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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 17

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 07/01/24, 4:30PM EDT

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Halfway through the season, Louisville City FC continues to push toward history

One of the most remarkable things about Louisville City FC’s first USL Championship title-winning squad in 2017 was this; during the regular season, every outfield player that saw action scored at least one goal.

That was 17 players in all, with Tarek Morad completing the set in the final game of the regular season.

That LouCity side needed everyone to contribute. Its leading scorer that campaign was Luke Spencer, who notched 10 goals as the collective rose to its first silverware.

This year’s LouCity side? In the first half of the season, it has had almost as many players score as seven years ago, because why not?

It’s probably not going to achieve the feat the 2017 side did, but that’s an effect of having a much deeper squad, with Wilson Harris leading the way. The effect that squad depth can have on opponents, meanwhile, is devastating. Fourteen players have found the net in the opening 17 games of the season for the Players’ Shield leaders. Four different players found the net on Saturday night in a 4-1 victory against Birmingham Legion FC. As a result, LouCity has scored nine of the 21 goals Legion has conceded this regular season.

“It’s the best attacking group I’ve been part of,” said forward Sam Gleadle, who opened the scoring at Protective Stadium. “We just kind of read off one another. We’re selfish when we need to be and unselfish when that’s the better decision. I’m enjoying it a lot.”

One of LouCity’s objectives this season was to claim the Players’ Shield for the first time. At its current pace, Head Coach Danny Cruz’s side would likely do that, surpass its best regular season – achieved two years ago when it topped the Eastern Conference with 22 wins, 72 points and 65 goals, only to see San Antonio FC go supernova in the West – and could push for one of the best regular seasons in league history.

With this attack leading the way, you’d not put it past them.

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Here’s how the rest of this week’s rankings look.

Birmingham Legion FC Charleston Battery Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Detroit City FC El Paso Locomotive FC Hartford Athletic Indy Eleven
Las Vegas Lights Loudoun United FC Louisville City FC Memphis 901 FC The Miami FC Monterey Bay F.C. New Mexico United
North Carolina FC Oakland Roots SC Orange County SC Phoenix Rising FC Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Rio Grande Valley FC Sacramento Republic FC
San Antonio FC Tampa Bay Rowdies FC Tulsa

On The Move

6 RI 6 DET

Rank

 

