gave everything, and that’s all we can ask for.”

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