We’re back with another edition of “What to Watch For — LSC’s POV,” this time looking at the Western Conference clubs in Week 30 action whose results could directly affect Lexington SC’s position in the standings. 

Lexington enters Week 30 in fourth place in the West after a triumphant, gutsy win over Detroit City FC on the road last weekend. 

In addition, several other results proved favorable for LSC, creating a bit of separation in the standings — even if that separation is only a point or two. Colorado Springs and El Paso lost, New Mexico and Phoenix drew and most importantly, LSC won. 

Lexington SC’s magic number is 16, meaning it’s the combination of points LSC must either earn itself or see ninth-place Orange County SC drop in order to guarantee Terry Boss’ side a playoff spot.

Orange County does have two matches in hand over Lexington, so LSC’s magic number could decrease even when it isn’t playing, should OCSC drop points.

One of the biggest matchups of the year awaits Lexington SC on Sunday night as it takes on New Mexico United. But until then, the Lexington faithful get to sit back and enjoy a full slate of USL Championship matches.

Here’s what we’re keeping an eye on this week in USL-C play. 

Standings

Week 30 Schedule

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (31 points, 8^th in West) vs. New Mexico United (34 points, 5th in West) — Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET 

This midweek clash carries major implications for Lexington. New Mexico, LSC’s opponent just days later Sunday, sits one point and one spot behind LSC in the table. A Switchbacks win, however, would pull Colorado Springs level with New Mexico on points, adding another direct challenger into the mix. 

In our eyes, the best-case scenario for LSC is a draw. That way, New Mexico remains within reach heading into Sunday’s showdown, and Colorado Springs doesn’t climb too close. One club breathing down your neck is stressful enough — no need to invite company. 

Best Outcome: Draw 

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El Paso Locomotive FC (32 points, 6^th in West) vs. Rhode Island FC (30 points, 8^th in East) — Friday, 9 p.m. ET 

Lexington SC leads El Paso by three points in the standings, and as you know by now, we (almost) always root for an Eastern Conference opponent to beat a foe from the West. 

Best Outcome: Rhode Island FC win 

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Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (31 points, 8^th in West) vs. Hartford Athletic (35 points, 5th in East) — Saturday, 8 p.m. ET 

On two days’ rest, Switchbacks FC hosts a red-hot Hartford Athletic side that has gone 9W-2L-1D in its last 12 outings across all competitions. Here’s hoping the Eastern side adds to that win total. 

Best Outcome: Hartford Athletic win 

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San Antonio FC (36 points, 3rd in West) vs. Birmingham Legion FC (22 points, 11th in East) — Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET 

Not only is this our third West vs. East battle of the evening, but Lexington SC only trails San Antonio FC by one point. Legion FC has not won a league match since July 11, but there is no time like the present to stop the bleeding. 

Best Outcome: Birmingham Legion FC win 

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Phoenix Rising FC (32 points, 7th in West) vs. Oakland Roots SC (26 points, 10th in West) — Saturday, 10 p.m. ET 

While Phoenix Rising FC cannot pass Lexington SC in the standings this week as LSC owns the tiebreaker (six points earned in two meetings this season), we’ll include this matchup since a Rising win could put Phoenix level on points with Lexington. 

Oakland is far enough back that a win would not threaten LSC in any way, shape or form at this stage of the season. 

Best Outcome: Oakland Roots SC win 

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. — Lexington SC needed only one goal on Saturday night to secure the victory over Detroit City FC, shutting out the home side and continuing its ascent up the Western Conference standings with the 1-0 win.

The first half was an even battle with momentum being passed back and forth. Detroit City opened on the front foot, but Lexington weathered the storm and began threatening itself after around 20 minutes of action.

Possession was split nearly 50/50 in the first half, and despite Le Rouge leading Lexington 9-2 in total shots, neither club managed a shot on target.

The flow of the second half mirrored that of the first. DCFC unleashed a flurry of attempts on Logan Ketterer’s goal early, but the Lexington keeper made two acrobatic stops to allow his side to play its way back into the match.

