USL Pro set to finish with better record in interleague series with MLS Reserve League

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This is it. On Sunday the Seattle Sounders Reserves travel nearly as far across the country as is possible to face Orlando City in the final interleague match-up between MLS Reserve League and USL Pro clubs in the first year of the MLS-USL partnership.

Seattle will be looking to avenge their 2-0 home loss to Orlando from what was the fifth interleague match between the leagues back on May 12. In the end, however, it will not affect the overall outcome as USL Pro heads into the contest with a 10-6-9 record in its favor.

Several USL Pro clubs got the better of the MLS Reserve League opposition. The trio from the Carolinas - Orlando City result pending - were the only ones, however, to sweep their two-game series on the season as the Charleston Battery downed Houston Dynamo, Charlotte Eagles topped the Chicago Fire and the Wilmington Hammerheads bested the New York Red Bulls.

The Richmond Kickers and Pittsburgh Riverhounds picked up a win and a draw each against the Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC while the Rochester Rhinos and Phoenix FC Wolves played to a pair of draws against the Montreal Impact and Real Salt Lake, respectively.

Antigua Barracuda, having already played most of their all-road schedule, were the only USL Pro team to lose both contests as every other club managed to at least earn a draw in one of their two interleague outings.

Following the 'finale' on Sunday, USL Pro will play one more week of its regular season before eight clubs move onto the playoffs and the MLS Reserve League will continue on through mid-October before wrapping up its season.

The long-term future will likely feature fewer interleague contests next season as MLS has publicly stated that it wants to further its move toward eliminating the Reserve League completely by 2015 with all of its teams either creating affiliations with USL Pro sides like the four (DC-Richmond, Kansas City-Orlando, New England-Rochester and Philadelphia-Harrisburg) that existed this season or operating their own franchises in the league similar to the format of several leagues in Europe and around the world.

Results V vs H (USL Perspective)
Tampa Bay 1-2 Portland - L
Harrisburg 2-1 Colorado - W
Phoenix 0-0 RSL - D
LA Blues 3-4 LA Galaxy - L
Orlando 2-0 Seattle - W
Charleston 1-0 Houston - W
Portland 4-4 Tampa Bay - D
Toronto 1-1 Pittsburgh - D
Montreal 1-1 Rochester - D
Colorado 3-1 Harrisburg - L
Houston 1-4 Charleston - W
Columbus 4-4 Dayton - D
Chicago 1-2 Charlotte - W
Red Bulls 0-1 Wilmington - W
LA Galaxy 1-1 LA Blues - D
RSL 0-0 Phoenix - D
Vancouver 1-1 Richmond - D
Charlotte 2-1 Chicago - W
Wilmington 2-1 New York - W
Dayton 1-3 Columbus - L
Antigua 0-6 San Jose - L
Rochester 0-0 Montreal - D
Richmond 2-1 Vancouver - W
Antigua 1-3 Dallas - L
Pittsburgh 1-0 Toronto - W
Seattle @ Orlando - TBD

10-6-9 - current total

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