One of the preseason favorites to lift the USL Championship title looks for a statement victory at home, while around the playoff line in the Eastern Conference push is coming to shove for the sides battling for position across the schedule this weekend.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, here’s where you can find where everyone stands in the Race to the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs. Here are three more storylines to know going in, three players to keep an eye on, and what else you need to know before tuning in on ESPN2, CBS Sports Golazo Network and ESPN+.

1. REPUBLIC FC NEEDS TO BUCK THE TREND

Sacramento Republic FC knows it can compete with the best the USL Championship has to offer.

The question that’s currently being asked of the Western Conference contender is whether it can deliver when it has the upper hand? This Sunday night’s home game with New Mexico United might give the side the answer it’s looking for. On the other hand, it could end up another lost opportunity.

• CLOSE, BUT…: Sacramento has had clear opportunities against the teams currently sitting with the top three records in the league. When it visited Louisville City FC, it used a three-goal blitz in the second half to take the lead only to end up conceding in second-half stoppage time in a dramatic 4-3 defeat.
• TAILING OFF: Republic FC led at halftime when it visited the Charleston Battery earlier this month but couldn’t maintain its hold on the game, when two second-half goals on 11 shots saw Sacramento fall victim to Nick Markanich and company.
• SLIDING AWAY: The same tail-off was evident in a 3-1 defeat to New Mexico on Sept. 18, when Republic FC was on top but unable to finish its chances before succumbing to three second-half goals. That result, and last week’s loss in a similar fashion to Las Vegas Lights FC, where Republic FC held a halftime lead but ended up suffering a 2-1 defeat, put New Mexico in position to clinch the No. 1 seed in the West this weekend.

It’s become a frustration for Sacramento, which has dropped 17 points from winning positions overall this season. That’s tied for the most in a season in club history, and an 11-point increase over the six points the side dropped a season ago when it finished first in the West.

“I just said to the guys, we’ve gone to Louisville, Charleston and New Mexico, and you've played incredibly well, and in 10 minutes, thrown every single game away,” said Republic FC Head Coach Mark Briggs after his side’s loss to New Mexico. “It’s got nothing to do with ability. If we want to win the championship, which we can, we have to be mentally tuned in for 95 minutes.”

If there’s a positive Sacramento can take into Sunday’s clash on ESPN2, it’s that its home form has seen an uptick between its travails on the road. Republic FC has won three in a row, recording shutouts in each contest, as United visits.

With a serious fight on its hands for second place in the West, Republic FC needs to deliver now.

2. HOUNDS FACE MUST-WIN AT HOME

If you want an illustration of how fine the margins are for Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC as it bids for a seventh consecutive postseason berth, consider this.

Should the Hounds have held firm for victory when leading at halftime against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Sept. 14 – in the previous 24 games in which they’d led at halftime, the Hounds had gone 19-0-5 dating to 2022 – they’d be above the playoff line with five games to go.

Instead, a 2-1 setback that ended that streak combined with victories last weekend for all three of Rhode Island FC, Hartford Athletic and North Carolina FC dropped the Hounds’ playoff odds to 32 percent.

• CRUNCH TIME: That makes Pittsburgh’s home game against Birmingham Legion FC on Saturday night at Highmark Stadium crucial in the side’s bid for postseason play. History is on the Hounds’ side – they’ve won all four prior matchups between the clubs in Pittsburgh – but there’s no room for complacency here.

• HITTING THE MARK: The biggest key to the game will be Pittsburgh’s attack. The Hounds have had some serious downturns in form this season due to not converting their chances, but they’re currently on a five-game scoring streak, including a 3-0 win in Birmingham in late August. That’s got to continue here.

• HELP WANTED: If the Hounds aren’t themselves, their fans will certainly be scoreboard watching, hoping for help from elsewhere to boost their position. The remaining schedule looks manageable for Pittsburgh – the key game could end up being at Loudoun United FC on the penultimate weekend of the season – but dropped points elsewhere would certainly come in handy.

While the loss to the Rowdies was a tough one, there still should be a sense of optimism Pittsburgh can come through down the stretch. The 10-game undefeated streak that preceded the loss buoyed the side, but now it needs to produce when it matters most.

“We played well for a long stretch of games,” said Hounds Head Coach Bob Lilley after the defeat to Tampa Bay. “We didn’t get all the points we could have, but we showed we’re capable of winning against good teams.”

3. INDY LOOKS FOR TURNAROUND

For an Indy Eleven team that has only one win in its last six league games after a 2-0 defeat to North Carolina FC last weekend, there’s still a sense of optimism that things can come good for Indy Head Coach Sean McAuley as his side pursues a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference.

