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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 11

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 09/07/20, 4:00PM EDT

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Charlotte's six-point week continues its momentum toward a return to the postseason

TAMPA, Fla. – When you’re looking to lock down your playoff place, there aren’t many things better than a six-point week, and the past seven days produced one that could set up a first postseason berth in three years for one of the teams that romped its way through the schedule.

That team is the Charlotte Independence, which moved up to No. 12 in this week’s rankings after taking victories against Memphis 901 FC and North Carolina FC – both of which now have a sizeable gap to bridge if they’re to catch the Jacks in second place.

After the past two seasons of disappointments, this year has seen the Independence not only rally together on the field with its new arrivals like Dane Kelly, Duke Lacroix, and Rey Ortiz (on loan from FC Cincinnati) but see a major return to form from the likes of goalkeeper Brandon Miller and Enzo Martinez.

Miller in particular has been stellar, leading the Championship with 48 saves, and was only denied his third shutout of the season by a late consolation goal by NCFC after Saturday’s win was well in hand.

Add in the work the players are doing off the field in the Charlotte community, and this is a team that has some really good vibes around it. Ahead of next year’s move to a renovated Memorial Stadium, things are moving in the right direction.

Here’s where we stand overall this week. As always, feel free to come and yell at me on Twitter if you’d like (@NJEMurray).

Atlanta United 2 Austin Bold FC Birmingham Legion FC Charleston Battery Charlotte Independence Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC El Paso Locomotive FC
Hartford Athletic Indy Eleven LA Galaxy II Las Vegas Lights FC Loudoun United FC Louisville City FC Memphis 901 FC
The Miami FC New Mexico United New York Red Bulls II North Carolina FC OKC Energy FC Orange County SC Philadelphia Union II
Phoenix Rising FC Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Portland Timbers 2 Real Monarchs SLC Reno 1868 FC Rio Grande Valley FC Sacramento Republic FC
Saint Louis FC San Antonio FC San Diego Loyal SC Sporting KC II Tacoma Defiance Tampa Bay Rowdies FC Tulsa

Biggest Movers

Rank

 

Team

Change

Summary

1 San Antonio FC
(8-0-3)
Week 12: @ELP

Last Week:
1
Four consecutive victories have SAFC closing in on clinching top spot in Group D. While they let RGVFC get back in the game on Saturday, they bottled them up well after it became a one-goal game with half-an-hour to go.
2 Reno 1868 FC
(8-2-0)
Week 12: @SAC
1
Last Week:
3
Reno has found its shooting boots with four consecutive wins all including multiple goals. The big test arrives this Saturday, though, against a Sacramento Republic FC side it hasn’t scored against in two prior meetings this season.
3 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(8-3-1)
Week 12: HFD
1
Last Week:
4
The Hounds looked good in their pair of 3-0 victories without Kenardo Forbes. They can put further distance between themselves and second-placed Hartford Athletic at the top of Group F on Saturday night.
4 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(8-1-3)
Week 12: @CHS
3
Last Week:
7
Back-to-back shutout victories moved the Rowdies within a point of becoming the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season, a strong response to the club’s first defeat of the campaign.
5 Louisville City FC
(6-3-2)
Week 12: STL
4
Last Week:
9
LouCity is 5-0-4 against Indy Eleven in the Championship’s regular season and postseason since Indy won their first meeting on May 5, 2018. No wonder the Indianapolis Star is calling them the Big Brother to the Boys in Blue.
6 Phoenix Rising FC
(7-2-2)
Week 12: LV
5
Last Week:
11
It wasn’t all that spectacular, but a 2-0 win on the road against a Las Vegas side that’s improved of late is a nice way to end a tough road trip and extend your lead at the top of Group B.
7 Sacramento Republic FC
(6-1-3)
Week 12: OC, RNO
1
Last Week:
8
Sacramento is the first team this season to reel off five consecutive victories after last week’s late win in Portland. It’s now got a crucial week coming up with visits from Orange County SC and Reno 1868 FC to Papa Murphy’s Park.
8 Birmingham Legion FC
(6-2-4)
Week 12: CLT
6
Last Week:
2
Birmingham was a penalty kick away from emerging with a couple of draws in the past week of action. They might be feeling a bit of pressure from the Independence’s recent charge, too.
9 El Paso Locomotive FC
(5-2-3)
Week 12: SA
4
Last Week:
13
Locomotive FC finally got its breakthrough against New Mexico United, and that 3-2 win means with a game in hand there’s a path to first place in Group C. A major challenge – and potential playoff preview – arrives this week as San Antonio FC visits Southwest University Park.
10 New Mexico United
(6-3-2)
Week 12: @SLC
5
Last Week:
5
Conceding late against a regional rival is always tough, but more so when it threatens your group lead. United will be wanting to get back on track as it visits the Monarchs on Saturday as its long road to the postseason continues.
11 Charleston Battery
(6-2-3)
Week 12: TBR
5
Last Week:
6
The Battery dropped back a little in their pursuit of the Rowdies for top spot in Group H after a draw in Miami, but that result still moved Charleston closer to the main goal of the postseason.
12 Charlotte Independence
(5-3-3)
Week 12: @BHM
6
Last Week:
18
A six-point week against the two teams trailing you in Group G was great. Even more significant, it meant North Carolina FC is going to be under even more pressure to take wins in its two games in hand with the Independence now eight points out of reach in second place.
13 Orange County SC
(5-2-3)
Week 12: @SAC, @SD
3
Last Week:
10
Orange County missed out on a big opportunity when it lost to Los Dos on Saturday night, and now it’s got to take on one of the hottest teams in the league (Sacramento) and a group opponent fighting for its playoff life (San Diego) in the next seven days.
14 Saint Louis FC
(5-3-3)
Week 12: @LOU

