NEWS & NOTES

ORANGE COUNTY MAINTAINS PERFECT PENALTY SHOOTOUT RECORD

Orange County SC advanced in Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2025 USL Championship Playoffs presented by Terminix on Sunday night with a 5-4 victory in a penalty shootout against Sacramento Republic FC after the teams had played to a scoreless draw at Heart Health Park. The result moved Orange County to 4-0 in penalty shootouts in its postseason history, the most shootout wins without a defeat in league history.

Only Sporting Kansas City II has also won multiple shootouts without defeat in the USL Championship Playoffs, posting a 2-0 record during its time in the league. Phoenix Rising FC has also claimed four shootout wins, posting a 4-2 record overall.

Most Penalty Shootout Wins in USL Championship Playoffs History
T-1. Orange County SC – 4-0
T-1. Phoenix Rising FC – 4-2
3. Louisville City FC – 3-1
T-4. Sporting Kansas City II – 2-0
T-4. El Paso Locomotive FC – 2-1
T-4. New York Red Bulls II – 2-1
T-4. OKC Energy FC – 2-1
T-4. Charleston Battery – 2-2
T-4. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC – 2-2

DETROIT CITY, RHODE ISLAND ENTER LIST FOR BIGGEST UPSETS IN USL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFFS

Eastern Conference No. 8 seed Detroit City FC and No. 7 seed Rhode Island FC posted two of the biggest upsets in USL Championship Playoffs history on the postseason’s opening weekend. Detroit’s 1-0 win against No. 1 seed Louisville City FC marked the largest upset via point differential in league history at 36 points, while Rhode Island’s penalty shootout victory against No. 2 seed Charleston Battery featured a 24-point divide between the clubs.

The two results marked the second entries of both clubs in the top seven upsets in USL Championship Playoffs history, with Detroit City having bridged the previous record of a 26-point divide with its victory against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in the 2023 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, and Rhode Island bridging a 25-point gap against Louisville City in the 2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Largest Lower-Seed Victories by Point Differential in USL Championship Playoffs
1. Detroit City FC – 36 points, def. Louisville City FC, 11/1/25
2. Detroit City FC – 26 points, def. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, 10/21/23
T-3. Rhode Island FC – 25 points, def. Louisville City FC, 11/9/24
T-3. New York Red Bulls II – 25 points, def. FC Cincinnati, 10/27/18
T-3. Harrisburg City Islanders – 25 points, def. Orlando City SC, 9/13/14
T-6. Rhode Island FC – 24 points, def. Charleston Battery, 11/2/25
T-6. Real Monarchs SLC – 24 points, def. Phoenix Rising FC, 11/1/19

ORANGE COUNTY’S TETSUKA KADONA DELIVERS SHOOTOUT HEROICS

Orange County SC goalkeeper Tetsuya Kadono was brought on late in extra time ahead of his side’s penalty shootout against Sacramento Republic FC and produced a club-record three saves in seven shots to lead the side to a 5-4 victory from the spot.

Kadono became the sixth goalkeeper to record at least three saves in a penalty shootout in USL Championship Playoffs history, with the record remaining four saves by Adrian Zendejas for Sporting Kansas City II in an 11-round shootout against OKC Energy FC in the 2017 USL Championship Playoffs.

Most Saves in a Penalty Shootout in USL Championship Playoffs History
Adrian Zendejas, Sporting Kansas City II – 4 saves vs. OKC Energy FC, 11/4/17
Tetsuya Kadono, Orange County SC – 3 saves vs. Sacramento Republic FC, 11/2/25
Raiko Arozarena, Las Vegas Lights FC – 3 saves vs. Sacramento Republic FC, 11/1/24
Jahmali Waite, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC – 3 saves vs. Birmingham Legion FC, 10/23/22
CJ Cochran, OKC Energy FC – 3 saves vs. Sporting Kansas City II, 11/4/17
Andrew Dykstra, Charleston Battery – 3 saves vs. Rochester Rhinos, 8/31/12

EASTERN & WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINAL EQUAL HIGHEST CUMULATIVE SEEDING

The opening weekend of the 2025 USL Championship Playoffs presented by Terminix was the first in which three of the top four seeds were eliminated, with Eastern Conference No. 1 seed Louisville City FC and No. 2 seed Charleston Battery and Western Conference No. 2 seed Sacramento Republic FC all being knocked out.

