The resumption of one of the biggest rivalries in the USL brought two historic moments – one on the field and one in the stands – to highlight the conclusion of Week 17 in the 2017 season, with Louisville City FC and FC Cincinnati playing out another fascinating meeting between the clubs. The weekend also brought comebacks, late equalizers, and the extension of two winning streaks that have made the duels at the top of both sets of standings into three-way battles, all of which is setting up the final run toward the playoffs perfectly.

1. BREAKING THROUGH: In preseason, given the squad it had assembled, FC Cincinnati looked a clear favorite to push on from its third-place finish in the Eastern Conference a season ago. On Saturday night, the side seemed to finally put it all together as FCC took its first ever victory at Slugger Field in a 3-2 win against Louisville City FC in the second edition of this season’s River Cities Cup. A game that provided compelling action from both sides saw the visitors capitalize on their chances better to earn the three points, with both Djiby Fall and Danni König finding the net. FCC might still be sixth in the standings, but with only an eight-point gap to conference-leader the Charleston Battery, the potential for a run is certainly present.

2. CITY CULPABILITY: Louisville City FC Head Coach James O’Connor was blunt in his assessment of his side’s performance, which saw the host squander its early lead. “I think we shot ourselves in the right foot, then turned around and shot ourselves in the left foot,” O’Connor said postgame, with maybe the biggest moment of the match the buildup to Cincinnati’s quick response. A cross that you normally would expect to have been claimed by Louisville goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh ended up going to ground, and the quick reactions of Djiby Fall saw it deposited into the open net. While there couldn’t be much fault assigned to FCC’s second and third goals of the game, allowing Cincinnati back on level terms while failing to capitalize on opportunities of their own saw the hosts fall at Slugger Field for the first time in almost a year, and left a bitter taste in the locker room afterward.

3. RIVER CITY REVELRY: The rivalry between Louisville City FC and FC Cincinnati has quickly risen into one of the best in the USL, and Saturday’s record attendance of 11,632 at Slugger Field added another chapter to the burgeoning history of the River Cities Cup. The travelling support in both directions over the past two seasons has been the perfect illustration of the USL’s bigger-picture plans for regional rivalry and structure, but what might have been best to see on Saturday was the camaraderie between the two sets of rival supporters. From the fan’s game held earlier in the day – claimed by the Louisville Coopers – to pregame tailgates and bar-hopping, as fierce as the rivalry is on the field, the fans are making it one of the most collegial anywhere in North America.