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USL Championship News & Notes | Week 26

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 08/31/22, 12:00PM EDT

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A first in league history for the Switchbacks’ attack, and individual landmarks for Phoenix’s Moar and Miami’s Sparrow


Switchbacks FC's Hadji Barry, Michee Ngalina and Cam Lindley each have at least eight assists this season, the first time three players from one team have done so in a USL Championship season. | Photo courtesy Isaiah J. Downing / Switchbacks FC

Welcome to this week’s edition of the USL Championship News & Notes, where this week we look at a first in league history accomplished by a trio of Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC players, notable landmarks from two of the Championship’s longtime standouts, and the scorer of the 1,000th goal of the 2022 regular season.

All of that, plus the regular look at upcoming landmarks for players across the league and the weekly Discipline Report.

NEWS AND NOTES

BRINGING THE ASSISTS TO THE SWITCHBACKS ATTACK
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC ranks second in the USL Championship with 52 goals this regular season, but the club’s trio of Cam Lindley, Hadji Barry and Michee Ngalina have already achieved a first in the Championship’s history, becoming the first set of three teammates to all record at least eight assists in the same regular season.

Lindley currently leads the team – and sits one off the league led held by Memphis 901 FC’s Aaron Molloy – with nine assists, while both Barry and Ngalina have recorded eight assists apiece. Ngalina has matched his assists total from a season ago, while this is now a single-season career high for Barry.

Teammates to have Recorded 8+ Assists in the Same Regular Season
3
– Cameron Lindley, Hadji Barry, Michee Ngalina – Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (2022)
2 – Aaron Molloy, Jeremy Kelly – Memphis 901 FC (2022)
2 – Russell Cicerone, Alex Dixon – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (2021)
2 – Jonathan Gomez, Brian Ownby – Louisville City FC (2021)
2 – Malik Johnson, Leo Fernandes – Tampa Bay Rowdies (2019)
2 – Aodhan Quinn, Thomas Enevoldsen – Orange County SC (2018)
2 – Ilija Ilic, Oscar Jimenez – Louisville City FC (2018)

DETROIT CITY’S BOTELLO FAZ SCORES 1,000TH GOAL OF SEASON

Detroit City FC’s Pato Botello Faz scored the 1,000th goal of the 2022 regular season on Saturday night with his second tally in the 53rd minute of Le Rouge’s 3-0 victory against the Charleston Battery.

Through Week 25, there have been 1,020 goals scored overall in the league across 354 games, an average of 2.88 per game. That currently matches the average number of goals per game in the Championship from a season ago, when a total of 1,426 goals were scored across 496 regular season contests.

PHOENIX’S SANTI MOAR JOINS 40 GOALS, 30 ASSISTS CLUB

Phoenix Rising FC’s Santi Moar became the seventh player to record at least 40 goals and 30 assists in the USL Championship’s regular season on Saturday night as he notched his 30th assist in his side’s contest against El Paso Locomotive FC.

Moar becomes the third player this season to join the group after Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s Alex Dixon and New Mexico United’s Chris Wehan. The Spaniard has made 161 regular season appearances in the Championship during his career.

Players with 40 goals, 30 assists in the USL Championship’s Regular Season
Jorge Herrera – 72 goals, 35 assists
Enzo Martinez – 55 goals, 35 assists
Solomon Asante – 50 goals, 44 assists
Alex Dixon – 48 goals, 31 assists
Chris Wehan – 48 goals, 31 assists
Santi Moar – 42 goals, 30 assists
Aodhan Quinn – 41 goals, 46 assists

MIAMI FC’S CONNOR SPARROW LOGS 30TH REGULAR SEASON SHUTOUT

Miami FC’s Connor Sparrow became the 17th goalkeeper in the USL Championship’s history to record 30 regular season shutouts as he posted a five-save performance in Miami’s 1-0 victory against Eastern Conference leader Louisville City FC on Saturday night.

Sparrow reached the landmark in his 92nd regular season appearance, having previously appeared in the league for Real Monarchs SLC (2016-18) and Nashville SC (2019). The 28-year-old is currently sitting in the league lead with 12 shutouts this season – already a career high, surpassing his seven shutouts in 19 appearances for the Monarchs in 2017 – and is four shutouts from setting a new single-season Championship record with seven games remaining in Miami’s regular season.

