Sacramento Republic FC’s home form this season has been a concern. In fact, it’s already lost more times this season at Heart Health Park than it did in either the 2022 or 2023 season.

But when it comes to the road, Republic FC currently stands as the lone team yet to experience a defeat, and it’s got the club within range of a USL Championship record. In this week’s edition of the USL Championship News & Notes we have more details on their upcoming road to history.

Elsewhere, we continue to monitor Nick Markanich’s remarkable season for the Battery that this past weekend saw him set a club-record for the USL Championship era. Also, how a familiar face from the Championship’s past reintroduced himself in the manner you’d expect.

We also have our regular look at upcoming landmarks for individual players across the Championship, and the Week 21 Discipline Report.

Let’s begin.

NEWS & NOTES

REPUBLIC FC MAKING RUN AT ROAD UNDEFEATED RECORD

Sacramento Republic FC claimed a memorable 5-2 victory against NorCal rival Oakland Roots SC at Pioneer Stadium on Sunday afternoon and with it extended the club’s current road regular season undefeated streak to 10 games dating back to the 2023 season. That places Republic FC only two games behind the longest road undefeated streak in the Championship’s regular season history of 12 games, a mark achieved by both Reno 1868 FC and the Rochester Rhinos.

Sacramento heads to face Detroit City FC this Saturday night, where two seasons ago it took a 2-0 victory in its first visit to Keyworth Stadium in club history. Should it earn either a win or a draw in that contest, it could equal the league record in one of the USL Summer of Soccer’s marquee showdowns against Louisville City FC on August 10 in a contest that will air nationally on ESPN2.

Longest Road Undefeated Streak in USL Championship Regular Season
T-1 Reno 1868 FC – 12 games, 2017-18
T-1. Rochester Rhinos – 12 games, 2014-15
T-3. FC Cincinnati – 11 games, 2018
T-3. Rochester Rhinos – 11 games, 2016-17
T-3. Richmond Kickers – 11 games, 2014

BATTERY’S MARKANICH CONTINUES SCORING SPREE

The Charleston Battery’s Nick Markanich recorded his fourth multi-goal game of the 2024 regular season last Friday night with a two-goal performance against Miami FC to move to 18 goals in the league this season. In doing so, the 24-year-old set a new single-season record for regular season goals in the USL Championship era for the Battery, surpassing Augustine Williams’ mark of 16 goals set two seasons ago.

Markanich is now in pursuit of the Battery’s all-time single-season goalscoring record, which currently stands at 23 goals by Paul Young in the 1995 United States Independent Soccer League season, as well as the Championship’s single-season record of 25 goals currently held by Cameron Lancaster (2018, Louisville City FC) and Hadji Barry (Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, 2021).

Most Individual Goals in a regular season in the Charleston Battery’s History
23 – Paul Young (1995 USISL)
22 – Paul Conway (2001 A-League)
20 – Patrick Olalere (1996 USISL)
18 – Nick Markanich (2024 USL Championship)*

* - active

Most Individual Goals in a regular season in the USL Championship
T-1. Cameron Lancaster, Louisville City FC (2018) – 25
T-1. Hadji Barry, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (2021) – 25
T-3. Matt Fondy, Louisville City FC (2015) – 22
T-3. Solomon Asante, Phoenix Rising FC (2019) – 22
T-3. Milan Iloski, Orange County SC (2022) – 22  

TOMÁS GÓMEZ PICKS UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF IN ORANGE COUNTY

Orange County SC acquired veteran goalkeeper Tomás Gómez on loan from Real Salt Lake last week, and in his first start for the club he picked up where his career in the Championship left off with the 38th regular season shutout in the league.

Twice the Championship’s Golden Glove winner in 2016 and 2017 for the Rochester Rhinos, Gómez’s four-save performance for OCSC was his first clean sheet in the league since a two-save shutout for Sacramento Republic FC in a scoreless draw against Phoenix Rising FC on August 21, 2021. That marked 1,064 days between shutouts in the league for the 31-year-old.

Quick Hits
- New Mexico United’s home winning streak came to an end on Saturday night with a 1-1 draw against Birmingham Legion FC at Isotopes Park. However, the club’s active four-game undefeated streak is its longest of the 2024 season.

- Rhode Island FC’s Zach Herivaux recorded the first two-goal performance of his career in the USL Championship in his side’s 3-1 victory against Birmingham Legion FC last Wednesday night. The brace coincided with Herivaux’s 100th regular season appearance in the Championship.

