Memphis 901 FC has gone undefeated in four league contests since switching Brazilian forward Marlon Santos into a new role as center forward.

It’s also seen the 29-year-old join a select group of players in the Championship’s history during his best run of form in the league overall.

We look at the company Marlon now keeps, where Forrest Lasso ranks among the Championship’s all-time leaders in goalscoring defenders, the Charleston Battery’s 11-game undefeated start to the league campaign, and a telling stat as to why El Paso Locomotive FC is now under new management in Wilmer Cabrera.

We’ve also got our regular look at upcoming milestones for players across the Championship and the Week 12 Discipline Report.

Let’s begin.

NEWS & NOTES

MEMPHIS’ MARLON SANTOS IS ON A HEATER

Memphis 901 FC forward Marlon Santos is in the richest vein of form in his USL Championship career with four goals and five assists over the past four outings for his current club. The Brazilian’s run of four consecutive games with an assist – which continued last Friday night with his stoppage-time helper on Bruno Lapa’s game-winner against El Paso Locomotive FC – moved him into a tie for the fourth-longest run of consecutive games with an assist in the Championship’s regular season.

Marlon is only the 10th player to have recorded assists in four consecutive regular season games in the Championship’s history, with the record currently held by former LA Galaxy II standout Raul Mendiola at seven games during the 2015 season.

Most Consecutive USL Championship Regular Season Games with an Assist
1. Raul Mendiola (LA) – 7 games, 2015
T-2. Danny Barrera (SAC) – 5 games, 2016
T-2. Aodhan Quinn (PHX) – 5 games, 2021
T-4. Marlon Santos (MEM) – 4 games, 2024
T-4. Ryan Spaulding (TBR) – 4 games, 2023
T-4. Antoine Hoppenot (RNO) – 4 games, 2018
T-4. Jared Stroud (NY) – 4 games, 2018
T-4. Aodhan Quinn (OC) – 4 games, 2018
T-4. Antoine Hoppenot (RNO) – 4 games, 2018
T-4. Villyan Bijev (POR) – 4 games, 2016

BRACE FOR TAMPA BAY’S LASSO HITS SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE

Tampa Bay Rowdies defender Forrest Lasso recorded his first brace in the Championship this past Saturday night against FC Tulsa to earn Player of the Week honors, but the performance also moved the three-time USL Championship Defender of the Year to a notable mark in the league’s history.

Lasso now sits on 18 non-penalty kick goals in the Championship’s regular season, which moved him past current Hartford Athletic center back Joe Farrell (17) for the most non-penalty goals in the league on record. Louisville City FC defender Sean Totsch remains the all-time leader for goals among defenders with 21 overall, but nine of those have come from the penalty spot in the veteran’s remarkable career.

Most Goals by a Defender in the USL Championship’s regular season
1. Sean Totsch – 21 (12)
2. Forrest Lasso – 18 (18)
3. Joe Farrell – 17 (17)
4. Mitchell Taintor – 16 (14)
T-5. Paco Craig – 14 (14)
T-5. Ken Tribbett – 14 (14)

CHARLESTON’S UNDEFEATED STREAK REACHES 11 GAMES

The Charleston Battery became just the seventh team to begin a USL Championship season with at least an 11-game undefeated streak last Wednesday night following their 1-0 victory on the road against Birmingham Legion FC. The Battery are now halfway to the longest undefeated start to a season in the league’s history, with the Richmond Kickers’ having gone 22 games undefeated to start the 2013 campaign in which the side won the Championship’s Players’ Shield.

Charleston will try to continue its undefeated streak on Friday night at home to El Paso Locomotive FC at 7:30 p.m. ET. Sacramento Republic FC, meanwhile, will try to join the Battery with an 11-game undefeated streak as it hosts Birmingham on Saturday night at 10 p.m. ET.

Longest undefeated streaks to start a USL Championship Season all-time
22 – Richmond Kickers, 2013
19 – Rochester Rhinos, 2015
17 – Orlando City SC, 2014
14 – San Antonio FC, 2017
13 – Tampa Bay Rowdies, 2019
11 – Charleston Battery, 2024*; San Antonio FC, 2021
10 – Sacramento Republic FC, 2024*; Louisville City FC, 2022; Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, 2018; Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, 2016

Quick Hits
- Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC’s victory against Rhode Island FC on Friday night saw the side record four consecutive wins in the USL Championship’s regular season for the first time since a five-game winning streak to start the 2022 campaign.

