Welcome to The Weekender, where we’ll get you set up for what you need to know going into the upcoming weekend of USL Championship action.

We’ve got an 11-game slate of action on tap for Friday and Saturday night, with Birmingham Legion FC and Detroit City FC getting the weekend off. The action includes two of the league’s longest-standing rivalries, and a top-three clash in the Western Conference that sees FC Tulsa looking to close in on its first trip to the postseason since 2021.

1. Game of the Weekend – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC vs. Louisville City FC

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and Louisville City FC hold one of the longest-running active series in the USL Championship. Saturday night’s clash at Highmark Stadium (7 p.m. ET | CBS Sports Golazo Network) will mark their 24th meeting across the regular season and playoffs, the most against one opponent for LouCity and second-most for the Hounds after their Old Guard Shield series with the Charleston Battery.

There have been some classic encounters in that span. In 2019, LouCity took an epic postseason encounter at Highmark Stadium after extra time, while the following year the Hounds spoiled the opening of Lynn Family Stadium with victory in the venue’s inaugural game.

There’s been one notable number that’s been part of the series’ history, though – zero, as in the number of home victories Pittsburgh has earned against LouCity in 11 meetings.

• HOME AWAY FROM HOME: LouCity’s 11-game undefeated run at Highmark Stadium is one of the notable outliers in the USL Championship, with the side having earned six wins and five draws in their prior visits. That includes two wins and four draws since the arrival of Bob Lilley on the Hounds’ sidelines. Of teams to make at least three visits to Highmark since the start of 2018, only Orange County SC is also undefeated.
• FORTRESS HIGHMARK: Set aside Louisville City’s record in Pittsburgh under Lilley and the Hounds’ mark is excellent. The side is 69-19-37 under Lilley on home turf across the regular season and playoffs. That’s the fifth-most wins and the fewest losses on home turf among clubs that have played at least 100 games during his tenure.

As it stands, this could end up as a potential Eastern Conference Quarterfinal in November, but Saturday’s outcome could play a role in whether that occurs. Sitting first in the Eastern Conference, LouCity could clinch a top-two finish with a win on Saturday, while sitting in seventh place but comfortably in the postseason field, a Hounds victory or a draw would open the door for the Battery to close the four-point gap at the top.

More than anything, though, this might be the moment for the Hounds to finally put a win up on the board against the side that’s most confounded them over the past decade.

2. Three More Games to Watch

Rhode Island FC vs. Indy Eleven (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET | ESPN+)

• The biggest game in the Eastern Conference playoff race this weekend sees ninth-place Rhode Island FC host eighth-place Indy Eleven with the sides separated by two points in the standings. RIFC will be aiming to put a disappointing exit in the USL Jägermeister Cup Semifinals behind it as it looks for a win against an Indy side that would take full control over the postseason race with a second win against Rhode Island this season.

New Mexico United vs. FC Tulsa (Saturday, 9 p.m. ET | CBS Sports Golazo Network)

• New Mexico United’s victory on Wednesday night elevated the side into third place in the Western Conference ahead of the visit of conference leader FC Tulsa. The two sides are experiencing slight changes in form over their past two games, with United having reeled off consecutive victories for the first time since May and the Scissortails winless in their last two outings. Tulsa romped to a 5-2 win when these sides met in early August, and New Mexico will be aiming to turn the tables here.

Sacramento Republic FC vs. Phoenix Rising FC (10 p.m. ET | ESPN+)

• The 28th all-time meeting between Sacramento Republic FC and Phoenix Rising FC sees the hosts returning home to play on short rest but buoyed by their advancement in the USL Jägermeister Cup Semifinals on Wednesday night, and Rising looking to give their postseason chances a boost after three draws in its current four-game undefeated streak. Phoenix holds a narrow 9-8-10 advantage in the overall series across the regular season and playoffs, with the sides having played to a 2-2 draw earlier this season.

3. Kit of the Week – Sacramento Republic FC’s “Attack” Kit

Sacramento Republic FC pulled out all the stops this week with a “Fauxback” collection based on the idea of how the club would have looked had it been in action during the 1990s. As someone who lived through the… imaginative designs that decade produced, this is superb, right down to the reimagined crest and additional details.

4. Landmark of the Week – Joe Farrell, Hartford Athletic

After a Player of the Match performance in his side’s USL Jagermeister Cup Semifinal on Wednesday night, Farrell could make his 250th regular season appearance in the USL Championship as the side visits Monterey Bay FC.

Check out Week 28’s News & Notes

5. Where to Watch Nationally
Friday
Lexington SC vs. Orange County SC, 6 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Golazo Network)

Saturday
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC vs. Louisville City FC, 7 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
New Mexico United vs. FC Tulsa, 9 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Golazo Network)

Full Week 28 Broadcast Listings