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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 32

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 10/17/22, 4:30PM EDT

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The playoffs are here – who’s in form and who needs to forget the last few weeks?

Welcome to the final USL Championship Power Rankings of the 2022 regular season, where we’ve got little change at the top, and some final late surges for those teams now taking aim at postseason glory.

Going into the playoffs with momentum, though, shouldn’t be underestimated.

Just look at last season, when Orange County SC ran off five consecutive victories to close the regular season before delivering the first league title in club history as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.

That pattern was almost replicated in 2019 when Real Monarch's SLC went 4-0-1 over its last five games and 6-1-1 in its last eight on the way to taking the title as a No. 4 seed.

And who can forget the six consecutive victories that Louisville City FC reeled off before the playoffs under then Head-Coach John Hackworth ahead of claiming its second league title in 2018?

 

The good news for this season’s favorites is they’re looking good – San Antonio FC couldn’t close with a win, but it’s undefeated in its last eight games overall. Louisville City FC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies have picked up three and four wins in a row respectively, while if you're looking for an underdog, New Mexico United is undefeated in its last five.

As you make your picks for how the opening weekend – and ensuing rounds – are going to play out, the form a team is carrying may be your best indicator as to who’s going to be standing at the end on November 13.

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
(24-5-5)
Conference Semifinal: 10/28

Last Week:
1
San Antonio couldn’t quite get over the line in its pursuit of single-season league records, but with only one home defeat all season it’s the favorite to bring it all home going into the playoffs.
2 Louisville City FC
(22-6-6)
Conference Semifinal: 10/29

Last Week:
2
How happy are LouCity fans to not only see Cam Lancaster back on the field, but finding the net in the final game of the regular season? What a player to bring back for the postseason.
3 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(20-7-7)
Conference Quarterfinal: v. MIA

Last Week:
3
The Rowdies were kept from another rout on Saturday night by a lights-out display from Red Bulls II goalkeeper AJ Marcucci, but they’re clicking nicely at just the right time.
4 Rio Grande Valley FC
(14-13-7)
Conference Quarterfinal: @ COS

Last Week:
4
The Toros left no doubt as to their playoff status on Saturday night. If they can maintain that level, they’re going to be dangerous again this postseason.
5 Memphis 901 FC
(21-8-5)
Conference Quarterfinal: v. DET
1
Last Week:
6
Memphis had to deliver victory to ensure the No. 2 seed in the East and did so in style. For those of us looking for storylines, that win set up two brilliant matchups this weekend.
6 The Miami FC
(15-9-10)
Conference Quarterfinal: @ TBR
4
Last Week:
10
Miami FC went on the road and delivered a tremendous defensive display to move ahead of Detroit City FC and into the No.6 seed. Its visit to Tampa Bay on Saturday night is going to be a must see.
7 New Mexico United
(13-9-12)
Conference Quarterfinal: @ SAC
9
Last Week:
16
Recency bias? Sure, that’s what this is about – but you’d take the week New Mexico had to fly into the postseason over some of the teams that stumbled into the postseason, wouldn’t you?
8 Detroit City FC
(14-8-12)
Conference Quarterfinal: @ MEM

Last Week:
8
Le Rouge couldn’t break down a resolute Miami defense, but they still looked stout before a sold-out Keyworth Stadium and are going to be a tough out in the playoffs.
9 Birmingham Legion FC
(17-10-7)
Conference Quarterfinal: v. PIT
8
Last Week:
17
Birmingham got the win it needed to close out the regular season and earn a home playoff game this weekend. Is anyone else nervous its last shutout came in August, though?
10 Sacramento Republic FC
(15-11-8)
Conference Quarterfinal: v. NM
9
Last Week:
19
Republic FC came out with a blistering start on Saturday night and sent a message. San Diego might not have had anything to play for, but peak Republic FC is a very good team indeed.
11 Oakland Roots SC
(11-10-13)
Conference Quarterfinal: @ SD
6
Last Week:
5
Oakland got a lead, couldn’t hold onto it, but still eked its way into the playoffs anyway thanks to Las Vegas’ inability to capitalize later in the night. Can it deliver another road upset this postseason?
12 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(16-9-9)
Conference Quarterfinal: @ BHM
6
Last Week:
18
The Hounds haven’t been consistently good this season, but Head Coach Bob Lilley reckoned their win on Saturday was their best performance this year. Now, can they repeat it in Birmingham?
13 San Diego Loyal SC
(18-10-6)
Conference Quarterfinal: v. OAK
6
Last Week:
7
SD Loyal might not have had anything to play for, but it got a serious lesson from Sacramento Republic FC. Show up from the opening whistle, or your playoff run isn’t going to last long.
14 Hartford Athletic
(10-18-6)
---

