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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 27

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 09/09/19, 4:44PM EDT

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Rising FC keeps it rolling; Legion FC, Orange County ride streaks into the top five

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
(20-2-5)
Week 27: W, 1-0 SA
Week 28: @LV, LA

Last Week: 1
Solomon Asante’s 87th-minute free kick saw Rising FC earn its 18th consecutive victory and establish new franchise records for wins (20) and points (64) in a season.
2 Fresno FC
(14-4-8)
Week 27: W, 3-2 @RNO
Week 28: @LV
4
Last Week: 6
The Foxes threw away a two-goal lead late in Reno, but dramatically rescued three points with Emir Alihodzic’s 94th-minute penalty to give Fresno a stranglehold on second place out West.
3 Birmingham Legion FC
(10-10-6)
Week 27: W, 5-0 @ATL
Week 28: STL
5
Last Week: 8
Legion FC has won seven of nine games since its last loss on June 29 and can help its playoff chances with another victory in Saturday’s crunch clash against Saint Louis.
4 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(15-5-7)
Week 27: W, 3-1 @CLT
Week 28: ATL
3
Last Week: 7
Juan Tejada’s sensational rookie season continued as his brace against Charlotte brought the Panamanian forward up to double-digit goals on the campaign.
5 Orange County SC
(10-8-9)
Week 27: W, 2-1 @POR
Week 28: ELP
7
Last Week: 12
Darwin Jones and Michael Seaton have propelled Orange County to four straight wins as last year’s top seed seems to be peaking at the right time.
6 Indy Eleven
(15-5-5)
Week 27: W, 1-0 NY, L, 0-1 @CHS
Week 28: OTT, BST
4
Last Week: 2
The 1-0 victory over the Red Bulls II on Wednesday was great, the 1-0 defeat against the 10-man Battery on Sunday was a disappointing encore.
7 New York Red Bulls II
(16-6-5)
Week 27: L, 0-1 @IND
Week 28: CLT
4
Last Week: 3
New York still sits atop the Eastern Conference after its loss in Indy on Wednesday, but the Red Bulls II no longer control their destiny for the East’s top spot.
8 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(13-4-9)
Week 27: T, 0-0 LOU
Week 28: CHS
3
Last Week: 5
The Hounds are still in position for a top-four finish after their scoreless draw with Louisville, but the hosts may be disappointed after outshooting their visitors 15-8 (4-1 on target).
9 Louisville City FC
(12-7-8)
Week 27: T, 0-0 @PIT
Week 28: @HFD

