Sideline Shindig

By Marissa Blackman The 2016 USL season continues for ninth place Wilmington Hammerheads FC with an away match against second place New York Red Bulls II. In their previous  encounter , these two clubs fought right down to the last minute. Both keepers were kept busy with extremely close shots, and both teams were frustrated by disallowed goals. The Red Bulls haven’t lost since May 1 st , and did not compete in the Open Cup. The team is on a seven game unbeaten streak.. In USL play, the Hammerheads haven’t lost since May 21 st . The team is on a four game unbeaten streak. In the past few weeks, the Hammerheads have also advanced through rounds two and three of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The club's Open Cup run ended in penalty kicks of a round four match against MLS club Real Salt Lake. Here are a few side-by-side comparisons of each team's statistics: Bruno Perone, Mael Carboz, Jeff Michaud, Justin Moose, and John Smits have all appeared in thirteen game

by Marissa Blackman USL Clubs Score Opponent Colorado Springs Switchbacks 0-1 Colorado Rapids Harrisburg City Islanders 2-3 Philadelphia Union OKC Energy FC 2(5)-2(6) FC Dallas Rochester Rhinos 0-1 New York Red Bulls San Antonio FC 0-4 Houston Dynamo Wilmington Hammerheads 2(1)-2(3) Real Salt Lake  The fourth round is the end of the road for USL teams competing in the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Out of seventeen USL clubs that entered the competition in round two, these six clubs made it thus far.  The valiant effort of these six USL clubs bodes well for the league as a whole. As can be seen from the table below, USL clubs from the top, middle, and bottom of their respective tables represented the league. Of the matches that ended before penalties, only one USL club was defeated by

by Marissa Blackman Tomorrow, Louisville City FC and Wilmington Hammerheads FC will compete against each other for the first time this season. The two clubs sit in first and eighth place respectively. Statistically, Louisville has more shots, more goals, and more points. Although Louisville has scored significantly more than the Hammerheads, the two clubs are very close when it comes to conceding. Louisville has only been scored on twelve times in as many games, and the Hammerheads have conceded eleven times in eleven games. Wilmington has a slightly higher save rate than Louisville. Between the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and USL regular season matches, these two clubs have played five games each in the past three weeks. Here are the results from their recent matches: Wilmington Score Opponent Louisville Score Opponent Open Cup 6-0 Miami Fusion FC Open Cup 1(3)-1(1) Detroit City F

by Marissa Blackman USL Club Score Opponent Arizona United 0-3 Colorado Springs Switchbacks Charleston Battery 1-2 Jacksonville Armada Charlotte Independence 0-5 Carolina Railhawks Colorado Springs Switchbacks 3-0 Arizona United FC Cincinnati 0-1 Tampa Bay Rowdies Harrisburg City Islanders 2-1 Chattanooga FC Louisville FC 1-2 Indy Eleven OKC Energy FC 2-1 Rayo OKC Richmond Kickers 0 (0)- 0 (1) Fort Lauderdale Strikers Rochester Rhinos 2-0 Lansdowne Bhoys FC Sacramento Republic 1-3 Kitsap Pumas San Antonio FC 2-1 Des Moines Menace St. Louis FC 0-2 Minnesota United FC Wilmington Hammerheads 2-1