Two of the top three teams in their respective conferences square off for the first time on Friday night as the meeting between the Charleston Battery and Oakland Roots SC highlights a three-game slate to kick off the weekend, with a notable Eastern Conference clash between FC Tulsa and Louisville City FC and an interconference contest between Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and Birmingham Legion FC also on the docket.

Here's a look ahead at the action.

Charleston Battery vs. Oakland Roots SC

Venue: Patriots Point
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

The Lowdown: The Charleston Battery and Oakland Roots SC will square off for the first time in their histories with both teams sitting in the top three of their respective conferences and undefeated in their past five outings. The Battery (11-5-6, 39pts) remained in second place in the Eastern Conference last Saturday night with a 2-1 victory that saw Derek Dodson score the winner in second-half stoppage time at Protective Stadium. Augustine Williams notched both assists for the Battery to lead the fourth comeback victory the side has earned this season, moving Charleston to a league-best 14 points gained from losing positions this season. The Battery are 3-0-2 in their past five games and would move into first place with a win, sitting two points behind current Eastern leader Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC going into the weekend’s action. Oakland (9-6-7, 34pts) has posted the same record over its past five games, however, and earned a 1-1 draw against Detroit City FC last Saturday to remain in third place in the Western Conference standings as goalkeeper Paul Blanchette posted a nine-save performance at Pioneer Stadium. Blanchette leads the Championship with 78 saves this season while sitting second in shutouts with eight, while Johnny Rodriguez scored his ninth goal of the season against Le Rouge to continue his stellar season. Roots SC is also tied for the second-most away wins in the league this season with five and could give Charleston another strong test on its home turf.

Spotlight Players
Charleston Battery – Fidel Barajas: The 17-year-old NorCal native leads the Championship with seven assists this season as well as two goals and will look for a strong display to help push the Battery into first place in the standings.

Oakland Roots SC – Neveal Hackshaw: The Trinidad and Tobago international made his USL Championship debut for the Battery in 2016 and made 75 appearances for the club in the league, which could lead to a warm welcome back from the home fans.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. Birmingham Legion FC

Venue: Weidner Field
Kickoff: 9 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

The Lowdown: Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and Birmingham Legion FC will both try to bounce back from defeats in their last outings as they try to solidify their places above the playoff line in their respective conferences. The Switchbacks (9-11-2, 29pts) suffered a 2-0 defeat to San Diego Loyal SC last Sunday afternoon at Torero Stadium to run their winless streak to three games. The side now sits in seventh place in the Western Conference and will be looking for a win to help maintain that position in what has turned into a tight battle for position around the playoff line. Colorado Springs took a 2-0 victory when it visited Birmingham a season ago behind goals from Michee Ngalina and Ben Mines, and the side has been good so far this season at Weidner Field with a record of 6-3-1 on home turf. Legion FC (9-9-2, 29pts) is looking to rebound after letting a late lead slip in a 2-1 defeat to the Charleston Battery last Saturday, meanwhile, after Prosper Kasim gave the side a first-half lead. Legion FC is in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and holds a five-point cushion to the teams below the playoff line, but with at least one game in hand on each of the teams above it in the standings Birmingham will be hoping to get back in the win column to open the potential for a top-four finish in the East and a home playoff game.

Spotlight Players
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC – Jairo Henriquez: The El Salvador international has recorded three goals and two assists this season and could prove key in unlocking a solid Legion FC back line.

Birmingham Legion FC – Juan Agudelo: The former United States international has recorded four goals, two assists and 29 chances created this season, offering creativity alongside his eye for goal for the visitors. 

FC Tulsa vs. Louisville City FC

Venue: ONEOK Field
Kickoff: 9 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+ / SiriusXM FC

The Lowdown: FC Tulsa will try to rebound from the end of a five-game winning streak last time out as it hosts Louisville City FC, which arrives in Oklahoma aiming to turn the tables after a late defeat when the sides first met this season. Tulsa (7-8-7, 28pts) fell 3-0 to the Tampa Bay Rowdies last Saturday night despite a positive outing that saw the visitors denied in the final third by a resolute Rowdies defense. The result ended Tulsa’s recent surge up the Eastern Conference standings, but the side remains in seventh place as it hosts a LouCity side that it claimed a 2-1 victory against in May when Phillip Goodrum scored a late game-winner for his first goal for the club at Lynn Family Stadium. LouCity (9-7-5, 32pts) moved back into the top four in the Eastern Conference last Saturday, meanwhile, as it defeated LIPAFC rival Indy Eleven 2-0 on home turf to sweep the series this campaign. Elijah Wynder and Cameron Lancaster both found the net for the side while Oscar Jimenez posted two assists, moving him past 30 regular season assists for his career. With a six-point gap to make up to the top three in the East, LouCity will be hoping to build on its positive performance and record consecutive league wins for the first time since April.

Spotlight Players
FC Tulsa – Eric Bird: The veteran midfielder scored the opening goal in Tulsa’s comeback against LouCity in May and has been one of the more influential figures in the club’s rise back into the playoff positions over the past month.

Louisville City FC – Kyle Adams: The New Zealand international put in a strong debut for his new club against Indy last week and will need to provide more of the same against a strong Tulsa forward line.