The breakthrough came in the 74′ minute, courtesy of the forward in scorching form, Forster Ajago. Joe Hafferty whipped in a long cross that Cory Burke met in the air, directing the ball towards Ajago lurking at the back post.

Ajago made no mistake, heading home the match-winner and extending his scoring streak to three consecutive matches. In doing so, he became the third player in LSC history to score in three straight matches (Ates Diouf, Nico Brown).

The three-point performance propelled Lexington into fourth place in the West and improved its record to 5W-1L-1D in its last seven outings.

Additionally, Ketterer picked up his fourth clean sheet of the season as a reward for his two crucial saves.

GOALS

74′ LEX: Forster Ajago (assist: Cory Burke)  

LINEUPS

LEX: Logan Ketterer, Kieran Sargeant, Daniel Wu, Gaël Gibert (80′ Jacob Greene), Joe Hafferty, Blaine Ferri, Speedy Williams, Marcus Epps, Braudílio Rodrigues (54′ Cory Burke), Nick Firmino, Forster Ajago

DET: Carlos Saldaña, Devon Amoo-Mensah, Stephen Carroll, Michael Bryant, Alex Villanueva (74′ Isaiah LeFlore), Kobe Hérnandez-Foster, Ryan Williams, Haruki Yamazaki (86′ Bilal Obeid), Jeciel Cedeño, Sebastián Guenzatti (85′ Abdoulaye Diop), Jordan Adebayo-Smith

UP NEXT

The second leg of LSC’s three-match road trip commences Sunday, Sept. 28 at New Mexico United. Kickoff from Albuquerque is slated for 6 p.m. ET.

Forster Ajago — 74′ Minute

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. —  A showdown in the Great Lakes State awaits Lexington SC on Saturday night as two sixth-place clubs in their respective conferences prepare to battle with playoff implications on the line. 

Only six matches remain in the 2025 USL Championship regular season for Lexington SC, and the club is playing its best soccer at the right time. 

Over its last six matches, LSC is 4W-1L-1D with eight goals scored and only four conceded. Forster Ajago has become the club’s leading goalscorer during that stretch (5) while Kieran Sargeant — the man Ajago linked up with for Lexington’s equalizer last weekend vs. Orange County — has increased his assist lead to an LSC-best five helpers. 

Lexington is one of seven clubs in the West separated by just four points and jockeying for playoff seeding. Three points on Saturday in the first-ever meeting between LSC and Detroit City FC would provide some much-needed breathing room for Head Coach Terry Boss and his squad. 

With a win or draw, LSC will set a new club single-season points record, breaking the previous mark set in 2023 (currently 32 points). 

Lexington’s all-time leading goalscorer dating back to it USL League One days, Ates Diouf, is currently on loan with DCFC. However, per the terms of the loan agreement, he is ineligible to play Saturday night. Diouf scored 21 goals in 51 appearances for LSC across the 2023-24 seasons. 

Discipline and composure will be critical for Lexington in a rambunctious Keyworth Stadium, but those traits align with LSC’s style of play. 

The Greens demonstrate confidence and patience on the ball, ranking first in the USL Championship in passing accuracy (85%) and seventh in total passes. Additionally, Lexington is 22^nd out of 24 clubs in fouls committed and last in yellow cards, showcasing its ability to keep its emotions in check. 

Kickoff from Keyworth Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET. 

SCOUTING DETROIT CITY 

Detroit City FC was riding a five-match unbeaten streak until it fell in unceremonious fashion last time out, 4-0 to New Mexico United. However, its five-match unbeaten streak at home during league play remains intact and dates back to July 18. 

Head Coach Danny Dichio typically opts for a 3-4-3 formation, and his squad ranks middle of the pack in goals (29), shots (271) and goals allowed (30) in 2025. 

Darren Smith, who did not appear in DCFC’s last match, leads the group with 10 goals and shares the club lead in assists with three alongside Kobe Hernández-Foster. Goalkeepers Carlos Herrera and Carlos Saldaña have both started 12 matches this season, with Herrera getting the most recent nod. 

STAT OF THE MATCH  

Last weekend, forward Forster Ajago became the sixth player in LSC history to score in back-to-back matches, joining Diouf, Nico Brown, Cam Lancaster, Marcus Epps and Cory Burke. 

