Two of the top three teams in both the USL Championship’s Eastern and Western Conference will square off on Saturday night as Memphis 901 FC plays host to former Head Coach Ben Pirmann and the Charleston Battery, and Sacramento Republic FC and San Antonio FC square off for the second time this season.

The games highlight a 10-game slate that also sees Phoenix Rising FC and Head Coach Juan Guerra visit Oakland Roots SC for the first time since Guerra’s departure from Oakland a season ago.

Here's a look ahead at all the action.

Hartford Athletic vs. Indy Eleven

Venue: Trinity Health Stadium
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

The Lowdown: Hartford Athletic and Indy Eleven will both try to rebound from late setbacks last time out as they meet for the second time this month. Hartford (2-9-4, 10pts) remained in last place of the Eastern Conference last Saturday as it fell 4-3 to the Charleston Battery despite holding a two-goal lead in the second half. Kyle Edwards scored twice for the side – moving to a team-high six goals this season – but a red card to Antoine Hoppenot proved pivotal as Charleston dominated the final 25 minutes and grabbed a 90th-minute winner to sink Hartford’s hopes of a positive result. Indy (4-6-4, 16pts) also suffered late heartbreak at Birmingham Legion FC last Saturday as the visitors conceded in the 89th minute to fall 2-1 at Protective Stadium. Sebastian Guenzatti recorded his third goal of the season for the Boys in Blue, putting him tied for the club lead alongside Aodhan Quinn, and despite the result Indy remains in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, giving it a chance to solidify its playoff position as it heads to New England. Indy needed a late equalizer by Jack Blake when these sides met on June 10 in a 1-1 at Michael A. Carroll Stadium, however, as the hosts ended the game with nine men to Hartford’s 10 in an eventful contest, but the Boys in Blue have been more successful away from home this season with three of their four wins coming on the road while Hartford has won only once at home so far this league campaign.

Spotlight Players
Hartford Athletic – Andre Lewis: The Jamaican midfielder scored his first goal of the season against Charleston and could need to step up in the absence of Hoppenot to add attacking threat from midfield for the hosts.

Indy Eleven – Adrian Diz Pe: The Cuban defender has been one of Indy’s more consistent performers this season but was sent off early when these sides met for the first time and will want to put in a better display here.

Loudoun United FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies

Venue: Segra Field
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

The Lowdown: The Tampa Bay Rowdies will try to continue an eight-game undefeated streak as they head to face a Loudoun United FC side that returns home looking to rebound from a midweek setback. Loudoun (5-10-1, 16pts) saw a two-game winning streak end on Wednesday night as it suffered a 2-0 defeat to Birmingham Legion FC at Protective Stadium, but the side remains in the middle of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference as the midway point of the season approaches. The hosts have only won once previously against Tampa Bay in eight meetings, however, with that win coming in Loudoun’s inaugural season in 2019 with Head Coach Neill Collins side having won six in a row while outscoring Loudoun 20-3 since that defeat. The Rowdies (7-4-4, 25pts) played to a 1-1 draw in their most recent outing against current Western Conference leader El Paso Locomotive FC last Saturday night as Jake LaCava scored his first goal for the club since arriving on loan from Inter Miami CF earlier this month. Tampa Bay will be without assists leader Ryan Spaulding as it heads to Virginia following his recall by the New England Revolution early this week, but sitting three points back of current Eastern Conference leader the Charleston Battery the visitors will be eager to claim another win and remain in the hunt for top spot.

Spotlight Players
Loudoun United FC – Jackson Hopkins: The 18-year-old forward has been a bright addition to United’s lineup since coming on loan from D.C. United and could have an impact in the final third for the hosts.

Tampa Bay Rowdies – Charlie Dennis: The attacking midfielder is tied for the club lead with six goals this season and has recorded 38 chances created so far in the campaign. 

