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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 31

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 10/07/24, 4:30PM EDT

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Rhode Island’s three-game winning streak has it within sight of a first postseason berth

At the start of September, Rhode Island FC had its first real dip in form in its inaugural season.

Yes, Head Coach Khano Smith’s side had withstood winless runs littered with draws early in the campaign, but against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and Orange County SC, the side lost consecutive games for the first time, with the loss against the Hounds a particularly bleak affair as the side recorded a season-low two shots.

It says something, then, that Rhode Island has picked itself up and reeled off three consecutive victories to not only put itself within sight of a playoff position, but a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference with three games to go in its campaign.

Saturday’s 3-1 win against the Tampa Bay Rowdies wasn’t overwhelming, but it was convincing as two former Rowdies in JJ Williams and Zach Herivaux found their way onto the scoresheet, with Williams adding an assist in a Player of the Match performance.

Rhode Island was expected to compete this season, but at the same time there was the idea this was a soft launch ahead of the opening of its new stadium at Tidewater Landing. While the venue is on schedule, the team itself looks ahead of the pace and a potential threat in the postseason.

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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 NC 6 TBR

Rank

 

Team

Change

Summary
1 Louisville City FC
(22-6-3)
Week 32: vs. TBR
Last Week:
1		 LouCity is your Players’ Shield winner with three games to go. Now we’ll see if they go for the gusto with two major single season records – total wins, total points – still within reach.
2 Charleston Battery
(17-5-9)
Week 32: @ PIT
Last Week:
2		 Juan David Torres’ dynamism on the ball is incredible fun to watch. The Battery’s draw locked them into the No. 2 seed in the East, so now they’ve got options as to how they see out the final three games.
3 New Mexico United
(18-9-3)
Week 32: vs. PHX, @ TUL 		1
Last Week:
4		 Any thought New Mexico might not be the No. 1 seed in the West evaporated with Sacramento’s loss on Saturday. They’ll get there, maybe as early as Wednesday.
4 Las Vegas Lights FC
(12-8-11)
Week 32: @ BHM 		1
Last Week:
5		 The Lights don’t always win, but they’ve lost only once in their last 19 games. That’s going to make them a tough out in the postseason.
5 Detroit City FC
(13-8-10)
Week 32: vs. IND		 1
Last Week:
6		 Le Rouge had a bit of a roller coaster ride in Charleston, but Laurent Kissiedou’s late equalizer is why you get a player of his quality. He can provide tremendous danger in the final third.
6 Rhode Island FC
(11-7-13)
Week 32: vs. LDN		 2
Last Week:
8		 Saturday night’s victory against former club the Tampa Bay Rowdies probably felt pretty good for Man of the Match JJ Williams and Zach Herivaux. After their two-game slide, RIFC is right back on course.
7 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(13-10-7)
Week 32: @ OC, vs. SA
Last Week:
7		 The Switchbacks didn’t really lose ground in its bid for second place in the West, but it’s going to have to buck up its road form to stake a serious claim with three of its last four away from Weidner Field.
8 Sacramento Republic FC
(13-9-8)
Week 32: vs. MB, @ MEM		 5
Last Week:
3		 Sacramento has lost four in a row away from home. In three of them they held a lead. It’s a far cry from the side that went undefeated in its first 10 away to start the season.
9 Loudoun United FC
(11-11-8)
Week 32: vs. IND, @ RI 		1
Last Week:
10		 Loudoun’s victory at home to Hartford was massive for the side’s playoff prospects, but there’s still plenty of pressure on United to deliver over the final four games of the season.
10 Memphis 901 FC
(12-11-8)
Week 32: vs. SAC 		1
Last Week:
9		 Memphis had plenty of shots against Oakland, but not enough of them provided a serious threat to Roots’ goal. Still, the playoffs beckon and it wasn’t a bad response to defeat last time out.
11 Indy Eleven
(12-10-8)
Week 32: @ LDN, @ DET		 3
Last Week:
14		 Augustine Williams had never had multiple goals in consecutive games in the USL Championship before his last two outings. As tough as the late draw with LouCity was, that’s a really positive sign for the side.
12 North Carolina FC
(10-11-9)
Week 32: vs. TUL, @ HFD		 5
Last Week:
17		 North Carolina has alternated wins and losses in its last six outings after Sunday’s victory against Birmingham Legion. The playoffs are there to be earned, if NCFC can break that cycle.
13 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(9-10-12)
Week 32: vs. CHS 		3
Last Week:
16		 The Hounds did what they needed to in Miami. Now they’ll hope both Loudoun and North Carolina leave the door open for them to sneak into the playoffs over the final three weekends.
14 Orange County SC
(10-14-6)
Week 32: vs. COS		 1
Last Week:
15		 Orange County has taken eight points from a four-game undefeated run and hasn’t trailed in that span. It’s still tight around the playoff line, but they’re in with as good a shot as anyone.
15 Hartford Athletic
(10-13-7)
Week 32: vs. NC		 4
Last Week:
11		 Hartford’s momentum stalled at just the wrong moment. Instead of being above the playoff line, it’s back in 11th and needs to help itself this weekend when it hosts North Carolina while hoping others drop points.
16 El Paso Locomotive FC
(7-16-7)
Week 32: vs. SA		 4
Last Week:
20		 It’s almost certainly too little, too late for Locomotive, but they’ve got 12 points from their last eight games. That’s the same total as Sacramento Republic FC in its last eight.
17 Birmingham Legion FC
(12-13-6)
Week 32: vs. LV 		4
Last Week:
13		 Legion might be hearing footsteps after its loss on Sunday to North Carolina. It’s in a tighter spot than it looks given it loses the head-to-head tiebreaker against NCFC, Hartford and Pittsburgh.
18 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(13-10-7)
Week 32: @ LOU		 6
Last Week:
12		 The Rowdies have lost four of their last five and might not finish in the top four in the East. Some solutions need to be figured out, and fast.
19 San Antonio FC
(9-14-7)
Week 32: @ ELP, @ COS		 2
Last Week:
21		 Just when you thought they were out, San Antonio produces that second-half display. This Wednesday’s Copa Tejas clash with El Paso is going to be must-see.
20 Monterey Bay F.C.
(8-14-9)
Week 32: @ SAC		 3
Last Week:
23		 Was Monterey Bay a bit fortunate in its win against Phoenix? Probably. Does that matter? Not in the slightest now they’re back in the playoff picture with three games to go.
21 FC Tulsa
(8-12-10)
Week 32: @ NC, vs. NM 		2
Last Week:
19		 Tulsa’s loss to El Paso didn’t kill its playoff chances, but given the rest of the weekend’s results, that was a letdown of a performance at home and makes Wednesday night’s visit to North Carolina even more important.
22 Phoenix Rising FC
(9-12-9)
Week 32: @ NM, @ OAK		 4
Last Week:
18		 Rising has lost three in a row and has lost the last two in a startling manner. Rocco Ríos Novo might have fumbled the Young Player of the Year award away with Friday’s performance.
23 Oakland Roots SC
(12-14-5)
Week 32: vs. PHX		 1
Last Week:
22		 Roots earned its first point in five games against Memphis and theoretically could clinch a playoff spot this week. Doesn’t change the fact it has one point and one goal to show from its last five games as well.
24 Miami FC
(3-27-2)
Week 32:--
Last Week:
24		 It’s official, Miami FC has endured the most defeats in a USL Championship regular season after No. 27 on Saturday, and its scoreless streak is within range of the league’s all-time record as well.

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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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