The matchup for the USL Championship final is set.
After a season filled with exciting highs, some tough lows, and challenging moments for every squad in the league, the USL Championship Final is here. Orange County SC of the Western Conference Pacific Division and Tampa Bay Rowdies of the Eastern Conference Atlantic Division will face off for the tenth USL Championship crown this weekend, when the Final match of the 2021 USL season kicks off on ESPN.
The Matchup: #TBRvOC
- Where: Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Florida
- When: Sunday, November 28; 5:30 p.m. PT kickoff
- Watch: ESPN, ESPN Deportes
- Listen: Sirius XM FC
Each Squad’s Road
One of the league’s strongest sides at every turn throughout the season, Tampa Bay finished with the highest point total of any squad in either conference. After a strong opening half of the season, the Rowdies put together a historic second half. They fell just once from August 6 to the end of the season, a stretch headlined by a 12-match lossless streak that spanned a day short of two months. They took care of business in their opening postseason matchup against FC Tulsa, netting six goals, before upending Birmingham in the Conference Semifinal and Louisville in a thrilling extra time win in the Eastern Conference Final.
Among the Western Conference’s best at the start of the campaign, Orange County was riding high as they outscored their opponents 9-3 in June and held the Pacific Division’s second place spot for much of the first two months. However, they hit a few speed bumps during in July and August, losing ground in the Pacific Division race a stretch that saw just two wins in 11 matches. However, with a new man at the helm in Richard Chaplow, they found form again as summer turned to fall, winning six straight to close the campaign before finding their way to the final by way of a 1-0 victory over Colorado Springs and two penalty shootout wins.
Players to Watch
From the top down, Tampa’s roster is filled with players sure to impact Sunday’s result. Leading them in the back are Goalkeeper Evan Louro and defender Forrest Lasso, each finalists for Player of the Year at their respective positions. Both players were named to the USL Championship All-League First Team alongside striker Sebastian Guenzatti, who finished the regular season with 21 goals, six assists, and a nomination for USL MVP honors.
In addition, Lucky Mkosana has been dangerous off the bench for Rowdies all season long. He netted the stoppage time equalizer for Tampa Bay to send their Conference Final match with Louisville to extra time, and since joining the club in 2019, has scored 12 of 14 goals as a substitute.
For Orange County, they’ll count on forward Ronaldo Damus to continue leading their attacking corps. The Haitian finished the regular season third in the Western Conference in scoring (14), taking full advantage of the 51 chances generated on the campaign from three-year USL veteran Brian Illoski, and captain Michael Orozco. Goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky and leading assist man Brent Richards have locked things down in the back for Orange County of late, limiting opponents to just two scores since an October 9 loss to Tacoma Defiance.
Head to Head – The Numbers
Tampa Bay finished the regular season third in USL in scoring (65), shots taken (496) and conversion rate (18%). More impressively, however, they finished the year with a league-high 16 clean sheets and conceded the fewest goals in USL this season with 27.
Entering their first-ever USL Championship Final, Orange County netted 46 goals on the season and put 14% of their attempts in the net. They were equally stout defensively, recording 14 clean sheets- second in the league behind Tampa Bay- and finished as one of just eight squads to concede less than 40 scores on the season. They’ve posted five clean sheets in their past six matches, giving them a ton of momentum heading into their meeting with the league’s most dangerous team.