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC vs. San Diego Loyal SC

Venue: Highmark Stadium
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

The Lowdown: Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC will put a four-game shutout streak on the line as it plays host to a San Diego Loyal SC side that has only been held scoreless twice this season as both teams look to build on draws last time out in the first official meeting between the clubs. The Hounds (7-2-6, 27pts) dropped back into second place in the Eastern Conference last Saturday after a 0-0 draw with Oakland Roots SC in California that extended the club’s overall shutout streak to 364 minutes. Goalkeeper Luis Zamudio recorded a shutout in his debut for the club on loan from D.C. United with regular starter Jahmali Waite away with Jamaica for the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. Pittsburgh has won five consecutive home outings and is one of two remaining sides yet to suffer defeat on home turf this season alongside San Antonio FC. SD Loyal (6-4-5, 23pts) has been a solid road side this season, meanwhile, as it returns to action after a 2-2 draw with San Antonio in its last outing on June 14 that saw Alejandro Guido and Adrien Perez find the net for the side at Torero Stadium. San Diego has drawn its last three outings overall, dropping the side to fifth place in the Western Conference, but it won its lone prior trip to far to the East Coast this season with a 3-2 win at Miami FC on May 20, and has earned nine points in seven road games overall so far this season.  

Spotlight Players
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC – Danny Griffin: The central midfielder has been impressive since his return to the Hounds earlier this season and will need to be at his best against a strong SD Loyal unit to help the hosts to success.

San Diego Loyal SC – Alejandro Guido: The San Diego native put in his best performance of the season so far against San Antonio last time out and will look for a similar display here to help keep SD Loyal in top-four contention.

Detroit City FC vs. Orange County SC

Venue: Keyworth Stadium
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

The Lowdown: Detroit City FC will try to continue its recent undefeated streak as it plays host to an Orange County SC side that broke a lengthy road winless streak last weekend to push back into playoff contention. Le Rouge (4-7-4, 16pts) ran their undefeated streak to five games last Saturday night as they earned a 0-0 draw at Memphis 901 FC, marking the fourth shutout in the past five games for the side as 901 FC was held scoreless for the first time this season. DCFC is now one of three teams on 16 points around the playoff line in the Eastern Conference and will look to add to consecutive home wins that came before its recent three-game road trip to continue the club’s rise up the standings. Orange County (4-8-4, 16pts) moved up to ninth place in the Western Conference after a 3-0 victory against FC Tulsa last Saturday that marked the first road win for the side last July as Milan Iloski and Thomas Amang both found the net. Iloski’s goal was his team-leading sixth of the season, while Amang bagged his first goal for his new club late from the penalty spot to get off the mark this season. With a five-point gap to the playoff places, OCSC needs to maintain its momentum to bridge the gap as it reaches the midpoint of its regular season.

Spotlight Players
Detroit City FC – Devon Amoo-Mensah: The center back has been impressive during Detroit’s current undefeated streak and ranks third on the team with 27 clearances while making 13 interceptions.

Orange County SC – Kyle Scott: The English midfielder has notched assists in two of the past three games – both helping OCSC victories – and will be key for the visitors in what will be a tough matchup against DCFC’s solid midfield unit.

Louisville City FC vs. Las Vegas Lights FC

Venue: Lynn Family Stadium
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

The Lowdown: Louisville City FC will officially bid farewell to Joshua Wynder as he heads to joins S.L. Benfica while aiming to end a three-game winless streak in league play as it meets Las Vegas Lights FC for the first official game between the clubs. LouCity (6-4-4, 22pts) earned a 2-2 draw last Saturday night at Phoenix Rising FC as goalkeeper Oliver Semmle made a key late penalty kick save to earn the visitors a point. The defending Eastern Conference title holders are now in sixth place in the standings but could see both Niall McCabe and Manny Perez both return to the lineup on Saturday after the experienced midfielder and defender saw action in LouCity’s first international exhibition on Wednesday night against German club FC Kaiserslautern. Las Vegas (1-7-6, 9pts) arrives in Louisville for the first time hoping to end a three-game losing streak, meanwhile, with Lights FC having suffered a 2-0 defeat to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC last Saturday night. The visitors have won once on the road so far this season in 10 games, but will hope to build momentum for a home-heavy month of July as the veteran attack led by Erick “Cubo” Torres looks for success this time out.

