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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 5

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 04/11/22, 4:00PM EDT

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High-profile interconference clash will pit top attack, defense against one another

Hello, and welcome to the latest edition of the Championship’s Power Rankings, where this week we’ll once again get to test the concept of whether offense or defense wins titles.

That’s because after their wins this past weekend, we’re all set for a Power Rankings top-three showdown when No. 2 Louisville City FC heads to face No. 3 San Diego Loyal SC with LouCity boasting the best defense in the league so far, and SD Loyal sitting with the most goals in the league.

LouCity’s performance defensively isn’t a surprise. Last year the side sported the lowest Expected Goals Against mark in the Championship via American Soccer Analysis’ numbers and it’s sitting there again through six games with a mark of just 3.40xGA. The arrival of goalkeeper Kyle Morton has helped that number stand up on the scoreboard, too, with the side having conceded only once in six games, compared to last season’s underperformance.

SD Loyal, meanwhile, has been excellent value for its league-leading 14 goals this campaign. The side has benefited from a pair of own goals in that number, but on its other 12 tallies the side has notched an Expected Goals mark of 8.80xG. When a team is going well, you can expect a certain level of overperformance, and with the way San Diego is playing as of now this feels like a side that’s found the next level.

You might remember LouCity took a 2-1 win when these sides met for the first time at Lynn Family Stadium a season ago. Saturday’s rematch at Torero Stadium isn’t just a chance for revenge for the hosts but could be a preview of November’s USL Championship Final.

Atlanta United 2 Birmingham Legion FC Charleston Battery Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Detroit City 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 Monterey Bay F.C. New Mexico United
New York Red Bulls II Oakland Roots SC Orange County SC Phoenix Rising FC Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Rio Grande Valley FC Sacramento Republic FC San Antonio FC
San Diego Loyal SC Tampa Bay Rowdies FC Tulsa

Biggest Movers

6 MIA 8 TBR

Rank

 

