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USL Championship Announces Western Conference Groups

By Energy FC & USL Communications, 06/25/20, 12:15PM CDT

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Alignment of first four groups for league’s resumption of play unveiled

The USL Championship announced on Thursday the four groups made up of teams from the Western Conference that will battle for a place in the 2020 USL Championship Playoffs when the league returns to play on Saturday, July 11.

Group A: Portland Timbers 2, Reno 1868 FC, Sacramento Republic FC, Tacoma Defiance
Group B: LA Galaxy II, Las Vegas Lights FC, Orange County SC, Phoenix Rising FC, San Diego Loyal SC
Group C: Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, El Paso Locomotive FC, New Mexico United, Real Monarchs SLC
Group D: Austin Bold FC, OKC Energy FC, Rio Grande Valley FC, San Antonio FC, FC Tulsa

As detailed in the Championship’s announcement of the updated season structure, each team in Group A and Group C will play its fellow group members four times during the regular season. Meanwhile, each team in Group B and Group D will play its fellow group members three times. The remaining games will be played against teams that fall within a similar geographic region. The regular season schedule is expected to be released next week.

The Greens' Group
Despite only one team, Austin Bold FC, making the playoffs in 2019, Group D will be competitive from top to bottom and features some strong regional rivalries.  The Greens will go up against San Antonio FC and Rio Grande Valley FC, opponents from many memorable regular season and playoff matchups over the years. Energy FC split the season series with second-year club Austin Bold FC in 2019, with each side winning at home. Perennial Western Conference cellar dwellers, FC Tulsa, will be confident of making a run at the postseason and finally winning a game after a multitude of offseason changes throughout the club.