Spotlight Players
Louisville City FC – Enoch Mushagalusa: The left winger found the net with a sharp finish on Wednesday night against FC Kaiserslautern and will hoping to bring that form into this contest after recording one goal and one assist this regular season.

Las Vegas Lights FC – Andrew Carleton: The former U.S. youth international has scored two goals and one assist in six prior games against Louisville City FC and will be hoping to open his Lights FC account here.

Memphis 901 FC vs. Charleston Battery

Venue: AutoZone Park
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

The Lowdown: Memphis 901 FC will welcome former Head Coach Ben Pirmann and the Charleston Battery to AutoZone Park for a top-three clash in the Eastern Conference that sees the hosts enter off a big midweek victory. Memphis (7-2-4, 25pts) extended its undefeated streak to 11 games with a 4-0 victory against FC Tulsa on Wednesday night as Emerson Hyndman scored his first goal for the club alongside goals by Rashawn Dally and Jelani Peters. 901 FC is now three points behind the Battery in the Eastern Conference standings while having played the fewest games in the league to this point of the season and is tied for the most goals in the Championship with 27. The Battery (8-4-4, 28pts) are coming off a thrilling 4-3 victory against Hartford Athletic last Saturday, however, as Nick Markanich scored a pair of goals before AJ Paterson struck a 90th-minute game-winner to send the side back on top of the Eastern Conference. This contest will mark the first meeting between these sides since Pirmann’s offseason move to take the helm at the Battery after earning the Championship’s Coach of the Year award last season in Memphis. After Charleston’s turnaround in fortunes under their new manager, the visitors will be hoping to continue their impressive road form after winning five of seven games away from home in a must-see contest.

Spotlight Players
Memphis 901 FC – Aaron Molloy: The central midfielder notched his third assist of the season in midweek and continues to be one of the most influential players in the league, one the Battery will need to keep a close eye on.

Charleston Battery – Derek Dodson: The right back joined Pirmann in Charleston after impressing last season in Memphis and has notched one goal and three assists as he prepares to face his former club for the first time.

New Mexico United vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

Venue: Isotopes Park
Kickoff: 9 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

The Lowdown: New Mexico United and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC will both try to rebound from midweek setbacks as New Mexico ends a three-game homestand looking to close the gap to the playoff positions in the Western Conference. United (4-7-3, 15pts) dropped to 11th place in the Western Conference on Wednesday night after a 3-1 defeat to Phoenix Rising FC that saw Amando Moreno find the net for the hosts in the second half only for Phoenix to pull away for victory in the final half-hour. Justin Portillo provided the assist on Moreno’s goal, marking his 30th in the Championship’s regular season for his career, but the side’s defense has continued to be a soft spot with the side having yet to record a shutout since its opening game of the season at Miami FC. The Switchbacks (7-8-1, 22pts) will hope to take advantage again after having won 2-1 when these sides met for the first time this season in April, but the visitors suffered a 1-0 defeat to Rio Grande Valley FC on Wednesday night that served as a missed opportunity to jump up the Western Conference standings. Colorado Springs will look to rebound quickly with Romario Williams looking to lead the way after recording six goals so far this campaign as he prepares to face the club he spent time with a season ago.

Spotlight Players
New Mexico United – Josh Dolling: The English forward came on as a second-half substitute against Phoenix and is still looking for his first goal of the regular season as the hosts look for a first win under new Head Coach Eric Quill.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC – Drew Skundrich: The veteran midfielder found the net the last time these teams met but will need to be solid again should he continue his makeshift role as a right back in the club’s current system.

Monterey Bay F.C. vs. Miami FC

Venue: Cardinale Stadium
Kickoff: 10 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

The Lowdown: Monterey Bay F.C. returns home after an impressive road victory last time out as it plays host to a Miami FC side that will play its first game under interim Head Coach Lewis Neal on Saturday night. Monterey Bay (6-4-5, 23pts) moved into the top four in the Western Conference standings last Saturday as it took a 1-0 win against Sacramento Republic FC at Heart Health Park, becoming the first team to hand Sacramento a home defeat in the league this season. Christian Volesky scored the decisive goal for the visitors for his sixth goal of the season as MBFC earned its third consecutive victory, a run that currently stands as the longest active winning streak in the league. Miami (2-6-7, 13pts) is looking for a turnaround, meanwhile, as the side’s winless streak reached six games last Saturday after a 2-1 defeat to Loudoun United FC that resulted in the departure of Head Coach Anthony Pulis. Despite the club’s run of recent form, Miami is only three points out of the playoff positions in the Eastern Conference. The side is yet to win on the road this season, however, with three draws in seven games away from South Florida and will face a bit test from a Monterey Bay side that is undefeated in its last five home games.