Team

Change

Summary
1 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(5-0-0)
Week 6: v. MEM
Last Week:
1		 The Switchbacks had to battle back from a deficit for the first time this season to keep their perfect record but did so impressively against Lights FC on Saturday afternoon.
2 Louisville City FC
(4-0-2)
Week 6: @ SD
Last Week:
2		 LouCity locked down Loudoun’s Sami Guediri and kept their hosts to only two shots as a result to maintain the best defensive record in the league so far.
3 San Diego Loyal SC
(5-1-0)
Week 6: @ OAK, vs. LOU
Last Week:
3		 With Kyle Vassell now firing as well, SD Loyal boasts the highest-scoring attack in the league ahead of its second meeting with Louisville City FC, which will be a must-see at Torero Stadium on Saturday.
4 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(4-0-1)
Week 6: @ LV		 1
Last Week:
5		 Head Coach Bob Lilley gave the Hounds a passing grade for their victory on the road against FC Tulsa, but that attack is starting to look pretty, pretty good.
5 Sacramento Republic FC
(3-1-0)
Week 6: @ OC		 1
Last Week:
6		 Sacramento has shown it can get the job done at home this season. If it can pull a victory on the road against Orange County SC on Saturday, it’ll be another reason to believe in the side’s potential.
6 Phoenix Rising FC
(3-2-0)
Week 6: v. NM
 4
Last Week:
10		 Head Coach Rick Schantz thinks his side still has things to fix, and he’s right, but everything seems to be trending upward right now at Wild Horse Pass after Saturday’s win against the Galaxy II.
7 New Mexico United
(2-0-2)
Week 6: @ PHX
Last Week:
7		 New Mexico United will take its undefeated record to Phoenix twice in the next 10 days, first for a league showdown on Saturday night and then for an Open Cup clash. This will be fascinating.
8 San Antonio FC
(4-1-0)
Week 6: v. ELP		 3
Last Week:
11		 Jordan Farr came up clutch to earn SAFC victory on the road against Orange County SC on Saturday, especially with his stoppage-time save to deny “Cubo” Torres an equalizer.
9 The Miami FC
(2-2-1)
Week 6: v. HFD		 6
Last Week:
15		 Goals are still proving a little hard to come by for the talent Miami has in its squad. If its defense keeps playing the way it did to earn victory in Tampa Bay, it will still have a chance to earn results.
10 Detroit City FC
(2-1-2)
Week 6: v. BHM		 2
Last Week:
12		 Detroit is undefeated in four consecutive games since its season-opening defeat and played some delightful soccer against Atlanta on Saturday. Things are progressing very nicely indeed.
11 FC Tulsa
(3-3-0)
Week 6: @ MEM, @ TBR		 2
Last Week:
9		 Tulsa saw its six-game home winning streak come to an end against Pittsburgh, but the spirit the side showed in battling back against the Hounds was clearly something to build on going to Memphis on Wednesday.
12 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(2-1-3)
Week 6: v. TUL		 8
Last Week:
4		 The Rowdies have been held scoreless in consecutive games across the regular season and playoffs for the first time since a three-game scoreless streak in August 2018, a span of more than 100 games overall.
13 Orange County SC
(1-2-1)
Week 6: v. SAC		 5
Last Week:
8		 The defending title holders probably deserved to take something from Saturday’s game with Orange County, but when the opposing goalkeeper is hot, there’s not much you can do.
14 Birmingham Legion FC
(1-2-2)
Week 6: @ DET		 3
Last Week:
17		 Finding a way to grab victory in stoppage time for a first league win of the season is the sort of moment that can really boost a side. That’s good for Legion FC, because going to Detroit City FC next is going to be a test.
15 Memphis 901 FC
(2-1-1)
Week 6: v. TUL, @ COS		 1
Last Week:
14		 There’s a big week ahead for 901 FC as it hosts FC Tulsa before heading to face Colorado Springs. What’s the potential ceiling for this squad?
16 Las Vegas Lights FC
(3-3-0)
Week 6: v. PIT		 3
Last Week:
13		 Las Vegas couldn’t hold out for a result against the Switchbacks, but Danny Trejo and Cal Jennings continue to be the most dynamic attacking duo in the league with eight goals and seven assists between them.
17 El Paso Locomotive FC
(1-4-0)
Week 6: @ SA		 5
Last Week:
22		 Did Locomotive FC wake up on Saturday night? We’re going to need to see more, but that was the sort of display we’ve been waiting for.
18 Indy Eleven
(1-2-2)
Week 6: v. ATL		 3
Last Week:
21		 Earning that first victory is going to be big for the squad’s confidence as it returns home for another winnable contest against Atlanta United 2 on Saturday night.
19 Loudoun United FC
(2-2-1)
Week 6: @ OAK		 3
Last Week:
16		 The Toros had the weekend off to try, and should have used the time to figure out its attack as it heads into the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for the first time.
20 Oakland Roots SC
(0-3-2)
Week 6: v. SD, v. LDN
Last Week:
20		 Oakland could really upset the apple cart if it can find a way past San Diego Loyal SC for its first league win of the season on Wednesday night.
21 Rio Grande Valley FC
(1-4-0)
Week 6: @ NY		 2
Last Week:
19		 The Toros need someone else to step up in the attacking third besides Frank Lopez, or else its solid underlying numbers aren’t going to mean very much.
22 Atlanta United 2
(2-4-0)
Week 6: v. @ IND		 4
Last Week:
18		 After the hope of consecutive wins, Atlanta’s defense got sliced up consistently by Detroit on Saturday night and didn’t offer nearly enough in return.
23 LA Galaxy II
(1-3-1)
Week 6: v. MB		 1
Last Week:
24		 Los Dos have lost their last seven trips to Phoenix, and while they had their chances to change that the Rising FC attack just proved a bit too irresistible on Saturday.
24 Hartford Athletic
(0-3-1)
Week 6: @ MIA		 1
Last Week:
25		 As big a boost as Birmingham will have felt from Sunday’s win, it’s got to have been deflating for Hartford to have a point on the road grabbed away like that.
25 Monterey Bay F.C.
(1-4-0)
Week 6: @ LA		 2
Last Week:
23		 Saturday’s performance against Locomotive FC was not pretty. It could be the road trip is starting to wear on the squad with the home opener on May 7 starting to come into view.
26 Charleston Battery
(1-4-0)
Week 6: @ ---
Last Week:
26		 Four defeats in a row in the league for the Battery after Saturday’s visit to San Diego, things have to get moving in the right direction soon.
27 New York Red Bulls II
(1-4-0)
Week 6: v. RGV
Last Week:
27		 The Red Bulls II got this weekend off, and now will try to find a return to the win column on Friday night against Rio Grande Valley FC.

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Tag(s): Power Rankings  San Antonio FC  CO Spring Switchbacks  LA Galaxy II  Orange County SC  Phoenix Rising FC  Rio Grande Valley FC  Sacramento Republic FC  FC Tulsa  Charleston Battery  Louisville City FC  New York Red Bulls II  Pittsburgh Riverhounds  Tampa Bay Rowdies  Las Vegas Lights FC  Birmingham Legion FC  Atlanta United 2  Indy Eleven  Memphis 901 FC  El Paso Locomotive FC  New Mexico United  Loudoun United FC  Hartford Athletic  San Diego Loyal SC  Miami FC  Oakland Roots SC  Detroit City FC  Monterey Bay F.C. 

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