Saturday, May 19

LD Update: USL Pro Game Night

Home teams in USL Pro are now winless in the last 11 games, a streak that began Sunday, May 6. It appears to be part of a larger trend that has seen very little home field advantage this season. Only two clubs in the league have a winning record at home (Orlando City 2-0-1, Wilmington 2-0-1) while six teams have winning records on the road, four of them unbeaten.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds 1:1 Richmond Kickers - The Riverhounds kept their one-point lead on the Kickers in the standings courtesy of a strike from Ricky Smith just before the break. A ball headed back to goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap led to a collision with David Bulow, giving Matthew Delicate a chance to bury the loose ball into an empty net in the 71st. - MORE

Friday, May 18

LD Update: Carolina & LA signings; WPS is done

NASL News: The Carolina RailHawks announced the addition of rookie defenders Nick Millington and Jamie Finch.

USL Pro News: The Los Angeles Blues officially announced they have signed former MLS striker Maykel Galindo.

PDL News: The league announced Des Moines Menace forward Husref Jupic as the Player of the Week along with the Team of the Week.

W-League News: The Pali Blues topped the New Zealand U-20 National Team in a friendly, 3-0.

WPS News: On the Facebook page, Women's Professional Soccer announced that in addition to coming to a settlement with estranged owner Dan Borislow, the WPS Board of Governors agreed to permanently suspend operations and dissolve the league, leaving the USL W-League and WPSL as the remaining women's leagues of note.

Thursday, May 17

Lower Division Five Stars - Round 6

Five Stars of the Week*

1 – Kristian Nicht– G – Rochester Rhinos: Two shutouts on the road in 1-0 wins at both Charlotte and Charleston, posting 10 saves in the victory against the Battery.

2 – Pablo Campos – F – San Antonio Scorpions: The striker scored twice on the road for a 2-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. 

3 – Ilja vanLeerdam – M – FC Edmonton: A goal and assist for a 2-0 win in Atlanta gave the Canadians their second victory, the first on the road.

4 – Bright Dike – F – LA Blues
: On loan from the MLS Portland Timbers, the striker was dangerous in his debut Friday, a 1-0 win in Dayton, and then tallied a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win at Pittsburgh.

LD Update: NASL & USL Pro Game Night; MLS friendly

Puerto Rico Islanders 3:0 Atlanta Silverbacks - The league leaders were locked in a stalemate with the Silverbacks until Martyn Lancaster was sent off five minutes into the second half for taking down Jonathan Fana in the box. Joe Nasco stopped the ensuing David Foley penalty, but the midfielder followed up the attempt and headed the ball far enough over the line for the opening tally. Hector Ramos would double the lead in the 77th and Tyler Wilson left no doubt with the third in the 84th. - MORE

Harrisburg City Islanders 0:0 Pittsburgh Riverhounds - The first segment of the Pennsylvania derby finished in a scoreless deadlock. - MORE

US Open Cup: The fourth tier of American soccer squared off in the First Round of the US Open Cup Tuesday evening, leaving 16 amateur sides to face the professional clubs from the second division NASL and third division USL Pro. The pairings were announced Wednesday afternoon for the Third Round. All the details here at TheCup.us

USL Pro News: The Harrisburg City Islanders announced that their exhibition against MLS affiliate Philadelphia Union will be held at Hersheypark on June 12.

W-League News: Victoria Highlanders striker Lindsay Hoetzel was unveiled as the Player of the Week, highlighting the league's Team of the Week.

Look for the Soccer Barn Five Stars tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 15

LD Update: USL Pro & NPSL honors; WPSL star signings

USL Pro News: The league announced Rochester Rhinos goalkeeper Kristian Nicht as the Player of the Week, highlighting the Team of the Week that was also unveiled... Meanwhile, the Rhinos announced that former players Craig Demmin, Doug Miller and Pat Onstad are being inducted in to the team's Hall of Fame this year.

WPSL Signings: The California Storm that US international stars Brandi Chastain and Aly Wagner, along with Brazilian standout Sissi, will return to the club this summer.

NPSL Honors: The league announced defender Ruairidh Winters of AFC Cleveland as the Player of the Week.



LD Update: NASL honors; City Islanders signing

NASL News: The league honored defender Paul Hamilton of the FC Edmonton as the Defensive Player of the Week and San Antonio Scorpions striker Pablo Campos as the Offensive Player of the Week.

USL Pro News: The Harrisburg City Islanders strengthened the depth of the goalkeeper position, signing recent Creighton product Brian Holt.

PDL News: Hamilton FC announced that the club has partnered with local youth organization Guelph Royals Soccer Club... Washington Crossfire added five players from nearby University of Washington to the roster.

Monday, May 14

LD Update: USL Pro Game Night - Home clubs winless for week

The home clubs finished the week winless in USL Pro, going 0-6-1.

