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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 29

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 09/26/22, 4:00PM EDT

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San Antonio rises to the top with stellar week, Memphis jumps two spots

Congratulations to San Antonio FC for locking up the top spot in the Western Conference with wins over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and Sacramento Republic FC in a good week on the field for Alen Marcina’s team. The Western Conference playoffs will run through Toyota Field and SAFC is closing in on the No. 1 overall seed as well.

San Antonio has racked up a home record of 11-1-4 this season, but you never really know what will happen in the postseason. SAFC has this week off to do some early scouting on potential playoff opponents

In the Eastern Conference, Memphis 901 FC rises to No. 2 in the power rankings after beating Louisville head-to-head in a crazy game that featured a game-winning goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time AND THEN three red cards. Memphis now controls its destiny in the Eastern Conference. If it wins out, it will earn the No. 1 seed in the east.

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

Rank

 

Team

Change

Summary

1 San Antonio FC
(22-5-4)
Week 30: @ PIT
2
Last Week:
3
San Antonio clinched the top seed in the Western Conference by picking up shutout wins over the teams in third and fourth. The margins could have been bigger, but this team looks ready for the postseason.
2 Memphis 901 FC
(19-7-4)
Week 30: @ MIA
2
Last Week:
4
Another bonkers game between Louisville and Memphis saw 901 FC steal a road win in dramatic fashion to take control of its own destiny in the Eastern Conference. How Memphis will cope while Phillip Goodrum and Rece Buckmaster in its next match will say a lot about where this race ends up.
3 Louisville City FC
(19-6-6)
Week 30: @ RGV
1
Last Week:
2
It just seems to un-Louisville City to concede a late game winner at home at Lynn Family Stadium. The game was crazy and unpredictable, but its implications could be long-lasting, especially with a visit to red-hot RGV FC up next.
4 Detroit City FC
(13-6-12)
Week 30: @ LDN
3
Last Week:
1
Le Rouge extended its unbeaten run to six games, but draws against New York and FC Tulsa – both eliminated from playoff contention – have taken some of the shine off Detroit’s momentum.
5 Sacramento Republic FC
(14-9-7)
Week 30: v. PHX, @ LA

Last Week:
5
Sacramento looks like a good bet to catch and pass Colorado Springs for third place in the West. Both teams lost 1-0 in San Antonio this week, but Sacramento looked much better in doing so. The Republic is headed in the right direction as the postseason approaches.
6 Rio Grande Valley FC
(12-12-6)
Week 30: v. LOU
3
Last Week:
9
Christian Pinzon is carrying the Toros up the table. This team still sits only seventh in the standings, but it’s won four in a row. With games against Louisville and Memphis next on the schedule, we’ll know soon if RGV FC is for real.
7 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(16-7-7)
Week 30: v. ELP, @ MB
1
Last Week:
6
The Rowdies could’ve taken a big step toward third on Saturday night, but they were held to a draw at home by Birmingham. Since July 3, the Rowdies have only one win against a team in the current playoff field.
8 Birmingham Legion FC
(16-8-7)
Week 30: @ OAK

Last Week:
8
Give Birmingham credit for picking up a point at Al Lang Stadium. Legion FC isn’t blowing anyone’s doors off right now, but it is playing pretty well with the regular season coming to a close.
9 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(16-12-4)
Week 30: ---
2
Last Week:
7
Colorado Springs is stumbling toward the postseason and needs to turn things around quick. A 1-0 loss in San Antonio is respectable enough, and a home draw against Oakland is ok in the context of playing down a man for 35 minutes, but the Switchbacks could really use a win soon.
10 San Diego Loyal SC
(18-9-4)
Week 30: @ OC
2
Last Week:
12
San Diego broke a losing skid with a 3-0 win over Phoenix Rising and opened a four-point gap over Colorado Springs in the process. Upcoming matches against Las Vegas Lights FC and Orange County SC could see Landon Donovan’s side go on a run.
11 Monterey Bay F.C.
(12-14-4)
Week 30: @ LV, v. TBR