- Indy Eleven’s 13 shots on target against Hartford Athletic were the most in a single game by a club in the Championship this season and the most the side has recorded in a contest since joining the USL Championship. It also tied for the 15th most on record since the Championship partnered with Opta for the 2017 season.

- During Brian Clarhaut’s tenure as Head Coach at El Paso Locomotive FC, the side dropped 29 points from winning positions, including a league-high 13 this season. Twenty-nine points dropped is the most of any club in the USL Championship since the start of the 2023 season through the past weekend’s games.

- Louisville City FC’s mark of a +19-goal differential is the best through nine games in the USL Championship’s regular season, surpassing the +18-goal differential achieved by Phoenix Rising FC during the 2020 season. With two goals on Saturday against Las Vegas Lights FC, LouCity also matched the record set by Rising’s 2020 squad with 28 goals in its first nine games of the campaign.

- Rhode Island FC defender Frank Nodarse scored his first goal in 743 days in the Championship on Friday night on the road against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. The Cuban center back’s last goal also came at Weidner Field as he competed for Rio Grande Valley FC in a 3-2 victory for the Switchbacks on May 5, 2022.

Upcoming Player Milestones

Appearances
Approaching 250 regular-season appearances
Sean Totsch (LOU) – 247

Approaching 200 regular-season appearances
Conor Donovan (SAC) – 198
Charlie Adams (LV) – 198
Christiano Francois (LDN) – 197
Paco Craig (NC) – 197
Alex Tambakis (NM) – 196
Russell Cicerone (SAC) – 196

Approaching 150 regular-season appearances
Lindo Mfeka (OAK) – 149
Matt VanOekel (BHM) – 149
Frank Lopez (MIA) – 148
Jordan Scarlett (HFD) – 147  

Approaching 100 regular-season appearances
Robbie Crawford (CHS) – 99
Laurence Wyke (PHX) – 98
Triston Hodge (HFD) – 98
Jeremy Garay (ELP) – 98
Marlon Santos (MEM) – 97   

Minutes
Approaching 20,000 regular season minutes
Sean Totsch (LOU) – 19,751

Approaching 15,000 regular season minutes
Neveal Hackshaw (OAK) – 14,809

Approaching 10,000 regular season minutes
Akeem Ward (MEM) – 9,820
Luis Felipe Fernandes (SAC) – 9,697

Goals
Approaching 60 regular season goals
Romario Williams (HFD) – 58
Russell Cicerone (SAC) – 58
Wilson Harris (LOU) – 57
Cal Jennings (TBR) – 57

Approaching 50 regular season goals
Rodrigo Da Costa (NC) – 48

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

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

Approaching 30 regular season assists
Niall McCabe (LOU) – 29
Cam Lindley (IND) – 27

Saves
Approaching 300 regular season saves
Kendall McIntosh (SA) – 283

Approaching 250 regular season saves
Danny Vitiello (SAC) – 235
Tyler Deric (MEM) – 235

Approaching 200 regular season saves
Nathan Steinwascher (DET) – 199

Discipline Report – Week 12

TAMPA, Fla. – The following is the USL Championship’s discipline report for Week 12 of the 2024 USL Championship season:

Monterey Bay F.C.’s Anthony Orandain has been suspended for one game following his red card for two cautionable offenses against Loudoun United FC on May 18. Orendain will be unavailable for selection in Monterey Bay’s contest against Hartford Athletic on Friday night.

Hartford Athletic assistant coach Joe Santos has been suspended for one game following his red card for dissent to officials having left the technical area against Indy Eleven on May 18. Santos will serve his suspension during Hartford’s contest against Monterey Bay F.C. on Friday night.

North Carolina FC’s Lamar Batista was suspended for one game following his red card for two cautionable offenses against Loudoun United FC on May 14. Batista served his suspension during North Carolina’s contest against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on May 18.

The following players enter the upcoming matches one caution away from their eighth yellow card of the season and a one-game suspension for caution accumulation.

Here is the breakdown per club:

• El Paso Locomotive FC (1): Tony Alfaro