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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 19

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 09/01/21, 2:00PM EDT

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Miami makes move into top spot after wild week of action across Championship

Hello, and welcome to the latest edition of the Championship’s Power Rankings.

For all the fanfare its arrival produced when Miami FC joined the Championship in December 2019, last year proved a real disappointment in South Florida.

This year, though, after some shaky moments in front of goal early we’re starting to see what this side is truly capable of as its six-game undefeated streak now puts Head Coach Paul Dalglish’s side on top of the rankings this week.

Miami checks a lot of boxes aside from its current form, too. It holds the head-to-head edge over both of the teams sitting above it in the Atlantic Division – the side is 2-1-0 against in-state rival the Tampa Bay Rowdies and 1-0-1 against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC so far this season – and what once was the side’s Achilles heel in its finishing has sharpened up enough to take advantage of the plentiful chances it creates.

This week figures to be a tricky one for the side, though. There will be at least four absences from the squad for international duty with Jamaica’s Speedy Williams and Lamar Walker – who picked up two goals against the New York Red Bulls II on Sunday – being joined by El Salvador’s Josh Perez and Haiti’s Brian Sylvestre on international duty. That could have an impact on how the team fares in a tricky road trip to face the Charlotte Independence and its reinforced squad.

If Dalglish can continue to find the right combinations, though, Miami could be a very difficult out when it arrives in the playoffs no matter where it ends in the Atlantic Division’s standings.

Here’s how the big picture looks today. As always, feel free to come and yell at me on Twitter (@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 Oakland Roots SC OKC Energy FC Orange County SC Phoenix Rising FC
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Real Monarchs SLC Rio Grande Valley FC Sacramento Republic FC San Antonio FC San Diego Loyal SC Sporting KC II
Tacoma Defiance Tampa Bay Rowdies FC Tulsa

Biggest Movers

12 OAK 9 CLT

Rank

 

