skip navigation

USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 26

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 09/02/24, 4:30PM EDT

Share

The battle for a home playoff game in the West could be one of the best races we see this season

At this point, we’re close to the top six teams in the Western Conference all looking like certainties to be part of the playoffs this season.

Our friend John Morrissey’s Playoff Projections rate each club at an 82 percent chance or higher to get into the field, and there’s an eight-point gap between sixth and seventh place after this weekend’s action.

Compare that to the three-point margin that separates second and sixth, and you’ve got a serious race for the top four and a home game to start the postseason.

Sacramento Republic FC is almost certainly going to get one of them. It’s got games in hand on everyone else while sitting in second, and the projections have them overtaking New Mexico United for first by the end of the campaign.

From there, however, it gets more interesting. Who’s to say Las Vegas Lights FC can’t bring a home playoff game to Cashman Field? After another club first this past weekend – the Lights had never previously rallied from a two-goal deficit to take victory – they’re the team in form with 17 points from their last eight games.

Oakland Roots, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and Memphis 901 FC also have serious qualities to them, with the Switchbacks’ showing off how good they can be in attack over a six-point week in the past seven days that got them right back into the mix.

With two months to go in the campaign – and some key six-pointers between the clubs to come – this race looks likely to go down to the wire.

Want the best of the USL Championship and more brought to your inbox each week? Sign up now for The Rondo, our weekly newsletter.

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

4 COS 3 LDN, MEM
lou

Rank

 

Team

Change

Summary
1 Louisville City FC
(18-5-2)
Week 27: v. LDN		 2
Last Week:
3		 Jansen Wilson has become an inspired addition to the front three after starting the season as a wingback. Another two goals this week in the wildest game of the campaign so far.
2 Charleston Battery
(15-4-8)
Week 27: v. SAC
Last Week:
2		 Juan David Torres’ ability to strike a ball is among the best in the USL Championship. We love what we’ve seen from the Colombian newcomer.
3 New Mexico United
(15-7-3)
Week 27: v. MIA 		2
Last Week:
1		 Tough day for United’s attack, which didn’t really create enough in Oakland. Getting back on track at home against Miami is going to be important.
4 Sacramento Republic FC
(11-5-8)
Week 27: @ CHS
Last Week:
4		 Playoff races make for strange alliances. Republic FC will have been delighted by Oakland’s victory against New Mexico, which opens the door a little further for Sacramento.
5 Las Vegas Lights FC
(10-8-8)
Week 27: ---
Last Week:
5		 The last time Lights rallied from a two-goal deficit to win? How about never. Chalk up another first for Head Coach Dennis Sanchez and his remarkable squad.
6 Rhode Island FC
(8-5-13)
Week 27: @ PIT
Last Week:
6		 Rock solid performance by RIFC to complete a season sweep of Legion. That’s got to feel pretty satisfying to Head Coach Khano Smith against his former club.
7 Oakland Roots SC
(12-10-4)
Week 27: @ NC		 3
Last Week:
10		 Dom Dwyer, welcome back to the USL Championship. What a huge moment to get your first goal for Roots, delivering a massive victory against New Mexico.
8 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(12-6-7)
Week 27: @ COS
Last Week:
8		 The Rowdies remain in a comfortable spot in third place but will get a test this weekend as they head to Colorado Springs after a bye week.
9 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(11-10-5)
Week 27: v. TBR		 4
Last Week:
13		 A six-point week for the Switchbacks, who jumped on top early in both games and ended up cruising to victories. Huge boost for their top-four chances.
10 Loudoun United FC
(9-9-7)
Week 27: @ LOU 		3
Last Week:
7		 On another day, Loudoun gets something out of its clash with Phoenix. The good news, at least, is none of the teams directly below them picked up a victory.
11 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(7-9-11)
Week 27: v. RI
Last Week:
11		 The Hounds did everything right after Patrick Hogan’s early red card. You just can’t account for a moment like Romario Williams’ stoppage-time free kick, which was a killer.
12 Memphis 901 FC
(11-10-6)
Week 27: ---		 3
Last Week:
12		 901 FC had an opening six minutes to forget in Colorado Springs. It didn’t cost them immediately, but Las Vegas and the Switchbacks are now both right there in the fight for a top-four finish.
13 North Carolina FC
(7-9-9)
Week 27: v. OAK		 1
Last Week:
12		 Oalex Anderson and Ezra Armstrong continue to be box office, but North Carolina’s defense imploded against LouCity. They’d only conceded nine goals in 12 games at home prior to Saturday.
14 Detroit City FC
(10-8-8)
Week 27: @ ELP
Last Week:
14		 Ben Morris is putting together a tidy run of form. Four goals in the past five games to move level with Maxi Rodriguez for the club lead in league goals this campaign.
15 Hartford Athletic
(8-12-5)
Week 27: v. IND
Last Week:
15		 The combination of Mamadou Dieng and Michee Ngalina is really starting to hit it off. Saturday’s six-pointer at home to Indy is going to be huge.
16 Indy Eleven
(10-9-6)
Week 27: @ HFD		 1
Last Week:
17		 Romario Williams, what a hit. Remember that one if Indy finds a way to get back into the top four by the end of the season.
17 Phoenix Rising FC
(7-8-9)
Week 27: v. TUL		 2
Last Week:
19		 Is it possible to overstate how important Rocco Ríos Novo is to Phoenix at this point? He’s head-and-shoulders ahead of his teammates in American Soccer Analysis’ Goals Added metric.
18 FC Tulsa
(7-8-9)
Week 27: @ PHX 		2
Last Week:
16		 There just wasn’t enough there for Tulsa in the first half against Colorado Springs. It’s still above the playoff line, but Friday night’s visit to Phoenix now becomes even more important.
19 Birmingham Legion FC
(10-11-5)
Week 27: --- 		1
Last Week:
18		 Legion has lost three in a row and hasn’t scored in all three outings. The upcoming bye week is going to be important.
20 El Paso Locomotive FC
(5-15-5)
Week 27: v. DET
Last Week:
20		 This weekend’s results likely put the playoffs out of reach for Locomotive. Nine games to make up a 10-point margin is a very tall order.
21 San Antonio FC
(6-12-7)
Week 27: @ MB
Last Week:
21		 Were our eyes deceiving us, or was San Antonio stalling in stoppage time of a game it needed to win to gain ground in the playoff race?
22 Orange County SC
(8-14-4)
Week 27: ---		 1
Last Week:
23		 It all started so brightly for OCSC against Las Vegas before it fell apart in the second half. It’s going to be an uphill battle for Head Coach Danny Stone and company from here.
23 Miami FC
(3-21-2)
Week 27: @ NM		 1
Last Week:
23		 Finally, 126 days after its last victory, Miami gets back in the win column. Congratulations to veteran forward Frank López on his 50th regular season tally, too.
24 Monterey Bay F.C.
(7-12-7)
Week 27: v. SA		 2
Last Week:
22		 Visiting Miami was Monterey Bay’s best chance to halt its winless run in the remainder of the schedule. It missed out as goalkeeper Antony Siaha continued to be the only bright spot in the squad.

Follow the USL Championship

Most Recent News

View All |

Most Read News

View All

Latest Videos

View All |

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 

Share