San Antonio FC’s Tani Oluwaseyi is doing something incredibly rare in USL Championship history.

After Saturday night’s game against Hartford Athletic, he’s recorded 13 goals in 12 appearances, already setting a SAFC record for single-season goals while also bagging the first four-goal game in club history.

In this week’s USL Championship News & Notes, we look at the one player that Oluwaseyi now stands alongside in league history – a former Championship MVP, no less – and also at how the Charleston Battery have become the comeback kings in the league so far this campaign.

We’ve also got plenty of other notes and our regular look at upcoming milestones for individual players across the league, and there’s the Week 22 Discipline Report.

Let’s dig in.

NEWS AND NOTES

SAN ANTONIO’S TANI OLUWASEYI BAGS FOUR-GOAL NIGHT

San Antonio FC’s Tani Oluwaseyi recorded the first four-goal game in the club’s history on Saturday night and became the 12th player all-time to accomplish the feat in a USL Championship regular season game, in the side’s 5-2 victory against Hartford Athletic at Toyota Field.

Oluwaseyi’s four-goal outing was the first in the USL Championship’s regular season since Douglas Martinez Jr. recorded four goals for Real Monarchs SLC against the Portland Timbers 2 on September 14, 2019. It fell one shy of the Championship’s single-game record for goals of five set by Mauricio Salles for VSI Tampa Bay FC against Antigua Barracuda FC on June 8, 2013.

Oluwaseyi’s night also saw him record his third hat trick of the season so far, equaling the single-season league record for hat tricks set by Louisville City FC’s Matt Fondy during the 2015 season. Fondy went on to become the Championship's Most Valuable Player that season.

Players to Have Recorded Multiple Hat Tricks in a single USL Championship season
T-1. Matt Fondy, Louisville City FC (2015) – 3
T-1. Tani Oluwaseyi, San Antonio FC (2023) – 3*
T-3. Kevaughn Frater, New Mexico United (2019) – 2
T-3. Douglas Martinez Jr., Real Monarchs SLC (2019) – 2
T-3. Ethan Zubak, LA Galaxy II (2018) – 2
T-3. Efrain Alvarez, LA Galaxy II (2018) – 2
T-3. Dane Kelly, Reno 1868 FC (2017) – 2
T-3. Irvin Herrera, Saint Louis FC (2016) – 2
T-3. Kevin Molino, Orlando City SC (2014) – 2
T-3. Lucky Mkosana, Harrisburgh City Islanders (2013) – 2

* - Active Player

BATTERY PROVING COMEBACK KINGS IN 2023 SEASON

The Charleston Battery recorded their fourth comeback victory of the season on Saturday night with the club’s 2-1 victory against Birmingham Legion FC, and in the process set a club record in the USL Championship era for the most point gained from losing positions in a single season.

The Battery currently lead the Championship with 14 points gained after trailing this season, which places it 10 points behind the league’s single-season record. Both Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in 2021 and the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2022 earned 24 points from losing positions, among eight teams to have retrieved at least 20 points in a single regular season.

Most Points Gained from Losing Position in USL Championship Season
T-1. Tampa Bay Rowdies (2022) – 24
T-1. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (2021) – 24
3. Louisville City FC (2019) – 23
4. New York Red Bulls II (2019) – 22
5. San Antonio FC (2018) – 21
T-6. Louisville City FC (2016) – 20
T-6. New York Red Bulls II (2018) – 20
T-6. Reno 1868 FC (2019) – 20

MONTEREY BAY’S HUGH ROBERTS REACHES 250 APPEARANCES

Monterey Bay F.C.’s Hugh Roberts made his 250th regular season appearance in the USL Championship on Saturday night against Phoenix Rising FC, becoming the fifth player in league history to reach the milestone. Roberts currently also ranks third in league history in minutes played (20,157), having played 89.6 percent of available minutes across his 250 appearances during his career.

TOROS NOTCH COPA TEJAS SCORING FIRST

Rio Grande Valley FC set up a duel for the Copa Tejas this season against San Antonio FC with its 5-2 victory against El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday night at H-E-B Park and made history in the rivalry series in the process. The Toros became the first team to score five goals against another Texas rival since the start of the series in the 2019 season.

Quick Hits
- San Antonio FC’s 32 shots against Hartford Athletic set a new season high in the USL Championship and set a single-game club record for SAFC.

- Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s 4-2 victory against Memphis 901 FC marked the first time the Hounds had rallied from a two-goal deficit to take victory since the club’s historic “Miracle on The Mon” 6-5 victory against the Harrisburg City Islanders on May 30, 2015.

