We hit the five-month mark of the USL Championship season this week. We also hit the fifth time in the 2024 campaign that a club changed coaches midstream and debuted a new leader on the sidelines. Zooming out even further, Jordan Stewart’s Monterey tenure means that 14 of the league’s 24 coaches are in their first full season.
That’s a remarkable rate of attrition, one that underlines just how competitive the USL Championship has become. 22 teams – sorry El Paso and Miami! – are still realistically in the mix for a playoff spot, and their front offices won’t sit idly by if a change could provide a boost.
How did the new-look Monterey fare? And what defined the rest of the matchweek? Let’s dig in.
1. Louisville (No change)
Result: 4-3 win v. Sacramento
Wilson Harris does just about everything well, but his intelligence and craft are easy to miss in the face of the stunning scoring numbers. Every bit of Harris’ game was unmissable on the national stage on ESPN2 against Sacramento this Saturday.
Consider Louisville’s goals. The first began with wing back Jake Morris cutting inside from the left; spotting that dribbling move, Harris burst wide to essentially replace Morris. In the process, Harris enjoyed a one-on-one and placed a precise finish on his right foot.
The second was a more physical play, one where Harris’ ability to fend off pressure on his back was key. Because of the striker’s positioning in the right channel and his ability to attract defensive attention, Taylor Davila had room to make a weak-side run and score.
By the time the third LouCity tally came, the game had changed. Mistaken defensive coverage at the wing back spots allowed Sacramento to score three times and shellshock their hosts. Even so, Harris kept probing. With Louisville on the break in the 66th minute, the striker gently drifted to the left, almost halting in place. That clever, idiosyncratic decision forced two-thirds of the Republic back line to stutter. Moments later, Jansen Wilson was in on goal because of the lane opened by Harris.
Harris had to be the man in the 94th minute, bodying an opponent at the far post off a drop-ball set piece to earn a thrilling victory. It was the amalgamation of everything that makes the 24-year-old special: pinpoint finishing, heady running, and a passion that makes Louisville the best team in the USL.
2. Charleston (No change)
Result: 3-1 win v. Memphis
When you're a team as dangerous as Charleston, you're liable to come up against teams that want to throw the kitchen sink at you. Elite sides can overcome any gimmicky defense, and the Battery showed as much against Memphis' "oops all midfielders" lineup this Saturday.
The basic setup for the guests was a 4-4-2 without any real strikers that maximized heft and defensive instinct.
There've been times this season where Charleston would've struggled against such an approach, failing to get enough off-ball movement to force changes and find gaps. Powered by Juan David Torres' ceaseless, Energizer Bunny-esque runs on the left and inspired drops from Arturo Rodriguez, that wasn't the case this time around. Those two regularly came deep, overcoming what was effectively a six-man 901 press to help facilitate breakthroughs.
When Memphis got a red card before 40 minutes had passed, it was effectively game over. Rodriguez began to push higher and cause trouble in more advanced areas against the shorthanded opponent, and both MD Myers and Nick Markanich – Charleston’s two talismanic scorers – got on the board.
Still, it’s the flow and innovation in the first half that’ll prove meaningful as a takeaway for the Battery when the going gets tough.
3. Las Vegas (+5)
Result: 1-1 draw v. Detroit