- Sacramento Republic FC’s five-goal performance against Oakland Roots SC marked the first time this season the side had recorded three goals in a first half, and its first five-goal outing since a 5-0 victory against Louisville City FC on April 1, 2023.

- The Tampa Bay Rowdies’ Lewis Hilton recorded the 32nd regular season assist of his career in the USL Championship on Cal Jennings’ first-half goal against Indy Eleven, moving him into a tie for 15th in the league’s regular season.

- The Charleston Battery’s Juan David Torres equaled the Championship’s single-game high of eight shots in the 2024 campaign against Miami FC, but also became the third player to hit the woodwork twice in the same game this season.

- Edward Kizza’s goal after four minutes, 41 seconds in Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s 3-1 victory against Hartford Athletic on Saturday night was the earliest the Hounds has scored in a game this season, and just the second the side had scored in the opening 15 minutes of a game this season.

Upcoming Player Milestones

Appearances
Approaching 200 regular-season appearances
Sebastian Guenzatti (IND) – 198
James Musa (IND) – 196
Russell Cicerone (SAC) – 196

Approaching 100 regular-season appearances
Elliot Collier (IND) – 99
Nick Moon (TBR) – 98
Dayonn Harris (NM) – 98
Luis Solignac (SA) – 97

Minutes
Approaching 20,000 regular season minutes
Alex Dixon (MB) – 19,790

Approaching 15,000 regular season minutes
Matt Mahoney (COS) – 14,977
Augustine Williams (IND) – 14,876
Wes Charpie (LOU) – 14,668
Duke Lacroix (COS) – 14,658
Charlie Adams (LV) – 14,617

Approaching 10,000 regular season minutes
Lindo Mfeka (OAK) – 9,969
Nick Ross (SAC) – 9,932

Goals
Approaching 60 regular season goals
Romario Williams (IND) – 58
Russell Cicerone (SAC) – 58

Approaching 50 regular season goals
Rodrigo Da Costa (NC) – 49
Albert Dikwa (RI) – 49
Frank Lopez (MIA) – 47

Approaching 40 regular season goals
Amando Moreno (ELP) – 39
Brian Ownby (LOU) – 39
Michee Ngalina (HFD) – 38
Leo Fernandes (TBR) – 38
Rodrigo Lopez (SAC) – 38
JJ Williams (RI) – 37
Justin Portillo (SAC) – 37

Assists
Approaching 50 regular season assists
Enzo Martinez (BHM) – 48
Rodrigo Lopez (SAC) – 46
Brian Ownby (LOU) – 46

Approaching 40 regular season assists
Christiano Francois (LDN) – 39

Approaching 30 regular season assists
Niall McCabe (LOU) – 29
Cam Lindley (IND) – 28
Jorge Hernandez (SA) – 28

Saves
Approaching 250 regular season saves
Rocco Rios Novo (PHX) – 244
Jake McGuire (NC) – 239

Approaching 200 regular season saves
Hugo Fauroux (LDN) – 192

Shutouts
Approaching 50 regular season shutouts
Alex Tambakis (NM) – 49

Approaching 40 regular season shutouts
Jordan Farr (TBR) – 39
Tomás Gómez (OC) – 38

Discipline Report – Week 21

TAMPA, Fla. – The following is the USL Championship’s discipline report for Week 21 of the 2024 USL Championship season:

North Carolina FC’s Ezra Armstrong has been suspended for one game following his red card for denial of a goalscoring opportunity against Detroit City FC on July 19. Armstrong will be unavailable for North Carolina’s contest against Rhode Island FC on Saturday night.

Memphis 901 FC’s AB Cissoko has been suspended for one game following his red card for denial of a goalscoring opportunity against FC Tulsa on July 20. Cissoko will be unavailable for selection in Memphis’ contest against San Antonio FC on Saturday night.

Detroit City FC’s Yazeed Matthews has been suspended for one game following his red card for abusive language against North Carolina FC on July 19. Matthews will be unavailable for selection in Detroit’s contest against Sacramento Republic FC on Saturday night.

Memphis 901 FC’s Marlon Santos has been suspended for one game following his red card for two cautionable offenses against FC Tulsa on July 20. Santos will be unavailable for selection in Memphis’ contest against San Antonio FC on Saturday night.

New Mexico United’s Zico Bailey has been suspended one game for caution accumulation following his eighth caution of the regular season against Birmingham Legion FC on July 20. Bailey will be unavailable for selection in New Mexico’s contest against El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday night.

San Antonio FC’s Mitchell Taintor is no longer on caution accumulation warning after receiving a good behavior credit following his third consecutive game without a yellow card against Orange County SC on July 20.