Tulsa Roughnecks Host La Galaxy II in Week 13 of the USL Season
The USL kicks off for the 13th week as a rematch of last season’s 2015 Eastern Conference Championship Game between the Rochester Rhinos and Louisville City FC is set for Saturday. Tulsa Roughnecks FC host LA Galaxy II on Friday, while Swope Park Rangers welcome OKC Energy FC to Children’s Mercy Victory Field.
Soccer News: The 13th week of the 2016 USL season includes a 14-game weekend slate that brings the first meeting of the season between the teams that contested last season’s Eastern Conference Championship Game, and the chance for two standout performers a season ago for OKC Energy FC, Christian Duke and Jacob VanCompernolle, to welcome their former teammates to Swope Park.
Every game of the 2016 USL season will be available on the league’s Match Center, with updates from across the league also available via Twitter, Facebook, Vine and Instagram.
GAMES TO WATCH
Tulsa Roughnecks FC vs. LA Galaxy II
Friday, June 17. 8:30 p.m. ET, ONEOK Field, ESPN3
The most prolific attack in the USL heads to Oklahoma to face a defense that has struggled in recent weeks on Friday night as the LA Galaxy II square off with Tulsa Roughnecks FC in the USL Game of the Week on ESPN3 at ONEOK Field.
The Roughnecks (2-9-1, 7pts) are coming off their heaviest defeat in club history as they absorbed a 7-1 loss to Saint Louis FC last Saturday night. Tulsa has conceded more shots and more shots on goal than any other team in the USL, and will need to tighten up against a visitor that has proven decisive in front of goal this season.
The Galaxy II (5-2-7, 22pts) were held scoreless for only the second time this season in their past outing, a 0-0 draw with fellow Western Conference contender Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. Los Dos have found goals from multiple sources this season, with four players having at least three goals. Captain Jack McBean leads the league with 11 goals this season.
Rochester Rhinos vs. Louisville City FC
Saturday, June 18. 6:05 p.m. ET, Rhinos Stadium
A rematch of the 2015 USL Eastern Conference Championship Game is set to open Saturday night’s action at Rhinos Stadium, as the Rhinos look to close the gap on a Louisville side that has kicked on impressively in its second season to sit at the top of the Eastern Conference going into the weekend’s action.
The defending USL champion Rhinos (5-3-3, 18pts) are coming off back-to-back defeats in the past seven days, after Toronto FC II took a 2-1 win last Saturday at the Ontario Soccer Centre, and then Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls took a 1-0 win in the Fourth Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night. Christian Volesky scored his fifth goal of the season against Toronto, and will likely be a key figure in Saturday’s game.
Louisville (8-1-4, 28pts), meanwhile, is on an 11-game undefeated streak in the league that has placed it one point ahead of the New York Red Bulls II. City played to a 2-2 draw with Wilmington Hammerheads FC last Saturday as the visitors got a late equalizer at Slugger Field. The game saw Chandler Hoffman record his ninth and 10th goals of the season to move into a tie for second in the race for the Golden Boot.
Swope Park Rangers vs. OKC Energy FC
Saturday, June 18. 8:30 p.m. ET, Children’s Mercy Victory Field at Swope Soccer Village
The Rangers and Energy FC will meet for the second time this season, and the first in Kansas City, on Saturday night when they square off in a key clash in the Western Conference. Energy FC took the first meeting between the teams 1-0 on April 23 when Kalen Ryden scored the only goal of the game at Taft Stadium.
The defeat was the first suffered by the Rangers (4-6-2, 14pts) in their history, and began a run of up and down form that was epitomized by the team’s outings last week. Swope Park first swept to a 4-0 win against Rio Grande Valley FC on June 8, and then fell 3-2 to Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 on June 12 despite a late rally that almost saw the side grab an equalizer with the final kick of the game.
Energy FC (4-2-4, 16pts) has been much more consistent since its win against the Rangers, meanwhile, with last weekend’s defeat to Rio Grande Valley FC the team’s first since the opening day of the season. OKC was in action in midweek in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Fourth Round, where it went to a penalty shootout against FC Dallas after a 2-2 draw before being eliminated.
Sacramento Republic FC vs. Rio Grande Valley FC
Saturday, June 18. 11 p.m. ET, Bonney Field
Two of the top five teams in the USL’s Western Conference meet at Bonney Field with the upstart Toros looking to continue their good recent run of form as they meet Sacramento for the first time in their history.
Republic FC (6-3-3, 21pts) is coming off back-to-back victories against Real Monarchs SLC that saw the side move solidly back into the playoff positions. Cameron Iwasa and Adam Jahn scored last Saturday in a 2-1 win at Greater Nevada Field in a contest hosted by 2017 USL expansion side Reno 1868 FC, as the team’s defense remained watertight allowing only one goal over the two games against a solid Monarchs attack.
Sacramento will have to contend with another bright young attack on Saturday as the Toros (6-3-4, 22pts) head west. RGVFC took a 3-0 win against OKC Energy FC in its past outing, but will be without forward Jose Escalante as he serves a suspension for his red card in that contest. The Toros have other options to lead their line, though, with Memo Rodriguez having three goals and two assists this season, and T.J. Casner sitting tied for the league lead with four assists.
Source: United Soccer League. Photo Credit: Wilmington Hammerheads FC