Team

Change

Summary
1 New Mexico United
(10-4-1)
Week 18: v. OC 		1
Last Week:
2		 Down a player and a goal, New Mexico not only rallied to take the lead in San Antonio but then had the plan to stymie them and secure victory. It’s extraordinary stuff.
2 Memphis 901 FC
(7-6-4)
Week 18: @ OC		 2
Last Week:
4		 Memphis is undefeated in its last five games after its shellacking of Phoenix on Friday night, during which it seemed like everyone got in on the action.
3 Louisville City FC
(12-3-2)
Week 18: @ OAK		 2
Last Week:
5		 At the midpoint of its regular season, LouCity is on course to set club records for wins, points and goals. Given its history, those are seriously big numbers.
4 Indy Eleven
(9-5-2)
Week 18: @ RI		 1
Last Week:
3		 Indy gets to visit Rhode Island on Friday night before its date with Atlanta United FC in the Open Cup. It’s going to be interesting what the lineup looks like for Head Coach Sean McAuley.
5 Loudoun United FC
(6-6-4)
Week 18: v. HFD		 5
Last Week:
10		 Loudoun has been doing work over its club record six-game undefeated streak, but its victory against Tampa Bay on Saturday night was superb and the statement it needed.
6 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(8-4-4)
Week 18: @ DET 		5
Last Week:
1		 The number of chances the Rowdies surrendered to Loudoun was eye-opening. Yes, they had chances of their own, but the two-goal margin could easily have been greater.
7 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(7-6-3)
Week 18: v. TUL
Last Week:
7		 Solid bounce-back win at home for the Switchbacks, and well deserved to move back into the top five out West.
8 Charleston Battery
(9-2-7)
Week 18: v. BHM
 1
Last Week:
9		 The Battery looked like a team that hadn’t scored in a while in the first half against North Carolina FC. Then in the second half, it looked like it had figured it out again. Big result.
9 Sacramento Republic FC
(7-2-7)
Week 18: v. LV		 1
Last Week:
8		 Danny Vitiello was great a season ago. This year he’s entered a whole other stratosphere, which is good for a team that’s still looking for more in attack.
10 Oakland Roots SC
(8-8-2)
Week 18: v. LOU		 2
Last Week:
12		 Johnny Rodriguez’s game-sealing goal was nice to have, but Oakland just looked the better side against Orange County for most of its trip to Championship Soccer Stadium.
11 Birmingham Legion FC
(7-6-3)
Week 18: @ CHS
Last Week:
11		 Legion rallied for a victory its second-half performance deserved in Detroit but couldn’t withstand LouCity’s attack again over the weekend. Friday’s visit to Charleston is one to watch.
12 Detroit City FC
(8-4-2)
Week 18: v. TBR		 6
Last Week:
6		 Yeah, Detroit went and took its chances against Miami FC on Saturday night, but it needed that to rebound after its defeat at home against Birmingham in midweek. Second half against Legion wasn’t pretty.
13 Las Vegas Lights FC
(5-7-6)
Week 18: @ SAC		 4
Last Week:
17		 The Lights are undefeated in their last six games and Khori Bennett is the hottest forward in the league with six goals in his last five games. This could be a playoff team, you know.
14 North Carolina FC
(4-6-6)
Week 18: v. MIA
Last Week:
14		 North Carolina played things perfectly for 45 minutes in Charleston on Friday night, and then had the wheels fall off after the break. It’ll probably be fine, but still.
15 Rhode Island FC
(3-4-9)
Week 18: v. IND		 6
Last Week:
21		 Wednesday night’s win might have been as complete a performance as we’ve seen from RIFC. The opponent wasn’t great, but it’s a big step forward in the inconsistent lower half of the East.
16 Orange County SC
(6-7-3)
Week 18: @ NM, v. MEM		 1
Last Week:
15		 Orange County can’t find enough consistency to get traction right now, and Brian Iloski’s injury is a major hit. Whoever takes the reins from Morten Karlsen has pieces to work with, though.
17 Monterey Bay F.C.
(6-8-4)
Week 18: @ PIT		 1
Last Week:
16		 Antony Siaha is doing remarkable work, but Monterey Bay is facing even more shots on target per 90 minutes (5.39) than it did in its first two seasons. That doesn’t seem like a recipe for success.
18 Phoenix Rising FC
(5-6-5)
Week 18: @ SA		 5
Last Week:
13		 Rising gave up two goals before it recorded its first shot and four goals before its first shot on target in Memphis. The effort didn’t look up to standard from the veterans.
19 FC Tulsa
(4-5-5)
Week 18: @ COS 		1
Last Week:
18		 Tulsa’s got the busiest second half of the season in the West and a big test going to Colorado Springs for the Fourth of July to try and start bridging the gap to the playoff places.
20 Hartford Athletic
(5-9-1)
Week 18: @ LDN		 1
Last Week:
19		 Renan Ribeiro will be so disappointed with the rebound he gave up on Sacramento’s winner on Saturday. He’s been understatedly good since settling into the lineup.
21 San Antonio FC
(4-8-5)
Week 18: v. PHX		 1
Last Week:
20		 San Antoino has lost five games in a row for the first time in its history and lost three games from winning positions for the first time since 2018. It’s almost unfathomable.
22 El Paso Locomotive FC
(3-11-3)
Week 18: ---
Last Week:
22		 Locomotive looked like a team in transition on Wednesday night in Rhode Island. Good to see Amando Moreno back in action again, though.
23 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(3-8-6)
Week 18: v. MB
Last Week:
23		 Is anyone available to perform an exorcism? If so, please report to Highmark Stadium. The Hounds need you since nothing else can explain this lack of goals.
24 Miami FC
(2-13-2)
Week 18: @ NC
Last Week:
24		 The scoreline on Saturday might have been a bit harsh, but Miami keeps making mistakes that get punished. It leads the league in shots allowed off errors (16) and goals allowed off errors (6).

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Tag(s): Power Rankings  San Antonio FC  CO Spring Switchbacks  Orange County SC  Phoenix Rising FC  Sacramento Republic FC  FC Tulsa  Charleston Battery  Louisville City FC  Pittsburgh Riverhounds  Tampa Bay Rowdies  Las Vegas Lights FC  Birmingham Legion FC  North Carolina FC  Indy Eleven  Memphis 901 FC  El Paso Locomotive FC  New Mexico United  Loudoun United FC  Hartford Athletic  Miami FC  Oakland Roots SC  Detroit City FC  Monterey Bay F.C.  Rhode Island FC 

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