With a goal on Saturday night, he would become just the third player in club history to score in three consecutive matches. Diouf accomplished the feat twice (2023 — July 9, July 15, July 22; 2024 — July 13, July 27, Aug. 3) and Brown did so once (2023 — June 22, July 2, July 9). 

HOW TO WATCH  

The match will stream nationally on ESPN+.

Welcome back to the second edition of “What to Watch For — LSC’s POV,” where we look at the other Western Conference clubs in action this week and what their implications could mean for Lexington SC. 

First, let’s reiterate two things. 

One, Terry Boss and his players do not need to scoreboard watch. With six matches remaining this season and Lexington currently in playoff position, the club is in great shape. 

Per John Morrissey of Backheeled and USL Tactics, LSC has an 84% chance of playing postseason soccer — the second-highest odds behind FC Tulsa and Sacramento Republic FC in the West. A win over Detroit City FC on Saturday night will only increase those odds.

Second, the Western Conference playoff race remains incredibly close. Within just hours, clubs are routinely shuffling four or five spots in the standings based on other results. 

All that being said, let’s dive into the matchups that could affect Lexington SC’s position in the table this weekend — and there are some big ones. 

For additional LSC playoff context, check out how Lexington’s remaining strength of schedule stacks up against the rest of the West.

Standings

Week 29 Schedule

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (31 points, 8^th in West) vs. Sacramento Republic FC (38 points, 2^nd in West) — Saturday, 8 p.m. ET 

Colorado Springs, despite clutching the final playoff spot, only trails LSC by one point in the standings. On the other hand, second-place Sacramento is still very catchable. 

With a Lexington win over Detroit City, a draw here helps create distance between LEX and COS while closing the gap on SAC. 

Best Outcome: Draw

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San Antonio FC (33 points, 4^th in West) vs. Orange County SC (29 points, 9^th in West) — Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET 

San Antonio leads Lexington by one point while Orange County trails LSC by just two. Again, with the conference so tight, draws between Western Conference foes are LSC’s best friend.  

Best Outcome: Draw 

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El Paso Locomotive FC (32 points, 5^th in West) vs. Charleston Battery (51 points, 2nd in East) — Saturday, 9 p.m. ET 

El Paso and Lexington are tied on points, and Charleston Battery — one of only two USL Championship clubs to have clinched a playoff spot so far — is in the Eastern Conference. Easy choice. 

Best Outcome: Charleston win 

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Monterey Bay FC (24 points, 12th in West) vs. New Mexico United (33 points, 3rd in West) — Saturday, 10 p.m. ET 

Monterey Bay FC rounds out the Western Conference, and while not eliminated from playoff contention, is certainly on the outside looking in. A Monterey Bay win over third-place New Mexico, a club with a one-point lead over Lexington, would not threaten LSC’s current standing. 

Best Outcome: Monterey Bay FC win 

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Phoenix Rising FC (31 points, 7th in West) vs. Loudoun United FC (37 points, 3^rd in East) — Saturday, 10 p.m. ET 

In the second West vs. East matchup of the evening we are looking at, we are again rooting for the East. Phoenix trails Lexington by one point, and a Loudoun win only helps break up the cluster. 

Best Outcome: Loudoun United FC win 

TAMPA, Fla. — Defender Kieran Sargeant has been named to the USL Championship Week 28 Team of the Week, his third Team of the Week honor of the current campaign. 

The 22-year-old logged his club-leading fifth assist of the season on Friday night vs. Orange County SC, a brilliant cross that found the head of Forster Ajago to equalize in the 59’ minute. 

Overall, he created three scoring chances from the left flank and delivered eight balls into the final third. 

Defensively, Sargeant made six recoveries, one tackle, one clearance and won 63% of his duels. 

Sargeant’s three Team of the Week awards in 2025 leads Lexington SC. 

Sargeant and co. are back action Saturday, Sept. 20 at Detroit City FC. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET. 

