By MIKE GRAMAJO
Orlando City spoiled the Oklahoma City Energy’s home debut last weekend, and OKC will look to return the favor when the two sides meet again this weekend in Florida.
Kevin Molino will look to duplicate the magic that helped him lead Orlando City to last week’s win, with the home crowd expected to offer the Lions some important support.
The weekend also features the Sacramento Republic taking on the OC Blues in a battle of California. Sac Republic have enjoyed some impressive support in their inaugural season, and they will be looking to deliver their first home win of the season.
Here’s a closer look at the rest of Week 6 in USL Pro:
ORLANDO CITY VS. OKC ENERGY (Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET WATCH HERE)
First-place side Orlando City SC will meet the Oklahoma City Energy FC for the second-consecutive time, only this time the action will take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
The Lions earned a 2-1 victory the week prior at OKC, which saw midfielder Kevin Molino score his third goal in two games thus earning him USL Pro Player of the Week honors.
Meanwhile, the Energy look to get back to winning ways especially after acquiring forward Adnan Gabeljic on Thursday, a move which will help Jimmy Nielsen’s side with fire power in the final third.
SAC REPUBLIC FC VS. ORANGE COUNTY BLUES (Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET WATCH HERE)
Both sides earned grueling defeats last week at home, but it’s all eyes on the Sacramento Republic FC this weekend as they search for their first three points at Hughes Stadium when the Orange County Blues pay a visit.
Preki’s men dropped their home-opener last week, falling 2-1 to the Harrisburg City Islanders in front of a sold out crowd. Both sides met earlier in the season, which saw the Blues earn a 2-1 victory at Anteater Stadium.
The Blues were involved in consecutive defeats to the LA Galaxy II, which has halted their movement in the standings. Jiovanna Santana leads the team in scoring with two goals despite having played fewer minutes than the club’s other strikers.
LA GALAXY II VS. CHARLOTTE EAGLES (Monday at 10:30 p.m. ET WATCH HERE)
The LA Galaxy II will look to extend their two-game unbeaten streak When the Charlotte Eagles stop by at the StubHub Center.
Los Dos have accounted for seven goals in their last three matches, while only conceding twice. The partnership between Jack McBean and Chandler Hoffman has paid dividends for the Southern California side, while Raul Mendiola’s presence in the midfield has been a huge factor on the teams early success.
The Eagles will pay a visit to the Peoria Sports Complex on Friday, as they face off against Arizona United SC. Midfielder Drew Yates has been the catalyst for the Eagles so far in the season, having notched three assists and scoring his first goal last week at Wilmington.
RICHMOND KICKERS VS. ROCHESTER RHINOS (Friday at 7:00 p.m. ET WATCH HERE)
Coming off a blow-out victory last week, the Richmond Kickers return to the comforts of City Stadium as they welcome the Rochester Rhinos to town.
The Kickers posted their largest victory of margin during week six, defeating the Dayton Dutch Lions on the road 5-1. Kyle Porter, George David IV and Mathew Delicate are tied as the the Kickers leading goal scorers with three goals each.
With a condensed schedule being played this weekend, the Rhinos will look to rely on their goal-scoring machine in JC Banks, who’s seen the net three times so far this season.
Friday’s match will come down to picking the right lineup, as Rochester’s two-game road trip takes them to Legion Stadium the next day as they battle the Wilmington Hammerheads.
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What do you think of Week 7? Can the Battery get back to winning ways? Do you think Orlando City can extend their winning streak? Can the Galaxy II keep up against Orlando? What do you make of USL Pro scheduling teams to play twice a week?
Share your thoughts below.