Last Week:
11
Monterey Bay will be disappointed to draw against Phoenix at home, especially given it missed a potential game-winning penalty kick in stoppage time, but a draw in Miami on short rest after a cross-country flight should ease some tension. That’s five in a row unbeaten for Monterey Bay.
12 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(15-8-8)
Week 30: v. SA
2
Last Week:
10
Pittsburgh will rue its failure to close out Orange County SC at home last week, especially after holding a lead for 86 minutes. The Hounds could have really used those two points in the race to secure a home playoff game.
13 The Miami FC
(13-8-10)
Week 30: v. MEM

Last Week:
13
Miami’s ticket to the postseason is booked, but back-to-back home draws against Atlanta United II and Monterey Bay F.C. feel like a missed opportunity to build momentum.
14 Indy Eleven
(10-15-5)
Week 30: @ ATL, v. TUL

Last Week:
14
Indy picked up a nice win over Loudoun on Sunday to make it four wins in its last six matches.
15 Oakland Roots SC
(9-9-13)
Week 30: v. BHM
1
Last Week:
16
Oakland is beating the teams it should beat (Phoenix and New York) and a draw at altitude in Colorado Springs is a good result. Still, you wouldn’t want to be in Oakland’s spot in the table. With only three games, Oakland needs to catch fire to hold off Monterey Bay and pass someone.
16 El Paso Locomotive FC
(12-12-7)
Week 30: @ TBR
1
Last Week:
15
El Paso was idle this weekend and held its place in the table. Big tests loom against the Rowdies and Colorado Springs.
17 New Mexico United
(11-9-10)
Week 30: @ LV
1
Last Week:
18
New Mexico was also idle this weekend and held its place. New Mexico’s position above the playoff line looks relatively strong, but the west is still so tight around the playoff line.
18 FC Tulsa
(10-15-6)
Week 30: @ IND
1
Last Week:
19
Tulsa fell behind, fought back to take the lead and then conceded again at Keyworth. There’s no shame in a draw in Detroit, but Tulsa lacks consistency right now.
19 Hartford Athletic
(9-16-6)
Week 30: v. CHS
2
Last Week:
17
Hartford was humbled in a 3-0 defeat by Loudoun, showing Tab Ramos he has a lot of work to do ahead of 2023.
20 Loudoun United FC
(8-20-3)
Week 30: v. DET
1
Last Week:
21
Loudoun snapped a three-game losing streak with a good win over Hartford, but then lost in Indy. Still, that’s an ok week for a team this low in the table.
21 Atlanta United 2
(5-21-5)
Week 30: v. IND
1
Last Week:
20
Atlanta was idle this week and, a nice little preview of the offseason.
22 LA Galaxy II
(10-14-6)
Week 30: v. SAC

Last Week:
22
After an off weekend, LA Galaxy II are still mathematically alive, but it would take a miracle to reach the playoffs.
23 Phoenix Rising FC
(9-15-6)
Week 30: @ SAC, v. NY

Last Week:
23
Speaking of “still mathematically alive but not going to the playoffs…”
24 Las Vegas Lights FC
(10-13-7)
Week 30: v. MB, v. NM
1
Last Week:
25
Las Vegas is five points short of the playoff line with four games to go. It’s possible, but Lights FC has lost four in a row. That doesn’t inspire confidence.
25 New York Red Bulls II
(3-22-6)
Week 30: @ PHX
2
Last Week:
27
New York played its final home game last week. It was a scoreless draw against Detroit, which feels kind of fitting.
26 Orange County SC
(7-13-11)
Week 30: v. SD

Last Week:
26
Orange County’s title defense is officially over. 2023 can’t come soon enough, though you have to admire the fight needed to rescue a last-minute draw in Pittsburgh.
27 Charleston Battery
(6-19-6)
Week 30: @ HFD
3
Last Week:
24
Three players were suspended, but Charleston looked well off the pace in a 3-0 home loss to RGV FC. That’s back-to-back losses by a combined score of 8-0

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