Last Week:
14
STLFC’s victory against Sporting Kansas City II was good, and it has set up a situation where Head Coach Steve Trittschuh’s side controls its playoff fate. Four games against LouCity and Indy Eleven arrive in the final five games of the season, starting on Saturday with Kings’ Cup clash at Lynn Family Stadium.
15 Austin Bold FC
(3-2-5)
Week 12: TUL, @RGV
1
Last Week:
16
Getting young local standout Beto Avila on the scoresheet for the first time must had been a proud moment for Bold FC. If the hosts can find a way to all three points on Tuesday night against Tulsa, the road to the playoffs opens up wide.
16 Hartford Athletic
(6-2-1)
Week 12: @PIT
1
Last Week:
17
The Athletic seem a bit “we are what we are” at this point. Almost certainly a playoff team, but likely to get knocked off by someone with more talent and experience when they get there. Saturday’s visit to Pittsburgh is a chance to change that narrative and keep a shot at first place alive.
17 FC Tulsa
(3-2-5)
Week 12: @ATX, OKC
3
Last Week:
20
How different Tuesday night might have been if either of those stoppage-time chances for Dario Suarez or Mfon Udoh had found the net and given Tulsa victory in Austin. Now the visitors are going to have to go for three points in the second meeting to gain a decisive edge in the playoff race.
18 LA Galaxy II
(6-4-0)
Week 12: SD
1
Last Week:
19
You just can’t seem to write off this Galaxy II side, can you? Great response on Saturday night to get a split of its two games with Orange County and now it’s got a chance to push on if it can find a way past San Diego Loyal SC on Wednesday night.
19 Indy Eleven
(6-4-1)
Week 12: SKC
7
Last Week:
12
Three defeats in the past five games have pulled the Boys in Blue back to a genuine playoff race, when a month ago they were six points ahead of Saint Louis and nine points ahead of Louisville. Sporting KC II’s visit on Wednesday is going to be fascinating.
20 Sporting KC II
(4-6-1)
Week 12: @IND
5
Last Week:
15
It’s not over yet for SKC II, even after Friday’s loss to Saint Louis on the road. They’ve already gone to Indy this season and won, so what are the chances they can pull off the double and sink the Boys in Blue into even more difficulties?
21 Las Vegas Lights FC
(2-5-3)
Week 12: @PHX