Upcoming Player Milestones


New Mexico United's Alexis Souahy could make his 100th regular season appearance in the USL Championship in Friday night's rivalry clash with El Paso Locomotive FC at Isotopes Park. | Photo courtesy Josh Lane / New Mexico United

Appearances
Approaching 250 regular-season appearances

Dane Kelly (PIT) – 249

Approaching 200 regular-season appearances
Sean Totsch (LOU) – 197
Lebo Moloto (TUL) – 197

Approaching 150 regular-season appearances
Hadji Barry (COS) – 149
Conor Donovan (SAC) – 148
Mikey Lopez (BHM) – 147
Paco Craig (MIA) – 146

Approaching 100 regular-season appearances
Alexis Souahy (NM) – 99
Sam Hamilton (NM) – 98
Arun Basuljevic (MB) – 98
Joe Kuzminsky (CHS) – 97
Jake Areman (TBR) – 97

Minutes
Approaching 15,000 regular-season minutes
Kyle Greig (TBR) – 14,809
Justin Portillo (NM) – 14,778
Lebo Moloto (TUL) – 14,761

Approaching 10,000 regular-season minutes
Kyle Adams (SD) – 9,999
Kyle Murphy (MIA) – 9,971
Matt VanOekel (BHM) – 9,952
Chris Cortez (MB) – 9,929
Jimmy Ockford (COS) – 9,929
Matt LaGrassa (SAC) – 9,927
Thomas Vancaeyezeele (TBR) – 9,905
Solomon Asante (IND) – 9,892
Seth Casiple (OC) – 9,889

Goals
Approaching 75 regular season goals

Cameron Lancaster (LOU) – 73

Approaching 50 regular season goals
Alex Dixon (PIT) – 48
Christian Volesky (MB) – 48
Chris Wehan (NM) – 48

Assists
Approaching 30 regular season assists

Oscar Jimenez (LOU) – 29
Lewis Hilton (TBR) – 27
Niall McCabe (LOU) – 27
Justin Portillo (NM) – 27
Leo Fernandes (TBR) – 27

Saves
Approaching 300 regular season saves

CJ Cochran (TBR) – 297

Shutouts
Approaching 60 regular-season shutouts

Evan Newton (ELP) – 58

Approaching 40 regular-season shutouts
Matt VanOekel (BHM) – 38
Alex Tambakis (NM) – 38

Approaching 30 regular-season shutouts
Joe Kuzminsky (CHS) – 29
CJ Cochran (TBR) – 29

Discipline Report – Week 26

TAMPA, Fla. – The following is the USL Championship’s discipline report for Week 26 of the 2022 USL Championship season:

Las Vegas Lights FC’s Alex Lara will not serve a suspension following the successful appeal of his red card for denial of a goalscoring opportunity against Rio Grande Valley FC on August 27 to the Independent Review Panel. Lara will be available for selection in Las Vegas’ contest against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday night.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies’ Yann Ekra has been suspended for one game following his red card for two cautionable offenses against Orange County SC on August 27. Ekra will be unavailable for selection in Tampa Bay’s contest against Las Vegas Lights FC on Saturday night.

Oakland Roots SC’s Jose Hernandez has been suspended for two games for caution accumulation following his 11th yellow card of the season in his side’s contest against Sacramento Republic FC on August 27. Hernandez will be unavailable for selection in Oakland’s contests against San Antonio FC this Saturday and Phoenix Rising FC on September 10.

Indy Eleven’s Sam Brown has been suspended for one game for caution accumulation following his eighth yellow card of the of the season against San Antonio FC on August 27. Brown will be unavailable for selection in Indy’s contest against Louisville City FC on Wednesday night.

The following players enter the upcoming matches one caution away from a yellow card accumulation suspension for their eighth yellow card of the season. Here is the breakdown per club:

  • Birmingham Legion FC (1): Marlon

  • El Paso Locomotive FC (1): Josue Aaron Gomez

  • Indy Eleven (1): Neveal Hackshaw

  • Memphis 901 FC (1): Leston Paul

  • New York Red Bulls II (1): Curtis Ofori

  • Sacramento Republic FC (1): Luis Felipe Fernandes

  • San Antonio FC (1): Jasser Khmiri

  • San Diego Loyal SC (2): Kyle Adams, Alejandro Guido

  • FC Tulsa (2): Gabriel Torres, Noah Powder

The following players enter the upcoming matches one caution away from a yellow card accumulation suspension for their 11th yellow card of the season. Here is the breakdown per club:

  • Sacramento Republic FC (1): Rodrigo Lopez

  • FC Tulsa (1): Adrian Diz Pe

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