The USL’s weekend kicks off on Friday night with one of the best matchups in Week 10 as the Swope Park Rangers host San Antonio FC at Children’s Mercy Victory Field (8:30 p.m. ET | Preview). With the Rangers currently perfect at home this season, and riding a nine-game home winning streak back to last September, and SAFC the last remaining undefeated side in the USL, there’s plenty to like about the contest.

Most of all, though, is the manner the two teams have approached games this season. That potential contrast in styles with Swope Park’s measured possession game and San Antonio’s desire to strike on the counter-attack should make the game a fascinating one tactically.

San Antonio, on the other hand, isn’t as concerned with possessing the ball for long spells. It would rather let its playmakers get out and run as often as possible, and put pressure on opposing defenses in one-on-one matchups. SAFC has only averaged 246 completed passes per game this season, but the type of passes the Western Conference leader looks for in spreading the field vertically when it can out of the back has led to an average of two goals per game this season. Center backs Stephen McCarthy and Sebastian Ibeagha and central midfielder Michael Reed combined for 28 long passes against Phoenix Rising FC last Saturday, and 32 the previous week against Seattle Sounders FC 2 even with Reed being substituted in the 58th minute.

The reason for getting the ball up-field quickly is to try and give the team’s attacking pieces the chance for one-on-one matchups. SAFC’s 79 completed dribbles this season, led by the surging play of Billy Forbes on either wing, is more than any of the other clubs in the Western Conference, and almost double that of Swope Park’s 47. Against Phoenix last Saturday, Forbes alone completed six successful dribbles, and has used his speed and incisiveness to great effect all season, such as on this goal against Reno on April 15. 

While this is likely how both teams will set out their stalls on Friday night, though, it will be the little in-game adjustments that Head Coaches Nikola Popovic for Swope Park and Darren Powell for San Antonio might make that might be the most interesting to watch for. With Swope Park looking to run its home winning streak to double digits, and SAFC aiming to preserve its undefeated record this season, something’s going to give. It promises to be a compelling match to find out what elements will come to the fore.