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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 24

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 08/19/24, 4:30PM EDT

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Loudoun United has found a level of consistency that should make the postseason a reality

Want to know the biggest difference between Year 1 and Year 2 of Loudoun United FC under Attain Sports and Entertainment?

Consistency.

Last year, United came out of the gate with some notable results, winning on the road in Memphis, and beating both Oakland Roots SC and Birmingham Legion FC in their six games of the season. Then, the side hit a tailspin via a seven-game losing streak and was unable to get back to where it needed to contend for the playoffs.

This season, the maturity and quality the side has added has made that sort of slide a thing of the past. Early this year, when the side lost consecutive games on three separate occasions, we were just waiting for the elongated downturn in form to arrive.

Surprise! It didn’t. Those two-game skids are the extent of the longest losing streak the side has experienced. After a tough defeat on the road in Week 23 against Oakland Roots SC, Loudoun responded by completing a season sweep of the Tampa Bay Rowdies via its first win at Al Lang Stadium in club history this weekend.

That result, combined with the rest in the Eastern Conference, has United only two points off fourth-place Indy Eleven with 11 games to go in its campaign. If the goal for Loudoun this season was to make the playoffs, it could be recalibrating to host a playoff game.

There’s plenty of time to go and a big home game with fellow challenger Rhode Island FC this weekend, but United is on a course we’ve been waiting for.

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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

5 LDN 6 OC

Rank

 

Team

Change

Summary
1 Louisville City FC
(17-4-2)
Week 25: @ HFD
Last Week:
1		 The Players’ Shield is LouCity’s to lose now, and they might have a shot at some of the biggest single-season records in league history.
2 New Mexico United
(14-6-3)
Week 25: @ COS 		3
Last Week:
5		 New Mexico took seven points in seven days to cement its lead in the Western Conference, but we’re still a little concerned over the defense’s leakiness.
3 Charleston Battery
(14-4-7)
Week 25: v. OC 		1
Last Week:
2		 The Battery were unable to keep up with LouCity on Saturday night, but they’re still the second-best team in the Eastern Conference.
4 Sacramento Republic FC
(10-5-8)
Week 25: v. SA		 4
Last Week:
8		 Sacramento would have run up the score on El Paso if not for Nick Ross’ ongoing feud with the woodwork last Wednesday night. Really impressive performance.
5 Rhode Island FC
(7-5-12)
Week 25: @ LDN		 1
Last Week:
6		 RIFC couldn’t pull off the comeback against Oakland, but they’re still in positive form overall and well positioned for a postseason berth.
6 Loudoun United FC
(9-8-6)
Week 25: v. RI 		5
Last Week:
11		 Loudoun earns victory for the first time away at Tampa Bay, completes a season sweep of the Rowdies, and is now in the picture for a top four finish. Pretty good weekend.
7 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(11-5-7)
Week 25: v. DET, v. MIA		 3
Last Week:
4		 The Rowdies allowed Loudoun to create two big opportunities, and the visitors made the most of it. When you’re having an off day at the other end of the field, that’s a recipe for defeat.
8 Las Vegas Lights FC
(8-8-8)
Week 25: v. IND 		5
Last Week:
3		 The Lights’ undefeated streak is over, and if not for Raiko Arozarena it might have been a more lopsided defeat in Hartford. Time to pick themselves up back at home this week.
9 Memphis 901 FC
(11-9-5)
Week 25: @ OAK		 3
Last Week:
12		 Six-point week for 901 FC, even if the score in Miami flattered them. They’ve got a bit of a cushion to the teams in fifth place and below now.
10 Oakland Roots SC
(11-10-3)
Week 25: v. MEM
Last Week:
10		 Oakland held on for a point after Neveal Hackshaw’s good day / bad day with a goal and a red card. This weekend’s game with Memphis is going to be an important one.
11 Birmingham Legion FC
(10-9-5)
Week 25: v. PIT 		4
Last Week:
7		 Legion can’t find a way to beat Detroit City on its home turf. After its recent undefeated streak, that was a missed opportunity.
12 North Carolina FC
(7-8-8)
Week 25: @ PHX		 3
Last Week:
9		 It’s tough to lose to a flukey goal like the one San Antonio found at Toyota Field but results elsewhere made that defeat all the more consequential.
13 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(9-9-5)
Week 25: v. NM
Last Week:
13		 Despite their late concession, the Switchbacks found a way to dig out a point in Pittsburgh with a stoppage-time goal of their own. That could prove crucial, for confidence if nothing else.
14 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(6-9-10)
Week 25: @ BHM
Last Week:
14		 The Hounds had to hold onto the victory against Colorado Springs and didn’t. A seven-game undefeated streak is all very well, but if you’ve drawn three straight does it matter?
15 Detroit City FC
(9-7-7)
Week 25: @ TBR, v. TUL		 2
Last Week:
17		 We told you in The Weekend last Thursday there was no better place for Le Rouge’s winless run to come to an end than in Birmingham. See, we sometimes know things.
16 Indy Eleven
(10-8-5)
Week 25: @ LV		 1
Last Week:
15		 Indy had a weekend off and stuck around in the top four in the East. That’ll do.
17 Hartford Athletic
(7-12-4)
Week 25: v. LOU		 4
Last Week:
21		 If Hartford played like they did against Las Vegas every week, they’d be a playoff contender, but they’ve still got eight points to make up and 11 games to do it in.
18 Phoenix Rising FC
(6-8-7)
Week 25: v. NC		 1
Last Week:
19		 Rising had a week off and didn’t lose any ground in the playoff race. That’s as good as a win at this time of year.
19 FC Tulsa
(6-7-9)
Week 25: @ DET 		1
Last Week:
18		 Complicated week for FC Tulsa. They’re still in contention but are going to have to get Aaron Bibout up to speed quickly to keep their playoff chances on track.
20 El Paso Locomotive FC
(5-15-4)
Week 25: @ MB		 2
Last Week:
22		 Locomotive was poor – and overmatched, generally – against Sacramento, but rebounded for a second win in the past three in Orange County. With the playoffs gone, that’ll do.
21 San Antonio FC
(6-11-6)
Week 25: @ SAC		 2
Last Week:
23		 San Antonio found a win and is only three points out of the playoff places. We still have questions if they’ve got enough scoring to get there.
22 Orange County SC
(8-12-4)
Week 25: @ CHS		 6
Last Week:
16		 OCSC hasn’t scored in 362 minutes after Saturday’s loss to El Paso. It’s still in a playoff position, but for how much longer if this continues?
23 Monterey Bay F.C.
(7-11-6)
Week 25: v. ELP		 3
Last Week:
20		 The new manager bounce hasn’t happened, and Monterey Bay is still on the verge of dropping below the playoff line sitting winless in its last five games.
24 Miami FC
(2-20-2)
Week 25: @ TBR
Last Week:
24		 Having an opponent hit the crossbar, only for the rebound to hit the covering defender and go in for the game-winning goal is the latest deflation for Miami. Winless and luckless.

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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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