If there were still lingering concerns over the injury Bradford Jamieson sustained while at the Under-20 World Cup, he put them to rest in USL play on Saturday.
Jamieson made his way back to LA Galaxy II's lineup in their showdown with Tulsa Roughnecks FC and bagged a brace to help the club pick up three more points in their quest for a first-place finish in the Western Conference. Jamieson's impressive performance saw him score a screamer from outside the penalty area and the eventual winner on a curled effort.
It was the Rochestor Rhinos who made history, however. The Rhinos extended their undefeated streak to 14 games, a club record, by grabbing a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. The victory left Rochester five points clear in the Eastern Conference.
A weekend full of action saw two MLS-operated clubs pick up lopsided victories on the road on Saturday, and they happened almost simultaneously. Both the Galaxy II and New York Red Bulls II were triumphant in their lone games of the round, with the returning Jamieson leading the way for Los Dos with his two goals in a 4-2 win against Tulsa. Raul Mendiola and Ariel Lassiter scored the other tallies for LA. (GALAXY RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS)
New York won by a larger margin in their game, defeating Saint Louis FC, 4-1. Marius Obekop scored the early opener for Red Bulls II off an assist from MLS rookie Leo Stolz while Konrad Piewa bagged a brace and Frank Castellanos scored one himself. (RED BULLS RECAP | WATCH FULL GAME HERE)
Slightly earlier on Saturday, Toronto FC II followed up the first-team's scoreless draw with D.C. United by recording a 1-0 win over Wilmington Hammerheads FC at a rainy BMO Field. The lone goal came from Jordan Hamilton just before halftime, as he headed a corner kick into the back of the net for his third strike of the season. (TORONTO RECAP | WATCH FULL GAME HERE)
The Vancouver Whitecaps 2 were not as fortunate in their game later on Saturday. They suffered a narrow road defeat to Orange County Blues FC, falling, 3-2, at Anteater Stadium at UCI. All five goals were netted in the first half, and the finishes for Vancouver came from Caleb Clarke and Brett Levis. (WHITECAPS RECAP | WATCH FULL GAME HERE)
Another team on the losing end of its match was FC Montreal. The Canadian outfit was defeated, 2-1, at home at Stade Saputo by Wiilmington Hammerheads FC on Thursday in heartbreaking fashion. Victor Ndiaye scored in the second half for Montreal to bring the game level, but Wilmington found a winner in the 91st to snatch all three points. (MONTREAL RECAP | WATCH FULL GAME HERE)
Thursday also saw the lone meeting in the round between two MLS-owned sides. The Seattle Sounders 2 found a second-half goal through Pablo Rossi to grab a 1-0 win over Real Monarchs SLC. While Rossi's goal was the difference on the scoreline, Sounders first-team reserve goalkeeper Charlie Lyon turned in an impressive 10-save performance. (SOUNDERS RECAP | MONARCHS RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS)
Real Monarchs SLC played over the weekend as well, but their luck wasn't any better. The club pulled level against Arizona United through a late own goal, but then conceded in stoppage time to fall, 2-1. (MONARCHS RECAP | WATCH FULL GAME HERE)
This upcoming week's action is full of intriguing matchups, including a July 4 showdown in Cascadia between the Whitecaps 2 and Sounders 2 that is sure to have fireworks.
This week’s games:
Mon., June 29 – Portland Timbers 2 vs. Seattle Sounders FC 2, 10 pm ET
Wed., July 1 – Wilmington Hammerheads FC vs. Saint Louis FC, 7 pm ET
Wed., July 1 – Real Monarchs SLC vs. Sacramento Republic FC, 9 pm ET
Wed., July 1 – Orange County Blues FC vs. OKC Energy FC, 10:30 pm ET
Thu., July 2 – Portland Timbers 2 vs. Arizona United SC, 10 pm ET
Fri., July 3 – Charleston Battery vs. Rochester Rhinos, 7:30 pm ET
Fri., July 3 – Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. Austin Aztex, 10 pm ET
Sat., July 4 – Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 vs. Seattle Sounders FC 2, 6 pm ET
Sat., July 4 – Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs. New York Red Bulls II, 7 pm ET
Sat., July 4 – Charlotte Independence vs. Saint Louis FC, 7 pm ET
Sat., July 4 – Harrisburg City Islanders vs. Wilmington Hammerheads FC, 7 pm ET
Sat., July 4 – Louisville City FC vs. Richmond Kickers, 7:30 pm ET
Sun., July 5 – LA Galaxy II vs. OKC Energy FC, 8 pm ET
Sun., July 5 – Arizona United SC vs. Orange County Blues FC, 10:30 pm ET
Every game of the 2015 USL season will be streamed live on team YouTube channels. For highlights, visit the USL's official YouTube channel.
