This weekend in the USL Championship we’ve got one of the biggest interconference matchups of the season, one of the most anticipated returns of the campaign, and the potential for one of the Western Conference’s contenders to make a statement against an Eastern power.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, here’s where you can find where everyone stands in the Race to the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs. Here are three more storylines to know going in, three players to keep an eye on, and what else you need to know before tuning in on TUDN, CBS Sports Golazo Network, ESPN2 and ESPN+.

1. TITLE CONTENDERS CLASH AT PATRIOTS POINT

There are some enticing interconference games over the final two months of the season, and this Saturday’s clash between the Charleston Battery and Sacramento Republic FC stands out as one of the biggest as the two title contenders clash at Patriots Point.

With both sides sitting in second place in their respective conferences entering the weekend, the result could also shape what the remainder of the regular season looks like for both, as well as serving as a potential preview of the Championship Final in November.

• HOME COOKING: The Battery certainly need three points to try and stay in touch with Louisville City FC at the top. That’s been a regular occurrence at Patriots Point this season, where Charleston is 10-1-1, the second-best home record in the league.

• ROAD WARRIORS: For its part, Republic FC has been outstanding on the road, losing only once on its travels against LouCity last month. Coming off a bye week, Sacramento has a seven-point gap to try and make up on New Mexico United for top spot in the West.

• STRENGTH VS. STRENGTH: The exploits of Charleston’s Nick Markanich and MD Myers have been well documented here already, but Sacramento boasts the stingiest defense in the league with only 20 goals conceded in 24 games. With Markanich looking to equal – or surpass – the Championship’s single-season scoring record, it should be a great positional battle.

The Battery have been excellent defensively as well – they hold the overall league lead with 13 shutouts to Sacramento’s 12 – but will have to contend with the absence of standout center back Leland Archer as he joins Trinidad and Tobago for international duty.

The styles of the two sides should make for a great contest overall. Take the Battery’s desire for control and high pressure and Sacramento’s ability to hit on the counterattack, there’s the potential for this to provide high entertainment.

2. DIKWA MAKES HIS HIGHMARK RETURN

One of the biggest moves last offseason saw 2023 USL Championship Player of the Year and Golden Boot winner Albert Dikwa jump from Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC to expansion side Rhode Island FC.

On Saturday, the Cameroonian will return to Highmark Stadium – where he recorded 16 of his 36 goals for the Hounds across the Championship regular season and playoffs – as Rhode Island looks to continue its pursuit of a top-four finish while potentially diminishing Pittsburgh’s chances of a postseason return.

• CHOPPY WATERS: Things haven’t quite gone as smoothly for Dikwa in Rhode Island as they did a season ago. He’s recorded seven goals in 23 appearances, short of the 20-goal season he notched last year. While that’s the case, he’s still leading RIFC in goals and is tied with Noah Fuson for the club lead with 10 goals+assists.

• SCORING DEFICIT: Dikwa’s absence has been felt strongly by the Hounds, whose lack of finishing has put the side in ninth place in the East with seven games to play. The Hounds’ 27 goals have severely underperformed its Expected Goals mark of 34.8xG, which makes Saturday’s clash a crucial one for the hosts.  

• EVEN STEVEN: When the teams met in Rhode Island in April, the game ended in a scoreless draw, contributing to the sides sitting 1-2 for the most drawn contests in the league this season with RIFC at 13 draws and the Hounds at 11. Neither side can afford that result this time around, and while it’s likely to be closely contested, expect urgency to find a winner if it’s level late.

It's an intriguing note that Dikwa has achieved more success on the road than at home in his career – five of his seven goals this season for RIFC have come away from home, and 28 of 50 overall. Pittsburgh will be hoping it can keep its former star bottled up in his return.

3. SWITCHBACKS FACE ROWDIES TEST

It’s still anyone's guess as to who ends up in the top four of the Western Conference at the end of the season – only three points separate second-place Sacramento Republic FC from sixth-place Las Vegas Lights FC going into this weekend – but Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC has a good a claim as any.

After last week’s six-point week, though, the side returns home for a serious test with the Tampa Bay Rowdies coming to Weidner Field on Saturday night.

• EASTERN WOES: The Switchbacks have been impressive against their Western Conference rivals. Against Eastern opposition, though, it’s been a challenge. Colorado Springs is only 2-5-2 this season in interconference matchups with its last win coming in May against Rhode Island.

• GO WEST: The Rowdies, by contrast, have made hay against their Western foes. The side is 5-2-4 as it closes out its interconference schedule on Saturday, including victories against both New Mexico United and Sacramento Republic FC.

• TIGHTEN UP: Facing a Rowdies attack that has been good – and at the same time underperformed – is going to require the Switchbacks to up their game defensively. They’ve conceded in their past five outings and while the side still ranks in the Top 10 in the league in goals conceded per game, Tampa Bay’s Manuel Arteaga and Cal Jennings don’t usually need much of an opening to capitalize.

The Switchbacks have been one of the best home clubs in the Western Conference this season, taking 26 points from 13 games so far. This is a big opportunity to stake a claim they can compete with the best the league has to offer.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Charlie Dennis, Phoenix Rising FC – The English midfielder has yet to record a goal or assist since arriving at Rising from the Tampa Bay Rowdies in July. There would be no better time to break out than in a crucial six-pointer against FC Tulsa on Friday night on ESPN2.

Paco Craig, North Carolina FC – The veteran center back had a no good very unfortunate day against Louisville City last weekend. How he rebounds individually as NCFC hosts Oakland Roots SC could set the tone in a game his side needs to get a result from.

Jorge Hernández, San Antonio FC – The 2022 title winners are off the playoff pace going into Saturday’s clash with Monterey Bay F.C. After Hernández found the net last weekend, SAFC is going to hope he can spark the attack further against a defense that has leaked attacking opportunities.

AROUND THE GROUNDS

#LOUvLDN: After last weekend’s wild outing, Louisville City will be looking for similar firepower but more control against Loudoun United back at Lynn Family Stadium. Loudoun gave LouCity a game earlier this season in a 1-0 defeat, but this is going to be a whole different challenge.

#NMvMIA: New Mexico can put serious pressure on Sacramento Republic FC with a victory on Friday night against Miami. Everything says this should be a home win – United is 8-2-2 at Isotopes Park, and Miami has taken only one point away from home this season – but United will want to make sure there’s no complacency here.

#PHXvTUL: Phoenix Rising hasn’t won consecutive games all season. Coming off its late victory in Virginia last weekend, that’s a run that needs to end for the hosts as they face seventh-placed FC Tulsa in one of the weekend’s key games in the playoff race.

#HFDvIND: The last time Indy won away from home? In the Open Cup Quarterfinals on July 9 at Atlanta United FC. In the league? At Birmingham Legion on June 9. Hartford’s been good at home, needs a win to close the gap to the playoff line, this should be worth watching closely.

#NCvOAK: Oakland Roots is in prime position for a playoff berth and has taken some notable victories against Eastern Conference foes this season. That’s not the best news for NCFC as it looks to rebound and stay in the playoff picture in the East.

#ELPvDET: Locomotive tightened up with consecutive shutouts in the past two games before its bye week. Detroit hasn’t been the most consistent attacking force this season, but they’ll need to find a way to unlock the hosts’ backline to get a needed win in its pursuit of a top-four finish in the East.

#MBvSA: It’s getting to crunch time for Monterey Bay and San Antonio. With SAFC talisman Mitchell Taintor suspended, the hosts need to find some attacking form and get Head Coach Jordan Stewart his first win at the helm.