We’re closing in on a run of two calendar years during which San Antonio FC has only lost once in an official game at Toyota Field, so it should come as no surprise SAFC has put together some big all-time numbers in the USL Championship against regular visitors over the years.

In this week’s edition of the USL Championship’s News & Notes we’ll look at how SAFC’s all-time home mark against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC stacks up historically.

We’ll also check out how Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC stumble out of the blocks in defense of its Championship Players’ Shield has made history, and where Saturday afternoon’s shootout between Hartford Athletic and Birmingham Legion FC ranks in the league’s history.

We’ve also got our regular look at upcoming regular season milestones for active players across the USL Championship and the Week 4 Discipline Report.

Let’s get started.

NEWS & NOTES

SAN ANTONIO CONTINUES HOME DOMINANCE OVER SWITCHBACKS

San Antonio FC moved its all-time home record against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC to 9-0-2 on Saturday night with a 2-0 victory at Toyota Field. SAFC is one of only two teams in Championship history to have gone undefeated at home in at least 10 meetings with a single opponent, with Sacramento Republic FC having gone 10-0-3 in its contests against Tacoma Defiance at Heart Health Park in the series between the clubs.

There are an additional three active series in which a side could reach 10 games without defeat on home turf across the regular season and playoffs this season. San Antonio FC has a 6-0-3 home record all-time against FC Tulsa, Louisville City FC has a 6-0-3 home record all-time against the Charleston Battery, and Hartford Athletic has an 8-0-1 home record all-time against Loudoun United FC.   

PITTSBURGH MAKES SLOWEST START AMONG PLAYERS’ SHIELD HOLDERS

Following the club’s third consecutive defeat to start the regular season against Louisville City FC on Saturday afternoon, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has made the slowest start to a campaign by a defending Players’ Shield title holder or league title winner in the USL Championship’s history.

In all applicable instances, the lone other side that claimed either the league title or the Players’ Shield for the best regular season records to fail to win in its opening three games of the following season was Real Monarchs SLC, which following winning the USL Championship title in 2019 opened the 2020 campaign with an 0-2-1 record.

The three-game losing run also marks just the second in the Championship’s regular season for the Hounds since Head Coach Bob Lilley’s arrival prior to the 2018 season. Pittsburgh suffered three consecutive losses to the Charleston Battery, Rio Grande Valley FC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies in June, 2022. It also marks just the third time this has occurred for a side coached by Lilley in the USL Championship era. The Lilley-led Rochester Rhinos lost three consecutive games in the 2014 season to Orange County SC, the Charleston Battery and the Charlotte Eagles.

HARTFORD ATHLETIC, BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC’S SHOOTING GALLERY

Hartford Athletic and Birmingham Legion FC combined to record 45 overall shots in their meeting on Saturday night, a total that placed the game tied for eighth in the league’s all-time list for most shots in a regular season contest, and only seven off the single-game regular season record of 52 set by Phoenix Rising FC and Las Vegas Lights FC in the 2021 season.

Most Combined Shots in a USL Championship Regular Season Contest
1. Phoenix Rising FC & Las Vegas Lights FC – 52 shots, 5/22/21
T-2. LA Galaxy II & Atlanta United 2 – 50 shots, 10/8/22
T-2. Loudoun United FC & New York Red Bulls II – 50 shots, 10/19/19
T-4. Phoenix Rising FC & San Antonio FC – 48 shots, 5/7/22
T-4. Loudoun United FC & Philadelphia Union II – 48 shots, 9/12/20
T-6. San Diego Loyal SC & Reno 1868 FC – 47 shots, 8/22/20
T-6. Phoenix Rising FC & Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC – 47 shots, 3/30/19
T-8. Hartford Athletic & Birmingham Legion FC – 45 shots, 3/23/24
T-8. Phoenix Rising FC & Las Vegas Lights FC – 45 shots, 9/15/21
T-8. Hartford Athletic & Loudoun United FC – 45 shots, 9/7/19
T-8. San Antonio FC & Sacramento Republic FC – 45 shots, 6/16/18

Hartford Athletic’s total of 27 overall shots also ranked second all-time in a regular season game in club history. It placed one off the 28 shots the side took against Loudoun United FC on September 7, 2019 in a 5-1 victory for Hartford at Trinity Health Stadium. That contest also saw the sides combine for 45 shots overall.