“Everyone talks about these statistics of possession, passes, entries into the opponents’ box,” said McAuley this week. “Well, we achieved all them and we came out with a 2-0 defeat. The opposition are probably happy that they won the game, we’re disappointed that we got beat, but we’re also reflective that it probably wasn’t as bad as it was if we’re trying to improve performances.”

If you’re looking at last week’s performance as glass-half-empty from an Indy perspective, however, you could point to the fact North Carolina could have won by more if not for a scattershot display by Oalex Anderson, who put up an individual Expected Goals mark of 1.84xG that exceeded Indy’s overall total (1.26xG) for the game but tallied only once.

At the same time, Indy has been a bit of a confoundment during its overall downturn in form.

• OVER, UNDER: Starting with the side’s 3-1 defeat to New Mexico United on August 11, Indy has underperformed its Expected Goals mark (7 goals on 8.46xG) and its Expected Goals Against mark (10 goals conceded on 7.37xGA).

• SINKING FEELING: That’s seen Indy lose ground to Detroit City FC in the battle for fourth place in the East. The Boys in Blue have a game in hand on Le Rouge, but now must make up a five-point difference over their final six games.

• SHARPEN UP: Since its victory against Atlanta United FC in the Quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in July, it has scored only nine goals in 11 league games on an Expected Goals mark of 12.43xG. Even in the one three-goal outburst over that span – against El Paso Locomotive FC two weeks ago – it theoretically underperformed, posting a 4.12xG mark for the game.

Indy’s run-in will be challenging. After it hosts Miami FC on Saturday night at Michael A. Carroll Stadium, its remaining five opponents are all currently above the playoff line in the Eastern Conference. That makes the visit of last-placed Miami a must-win, lest Indy be dragged into an even bigger battle.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Xavi Gnaulati, Monterey Bay F.C. – The 19-year-old put in a bright display against Orange County SC last week. There would be no better time for him to find his first goal for MBFC than to help the side break its scoreless streak against Detroit City FC.

Aidan Rocha, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC – The central midfielder will face former club Loudoun United FC for the first time since his offseason move as he looks to help the Switchbacks to a fourth consecutive victory on home turf.

Pape Mar Boye, Phoenix Rising FC: The 20-year-old center back will try to bounce back from a below-par performance in midweek against Orange County SC as Phoenix tries to earn victory at home against a surging Las Vegas Lights FC squad.

AROUND THE GROUNDS

#ELPvNC: North Carolina has alternated losses and wins in its last four outings after its win at home against Indy last Saturday and needs to get on a run. It’s fared reasonably against Western Conference opposition so far this season, going 4-3-2 as it heads to El Paso aiming to keep pressure on the rest of the playoff contenders in the East.

#LOUvMEM: Louisville City will get its first chance to equal the USL Championship’s single-season home win record after two weeks on the road against Memphis, but 901 FC has achieved success previously in Louisville. Since the start of the 2021 season, Memphis is one of only two teams that’s earned two regular season victories in its visits to Lynn Family Stadium.

#TBRvHFD: The Tampa Bay Rowdies and Hartford Athletic will square off at a future date due to the impact of Hurricane Helene this week. Our best wishes to all those affected.

#COSvLDN: The Switchbacks have won both prior meetings with Loudoun United, with both victories coming on the road at Segra Field. Colorado Springs has been stellar at home this season as it pursues a top-two finish in the West, but Loudoun is under the pump and needs to find a result as well.

#SAvRI: San Antonio is in must-win territory again after its defeat to Phoenix Rising last weekend and Orange County’s midweek victory. Even on home turf, that’s going to be easier said than done against a Rhode Island FC side that can be difficult to break down defensively.

#MBvDET: Detroit City has pushed its season forward with back-to-back wins against the top teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences. Now it needs to carry that home form into a contest against a Monterey Bay side that simply must take victory as it looks to break a five-game scoreless streak.

#PHXvLV: Las Vegas Lights’ last visit to Phoenix Rising provided one of the surprises of the season – and one of only three wins in the 2023 campaign for the side. Phoenix is undefeated in its last nine games at home, which has carried it into the playoff positions, but if the Lights come through again as Rising looks to rebound from a midweek loss, it wouldn’t be a shock.

#OAKvTUL: Oakland Roots and FC Tulsa have combined for four wins in 17 games since the start of August. If Roots comes away with all three points on home turf, it can feel very good about its playoff chances. By contrast, it’s make-or-break time for Tulsa as its tries to chase down Orange County in eighth.