- San Diego Loyal SC has won the first four games of its head-to-head series with Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC after Sunday’s 2-0 victory at Torero Stadium.

- With his 10th goal of the season, Milan Iloski on Saturday night became only the second player in Orange County SC to record double-digit goals in consecutive seasons after Michael Seaton in the 2018 and 2019 campaigns.

Upcoming Player Milestones

Appearances
Approaching 250 regular-season appearances
Paolo DelPiccolo (LOU) – 247

Approaching 200 regular-season appearances
Tarek Morad (OAK) – 196
Kyle Murphy (MIA) – 196

Approaching 150 regular-season appearances
Solomon Asante (IND) – 149
Chris Wehan (NM) – 148
Amadou Dia (LOU) – 148
Kevon Lambert (PHX) – 147
Mechack Jerome (IND) – 147

Approaching 100 regular-season appearances
Camden Riley (SD) – 99
Akeem Ward (MEM) – 99
Dario Suarez (DET) – 99
Andrew Fox (OC) – 98
Dylan Mares (LOU) – 98
Danny Griffin (PIT) – 97
Tumi Moshobane (SD) – 97
Yuma (ELP) – 97

Minutes
Approaching 15,000 regular season minutes
Conor Donovan (SAC) – 14,970
Paco Craig (MIA) – 14,897
Brian Ownby (LOU) – 14,837
Joe Farrell (PIT) – 14,776

Approaching 10,000 regular season minutes
Graham Smith, 9,910
Tyler Pasher (BHM) – 9,875
Connor Sparrow (TBR) – 9,769
Will Seymore (NM) – 9,727

Goals
Approaching 75 regular season goals
Neco Brett (BHM) – 73

Approaching 50 regular season goals
Romario Williams (COS) – 49
Lucky Mkosana (TBR) – 48

Assists
Approaching 50 regular season assists
Aodhan Quinn (IND) – 49
Solomon Asante (IND) – 48

Approaching 30 regular season assists
Niall McCabe (LOU) – 27
Charlie Adams (SD) – 27
Rodrigo Da Costa (MEM) – 27

Saves
Approaching 200 regular season saves
Danny Vitiello (SAC) – 189
Jake McGuire (MIA) – 188
Kyle Morton (LOU) – 187

Shutouts
Approaching 30 regular-season shutouts
Joe Kuzminsky (COS) – 29
Danny Vitiello (SAC) – 28
Jordan Farr (SA) – 27

Discipline Report – Week 22

TAMPA, Fla. – The following is the USL Championship’s discipline report for Week 22 of the 2023 USL Championship season:

Memphis 901 FC’s Graham Smith has been suspended for one game following his red card for two cautionable offenses against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on July 29. Smith will be unavailable for selection in Memphis’ contest against Loudoun United FC on Wednesday.

New Mexico United’s Sam Hamilton has been suspended for one game following his red card for denial of a goalscoring opportunity against Orange County SC on July 29. Hamilton will be unavailable for selection in New Mexico’s contest against Hartford Athletic on Saturday night.

Loudoun United FC’s Houssou Landry has been suspended one game for caution accumulation after receiving his eighth yellow card of the season against Miami FC on July 29. Landry will be unavailable for selection in Loudoun’s contest against Memphis 901 FC on Wednesday.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies’ Forrest Lasso has been suspended one game for caution accumulation after receiving his eighth yellow card of the season against FC Tulsa on July 29. Lasso will be unavailable for selection in Tampa Bay’s contest against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday night.

Indy Eleven’s Cam Lindley was suspended for one game for caution accumulation after receiving his eighth yellow card of the season against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on July 26. Lindley served his suspension during Indy’s contest against Louisville City FC on July 29.

El Paso Locomotive FC’s Bence Pavkovics is no longer on caution accumulation warning, having had one caution removed under the USL’s Good Behavior incentive to place him on six cautions for the season.

San Antonio FC’s Alen Marcina is no longer on caution accumulation warning, having had one caution removed under the USL’s Good Behavior incentive to place him on six cautions for the season.

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) – Anderson Asiedu

• El Paso Locomotive FC (2) – Eder Borelli, Eric Calvillo

• Indy Eleven (1) – Callum Chapman Page

• Las Vegas Lights FC (1) – Isidro Sanchez

• Memphis 901 FC (1) – Graham Smith

• Monterey Bay F.C. (1) – James Murphy

• Rio Grande Valley FC (1) – Taylor Davila

• San Antonio FC (1) – Mitchell Taintor

• FC Tulsa (1) – Milo Yosef