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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 3

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 03/27/23, 4:30PM EDT

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Sacramento ascends to top spot after statement victory on Saturday night against SD Loyal

During Sacramento Republic FC’s run to the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup last season, we saw the team’s peak. The challenge for the side was sustaining that on a weekly basis.

Open Cup excluded, Sacramento’s longest undefeated run of the season lasted just five games, highlighting the ups and downs Head Coach Mark Briggs’ side experienced while going through its remarkable cup run.

With a win against fellow Western Conference contender San Diego Loyal SC to open a crucial three-game stretch on Saturday night – which also sees Republic FC host Louisville City FC and visit San Antonio FC in the next two weekends – Sacramento looked like a side that was ready to step into a more consistent campaign.

Certainly, Briggs believes the club is in the right mental place to succeed as it faces the big tests ahead.

“[It’s] where it needs to be, and we’ve got another game next weekend,” said Briggs. “Not getting carried away. We've won two and we drew one, which is a great start. But we've now got to continue. Come in tomorrow and get their bodies back to working again and then Monday give them the day off. And then we'll face and prepare for Louisville next Saturday.”

As the seasons have gone by, there has been nothing more important for Republic FC than reclaiming the league title it won in its first season. The next two weeks could show us how close this team could be to achieving that goal.

Here’s how this week’s rankings look.

Birmingham Legion FC Charleston Battery Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Detroit City FC El Paso Locomotive FC Hartford Athletic Indy Eleven Las Vegas Lights FC
Loudoun United FC Louisville City FC Memphis 901 FC The Miami FC Monterey Bay F.C. New Mexico United 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 Sacramento Republic FC
(2-0-1)
Week 4: v. LOU
3
Last Week:
4
Republic FC’s seven points are its most through the opening three games since 2019. The next two weeks with contests against Louisville City FC and San Antonio FC are going to be tough.
2 San Antonio FC
(2-0-1)
Week 4: @ MB
1
Last Week:
3
San Antonio’s undefeated streak is now 14 games dating back to last season. They just keep finding ways to the back of the net.
3 Birmingham Legion FC
(2-0-1)
Week 4: @ TBR
2
Last Week:
5
Legion FC rode its good fortune at times in Hartford, but finally posted its first shutout since August 13 last year to come away with a win.
4 Louisville City FC
(2-1-0)
Week 4: @ SAC
3
Last Week:
1
Louisville’s absences were noticeable, but that was a really uncharacteristic display regardless. Head Coach Danny Cruz’s side will head to Sacramento looking to rebound.
5 San Diego Loyal SC
(2-1-0)
Week 4: @ PHX
3
Last Week:
2
There’s no shame in falling on the road against Republic FC, but SD Loyal didn’t find the quality it needed in the final third after falling behind.
6 Charleston Battery
(1-0-2)
Week 4: --
4
Last Week:
10
The Battery’s thumping of Tampa Bay was even more impressive considering three-quarters of its back line – AJ Paterson, Leland Archer, and Deklan Wynne – were on international duty.
7 New Mexico United
(1-0-0)
Week 4: @ OAK
1
Last Week:
6
Those Velocity Kits look sweet. Can’t wait to see them in action this season.
8 Indy Eleven
(1-0-1)
Week 4: v. LV
1
Last Week:
9
Battling both a tough Detroit City FC side and a pernicious wind, Indy found a way to win. That’s an impressive result.
9 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(1-0-2)
Week 4: @ TUL
2
Last Week:
7
Burke Fahling’s technique to control his half-volleyed finish against Miami was superb, and the least the Hounds deserved from the game.
10 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(0-1-2)
Week 4: v. BHM
2
Last Week:
8
Rough start for the Rowdies. No shutouts yet, which with that defensive unit must be the biggest concern so far.
11 Monterey Bay F.C.
(1-1-1)
Week 4: v. SA
1
Last Week:
12
Antony Siaha set an MBFC single-game record with his nine saves against Rio Grande Valley FC. Shame he couldn’t keep the Toros’ 10th shot on goal out.
12 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(1-1-1)
Week 4: @ LDN
1
Last Week:
13
Toyota Field continues to haunt the Switchbacks. They played well enough to get something from the game, but now are 0-6-2 all-time on the road in San Antonio.
13 Rio Grande Valley FC
(0-0-3)
Week 4: @ DET
1
Last Week:
14
Taylor Davila’s been a great addition to the Toros midfield, but they need the forward line to start taking the chances they’re creating.
14 FC Tulsa
(1-1-1)
Week 4: v. PIT, v. ELP
5
Last Week:
19
Blaine Ferri and Marcus Epps put on a show for the ONEOK Field crowd Saturday night. That will get everyone feeling good.
15 El Paso Locomotive FC
(1-3-0)
Week 4: @ TUL
9
Last Week:
24
After coming up empty at home, El Paso delivered one of the results of the season so far in Louisville. Let’s see if they can pull the same trick in Tulsa on Friday night.
16 Loudoun United FC
(1-1-1)
Week 4: v. COS
5
Last Week:
11
Loudoun hit its first real bump in the road this season on Saturday night. Going to be important to respond well back on home turf this week.
17 Orange County SC
(0-1-2)
Week 4: @ HFD
1
Last Week:
16
Milan Iloski getting off the mark has to feel good, especially after the chances he was denied on against Tampa Bay last week. Still, OCSC needs to find a win.
18 Miami FC
(0-1-2)
Week 4: v. MEM
3
Last Week:
15
Florian Valot’s opening week wondergoal aside, it’s all been a bit underwhelming so far from Miami. Head Coach Anthony Pulis needs to get things turned in the right direction.
19 Las Vegas Lights FC
(0-0-2)
Week 4: @ IND
2
Last Week:
21
Las Vegas is undefeated in six games going back to last season, but it hasn’t been able to hold onto a lead in either of its games this year.
20 Detroit City FC
(1-2-0)
Week 4: v. RGV
3
Last Week:
17
Le Rouge weren’t a ball-dominant side at home last season, but to have Indy come in and control possession in the way it did was key to the lack of big scoring chances for the hosts.
21 Oakland Roots SC
(0-1-1)
Week 4: v. NM
3
Last Week:
18
Oakland will need to be on its toes as it plays host to New Mexico United this week. It doesn’t want to fall too far back in the standings.
22 Phoenix Rising FC
(0-1-1)
Week 4: v. SD
2
Last Week:
20
Home opener week for Rising FC at its new location inside the city limits, and the chance for revenge against San Diego Loyal SC. Should be an electric atmosphere.
23 Hartford Athletic FC
(0-2-1)
Week 4: v. OC
1
Last Week:
22
Lots of coulda, woulda, shoulda in the final third for Hartford on Saturday afternoon, to the annoyance of Head Coach Tab Ramos.
24 Memphis 901 FC
(0-2-0)
Week 4: @ MIA
1
Last Week:
23
We’ll have to wait another week for Bill Hamid’s Memphis debut. Saturday’s game in Miami is going to be an important one.

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