What a weekend! USMNT predictably beats Guatemala, Louisville City steamrolls Richmond, and THREE STARS for the USWNT! Plus fireworks. Everything is better with fireworks. Lost your job? I bet some fireworks would cheer you up. Monday morning malaise? Try some fireworks. Best friends died in a freak gasoline-fight accident? I bet they’d have appreciated the way they went out better if you threw in some fireworks to celebrate their lives. On to the weekend that was in USL:

  • Rochester didn’t lose again, drawing the Charleston Battery 0-0 in a defensive slugfest that saw just thirteen shots between the teams, a grand total of two corner kicks, and twenty six fouls. Yay? The draw marked the first time the Rhinos haven’t won in the last five weeks.
  • Frankly, things were much more interesting out West than they were in the East this weekend. Colorado Springs, which has wayyyy too many names and/or likes computer programming a bunch (CSS!), is surprisingly at the top of the Western Conference table. The Switchbacks earned a sixth consecutive victory over the weekend, beating the Austin Aztex 2-0 at Sand Creek Stadium. Having seen that field on the YouTubes a few times, the name is quite apropos.
  • This is less news than it is a weird wrinkle in the USL schedule: Toronto FC II begins a SEVEN game home stand on Wednesday against Pittsburgh. They’ll take a brief trip to Montreal in August, then play another FIVE games at home before finishing the season with four road games.
  • Louisville City’s next opponent is Charlotte Independence. They’re a bit better than we might have thought at the beginning of the season, and have spent much of it floating around the red line for a playoff spot. Unfortunately, they managed to do the unthinkable and lose to St. Louis FC at home over the weekend. The Independence were coming off a U.S. Open Cup loss midweek to Chicago, though, so we know that feel, Charlotte.