In turn, this weekend’s Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals will equal the highest cumulative total of seed in the round’s history, with the eight seeds having a combined total of 38 going into the round. That matches the mark from the 2016 Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals, when Western Conference No. 1 seed Sacramento Republic FC, No. 2 seed Rio Grande Valley FC, No. 3 seed Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and Eastern Conference No. 3 seed FC Cincinnati were all eliminated in the opening round.

Highest Combined Seeding in the Conference Semifinals Round of the USL Championship Playoffs
T-1. 2025 – 38pts – Eliminated: East No. 1 LOU, East No. 2 CHS, West No. 2 SAC
T-1. 2016 – 38pts – Eliminated: East No. 3 CIN, West No. 1 SAC, West No. 2 RGV, West No. 3 COS
3. 2023 – 36pts – Eliminated: East No. 1 PIT, East No. 2 TBR, West No. 3 SD
4. 2017 – 35pts – Eliminated: East No. 2 CHS, West No. 1 SLC, West No. 3 RNO
5. 2021 – 32pts – Eliminated: West No. 1 PHX, West No. 2 ELP

Quick Hits

- New Mexico United’s current eight-game undefeated streak across the regular season and playoffs is the club’s longest in the USL Championship, with the club previously having recorded three instances of seven-game undefeated streaks in its history.

- FC Tulsa’s Stefan Lukić scored his fifth goal this season after coming on as a substitute in his side’s 1-0 victory against Colorado Spring Switchbacks FC, ranking second in the league across the regular season and playoffs to Hartford Athletic’s Kyle Edwards.

- Louisville City FC’s 57 crosses against Detroit City FC were the second-most on record in a USL Championship contest across the regular season and playoffs. San Antonio FC’s 62 crosses against Phoenix Rising FC during a regular season contest on August 5, 2023 remains the league record.

- Phoenix Rising FC’s current four-game shutout streak across the regular season and playoffs is the club’s longest since a five-game streak between July 21 to August 7, 2022.

- FC Tulsa is on a four-game home shutout streak following its 1-0 victory after extra time against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Saturday night. The Scissortails last conceded at home in a 1-1 draw against Birmingham Legion FC on September 6, with the streak sitting at 393 minutes overall.

Discipline Report – Week 36

TAMPA, Fla. – The following is the USL Championship’s discipline report for Week 36 of the 2025 USL Championship season:

Orange County SC’s Chris Hegardt has been suspended for one game following his red card for violent conduct against Sacramento Republic FC on November 2. Hegardt will be unavailable for selection in Orange County’s Western Conference Semifinal against New Mexico United on Saturday.

Rhode Island FC’s Jojea Kwizera has been suspended for one game following his red card for two cautionable offenses against the Charleston Battery on November 2. Kwizera will be unavailable for selection in Rhode Island’s Eastern Conference Semifinal against North Carolina FC on Saturday.

The Charleston Battery’s Houssou Landry has been suspended for one game following his red card for violent conduct against Rhode Island FC on November 2. Landry will serve his suspension in the opening game of the 2026 USL Championship regular season.

El Paso Locomotive FC’s Frank Daroma has been suspended for one game following his red card for violent conduct against Phoenix Rising FC on November 1. Daroma will serve his suspension in the opening game of the 2026 USL Championship regular season.

Sacramento Republic FC’s Rodrigo Lopez has been suspended for one game following his red card for violent conduct against Orange County SC on November 2. Lopez will serve his suspension in the opening game of the 2026 USL Championship regular season.