Last Week:
21
The gap to the playoff places is now nine points with six games to go, which means Friday night’s rematch with Phoenix Rising FC is essentially a must-win. Not easy at Casino Arizona Field, where Phoenix is perfect this season.
22 San Diego Loyal SC
(3-4-4)
Week 12: @LA, OC

Last Week:
22
SD Loyal has stemmed the losing streak, but back-to-back draws aren’t going to make a playoff contender of any team below the line right now. Victories against the two teams they’re chasing in the Galaxy II (Wednesday) and Orange County (Sunday) could really liven things up.
23 North Carolina FC
(3-5-1)
Week 12: MEM, MEM
1
Last Week:
24
NCFC needed a miracle penalty save from Alex Tambakis to hold onto victory against Birmingham, but then got cut up by the Independence on Saturday. The pressure’s really on now for the club’s two meetings with Memphis 901 FC this week at WakeMed Soccer Park.
24 Real Monarchs SLC
(2-6-1)
Week 12: COS, NM
4
Last Week:
28
The Monarchs got into the win column for the first time in more than a month, but now need to repeat that result against the Switchbacks on Wednesday and New Mexico on Saturday. If not, the playoffs will continue to slide out of view.
25 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(1-4-5)
Week 12: @SLC
2
Last Week:
23
The Switchbacks have recorded four consecutive draws after their scoreless encounter with Energy FC on Saturday, which isn’t going to do much when you’re trying to gain ground in a race for the playoffs.
26 The Miami FC
(1-5-3)
Week 12: @ATL
1
Last Week:
25
A loss to the Rowdies and a draw with the Battery means Miami’s playoff chances have reached slim to none. Saturday’s performance against Charleston showed some more promise, but also included more of the bad luck that has plagued the side this season.
27 Memphis 901 FC
(1-5-4)
Week 12: @NC, @NC
1
Last Week:
26
901 FC’s winless streak reached five games after one point from two games this week, and that combined with the Independence’s run of form means the playoffs are close to out of reach now.
28 New York Red Bulls II
(3-7-0)
Week 12: PHI
1
Last Week:
27
The Red Bulls II showed they’re the third-best team in this group against Loudoun United FC in midweek, and then why they’re not quite a playoff contender this season against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.
29 Atlanta United 2
(2-7-3)
Week 12: MIA
4
Last Week:
33
Atlanta avoided official elimination last week with its win against the Union II, but the end is nigh in the big picture unfortunately given the Rowdies’ and Battery’s excellent form.
30 Tacoma Defiance
(2-6-1)
Week 12: @POR, @POR
1
Last Week:
29
The Defiance have lost four games in a row after Friday’s setback against the Monarchs. They’ll get a chance to break that on Wednesday against a T2 team they’ve beaten twice already this season.
31 OKC Energy FC
(1-5-5)
Week 12: @TUL
1
Last Week:
30
Energy FC has had chances to gain ground on both Austin and Tulsa in Group D, but as in their 0-0 draw against Colorado Springs on Saturday it has failed to take advantage of many openings.
32 Philadelphia Union II
(1-6-1)
Week 12: @NY, @LDN
1
Last Week:
31
Paxten Aaronson is a great reason to tune into the Union II’s games for the rest of this season, catch him now so you can tell your friends you knew he was going to be great before he arrived in Major League Soccer.
33 Loudoun United FC
(1-7-2)
Week 12: PHI
1
Last Week:
32
Loudoun’s six-game winless streak continued with two defeats in the past week, but there’s a chance for a boost with back-to-back games against the Union II up next.
34 Rio Grande Valley FC
(0-9-3)
Week 12: ATX

Last Week:
34
The Toros gave San Antonio a decent game overall on Saturday, but they can’t make elementary mistakes like those that led to Luis Solignac tying the record for the fastest goal in Championship history and expect to come away with wins.
35 Portland Timbers 2
(0-10-0)
Week 12: TAC, TAC

Last Week:
35
T2 looked like it was going to get its first point of the season last Wednesday against Sacramento. That was grabbed away with the last kick of the game, which about sums up how it’s gone in Portland this season.

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