TAMPA, Fla. – Rio Grande Valley FC maintains its upper hand in South Texas, while Real Monarchs SLC ends the last undefeated start to the season. Here’s what we learned from Week 11 in the USL:

1. TOROS TAKING SHAPE: There’s a new member of the top four in the Western Conference after the weekend’s action, with Rio Grande Valley FC continuing its upward ascent while maintaining the upper hand on its South Texas Derby rival San Antonio FC with a 1-0 win on Saturday night. Kevin Garcia’s goal extended the Toros’ six-game undefeated streak in front of another sellout crowd at UT RGV Stadium, giving his side an unassailable 2-0-1 advantage in the season series between the two teams.

2. LAST-GASP MONARCHS: It’s probable Real Monarchs SLC would have been happy with a pair of points from its two visits to Vancouver over the past two weekends, but Amass Amankona’s last-second winner on Saturday night stole a win that also handed WFC2 its first defeat of the season. In reality, it wasn’t a game the Monarchs had much business winning – Amankona’s shot was only the second on target for the visitors – but with the side now in a cluster of four teams on 16 points in the West, that definitely won’t matter much to Coach Freddy Juarez and his side.

3. KINGS OF OKLAHOMA: After claiming the first edition of the Black Gold Derby against Tulsa Roughnecks FC on Saturday night, OKC Energy FC can lay claim to the title of “Kings of Oklahoma” with the club’s new additions beginning to come to the fore in the process. Kyle Hyland in particular had a standout week, first with the overtime game-winner against Rayo OKC in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and then with assists on the goals by Wojciech Wojcik and Daniel Gonzalez that gave Energy FC its 2-0 win against Tulsa on Saturday. Saturday’s game with Rio Grande Valley FC is definitely shaping up to be a big one.

4. LAST-GASP PARKER: Just as Amass Amankona’s winner for Real Monarchs SLC could become one of the key moments in a run to the playoffs out west, Kyle Parker’s stoppage-time winner for Wilmington against the Harrisburg City Islanders on Friday night could prove just the same down the line for the Hammerheads. After blowing an early two-goal lead at Legion Stadium, Wilmington pushed hard to find a winner in the second half, and in the fifth minute of stoppage time Parker was in the right place to send home a close-range header that moved Wilmington into eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

5. TEN MEN, NO PROBLEM: Down a man and down a goal against Orlando City B early in the second half, things weren’t looking particularly rosy for Louisville City FC as it tried to extend its undefeated streak in the league to 10 games. Despite that, an outstanding 10-minute spell led by Andy Lubahn’s goal and assist that saw the side score three times kept Coach James O’Connor’s men three points clear at the top of the Eastern Conference standings after a thrilling 4-3 victory on Sunday night. Louisville’s commitment to attack, even while short-handed, is a key reason for the success the club has had this season, as a dangerous Orlando side saw its two-game winning streak come to an end.

6. PLAYING WITH FIRE: After the manner in which Sacramento Republic FC fell in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup last Wednesday to the PDL’s Kitsap Pumas, you’d have thought some lessons would have been learned, but that didn’t appear to be the case as for another occasion, a lax piece of play in the back saw Republic FC concede what could have been a game-winning goal against the LA Galaxy II. Daniel Trickett-Smith’s late equalizer saved Derek Foran’s blushes to an extent in the 2-2 draw between the California rivals, but the center back is going to have to learn from this as he apparently did not after having the same thing happen against Portland in a 1-0 defeat earlier this season.

7. IDAHO GETS GEM FROM T2: Saturday’s game in Meridian, Idaho was seen as a potential test-run for the possibility of professional soccer to come to the Boise area. As it turned out, the residents of the Gem State were treated to a dazzling contest between the Portland Timbers 2 and Swope Park Rangers that saw the nominative hosts emerge with a 2-1 win thanks in part to a brilliant free kick by Neco Brett. With a sellout crowd in the stands, and USL President Jake Edwards on hand to take in the scene, the first USL game in Idaho couldn’t have gone much better.

8. SWITCHBACKS TURN IT ON: One of the potentially more interesting games of the weekend was between Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and Saint Louis FC, but the Switchbacks turned it into another demonstration of both how good the side is on its home turf, and how easily it can stifle an opponent once it gains a lead. Two goals in the opening 20 minutes by Martin Maybin and Miguel Gonzalez – who appears to be heating up after a slow start – gave the hosts all they would need for a victory, as they held STLFC to only one shot on goal in another very impressive display.

9. ROAD WARRIORS: For a second consecutive week, the New York Red Bulls II got an early goal, and made it stand up as the side took its third consecutive 1-0 victory by defeating Bethlehem Steel FC at Goodman Stadium to remain in second place in the East. On Sunday afternoon, Mother Nature played a role for Coach John Wolyniec’s side – the Steel were definitely having the better of the contest when lightning caused 90-minute delay – but the fact that the Red Bulls II are now 5-0-0 away from Red Bull Arena is remarkably impressive. That win total matches the most any Eastern Conference side managed on the road last season, and puts it only three wins short of the LA Galaxy II’s league-leading eight road wins in 2015.

10. CINCINNATI STUNNER: Everything appeared to be going as planned for FC Cincinnati on Saturday night, with another five-figure attendance despite the weather – which caused a substantial lightning delay – and another first-half lead thanks to Sean Okoli’s fifth goal of the season. The Richmond Kickers had other ideas, though, as Hugh Roberts’ late equalizer sent the visitors home with a point, and gave the home fans their first real taste of what this game can do to you. Cincinnati will certainly bounce back from this strongly with a Montreal side that looked remarkably sub-par in its defeat to Rochester next on the slate, but the return meeting between these teams in August should be a must-see.

11. S2 SINKS AGAIN: Just as it seemed Seattle Sounders FC 2 was coming out of its funk early in the second half on Saturday night against Orange County Blues FC, the side sank to the bottom again as a five-goal blitz by the hosts at Anteater Stadium saw the Blues snap a four-game winless streak of their own. After last season’s success, the struggles for S2 have been hard to fathom this season, with a group that appears talented on paper just not quite seeming to mesh. At the bottom of the Western standings, it looks like the summer is going to be a long one if things don’t turn around quickly.