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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 17

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 07/01/19, 5:00PM EDT

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Big weekend of results sees new arrivals in the Top 10 as Phoenix holds onto top spot

The 2019 USL Championship Power Rankings are compiled each week by staff writers John Arlia and Nicholas Murray. Check back every Monday during the regular season to see who’s hot, and who’s not, as the biggest season in the league’s history progresses.

Atlanta United 2 Austin Bold FC Birmingham Legion FC Bethlehem Steel FC Charleston Battery Charlotte Independence Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC El Paso Locomotive FC Fresno FC
Hartford Athletic Indy Eleven LA Galaxy II Louisville City FC Las Vegas Lights FC Loudoun United FC Memphis 901 FC Nashville SC North Carolina FC
New Mexico United New York Red Bulls II Orange County SC OKC Energy FC Ottawa Fury FC Phoenix Rising FC Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Portland Timbers 2 Rio Grande Valley FC
Reno 1868 FC San Antonio FC Real Monarchs SLC Saint Louis FC Sacramento Republic FC Swope Park Rangers Tacoma Defiance Tampa Bay Rowdies Tulsa Roughnecks FC

Biggest Movers

Rank

 

Team

Change

Summary

1 Phoenix Rising FC
(10-2-5)
Week 17: W, 4-2 POR
Week 18: --

Last Week: 1
Rising FC has separated itself from the pack in the Western Conference and is just two more victories away from matching the Championship’s longest winning run.
2 Indy Eleven
(10-2-4)
Week 17: W, 3-0 BHM, T, 1-1 LOU
Week 18: --

Last Week: 2
Four points from six in a busy week saw the Eleven slip to second in the Eastern Conference standings, but Indy remains unbeaten at home as we reach the halfway point.
3 North Carolina FC
(8-2-6)
Week 17: W, 1-0 NSH
Week 18: CLT
1
Last Week: 4
North Carolina boasts an impressive 4-1-3 record against teams currently sitting in the playoff places after Saturday’s shutout victory over Nashville.
4 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(10-1-6)
Week 17: W, 2-1 OTT
Week 18: @SPR
1
Last Week: 5
The Rowdies hold the top spot in the East heading into July, but that hasn’t been a good postseason omen over the past few seasons – just ask Cincinnati (2018) and Charleston (2017).
5 Nashville SC
(8-4-5)
Week 17: L, 0-1 @NC
Week 18: @LOU
2
Last Week: 3
Nashville is just 1-4-4 against the East’s top 10 teams so far this season but will have a chance to improve that mark when Cameron Lancaster makes his return trip to Slugger Field to face Louisville next weekend.
6 New Mexico United
(6-3-8)
Week 17: --
Week 18: @SLC
1
Last Week: 7
United had a much-needed weekend off to prepare for Saturday’s trip to Real Monarchs SLC, and then Minnesota United FC in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals four days later.
7 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(5-2-7)
Week 17: W, 4-1 BHM
Week 18: BST, @CLT
2
Last Week: 9
After years of prioritizing defense, Head Coach Bob Lilley is adjusting to the times and the Hounds have followed suit with 12 goals over their past three games.
8 Fresno FC
(7-2-7)
Week 17: W, 3-0 ELP
Week 18: @SAC
5
Last Week: 13
Fresno jumped into third place out West after its 3-0 victory over El Paso Locomotive FC and looked every bit the part with a complete performance at Chukchansi Park.
9 Reno 1868 FC
(8-4-5)
Week 17: W, 2-1 @POR, W, 2-0 SAC
Week 18: RGV
5
Last Week: 14
1868 FC followed up its road win in Portland with a home victory over Donner Pass Derby rival Republic FC to complete a league sweep and jump up to second in the West.
10 New York Red Bulls II
(9-4-3)
Week 17: T, 1-1 @CHS
Week 18: PTT
1
Last Week: 11
The Red Bulls II showed off their resiliency to maintain their unbeaten record in Charleston all-time after dealing with travel and weather in midweek.
11 El Paso Locomotive FC
(7-4-6)
Week 17: T, 0-0 @SA, L, 0-3 @FRS
Week 18: @OKC
3
Last Week: 8
Locomotive FC suffered the worst defeat of its inaugural season to Fresno but will have a chance to set things right on Saturday when it visits Energy FC.
12 Louisville City FC
(7-5-5)
Week 17: T, 1-1 @IND
Week 18: NSH

Last Week: 12
Paolo DelPiccolo showed everyone what Louisville had been missing over the opening stretch of the season with a trademark free kick to earn a point in Indy.
13 Portland Timbers 2
(7-4-6)
Week 17: L, 1-2 RNO, L, 2-4 @PHX
Week 18: TUL
7
Last Week: 6
The Timbers 2 came out on the wrong end of a couple of close calls against Reno and Phoenix and will be motivated to rebound on Saturday against Tulsa.
14 Sacramento Republic FC
(7-6-2)
Week 17: L, 0-2 @RNO
Week 18: FRS
4
Last Week: 10
Cameron Iwasa won’t have a lot of time to linger on a forgettable evening as Republic FC gears up for a Highway 99 Derby rematch with Fresno on Wednesday Night Soccer.
15 Ottawa Fury FC
(7-3-6)
Week 17: W, 3-2 CHS, L, 1-2 @TBR
Week 18: @NY