Antigua Barracuda 1:2 Orlando City - The home side took the initial lead when striker Stefan Smith was taken down by Keiron Bernard in the 20th minute, allowing Quinton Griffith to convert from the spot. Six minutes later, though, the defending champions brought things back to even when Max Griffin finished off a John Rooney through ball. An Anthony Pulis corner four minutes into the second half was enough for Orlando City to grab the win with Wes Allen nodding in the decider. - MORE 

Sunday, May 13

LD Update: NASL & USL Pro Game Night - Rhinos still perfect

For the first time in six weeks the NASL went without a single draw; and don't look now but the previously winless FC Edmonton and expansion San Antonio Scorpions are on hot streaks. The Canadians have blanked the last two opponents by an aggregate 5-0 and the newcomers are unbeaten in the last four with their third straight victory.

In USL Pro, the winless home status from Friday night's three games (all 1-0 losses) continued for a second straight night as the home clubs were 0-2-1 for the evening. Defending champion Orlando City can complete the trend tomorrow in Antigua. Meanwhile, the Rochester Rhinos and Los Angeles Blues are proving that Orlando City will not have an easy run as the Rhinos notched their sixth shutout in as many games and the Blues are unbeaten through four games (3-0-1) in May.

NORTH AMERICAN SOCCER LEAGUE

Atlanta Silverbacks 0:2 FC Edmonton - Ilja van Leerdam played a great combination for a Michael Cox tally in the 14th minute of action and then scored himself with a header in the 88th to secure the road win. - MORE 

Puerto Rico Islanders 2:0 Fort Lauderdale Strikers - The Islanders avenged their 3-2 defeat in Florida from three weeks ago with a shutout. Gregory Richardson sent David Foley behind the defense, leaving just the keeper to beat for the opener in first half stoppage time. Hector Ramos benefited from a deflected ball in the penalty area, collecting it and scoring just over five minutes into the second half. -  MORE

Tampa Bay Rowdies 1:2 San Antonio Scorpions - Goalkeeper Daryl Sattler made a few outstanding saves that allowed Pablo Campos to be the hero at the other end, scoring the opening tally eight minutes into the second half. Dan Antoniuk would level terms two minutes later, and nearly gave the Rowdies the lead in the 71st only to see his header of a Frankie Sanfilippo cross knocked away by the diving Sattler. A rebound from Jeff Attinella of an Esteban Bayona shot at the other end fell to Campos for the winner in the final moments. - MORE 

Minnesota Stars 2:1 Carolina RailHawks - The hosts took the advantage 16 minutes in when a through ball from Kentaro Takada created a race to the ball between Amani Walker and Carolina keeper Ray Burse. Walker got to it first, touching it around him and putting it into the empty net. A swerving shot seven minutes into the second half from Kevin Venegas doubled the advantage with the RailHawks only able to play shutout spoilers with an Austin Da Luz tally with a minute left in stoppage time. - MORE  

USL PRO 

Pittsburgh Riverhounds 0:3 Los Angeles Blues - Ricky Waddell scored a great goal less than a minute into the second half to break a deadlock, hitting a bouncing ball on a half-valley from 25 yards. Then it turned into the Bright Dike show as the Portland Timbers loanee doubled the lead six minutes later on a perfect feed from Matt Fondy, then returning the favor with a ball that caught an out of position back line off guard as Fondy went unmarked toward goal and striking it past Hunter Gilstrap. - MORE 

Richmond Kickers 2:2 Harrisburg City Islanders - It took six games, but Matthew Delicate finally ended his drought, scoring eight minutes into the match when drilled a low shot off Christopher Agorsor's slotted ball past Nick Noble. It only took a minute for Harrisburg to equalize what was a thrilling opening 10 minutes of action. A poor delivery in back allowed JT Noone to take possession only 12 yards out and fire first-time past Ronnie Pascale. It was Delicate again in the 78th on a Ryan Heins cross, which he struck off the post, redirecting across the goal to Agorsor for the tap-in. Again, however, the City Islanders answered right back with Yann Ekra heading a Jason Pelletier cross in for the equalizer just two minutes later. - MORE 

Charleston Battery 0:1 Rochester Rhinos
- They have not been able to find much offense, scoring two goals in just one of six games thus far. But as long as Kristian Nicht keeps posting shutouts, one goal is all they need. Tonight the keeper made 10 stops to keep the Battery off the board, allowing a Danny Earls strike from 30 yards out in the 61st minute to maintain their perfect record. - MORE 

THIS WEEK*

Sunday, May 13
USL Pro: Orlando @ Antigua
PDL: Ventura County Fusion @ Los Angeles
PDL: Real Colorado Foxes v Winnipeg 
* PDL & NPSL Open Cup clubs included, listed first