Last Week:
14
A stoppage-time penalty defeat was a cruel way to end the season, but now the work for Head Coach Tab Ramos and his group can begin in earnest after some bright signs in the past six weeks.
15 FC Tulsa
(12-16-6)
---

Last Week:
15
One good victory, one tough defeat to close the campaign. Change is coming to FC Tulsa with Blair Gavin’s arrival as new Head Coach, and the side will be expecting a playoff return in 2023.
16 Las Vegas Lights FC
(12-13-9)
---
7
Last Week: 9
As well as he’s played this season, you’d have expected Danny Trejo to deliver on his last-minute chance against Los Dos. It went wide of the mark, and Las Vegas’ playoff chances went with it.
17 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(17-13-4)
Conference Quarterfinal: v. RGV
6
Last Week:
11
Not to cause alarm, but I heard Lee Corso put the Switchbacks on upset alert after seeing their performance in New Mexico on Saturday.
18 Phoenix Rising FC
(12-16-6)
---
3
Last Week:
21
Rising FC got itself a keeper in Gabriel Torres to build around alongside the rest of the returning squad. This offseason is the most important for the club since the transition to its new identity in 2017, though.
19 Indy Eleven
(12-17-5)
---
7
Last Week:
12
The underlying numbers for Indy this season don’t make pretty reading – but they’ve got the people and resources to become a power again, fast. Over to you, Mark Lowry.
20 El Paso Locomotive FC
(13-14-7)
---
7
Last Week:
13
Locomotive FC’s 52 goals conceded were 16 more than its prior high in a regular season, if you want to know what’s got to get addressed this offseason.
21 Orange County SC
(7-14-13)
---
3
Last Week:
24
Orange County produced a fine display to earn a point on the road in its finale at San Antonio. History says the club will rebound – it’s never missed the postseason in consecutive seasons in its history.
22 LA Galaxy II
(11-16-7)
---
1
Last Week:
23
Los Dos went out with a positive result in its final game as a USL Championship side. A trailblazer when it arrived in 2014, it leaves for MLS NEXT Pro ranked seventh all-time currently with 102 regular-season victories.
23 Monterey Bay F.C.
(12-18-4)
---
3
Last Week:
20
The great run MBFC put together to stay in playoff contention ran out of steam in the end, but there’s so much to feel positive about in terms of where this club is headed next year.
24 Atlanta United II
(6-23-5)
---
2
Last Week:
22
Atlanta United 2 won its first game in the USL Championship in 2018, and then lost more games (81) than any team in the regular season over its five seasons in the league.
25 Loudoun United FC
(8-22-4)
---

Last Week:
25
Loudoun couldn’t end the season with a win, but it did secure its highest finish in a regular season by earning a draw against Charleston.
26 Charleston Battery
(6-21-7)
---

Last Week:
26
The Battery enter the offseason in the market for a Head Coach. Given the tremendous support the club has seen this year, it’s a decision the club has to get right.
27 New York Red Bulls II
(3-25-6)
---

Last Week:
27
After the quality the Red Bulls II brought in their early years, it’s a shame the last campaign ended so poorly to leave them with a sub-.500 W-L record overall in its Championship tenure.

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