Photo by Pattie Anderson / Richmond Kickers
By ADAM TROXTELL
A classic USL battle returns this weekend as first place Richmond Kickers hosts third place Charleston Battery.
It is the first time the teams have met since the Kickers knocked the Battery out of last season’s playoffs in the quarterfinal round. Both have put together solid starts to this season and remain undefeated so far.
Elsewhere, the Rochester Rhinos look to continue their own undefeated start against winless Montreal. New York Red Bulls II will try to put poor form behind them against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.
In the West, Seattle Sounders FC 2 returns home to face a red-hot Orange County Blues. LA Galaxy II hosts fellow MLS-affiliate Vancouver Whitecaps 2 on Sunday evening.
Here is a closer look at this weekend’s USL action:
SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC 2 vs. ORANGE COUNTY BLUES (10:30 p.m., Friday, YouTube)
The Orange County Blues face two battles for Western Conference supremacy in the space of three days, starting Friday against Seattle Sounders FC 2.
Three straight wins for the Blues, including a comeback victory against defending champions Sacramento Republic FC last week, have them in fourth place in the West. Sounders 2 have not won in three road games, but for this one they return to Starfire Sports Stadium where they rattled off three straight wins to start the 2015 campaign.
On Sunday, the Blues are back in action against Portland Timbers 2.
FC MONTREAL vs. ROCHESTER RHINOS (4 p.m., Saturday, YouTube)
Opposite ends of the Eastern Conference spectrum collide when unbeaten Rochester Rhinos travel to winless FC Montreal.
The clash is a rematch from earlier this season when the Rhinos dominated their Canadian rivals, 3-0. Christian Volesky did the damage that day, and since then the attacking duo of Alex Dixon and Colin Rolfe has helped Rochester to second place in the east.
RICHMOND KICKERS vs. CHARLESTON BATTERY (7 p.m., Saturday, YouTube)
For the first time since September, red-hot Charleston Battery has a valuable chance to prove their early season form is no fluke.
The Richmond Kickers host the Battery, with both teams unbeaten so far and sitting on top of the Eastern Conference. The Kickers had the last laugh in USL’s longest-running rivalry, when Matt Delicate’s extra-time winner sent the Battery out of the 2014 playoffs.
The Kickers sit just one point better in the standings than the Battery, having played one more game this season.
NEW YORK RED BULLS II vs. PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS (2 p.m., Sunday, YouTube)
With just one win from their first six games, New York Red Bulls II hosts a Pittsburgh Riverhounds side that can explode with goals.
The Riverhounds scored five goals in a game for the second time this season to thrash Toronto FC II last weekend. A goal and two assists from Kevin Kerr sparked the rout, and Kerr was also central to a 5-2 Riverhounds win against Harrisburg City Islanders to start the season.
NYRB II was shut-out all of last week in losses to the Kickers and the Rhinos. They did manage a draw against the Battery, but four games without a win has seen the MLS-affiliate slip to eighth place.
LA GALAXY II vs. VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC 2 (8 p.m., Sunday, YouTube)
Los Angeles Galaxy II can relate to the struggles of Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, though the bad times look long gone for Los Dos now.
Sparked by Raul Mendiola’s recent form, Galaxy II has put a winless start to the season behind them and claimed back-to-back victories entering Sunday’s contest. In contrast, a 3-0 win against the Austin Aztex on opening day seems far away from a Whitecaps 2 side that is winless in its last four games.
AUSTIN AZTEX vs. OKC ENERGY FC (9 p.m., Friday, YouTube)
WILMINGTON HAMMERHEADS vs. HARRISBURG CITY ISLANDERS (7 p.m., Saturday, YouTube)
CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE vs. LOUISVILLE CITY FC (7 p.m., Saturday, YouTube)
ARIZONA UNITED vs. COLORADO SPRINGS SWITCHBACKS (10:30 p.m., Saturday, YouTube)
PORTLAND TIMBERS 2 vs. ORANGE COUNTY BLUES (9 p.m., Sunday)