Last Week: 9
Louisville’s six-game unbeaten run and results elsewhere have given the two-time defending champs good odds of avoiding the play-in round. Saturday’s trip to Hartford could be tricky, though.
10 Nashville SC
(15-7-6)
Week 27: L, 0-1 @STL
Week 28: --
6
Last Week: 4
Nashville followed up its statement road victory over the Rowdies with a disappointing defeat to a Saint Louis side playing its third game in seven days.
11 Austin Bold FC
(11-9-7)
Week 27: T, 1-1 @COS
Week 28: SAC, RNO
1
Last Week: 10
It’s looking more and more evident that Bold FC needs to hold onto fourth place for the right to host a playoff game, which means Wednesday’s home clash with Sacramento might be a must-win.
12 LA Galaxy II
(10-8-9)
Week 27: W, 3-1 SLC
Week 28: @PHX
3
Last Week: 15
The Galaxy II have quietly taken 10 points from their last four games, all of which have come against teams that enter the week in playoff positions.
13 Saint Louis FC
(9-9-8)
Week 27: W, 1-0 OTT, W, 1-0 NSH
Week 28: @BHM
6
Last Week: 19
After winning two games over the span of four months, Saint Louis picked up three wins in seven days to get back into the playoff places. Anthony Pulis’ side is feeling good heading into Birmingham.
14 Sacramento Republic FC
(11-11-4)
Week 27: W, 3-0 @TAC
Week 28: @AUS, RGV
6
Last Week: 20
Republic FC got the win it needed against the Defiance on Saturday, but a tough trip to Austin arrives on Wednesday with the opportunity to jump up to fourth place.
15 El Paso Locomotive FC
(9-8-9)
Week 27: T, 2-2 TUL, W, 3-0 @LV
Week 28: @OC
6
Last Week: 21
Josué Gómez’s offensive outburst was a welcome one, but it’s Jerome Kiesewetter’s return to the scoresheet that has us back on board the Locomotive FC train.
16 North Carolina FC
(13-7-8)
Week 27: T, 3-3 BST
Week 28: @SPR
5
Last Week: 11
North Carolina’s defense has conceded seven goals over its last two games against Loudoun and Bethlehem… That’s not good.
17 Real Monarchs SLC
(10-9-7)
Week 27: T, 2-2 LV, L, 1-3 @LA
Week 28: POR
4
Last Week: 13
A month ago the Monarchs looked like the favorites to finish fourth in the West, now they just need points over a busy week to secure their playoff safety ahead of a brutal run-in.
18 Charleston Battery
(8-7-10)
Week 27: W, 1-0 IND
Week 28: @SPR, @PIT
4
Last Week: 22
It seems like the Battery can’t go a few weeks without having a game affected by weather, but Charleston’s win over Indy on Sunday was worth the 24-hour wait.
19 San Antonio FC
(9-11-7)
Week 27: L, 0-1 @PHX
Week 28: OKC
1
Last Week: 18
On another day, San Antonio gets a few better bounces and ends Rising FC’s winning streak. Head Coach Darren Powell will be hoping for another good performance against Energy FC.
20 New Mexico United
(9-8-10)
Week 27: W, 3-1 @OKC
Week 28: COS
4
Last Week: 24
Devon Sandoval’s first goals since June 5 couldn’t have come at a better time for United, which desperately needed three points heading into its four-game homestand.
21 OKC Energy FC
(9-9-10)
Week 27: W, L, 1-3 NM
Week 28: @SA
7
Last Week: 14
There’s still time, but if Energy FC misses the playoffs, it’ll look back on its amazingly average home record (5-5-5) with a bit of regret.
22 Ottawa Fury FC
(10-7-9)
Week 27: L, 0-1 @STL, L, 2-3 @ATL
Week 28: @IND
6
Last Week: 16
Three straight losses suddenly has Fury FC looking over its shoulder at the chasing pack, which could have the opportunity to get closer after Ottawa’s tough trip to Indy.
23 Reno 1868 FC
(13-9-5)
Week 27: L, 2-3 FRS
Week 28: TAC, @AUS
6
Last Week: 17
After finding a way to undo its two-goal comeback against Fresno, Reno now has a better chance of falling to fourth place than climbing into second.
24 Portland Timbers 2
(9-10-8)
Week 27: L, 1-2 OC
Week 28: @SLC
1
Last Week: 23
Portland has won just one of its last seven home games (1-4-2), which isn’t exactly ideal when you need to make up points in the playoff race.
25 Las Vegas Lights FC
(8-11-8)
Week 27: T, 2-2 @SLC, L, 0-3 ELP
Week 28: PHX, FRS
1
Last Week: 26
Lights FC’s home form is the only thing keeping it within touching distance of the postseason, but that will get tested by this week’s visits of Phoenix and Fresno.
26 Hartford Athletic
(6-18-4)
Week 27: W, 5-1 LDN
Week 28: LOU
4
Last Week: 30
The Athletic exploded for five goals in the first half against Loudoun, three of which came inside the opening 10 minutes and wore out the PA system’s copy of Brass Bonanza.
27 Loudoun United FC
(6-13-6)
Week 27: L, 1-5 @HFD
Week 28: MEM
2
Last Week: 25
Loudoun’s four-goal win over North Carolina was essentially washed away by its four-goal loss to Hartford along with any remaining playoff hopes.
28 Memphis 901 FC
(6-13-7)
Week 27: W, 4-2 SPR
Week 28: @LDN
3
Last Week: 31
Death, taxes and Brandon Allen haunting the Swope Park Rangers.
29 Tulsa Roughnecks FC
(6-13-9)
Week 27: T, 2-2 @ELP, W, 1-0 @RGV
Week 28: --
4
Last Week: 33
The Roughnecks are unbeaten in their past four games (2-0-2) and have shown a fighting spirit that evaded the side over the middle months of the season.
30 Bethlehem Steel FC
(7-13-6)
Week 27: T, 3-3 @NC
Week 28: @IND
2
Last Week: 32
Steel FC’s second-half rally in North Carolina should give it some confidence as it tries to become the first team to beat Indy Eleven at Lucas Oil Stadium in over a year.
31 Charlotte Independence
(5-12-11)
Week 27: L, 1-3 TBR
Week 28: @NY
4
Last Week: 27
The Independence’s eight-game winless run is the longest in the Eastern Conference and will span two months by the time they take the field in New York.
32 Rio Grande Valley FC
(7-13-7)
Week 27: L, 0-1 TUL
Week 28: @SAC
4
Last Week: 28
Rio Grande Valley will have a chance to play spoiler when it kicks off its two-game California road trip on Sunday against Sacramento.
33 Atlanta United 2
(6-16-5)
Week 27: L, 0-5 BHM, W, 3-2 OTT
Week 28: @TBR
1
Last Week: 34
Andrew Carleton’s brace gave ATL UTD some revenge on Fury FC after falling 2-0 to the Canadian side back in April.
34 Tacoma Defiance
(5-16-5)
Week 27: L, 0-3 @SAC
Week 28: @RNO
5
Last Week: 29
The Defiance are still searching or that elusive first road win of the season. A trip to a struggling 1868 FC side presents a half-decent opportunity.
35 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(6-17-5)
Week 27: T, 1-1 AUS
Week 28: @NM

Last Week: 35
The Switchbacks have scored just seven goals over their eight-game winless run. A trip to New Mexico may bring some chances to strike on the counter.
36 Swope Park Rangers
(3-16-6)
Week 27: L, 2-4 @MEM
Week 28: CHS, NC

Last Week: 36
The Rangers have lost seven straight games, with five of the seven coming by two goals or more.

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