While there certainly are some surprise results from week seven, overall the conference tables are starting to separate into their respective sections: the Mesosphere, the highest level of our USLC atmosphere and currently contains Charleston Battery, Birmingham Legion, and Louisville City in the East and Sacramento Republic, San Diego Loyal, and Colorado Springs out West. The Stratosphere is the middling teams who could go on a great run and get themselves into the Mesosphere but could also suffer injuries and losses causing them to drop to the Troposphere… nobody wants to be at the bottom and right now clubs like Detroit City FC, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Las Vegas Lights, and New Mexico United are stuck in the smog, muck, and mire. Our own Harry Austin tells us how everyone is leveling out this week.

eastern conference action

Charleston Battery 0 - 0 Louisville City
If you want to know how exciting the first half of the Charleston Battery (4-0-3 15 points) and Louisville City FC (4-2-1 13 Points) match was. Just check out the USL Highlights of the match. The second half heated up, but neither team could find the back of the net, with only 4 shots on target. Charleston had the better opportunities, but for the heavy weights of the East Round 1 was a draw.

Western conference action

Colorado Springs Switchbacks 2 - 1 New Mexico United
Waking up to fresh powder and cool temps in the morning was the perfect start of the day for Switchback Nation. Colorado Springs Switchbacks (4-2-1 13 points) came back to beat New Mexico United (1-3-1 4 points). In the 20th minute Alex Tambakis had a great save, off a shot by Jairo Henriquez which kept the game scoreless till just after the half. Santi Moar punished Speedy Williams' turnover and unlike Tambakis, Christian Herrera could not make the save for the Switchbacks in the 46th minute. The tying goal at this point sums up NMU season, Harry Swartz own goal was a deflected ball that Tambakis could not make the adjustment on. Colorado Springs' winning goal started off a drive deep into the box by Maalique Foster, who passed it back to the middle where Speedy Williams put it on frame (shot or pass) to Drew Skundrich who tapped the winner home and all three points for the Switchbacks!

San Antonio FC 1 - 1 Phoenix Rising
Phoenix Rising (1-1-4 7 points) walked into Toyota Field and once again showed that they are the one team that San Antonio FC (3-1-3 12 Points) struggles against. SAFC had two clear chances in the first half, but just could not convert. Rocco Rios Novo (Rising GK) had 8 saves in the game, and Daniel Trejo scored in the 49th minute to open the scoring. San Antonio FC equalized in the 59th minute off a Penalty kick by Cristian Parano. That foul in the box ended up being the second yellow card to Carlos Harvey and Rising hung on to a draw despite being down a man for over 30 minutes.

cross conference action

Indy Eleven 2 - 3 Monterey Bay Union
Monterey Bay Union (3-2-2 11 points) opened scoring with a goal by Grant Robinson in the 17th minute assisted by Alex Dixon. Indy Eleven (1-3-2 5 points) answered right back in the 23rd minute with a goal off a set piece by Solomon Asante with the assist by Aodhan Quinn. A goal by Sebastian Guenzatti (Asante assisted) put Indy up as they headed into the half up 2-1. However, MB Union has answered most of the year, and in the 58th minute with a great through ball by Morey Doner to Christian Volesky to tie it up. The winning goal started on a bad outlet by Indy GK Yannik Ottl, that Alex Dixon intercepted and passed it to Christian Volesky, and he assisted Nevelo Yoseke for the winning goal. Indy Eleven looked better, but still came up with no points.

Rio Grande Valley FC 0 - 3 Memphis 901
Okay, NO ONE had this result. Memphis 901 FC (1-2-2 5 points) traveled down to HEB Park, and just destroyed Rio Grande Valley FC (1-2-3 6 points). To begin, let's just look at the stats 901FC with 23 shots and 9 on target, RGV 1 on target and a total of 7 shots. Memphis only winning by 3 probably, is a disservice to Memphis who hit the woodwork 3 times as well. And Tyler Deric had 6 saves. Bruno Lapa (Akeem Ward with the assist) scored a great first goal, the touch was awesome to watch. Gram Smith headed home the second goal off a shot by Carson Vom Steeg that hit the crossbar. Where was the RGV defense? The final goal was by Nighte Pickering who broke through a soft backline to put the game away; Luiz Fernando with the assist.

El Paso Locomotive 2 - 0 Pittsburgh Riverhounds
El Paso Locomotive FC (3-3-1 10 points) got a convincing win over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2-2-3 9 points). Petar Petrovic got the scoring started with an assist by Denys Kostyshyn in the 39th minute with a great long ball over the top of the RIverhounds defense. The second goal was a long ball by Marc Navarro that was missed by Riverhounds GK Jahmali Waite that allowed the ball to bounce over him. Luis Solignac happened to be right there to tap it in uncontested to put the game away!