2025 Team of the Week Winners

Week 1 — Joe Hafferty 
Week 3 — Marcus Epps (Bench) 
Week 15 — Terry Boss (Coach), Xavier Zengue (Bench) 
Week 17-18 — Michael Adedokun 
Week 19 — Kieran Sargeant 
Week 20 — Brooks Thompson (Player of the Week) 
Week 23 — Michael Adedokun (Bench) 
Week 25 — Joe Hafferty, Kieran Sargeant 
Week 27 — Nick Firmino 
Week 28 — Kieran Sargeant

This one is for the statheads. 

Your friendly neighborhood Lexington SC is back to shine a light on a very convoluted Western Conference playoff picture. 

Long story short, things are still incredibly tight in the West. Heading into Week 29, only four points separate third place from ninth. In the middle of it all is Lexington, currently sitting in sixth place with 32 points

It is likely that clubs will continue to rotate in and out of playoff position over the coming weeks, despite possibly only being separated by one point (or even being tied on points, in which goal differential in head-to-head matchups becomes the first tiebreaker). 

Lexington is still in firm control of its own destiny. If it wins, it’s in. But with so much flip-flopping happening weekly, we decided to dive into the strength of schedule for the seven clubs within four points of one another in the West to perhaps provide some insight into how things might shake out. 

For the sake of ease, we will refer to these seven clubs simply as The Seven (New Mexico United, San Antonio FC, El Paso Locomotive FC, Lexington SC, Phoenix Rising FC, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and Orange County SC). 

How We Did It

To determine each club’s remaining strength of schedule, we primarily based our calculations off win percentage and used the following formula: 

Win % = ((0.33 x D) + W) / Matches Played

D = Draws 
W = Wins 

Since draws are worth one-third of the points of a win in the standings, we counted them as “0.33 wins” in our formula. 

After calculating the win percentage of every USL Championship club, we then looked at who each of The Seven has left to play in 2025, added each opponent’s win % together, then divided by the number of matches remaining. 

For example, here is LSC’s remaining strength of schedule: 

Opponent	Win %
Detroit City FC	0.443
New Mexico United	0.487
FC Tulsa	0.638
El Paso Locomotive FC	0.463
Sacramento Republic FC	0.550
Oakland Roots SC	0.362
Strength of schedule:	0.489

Now then, here is the remaining strength of schedule for The Seven in order from easiest schedule to hardest, based on opponents win %. 

1. New Mexico United 

Remaining schedule: 
Monterey Bay FC 
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 
Lexington SC 
Phoenix Rising FC 
Orange County SC 
Oakland Roots SC 
Rhode Island FC

Strength of schedule: 0.402

New Mexico does not have a match left against a current top-five club in either conference, and three of its opponents are not currently in playoff position (Monterey Bay, Orange County, Oakland).

2. San Antonio FC 

Remaining schedule: 
Orange County SC 
Birmingham Legion FC 
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 
FC Tulsa 
Orange County SC
Phoenix Rising FC 
El Paso Locomotive FC 

Strength of Schedule: 0.4533 

Five of San Antonio’s remaining seven matches this season are against The Seven. The Texas side’s results might well dictate the playing field, and it is a club worth paying attention to through the last six weeks of the season.

3. Phoenix Rising FC

Remaining schedule: 
Loudoun United FC 
Oakland Roots SC 
New Mexico United 
North Carolina FC 
San Antonio FC 
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 

Strength of Schedule: 0.4635 

Three Eastern Conference opponents remain on the docket for Phoenix, potentially limiting the chaos its results inflict on the rest of the West. 

4. Lexington SC 

Remaining schedule: 
Detroit City FC 
New Mexico United 
FC Tulsa 
El Paso Locomotive FC 
Sacramento Republic FC 
Oakland Roots SC 

Strength of schedule: 0.4890 

Five clubs currently sit above LSC in the standings — Lexington will play four of them before the season’s end. There is plenty of opportunity to pick up points while also leapfrogging New Mexico, El Paso and Sacramento with positive results.  
 
Its other two matches come against its sixth-place counterpart in the East, Detroit City FC, and Oakland Roots SC who currently occupies the 10^th spot in the West. 

