After the LA Galaxy II, New Mexico United, Orange County SC and Tacoma Defiance picked up much-needed victories on Wednesday, USL Championship action returns Friday for a busy weekend of 17 matches.

The top two teams in the Eastern Conference will take center stage on Friday night when the second-place New York Red Bulls II host the Championship-leading Tampa Bay Rowdies in a crunch clash at MSU Soccer Park (7 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+).

Fourteen matches will follow on Saturday, with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC looking to continue its climb up the table in the East when it makes its inaugural trip to Dillon Stadium to face Hartford Athletic (5 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+). The night will wrap up late on the West Coast with a pair of matchups when Las Vegas Lights FC tries to continue its home dominance against Rio Grande Valley FC at Cashman Field (10:30 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+), while Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC will look for its third consecutive win under Interim Head Coach Wolde Harris when it visits Reno 1868 FC at Greater Nevada Field (10:30 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+).

The weekend will conclude with a pair of matches on Sunday with Loudoun United FC looking to get revenge for its 2-1 defeat to Louisville City FC in a rematch at Audi Field (7:30 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+), while the Portland Timbers 2 search for their first victory in more than a month against the LA Galaxy II at Providence Park (9 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+).

With plenty of storylines to keep track of across the Championship this weekend, here are a few games and players that I’ll be paying close attention to, as well as some bold predictions I expect to play out over the course of Week 21: