Lower90

Lower90 Weekly - July 13, 2026

FootballNews365 / July 13, 2026

The World Cup has not disappointed with epic semifinals to come. And there is great soccer happening everyday in the US. Here are some highlights!

This Week in US Soccer

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It was a week built for chaos across America’s lower divisions, with scorelines piling up and drama arriving in bulk from California to the Carolinas. The USL Championship served up one of the great comeback stories of the season, while League Two produced a string of high-scoring affairs — including a wild nine-goal shootout — that suggest defensive coaching across the country may be having a bit of a crisis. The NPSL, never one to shy away from drama, contributed a red-card-littered California derby and a couple of tidy away wins that could carry real standings weight as the summer stretch runs.

Match of the Week: USL Championship — Hartford Athletic vs Orange County SC

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Editor’s pick: Barry Coffey dragging Hartford Athletic back from a two-goal hole in the final 21 minutes — twice — to snatch a 2-2 draw is the kind of script that makes you stand up in your living room. No other match this week came close to delivering that specific flavour of despair-turned-disbelief.

Hartford Athletic fought back from two goals down to salvage a 2–2 draw against Orange County SC in USL Championship action on Wednesday night. Barry Coffey struck twice in the final quarter-hour to rescue a point, canceling out first-half goals from Stephen Kelly and Ousmane Sylla.

Orange County came out fast and took control early. Kelly opened the scoring in the ninth minute, finishing off a Nicola Ciotta delivery to put the visitors ahead. Eight minutes later, Ciotta turned provider again, this time setting up Sylla to double the lead. Hartford looked in serious trouble at 2–0 before 20 minutes had been played.

The home side struggled to find a foothold in the first half, and Orange County’s grip on the game loosened only slightly after Ciotta picked up a yellow card in the 32nd minute. Christopher Hegardt was also cautioned early in the second half for the visitors.

Hartford’s comeback began in the 69th minute when Coffey pulled one back, giving the home crowd a lifeline. The Irish midfielder then completed his brace in the 85th minute, converting from a Michee Ngalina assist to level the score. Orange County’s Alex Rando was booked deep in stoppage time as the visitors tried to hang on, but neither side could find a winner.

Coffey’s double spared Hartford from what had looked like a certain defeat, though the dropped points from a commanding position will sting for Orange County as both teams look to make up ground in the Championship standings.

This Week’s Highlights

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NPSL — El Farolito vs Sun City FC

What started as a California NPSL fixture ended looking more like a war of attrition, with twelve cards distributed and three red cards shown before the final whistle. Somehow, El Farolito won 2-0 with nine men on the pitch after J. Rueda’s 61st-minute dismissal, with both goals arriving as own goals — E. Kreye in the 28th and D. Benson in the 64th. Sun City will want to forget this one, but El Farolito’s supporters will be telling this story for a while.

USL League Two — Capo FC vs Southern California Eagles

Nine goals, zero cards — a match that had absolutely no interest in being boring. Capo FC took the spoils in a breathless 5-4 victory over Southern California Eagles in what was arguably the cleanest blood-and-thunder affair you’ll ever see. No disciplinary drama needed here; both sides provided more than enough entertainment by just, apparently, refusing to stop scoring. Capo FC’s ability to score one more than their opponents every time the Eagles responded was ultimately the difference.

USL League Two — North Carolina FC U23 vs Charlotte Eagles

Charlotte Eagles rolled into North Carolina and left with five goals and three points in a stunning 5-3 road victory over North Carolina FC U23. Eight goals in a League Two match between in-state rivals carries its own kind of weight, and the Charlotte side showed a ruthless streak on the road that will raise eyebrows in the standings conversation. North Carolina’s three goals weren’t enough to keep pace with a visiting team that clearly came with a plan.

USL League Two — West Seattle Junction FC vs Snohomish United

The Pacific Northwest delivered its own eight-goal spectacular on Thursday, with Snohomish United putting five past West Seattle Junction FC for a 5-3 away victory that will have reverberations in the regional standings. West Seattle kept plugging away and got three on the board, but Snohomish’s clinical edge in front of goal proved the decisive factor. Five road goals is a serious statement from a visiting side.

Results Roundup

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USL League Two — Christos FC vs Loudoun United FC 2 — Loudoun United FC 2 win 4-3 on the road. Loudoun held their nerve through a relentless Christos FC siege to escape with all three points in a match that went right down to the wire.

NPSL — Ristozi FC vs Alexandria Reds — Alexandria Reds win 4-1. A red card at the eight-minute mark left Ristozi with ten men almost immediately, and J. Petty and J. Miyahara each scored twice to punish them ruthlessly.

USL League One — AV ALTA FC vs Charlotte Independence — 1-1 draw. Jerry Desdunes struck in the first minute of stoppage time to rescue AV ALTA FC a stunning equaliser when Charlotte Independence looked to have the three points wrapped up.

USL League Two — AHFC Royals vs Houston FC — 3-3 draw. A Texas rivalry produced six goals and two dropped points apiece, with neither defence able to hold firm in a breathless stalemate.

NPSL — Erie Commodores FC vs Flower City Union — Flower City Union win 2-1. An 87th-minute own goal tore the victory away from Erie Commodores, who had led and looked set to hold on before the final frantic minutes undid them.

USL League Two — Vermont Green FC vs Connecticut Rush — Vermont Green FC win 6-2. A ruthless attacking masterclass at home saw Vermont put six past Connecticut Rush in one of the most one-sided offensive displays of the entire season.

USL League Two — Oakland County FC vs Midwest United FC — Midwest United FC win 5-2 on the road. Five away goals and a thoroughly outclassed Oakland County side made this one of the most commanding road performances of the campaign.

USL League One — New York Cosmos vs Greenville Triumph SC — Greenville Triumph SC win 3-0. William Akio scored twice in seven second-half minutes on a yellow card to lead Greenville to a commanding road win over the historic Cosmos.

USL League Two — Almaden FC vs Davis Legacy SC — Almaden FC win 6-0. Utterly merciless from Almaden, who delivered a shutout six-goal demolition that stands as one of the most emphatic single results of the season.

NPSL — Siouxland United FC vs Minnesota Blizzard FC — Siouxland United FC win 4-1. Y. Urakami and S. Inagaki each scored twice in the second half to turn a 1-1 halftime tie into a commanding second-half blitz.

USL League Two — AFC Ann Arbor vs Kalamazoo FC — AFC Ann Arbor win 3-2. The Michigan rivalry lived up to its billing in a five-goal back-and-forth, with the home side edging it in a match that kept fans guessing throughout.

USL League Two — FC Buffalo vs Akron City FC — Akron City FC win 3-2 on the road. Akron came from behind to steal three points from FC Buffalo in a five-goal thriller that swung back and forth until the final whistle.

USL Championship — Sacramento Republic FC vs Rhode Island FC — Sacramento Republic FC win 2-1. Mayele Malango struck in the 44th minute to restore Sacramento’s lead just before halftime, with Mark-Anthony Kaye pulling the strings throughout with two assists.

NPSL — Ambassadors FC Ohio vs Cleveland SC — Ambassadors FC Ohio win 2-0. A remarkable Ohio derby in which Cleveland SC gifted both goals to the opposition through own goals, including a 90th-minute effort that sealed their own fate.

USL League Two — Texoma FC vs Denton Diablos — Texoma FC win 3-2. Texoma held their nerve in a tense five-goal Texas showdown, surviving a Denton fightback to secure a hard-fought home victory.

Until next week — keep watching the beautiful game

Originally published by Lower90 on Substack.