Thursday night sees the start of a new rivalry series in the USL Championship as Louisville City FC plays host to Lexington SC at Lynn Family Stadium for what could become a new Kentucky Derby Weekend tradition, with the Bluegrass-state clubs set to square off for the Commonwealth Cup following Lexington’s ascension into the Championship this offseason.

We’re intrigued to see how the two meetings between the clubs play out this year across league and USL Jagermeister Cup play, but the matchup is also part of a weekend slate that includes some of the best rivalries the Championship currently has to offer.

Here’s our assessment of the current Top 10 which includes some classic rivalries and some that are quickly rising despite a young history between the two clubs involved.

Agree? Disagree? Let us know on the USL Championship’s social media channels.

1. El Paso Locomotive vs. New Mexico United – Derby Del Camino Real

While New Mexico United has taken the upper hand in the series overall in the past couple of seasons – it now sits with seven wins to El Paso’s four and seven drawn contests across the regular season and playoffs in league action – there continues to be a special atmosphere and heat when these two teams square off. You only needed to see the reaction to El Paso’s late equalizer and penalty shootout victory in their most recent encounter in the U.S. Open Cup Third Round last month to see what this game means to both sides, and that makes Saturday’s encounter at Southwest University Park and every meeting between these clubs a must-see.

2. Louisville City FC vs. Indy Eleven – LIPAFC

The Louisville-Indianapolis Proximity Association Football Contest swung back toward Louisville City last season in a pair of outstanding contests that saw the unique trophy return to Louisville Coopers. The Boys in Blue still have ground to make up in the overall series, but the atmosphere that’s generated by the home and travelling support that make the trip on I-65 annually continue to make this one of the special games in American soccer, regardless of level. While LouCity has a new in-state foe to square off with, it’s likely going to take some time for that series to match the history that’s developed here.

3. Sacramento Republic FC vs. Oakland Roots SC – NorCal Derby

The beauty of the series between Sacramento Republic FC and Oakland Roots SC is it’s always been clear which club sits in which role. A perennial power in the Championship, Republic FC is the side expected to come out on top more often than not, while Roots are the spirited underdog trying to upset their nearby rival. That Republic FC has four wins to Oakland’s two – with the sides having ended all square five times – says those roles are accurate, but the rollercoaster rides some of their showdowns – like last year’s 5-2 Sacramento win at Pioneer Stadium – keep us coming back. The roles might be set, but the outcome is never certain.

4. San Antonio FC vs. El Paso Locomotive FC – Copa Tejas

The Copa Tejas has evolved over the years, but its two constants have been San Antonio FC and El Paso Locomotive, who in turn have been the most successful clubs in the rivalry series’ history. What’s more, things have generally been closely fought between the two sides as they’ve each gained the upper hand at different points. San Antonio holds a narrow edge with five wins to El Paso’s four and five draws in their 13 all-time meetings, and SAFC has 18 goals to El Paso’s 17, further illustrating how back-and-forth they’ve been. With Locomotive claiming the series last year, this year’s meetings – which include a clash on the final day of the regular season – should be well worth watching again.

5. Hartford Athletic vs. Rhode Island FC – El Clamico

In the words of Sir Alex Ferguson, “Sometimes you have a noisy neighbor. You cannot do anything about that. They will always be noisy.” That was about the then-rising Manchester City, but you can imagine it crossed the minds of Hartford Athletic fans last year as they saw Rhode Island FC come into the league by earning silverware at their first attempt. After the ups-and-downs Hartford has had over its first six year, it brought a decent level of heat between two clubs that to this point have only played two official games against each other. The meeting between these teams at Rhode Island’s new Centreville Bank Stadium in July is getting the CBS Television Network spotlight, and with good reason. 

6. Charleston Battery vs. North Carolina FC – Southern Derby

Officially the Southern Derby goes all the way back to the 2000 USL A-League when the Charleston Battery were joined by the Atlanta Silverbacks and Raleigh Capital Express, but the Battery and North Carolina FC have been battling off and on for the trophy going back to 2007 when NCFC landed in the USL as the Carolina RailHawks. As you might remember, the series has been a little bit one-sided in favor of the Battery over the years – NCFC last claimed the trophy in 2018, but it hadn’t been since 2009 that the side had won against Charleston before its 2-1 win when the teams met earlier this season at First Horizon Stadium. That result should add a little heat to the return fixture when it comes around in July.

7. Detroit City FC vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

The series between Detroit City and Pittsburgh Riverhounds got off to a great start when Le Rouge joined the league in 2022 as the Steel Army and Northern Guard exchanged barbs on social media before, during and after their meeting at Keyworth Stadium. The on-field rivalry has built a similar intensity. While Pittsburgh has gone undefeated in six regular season meetings between the sides, winning twice, Le Rouge claimed the biggest game between the clubs to date as they stunned the Hounds at Highmark Stadium in one of the biggest upsets in Championship Playoffs history. After Detroit’s late win in the Jägermeister Cup this past weekend, we’re looking forward to many more encounters to come in the future.

8. New Mexico United vs. Phoenix Rising FC

There’s still a strong feeling between the two fanbases in New Mexico United and Phoenix Rising – given the way their early encounters played out across the league and U.S. Open Cup, it’s hard to imagine there wouldn’t be – but as things have started to move in the direction of New Mexico on the field as winners of four of the last six meetings including last year’s playoff clash, it feels like the role reversal of Phoenix becoming the underdog and New Mexico the Western Conference power has changed the feeling around this rivalry. We’re definitely still tuning in, but we’re definitely into a new era six years on from their first meeting.

9. Monterey Bay FC vs. Sacramento Republic FC

There’s a little bit of a shadow cast over the other two USL Championship rivalries in NorCal right now, and in the case of the battles between Monterey Bay FC and Sacramento Republic FC – which have the same favorite vs. underdog vibes as Republic FC’s series with Oakland Roots SC – there hasn’t been the same level of fireworks around the contests as Sacramento has built a 4-2 lead in wins over their seven meetings. The last time these teams met, though, that feeling showed the potential this series has when Morey Doner’s stoppage-time equalizer pulled out a 2-2 draw at Heart Health Park in what is to date the highest-scoring encounter between the clubs. Watch this space. 

10. Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Miami FC

There are those that will tell you the Rowdies have bigger rivalries, based on the levels of success they and the likes of Louisville City or Indy Eleven have achieved over the years. While the in-state battle with Miami FC was clearly on the wane in recent years, what’s happened so far this season has been a reminder of how good this series can be when Miami is competitive. The Rowdies had to fight back for a win in South Florida earlier this season, while this past weekend Miami turned the tables with a three-goal comeback, a penalty shootout victory, and the likes of Michael Lawrence giving it large to Ralph’s Mob after scoring from the spot. This has the potential to come back in a big way, fast.