Spotlight Players
Monterey Bay F.C. – Morey Doner: The Canadian full back notched the assist on Volesky’s goal in Sacramento for his second of the season and has played every minute of the campaign so far to strong effect.

Miami FC – Bolu Akinyode: The veteran midfielder will want to try and slow down the hosts when they try to break in transition moments and has won 29 tackles so far this season in 13 appearances. 

Oakland Roots SC vs. Phoenix Rising FC

Venue: Pioneer Stadium
Kickoff: 10 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

The Lowdown: Oakland Roots SC and Phoenix Rising FC will each try to add to recent undefeated streaks as they meet for the first time in the bay area since the move of current Phoenix Head Coach Juan Guerra from Roots SC last season. Oakland (6-4-4, 22pts) played to a scoreless draw last weekend against Eastern Conference contender Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC to move its undefeated run to four games, putting the side in sixth place in the Western standings. The hosts will be without defenders Bryan Tamacas (El Salvador) and Neveal Hackshaw (Trinidad and Tobago) as both players get set to compete in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup that kicks off this weekend as they meet Phoenix for a second time this month. In the prior meeting, Oakland twice took the lead on goals by Dariusz Formella and Lindo Mfeka, only for Phoenix to grab a late equalizer from Manuel Arteaga to earn a share of the points. Arteaga was also on the scoresheet on Wednesday night for Rising FC (5-4-6, 21pts), scoring his eighth goal of the season as the side took a 3-1 victory at New Mexico United. The victory also saw Danny Trejo and Panos Armenakas record a goal and assist apiece, moving the side within a point of Oakland ahead of what should be an intriguing contest.

Spotlight Players
Oakland Roots SC – Joseph Nane: The veteran midfielder recorded an assist in the first meeting between the sides this season and looks set to continue to cover for Hackshaw’s absence in the back line.

Phoenix Rising FC – Danny Trejo: The versatile attacker has five goals and three assists this season after a big performance against New Mexico and will look to deliver more of the same to push Phoenix up the standings.

Sacramento Republic FC vs. San Antonio FC

Venue: Heart Health Park
Kickoff: 11 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

The Lowdown: Second-placed Sacramento Republic FC and third-placed San Antonio FC will square off for the second time this season with the hosts looking to rebound from their first setback on home turf this season against the defending USL Championship title holders. Republic FC (8-2-5, 29pts) dropped into second place in the Western Conference last Saturday after a 1-0 defeat to NorCal rival Monterey Bay F.C. ended a four-game undefeated run for the side as it dropped a point behind El Paso Locomotive FC in the standings. Sacramento remains four points ahead of San Antonio (6-2-7, 25pts) as the sides approach the midway point of the season having played to a 0-0 draw when they first met at Toyota Field in April. SAFC has also drawn its last three outings, playing to a 2-2 draw with San Diego Loyal SC at Torero Stadium on June 14 in its last contest as second-half goals by Samuel Adeniran and Carter Manley weren’t enough for the side to hold onto victory. San Antonio has dropped points in each of its past three contests after holding the lead – something that only happened once to the side during the 2022 campaign – but after falling on its last visit to Heart Health Park 12 months ago the visitors will be eager to turn the tables and close the gap to the top two with a win.

Spotlight Players
Sacramento Republic FC – Russell Cicerone: The Championship’s co-leading goalscorer was limited to one shot on target and three shots overall when these sides met for the first time, and will be hoping to get back on the scoresheet here.

San Antonio FC – Mitchell Taintor: The veteran center back is putting together another sterling season and will look for another big performance with fellow defender Lamar Batista suspended for caution accumulation.