Quick Hits
- 2023 USL Championship Golden Boot winner Albert Dikwa became the first official goalscorer in Rhode Island FC’s history on Sunday afternoon as he notched a pair of goals in his side’s 2-2 draw against Monterey Bay F.C. at Cardinale Stadium. The brace was Dikwa’s eighth in the USL Championship’s regular season for his career.

- Detroit City FC’s 2-1 victory against Loudoun United FC at Keyworth Stadium marked its first win after trailing at halftime since April 24, 2022 against Hartford Athletic. Le Rouge had gone 15 games without a win after trailing at halftime over that span.

- Birmingham Legion FC goalkeeper Matt VanOekel’s 15 combined saves in his first two appearances of the 2024 season is the most the veteran goalkeeper has recorded in consecutive games in the USL Championship regular season.

- Louisville City FC’s Sean Totsch has converted 9 of 9 penalty kicks in the USL Championship’s regular season following his goal against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday. The most penalties converted without a miss in the league’s regular season history is 14 by former Richmond Kickers and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC midfielder Luke Vercollone.

- Five players named to the USL Academy Cup Boys 2005 All-Tournament Team are currently signed to USL Academy contracts with USL Championship and League One clubs. Benji Chavarria (Indy Eleven), Dillon Clarke (Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC), Nicholas Skubis (Tampa Bay Rowdies), Gabriel Cox (Richmond Kickers), James Sneddon (Richmond Kickers).

Upcoming Player Milestones

Appearances
Approaching 200 regular-season appearances
Seth Casiple (OC) – 199
Augustine Williams (IND) – 196
Niall McCabe (LOU) – 196

Approaching 150 regular-season appearances
Matt Sheldon (DET) – 149
Tyler Pasher (BHM) – 148
Tyler Gibson (IND) – 147  

Approaching 100 regular-season appearances
Yuma (ELP) – 99
Maxi Rodriguez (DET) – 99
Enoch Mushagalusa (HFD) – 98
Deshane Beckford (HFD) – 98
Taylor Davila (LOU) – 98
Memo Diaz (OAK) – 98
Mobi Fehr (MB) – 98
Phillip Goodrum (TUL) – 97
Bruno Lapa (MEM) – 97
Edgardo Rito (PHX) – 97

Minutes
Approaching 10,000 regular season minutes
Robbie Mertz (PIT) – 9,914
Prosper Kasim (BHM) – 9,835
Albert Dikwa (RI) – 9,793
Danny Griffin (PIT) – 9,709

Goals
Approaching 70 regular season goals
Enzo Martinez (BHM) – 69
Augustine Williams (IND) – 67

Approaching 60 regular season goals
Romario Williams (HFD) – 57
Russell Cicerone (SAC) – 56

Approaching 50 regular season goals
Rodrigo Da Costa (NC) – 47

Assists
Approaching 50 regular season assists
Brian Ownby (LOU) – 46
Rodrigo Lopez (SAC) – 46

Approaching 40 regular season assists
Christiano Francois (LDN) – 38

Approaching 30 regular season assists
Niall McCabe (LOU) – 28
Rodrigo Da Costa (NC) – 28
Cam Lindley (IND) – 27

Saves
Approaching 300 regular season saves
Paul Blanchette (OAK) – 293
Kendall McIntosh (SA) – 278

Approaching 200 regular season saves
Rocco Rios Novo (PHX) – 190
Nathan Steinwascher (DET) – 185

Discipline Report – Week 4

TAMPA, Fla. – The following is the USL Championship’s discipline report for Week 4 of the 2024 USL Championship season:

There are no new suspensions to report.