Sacramento Republic 1 - 0 Detroit City FC
I labeled this as my trap game for Sacramento Republic FC (5-0-2 17 points) but they got the early goal by Luis Felipe Fernandes with the assist from Russell Cicerone. Then the home side just locked it down. Detroit City FC (1-5-1 4 points) had a clear chance to equalize in the 11th minute but Ben Morris barely missed and hit it wide - which has been the problem all season long for Detroit City. City's best chance in the second half was a shot by Maxi Rodriguez and like Morris' shot went wide. For Detroit, they are lacking a clinical finish and it might be their undoing. As for the Republic, it was a game that they got the result, but not sure they would say it was their best game. In a long season, if you can win games while not at your best, you take it.

Orange County SC 1 - 2 Birmingham Legion
Orange County SC (1-3-3 6 points) opened up the scoring in the 30th minute with a goal from Emil Nielsen who converted the pass from Ryan Doghman. But the lead for Orange County would only last for 3 minutes before Birmingham Legion (4-2-1 13 points) answered. Juan Agudelo danced in the box before putting it back of the goal for the equalizer - he stepped past two OCSC defenders before firing the shot. Legion converted the winning goal by Enzo Martinez who rolled the goal home after Colin Smith drove to the endline then sent it back to the middle where Enzo. Orange County did everything it could to get the tying goal by Oluwakorede Osundina who hit the post and Andrew Fox goal was saved by Trevor Spangenberg.

Loudoun United 2 - 0 Oakland Roots SC
Oakland Roots (2-3-1 7 points) had its best opportunity in the 10th minute but the shot from Bryan Tamacas was saved by Hugo Fauroux and the rebound did not fall to a Roots player in the box. Zach Day converted a PK at the 30th minute off a foul by Dariusz Formella with a high boot to Wesley Leggett. In my Goal of the Week Panagiotis Armenakas with a great goal from outside of the box. To finish the scoring of the match. Loudoun United (3-2-1 10 points) with back to back wins for the first time in a while and are a playoff candidate team at this point of the season.

THE Miami FC 4 - 1 Las Vegas Lights
In the WTF result of the week. THE Miami FC (1-2-4 4 points) took out all their frustration on the Las Vegas Lights (0-1-4 4 points) to get Miami’s first win of the year. THE Miami FC opened scoring early and often. In the 6th minute Christian Sorto drove the ball home with a great assist by Claudio Repetto who drove deep in the box on the right hand side and cut the back to Sorto who hammered it home. In the 9th minute Paco Craig hammered home a corner kick by Curtis Thorn. After that the game settled down till the 40th minute when Claudio Repetto scored on a penalty kick off a (questionable handball call on Tyler Bagley). Joaquin Rivas scored right after the half (49th minute) to put the game away. The Lights did pull one back on a goal by Lucas Stauffer with the assist by Preston Taborbetaka. The question was that ball out on the endline but the AR said it was good and THE Miami FC walked home with the surprising result of the week.

San Diego Loyal 1 - 0 Tampa Bay Rowdies

For Tampa Bay Rowdies (1-4-2 5 points) it's the struggle of finishing. They had chances against San Diego Loyal (4-1-2 14 points), but just could not finish. For San Diego they got the winning goal in the 42 minute off a shot by Adrien Perez (Tumi Moshobane with the assist) that I think Connor Sparrow would say he should have saved the shot. But that is the Rowdies luck at this point in 2023. For San Diego they got the result, but I think they probably felt that they could have had more goals. Defense wise they have to be very happy.

Harry’s Corner Awards

Team of the Week: Monterey Bay: Going on the road to Indy Eleven, going down a goal, but that did not stop them. Monterey Bay is fun to watch and generally you will see goals scored. But more importantly they are in a spot to contend for top 4 in the USL C West!
Goal of the Week: Panos Armenakas (Loudoun United) Shot outside the box and the curve on it was awesome!
Save of the Week: Paul Blanchette (Oakland Roots) Kick save on a shot by Tommy Williamson who looked to have an open net!
Player of the Week: Rocco Rios Novo (Rising GK) 8 saves and kept Rising in the game for a draw at San Antonio.
Concerned Team of the Week: If you are a Toro’s fan this game has to be a major concern. Memphis 901 FC is not a good team, and they just dominated this match. This might be something to watch, but RGV has a very thin roster, and does not seem to be looking to fill the holes. Which if you are trying to grow the fan base, this is not how to do it. This performance was not acceptable. The Front Office, Technical Staff and Players need to step it up!

by Harry Austin