Team

Change

Summary
1 The Miami FC
(11-6-4)
Week 20: @ CLT		 3
Last Week:
4		 In back-to-back games, Miami’s Paul Dalglish has pressed the right button with his substitutions. After Billy Forbes’ brace against Hartford last weekend off the bench, this past weekend it was Lamar Walker’s turn to be the difference-maker.
2 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(12-6-4)
Week 20: v. NY, @ SA		 5
Last Week:
7		 The Hounds needed a trigger to get into order against Hartford on Saturday night, but once they went behind early in the second half the shots didn’t stop coming until they’d come away with a second consecutive win.
3 San Antonio FC
(7-5-6)
Week 20: v. SLC, v. PIT		 8
Last Week:
11		 20 days off and facing the Mountain Division leaders? So what? San Antonio pulled itself above the playoff line with an impressive performance that turned the tables on El Paso at it applied the late pressure and found the winner from Justin Dhillon.
4 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(13-6-1)
Week 20: v. OAK		 5
Last Week:
9		 The Rowdies have recorded four consecutive shutouts, and while that might seem like a lot it’s only halfway to the league record set by Rio Grande Valley FC in the 2016 season.
5 El Paso Locomotive FC
(12-2-5)
Week 20: @ OC		 4
Last Week:
1		 El Paso got a taste of what it’s been dishing out this season in San Antonio, and I’m expecting a strong response in an intriguing Friday night clash against Orange County SC.
6 Phoenix Rising FC
(12-3-5)
Week 20: @ TAC
 3
Last Week:
3		 Phoenix found a way to pull through against New Mexico after almost being its own undoing with that late own goal, but the defeat in Oakland in midweek made for a much more crowded picture when it comes to the best record in the league.
7 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(9-6-5)
Week 20: @ NM		 1
Last Week:
8		 The league-leading scorers are undefeated in five games to solidify their playoff aspirations, and they could put a hammer blow to New Mexico on Saturday with victory at Isotopes Park.
8 Birmingham Legion FC
(11-6-3)
Week 20: @ SKC, @ MEM		 2
Last Week:
10		 In beating Louisville on Saturday night, Legion FC might just make it a race for top spot in the Central Division if they can get another three points on Wednesday night against Sporting KC II.
9 Louisville City FC
(12-4-4)
Week 20: v. TUL		 7
Last Week:
2		 Louisville gets a home game after going winless in two road trips the past two weekends, but after that the road stretches a long way from Dillon Stadium in the final two months of the season. It’s going to be trickier than you think.
10 Oakland Roots SC
(5-8-5)
Week 20: @ TBR		 12
Last Week:
22		 A pair of 3-1 victories against two teams with long undefeated runs in the league will get you a serious boost. Now, what can Oakland do to back that up against Tampa Bay’s currently impregnable defense?
11 FC Tulsa
(10-9-1)
Week 20: @ LOU		 1
Last Week:
12		 Three wins in a row has pulled Tulsa out of the playoff race and firmly into third in the Central Division. It’ll want to keep that momentum going on Friday night as it visits Louisville City FC in a game that could make things even more interesting if the visitors come out on top.
12 Tacoma Defiance
(7-5-6)
Week 20: v. LV, v. PHX		 6
Last Week:
6		 The Defiance didn’t show quite enough against Oakland, but now they get another home back-to-back at Cheney Stadium this week where they are still undefeated this season.
13 OKC Energy FC
(6-7-8)
Week 20: @ MEM, @ SKC		 1
Last Week:
14		 The first goal for Arun Basuljevic in Energy FC colors couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. Hopefully that’s the spark he and Jaime Chavez needed to get things going in front of goal.
14 Charlotte Independence
(8-8-3)
Week 20: v. MIA		 9
Last Week:
5		 The Independence hammered away at the Rowdies for an hour but only mustered two shots on goal, and now they’ve got to take on a Miami side that has defeated its twice so far this season.
15 San Diego Loyal SC
(9-9-3)
Week 20: v. LA		 2
Last Week:
17		 SD Loyal got a nice boost from new arrival Augustine Williams to beat Sacramento on Saturday night, if he stays on song this side is going to get back on track quickly.
16 Charleston Battery
(8-7-4)
Week 20: v. HFD		 3
Last Week:
19		 The Battery earned a 0-0 draw with Orange County on Saturday night – ironically the same result as when the sides first met in 2011 – but that edged them above the playoff line ahead of Wednesday’s key visit to Hartford.
17 Atlanta United 2
(6-9-7)
Week 20: @ IND		 2
Last Week:
15		 It’s not just that Atlanta has lost back-to-back games, but that it has conceded seven times in that span, that makes you wonder if the side’s playoff hopes are in serious peril.
18 Hartford Athletic
(8-8-3)
Week 20: v. CHS, @ NY		 5
Last Week:
13		 Hartford showed resilience down to 10 men against Pittsburgh, but in the end, it wasn’t enough to hold on for a point. Wednesday’s game against the Battery is now a massive playoff six-pointer.
19 Orange County SC
(8-7-6)
Week 20: v. ELP		 4
Last Week:
23		 OCSC has picked up four points from two games under interim Head Coach Richard Chaplow to steady the ship, but Friday’s visit from El Paso is going to be a serious test for this side on home turf.
20 Sacramento Republic FC
(5-7-7)
Week 20: @ LA, @ LV		 4
Last Week:
16		 Sacramento let a lot of the good work it had done in building its winning streak go in Saturday’s loss to San Diego. Now it’s still looking at a five-point gap to make up to Tacoma as it heads to LA on Wednesday.
21 Indy Eleven
(7-8-5)
Week 20: v. ATL		 6
Last Week:
27		 Despite everything, Indy’s still right in the mix for the playoffs after Saturday’s win against Real Monarchs SLC. How the side performs in the next two games at home to Atlanta and then away to Tulsa is going to be crucial.
22 Memphis 901 FC
(5-6-7)
Week 20: v. OKC, v. BHM		 4
Last Week:
18		 Kyle Murphy’s doing an awful lot for this side, but unless he starts getting some support it’s hard to see 901 FC mounting a playoff push even with the games it has in hand on its rivals.
23 Rio Grande Valley FC
(8-8-5)
Week 20: v. LDN		 3
Last Week:
20		 The Toros are bringing in reinforcements to boost their playoff push, but Saturday’s home game against Loudoun United FC has to result in three points to get off the winless streak the side is currently on.
24 Austin Bold FC
(6-6-8)
Week 20: --		 3
Last Week:
21		 Bold FC hasn’t scored more than one goal in its past five games, which is a big reason for its current winless streak. If that changes, starting next Tuesday against San Antonio, this team can still be a threat.
25 LA Galaxy II
(6-9-4)
Week 20: v. SAC, @ SD		 4
Last Week:
29		 Los Dos might have thrown their season a lifeline with Friday night’s late winner by Remi Cabral in Las Vegas. They’re going to have to follow that up with another good display against Sacramento on Wednesday, though.
26 New Mexico United
(6-7-7)
Week 20: v. COS		 2
Last Week:
24		 Even when New Mexico looks like it’s caught a break – like Phoenix’s own goal on Saturday night – there’s one final twist in the tail that knocks the side back again. Saturday’s game at home to Colorado Springs is going to be crucial for this team’s confidence.
27 Real Monarchs SLC
(4-11-4)
Week 20: @ SA		 2
Last Week:
25		 Congratulations to Blake Kelly on becoming the youngest goalkeeper to start a game in the Championship’s history. The result might not have gone the side’s way at Indy, but there was no lack of attacking effort in trying to salvage a point.
28 Loudoun United FC
(3-15-1)
Week 20: @ RGV		 2
Last Week:
26		 Loudoun got the past weekend off as it looks to regroup before Saturday’s trip to South Texas and a first meeting with Rio Grande Valley FC.
29 Sporting Kansas City II
(3-12-7)
Week 20: v. BHM, v. OKC		 1
Last Week:
30		 Sporting just couldn’t find a telling finish on Sunday evening against Memphis with none of its 16 shots forcing a save out of 901 FC goalkeeper Cody Cropper.
30 Las Vegas Lights FC
(5-13-2)
Week 20: @ TAC, @ SAC		 2
Last Week:
28		 Las Vegas has dropped to last in the Pacific Division with Oakland’s recent surge and is going to be without some key pieces on Thursday after the scenes we saw following LA’s winner on Friday night.
31 New York Red Bulls II
(3-12-4)
Week 20: @ PIT, v. HFD
Last Week:
31		 The Red Bulls II are now on a six-game losing streak. Going to face Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC isn’t usually the thing you’d prescribe for a team looking to break out of that.

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Tag(s): Power Rankings  San Antonio FC  CO Spring Switchbacks  LA Galaxy II  OKC Energy FC  Orange County SC  Phoenix Rising FC  Real Monarchs SLC  Rio Grande Valley FC  Sacramento Republic FC  FC Tulsa  Charleston Battery  Charlotte Independence  Louisville City FC  New York Red Bulls II  Pittsburgh Riverhounds  Tampa Bay Rowdies  Las Vegas Lights FC  Birmingham Legion FC  Austin Bold FC  Atlanta United 2  Indy Eleven  Memphis 901 FC  El Paso Locomotive FC  New Mexico United  Loudoun United FC  Hartford Athletic  Tacoma Defiance  San Diego Loyal SC  Sporting KC II  Miami FC  Oakland Roots SC 

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