The top two teams in the USL Championship’s Western Conference are in action on Wednesday night as Sacramento Republic FC looks to rebound in a visit to Phoenix Rising FC and the second South Texas Derby of the season wraps up this year’s Copa Tejas with San Antonio FC heading to face Rio Grande Valley FC.

Here's a look ahead at the action.

Rio Grande Valley FC vs. San Antonio FC

Venue: H-E-B Park
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

The Lowdown: San Antonio FC will take aim at claiming the Copa Tejas for a second consecutive season as they visit Rio Grande Valley FC, with the hosts in need of a win to boost their postseason hopes after a setback this past weekend. The Toros (7-9-10, 31pts) fell 3-2 against San Diego Loyal SC on Saturday night at H-E-B Park, breaking a four-game home winning streak, as their rally from two goals down at the halftime break came up short despite goals from Jonathan Ricketts and Christian Pinzon. RGV FC fell 2-1 to San Antonio when these sides met at Toyota Field earlier this month, extending SAFC’s undefeated streak in the series between the South Texas Derby rivals to eight games as Santiago Patiño and Rida Zouhir found the net for the defending Championship title holders. San Antonio (13-4-9, 48pts) has been held scoreless in its past two outings since that victory, however, including a 0-0 draw against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday night that kept the side in second place to Sacramento Republic FC in the standings. While SAFC would only need a draw to claim the Copa Tejas, it will be eager to earn victory to keep the pressure on Republic FC in its contest later in the night.

Spotlight Players
Rio Grande Valley FC – Taylor Davila: The attacking midfielder has been arguably the Toros best player all season and with five goals and four assists will need to provide a creative spark in the attacking third for the hosts.

San Antonio FC – Tani Oluwaseyi: The co-leader in the race for the Championship’s Golden Boot has been held without a goal in his past four appearances and will want to help drive his side to victory while breaking a tie with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s Albert Dikwa for the league lead in goals.

New Mexico United vs. Las Vegas Lights FC

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

The Lowdown: New Mexico United will look to build on an important win last time out as it plays host to a Las Vegas Lights FC side that remains dangerous despite sitting in last place in the Western Conference standings. New Mexico (9-11-5, 32pts) took a 2-1 win against FC Tulsa on Saturday night in the third game of its four-game homestand at Isotopes Park that concludes this weekend as Harry Swartz and Sergio Rivas scored first-half goals for the side. United is now three points out of the playoff positions with nine games to go and would move level on points with both seventh-placed Phoenix Rising FC and eighth-placed El Paso Locomotive FC if it can improve on a 2-2 draw when it visited Lights FC in July in their first meeting of the season. Las Vegas (2-15-8, 14pts) suffered a third consecutive defeat on Saturday night, falling 3-2 to Phoenix Rising FC despite leading twice through a pair of goals by 20-year-old Daniel Rios. The visitors have lost their past five road contests since its lone road win of the season in May but could still pose a threat as a spoiler despite the playoffs being seemingly out of reach this season.   

Spotlight Players
New Mexico United – Amando Moreno: The El Salvador international found the net in the past meeting between these sides and after substitute appearances in United’s past two games could be in line to return to the lineup here.

Las Vegas Lights FC – Daniel Rios: The 20-year-old scored his first two goals in the USL Championship on Saturday night and could get a chance at an encore as Las Vegas looks to build toward the 2024 campaign.

Phoenix Rising FC vs. Sacramento Republic FC

Venue: Phoenix Rising Stadium
Kickoff: 10:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

The Lowdown: Phoenix Rising FC will try to claim consecutive victories for just the second time this season as it plays host to Sacramento Republic FC, with the visitors looking to rebound after falling this past weekend. Rising FC (9-8-8, 35pts) took a 3-2 victory against Las Vegas Lights FC this past Saturday as Manuel Arteaga, Danny Trejo and Panos Armenakas led the side back from a pair of deficits at Cashman Field. The result continued a run of five consecutive games in which Phoenix has alternated wins and losses, with the lone prior instance of the club winning consecutive games coming in May when the side took wins against Hartford Athletic and Orange County SC. By contrast, Sacramento took a 4-0 victory when the sides met in July at Heart Health Park as Keko and Jack Gurr each notched a goal and assist in a four-goal first half display for the hosts. Republic FC (13-4-9, 48pts) suffered a 2-0 defeat to Orange County SC before a Championship season-high crowd of 20,231 at Hughes Stadium on Saturday, spoiling the club’s celebration of its 10th anniversary season, but the game did see a return from injury for veteran Rodrigo Lopez, who came on as a late substitute. Now level on points with San Antonio FC at the top of the Western Conference, the visitors will be looking for a season sweep to ensure they remain on top of the table at the end of the night.

Spotlight Players
Phoenix Rising FC – Panos Armenakas: The Australian playmaker notched his second goal to go with four assists since his arrival from Loudoun United FC mid-season and will likely need to play a key role again if Phoenix is to claim victory.

Sacramento Republic FC – Keko: The Spanish winger notched a goal and assist when these sides played in July, and his energy throughout the season has been a key driver of Republic FC’s attack, recording six assists overall to sit tied for third in the league.