Last Week: 15
Fury FC’s midweek exploits took their toll against the Rowdies and while Ottawa may not longer have a 10-game unbeaten run, it should still be riding high into its Friday trip to New York.
16 Austin Bold FC
(7-5-5)
Week 17: W, 5-0 COS
Week 18: @SA
1
Last Week: 17
Bold FC posted its biggest win of its inaugural campaign against the Switchbacks and is sitting comfortably above the playoff line heading into its Copa Tejas rematch with San Antonio FC.
17 Charleston Battery
(5-4-8)
Week 17: L, 2-3 @OTT, T, 1-1 NY
Week 18: @ATL
1
Last Week: 16
The Battery are winless in their last four games but will be licking their lips while looking at a July schedule that features four games against sides currently outside the playoff places.
18 Real Monarchs SLC
(6-6-3)
Week 17: W, 3-1 @TUL
Week 18: NM
1
Last Week: 19
Douglas Martinez has the Monarchs on a three-game winning streak, but Monday’s announcement of Head Coach Martin Vasquez was a strange start to a week that sees New Mexico United visit Zions Bank Stadium on Saturday.
19 OKC Energy FC
(6-5-7)
Week 17: W, 1-0 @LV
Week 18: ELP
2
Last Week: 21
Deshorn Brown now has nine goals in 14 appearances his season and is up to three game-winners after striking late to help Energy FC hand Las Vegas its first home league loss of the campaign.
20 Loudoun United FC
(4-6-3)
Week 17: W, 2-1 ATL
Week 18: @STL
2
Last Week: 22
Christian Sorto probably couldn’t have dreamt of a better professional debut as Loudoun ended its lengthy layoff with a return to the win column.
21 Saint Louis FC
(5-4-5)
Week 17: L, 1-2 @SPR
Week 18: LDN
3
Last Week: 18
Saint Louis has won four Open Cup matches since its last league victory on April 27, could the euphoria of the club’s cup run end up putting its playoff place in peril?
22 Las Vegas Lights FC
(6-7-4)
Week 17: L, 0-1 @OKC
Week 18: LA
2
Last Week: 20
Las Vegas is no longer unbeaten at home this season but will look to put its best foot forward in special Fourth of July jerseys modeled after the 1994 USMNT Denim kits when it hosts the LA Galaxy II at Cashman Field on Thursday.
23 Rio Grande Valley FC
(5-7-4)
Week 17: --
Week 18: TAC, @RNO

Last Week: 23
Rio Grande Valley will be hoping its week off pays dividends when it visits a Reno side that will be playing for the third time in eight days on Wednesday night.
24 Charlotte Independence
(3-7-7)
Week 17: W, 1-0 MEM
Week 18: @NC, PIT
3
Last Week: 27
Jorge Herrera continues to chase Dane Kelly on the Championship’s all-time goalscoring list and the Independence continue their recent revival under General Manager Mike Jeffries.
25 LA Galaxy II
(5-6-7)
Week 17: W, 2-1 @OC
Week 18: @LV
3
Last Week: 28
Frank Lopez’s brace put an end to Los Dos’ eight-game winless run and kept his side within touching distance of the playoff places in the West.
26 San Antonio FC
(4-8-5)
Week 17: T, 0-0 ELP
Week 18: AUS

Last Week: 26
After settling for a home point against Locomotive FC, San Antonio is going to need at least three points from its upcoming pair of Copa Tejas clashes with Austin and El Paso.
27 Orange County SC
(4-6-7)
Week 17: L, 1-2 LA
Week 18: @COS
3
Last Week: 24
Orange County has lost three straight games and is nowhere near the team that claimed the Western Conference crown last season. A trip to Colorado Springs could help though.
28 Bethlehem Steel FC
(5-8-4)
Week 17: W, 3-0 @HFD
Week 18: @PIT
2
Last Week: 30
Bethlehem has finally started to show some steel on the defensive end and is just a point behind Saint Louis for the tenth and final playoff spot.
29 Hartford Athletic
(2-11-4)
Week 17: L, 0-3 BST
Week 18: @MEM
4
Last Week: 25
The Athletic are back on the bottom of the table in the East after failing to pick up points on their home turf last Friday night.
30 Memphis 901 FC
(2-8-5)
Week 17: L, 0-1 @CLT
Week 18: HFD
1
Last Week: 29
901 FC’s goal drought in league play has reached 287 minutes after Brandon Allen made an uninspiring debut in attack against the Independence.
31 Swope Park Rangers
(2-8-6)
Week 17: W, 2-1 STL
Week 18: TBR
4
Last Week: 35
Felipe Hernandez continues to dazzle – we’ll excuse the late red card – and the Rangers ended their eight-game winless run by getting the better of in-state rival Saint Louis.
32 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(4-11-2)
Week 17: L, 0-5 @AUS
Week 18: OC

Last Week: 32
The Switchbacks were pummeled by Bold FC on Saturday and Steve Trittschuh paid the price on Monday as the club parted ways with its longtime head coach.
33 Birmingham Legion FC
(3-10-4)
Week 17: L, 0-3 @IND, L, 1-4 @PIT
Week 18: --
2
Last Week: 31
Legion FC has conceded at least two goals in each of its last six league outings and given it has scored two just once over that span, it’s safe to say things aren’t going well.
34 Tacoma Defiance
(2-11-4)
Week 17: --
Week 18: @RGV
2
Last Week: 36
Tacoma’s lengthy layoff will come to an end on Saturday at Rio Grande Valley, but will the Defiance be ready to fight back in the second half of the season?
35 Atlanta United 2
(3-9-4)
Week 17: L, 1-2 @LDN
Week 18: CHS
1
Last Week: 34
ATL UTD 2 has kept things relatively close over the course of its 10-game winless run but that doesn’t count for much when you haven’t won since April 13.
36 Tulsa Roughnecks FC
(4-8-5)
Week 17: L, 1-3 SLC
Week 18: @POR
3
Last Week: 33
The Roughnecks have been outscored 19-3 over their five-game losing streak and are a long way off the form that saw them win 3 of 5 games to start the season.

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