5. El Paso Locomotive FC 

Remaining schedule: 
Charleston Battery 
Rhode Island FC 
Oakland Roots SC 
Orange County SC 
Lexington SC 
FC Tulsa 
San Antonio FC 

Strength of schedule: 0.4916 

Several tough matchups await El Paso in the form of first-place Tulsa and second-place Charleston, the latter of which is one of only two clubs to have secured a playoff spot already. Luckily for Locomotive FC, it gets both of those matches at home. 

6. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 

Remaining schedule: 
Sacramento Republic FC 
New Mexico United 
Hartford Athletic 
San Antonio FC 
Charleston Battery 
Las Vegas Lights FC 
FC Tulsa 

Strength of schedule: 0.526 

Here we cross the 0.500 threshold. Colorado Springs gets to match up with the top four clubs in the West plus Charleston before the season ends.

7. Orange County SC 

Remaining schedule: 
San Antonio FC 
Charleston Battery 
Sacramento Republic FC 
El Paso Locomotive FC 
New Mexico United 
San Antonio FC 
Louisville City FC 
Indy Eleven 

Strength of schedule: 0.538 

Orange County still has to face off against the top two clubs in the East and four of the top five clubs in the West (including San Antonio twice) over its final eight outings, the most matches left to play by any USL Championship club. Sounds like fun. 

Written by McKenzie Terry

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington’s USL Championship squad earned a 1-1 draw against Western Conference opponent Orange County SC.  

LSC controlled much of the first half, holding 59% possession and dictating the tempo. Between the 12′ and 24′ minutes, a barrage of corners highlighted Lexington’s attacking pressure, including a shot in the 17′ minute from Braudílio Rodrigues that rattled off the crossbar.

Despite Lexington’s dominance, Orange County found the target with a long-range strike to close out the half in stoppage time. The goal was assisted by Nico Benalcazar.

Lexington came out energized after the break and quickly began generating chances. In the 58′ minute, defender Keiran Sargeant floated a precise chip into the box that Forster Ajago met with a powerful header, finding the goal and igniting both the squad and the crowd.

Both teams continued with high intensity for the remainder of the half. LSC goalkeeper Brooks Thompson made a crucial block in the 86′ minute to keep Orange County at bay.

Neither side was able to find the net and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

With playoffs just around the corner, every point matters. The squad will look to build off tonight’s performance and pick up a victory in their upcoming game.

GOALS

45+3′ OC: Bryce Jamison (assist: Nico Benalcazar)  

58’ LEX: Forster Ajago (assist: Kieran Sargeant)  

LINEUPS

LEX: Thompson, Sargeant, Wu, Gibert, Hafferty, Ferri, Williams, Adedokun, Rodrigues, Firmino, Ajago (Subs used: Burke, Epps, Midence) 

OC: Kadono, Guimaraes, Benalcazar, Miles, Ciotta, War, Kelly, Hegardt, Pinto, Zubak, Jamison (Subs used: Latinovich, Trager, Karam, Dunbar, Molina) 

UP NEXT

Lexington begins a three-match road streak beginning Saturday, Sept. 20 at Detroit City FC. LSC will then take on New Mexico United and FC Tulsa the subsequent two weeks before finally returning home for Hispanic Heritage Night Oct. 11.

Forster Ajago — 58′ Minute

LEXINGTON SC vs ORANGE COUNTY SC

Friday, September 12th 2025 – 6:00 PM ET

Lexington SC Stadium

USL Championship | Match 24 of 30

LEXINGTON SC STADIUM IS A CASHLESS VENUE. CASH WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED AT THE BOX OFFICE.

PARKING

Parking at Lexington SC Stadium is FREE

Lexington SC Stadium is located at 200 Shives Drive, Lexington KY 40509

Click HERE for navigation to the stadium

For those who plan on tailgating, please park in the tailgating lot. For more information on tailgating, click here.

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer recalled midfielder CJ Olney from his loan spell with Lexington SC Thursday. 

Olney made three substitute appearances for Lexington on loan, logging 50 minutes and recording one assist. 

The club would like to thank CJ for his contributions and wishes him the best in the future.