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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 4

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 04/03/23, 4:30PM EDT

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Top two in Sacramento, San Antonio set for showdown in Texas this weekend

This USL Championship season has already thrown us some outstanding on-paper matchups.

In the past week some of them lived up to expectations – see San Diego Loyal SC’s comeback in front of a raucous crowd against Phoenix Rising FC – and others have given us major surprises – hello, Sacramento Republic FC.

This weekend, though? We’ve got a chance to find out who the big wheel in the Western Conference might be this season, and it has all the potential of a classic.

Defending Championship title holder San Antonio FC is undefeated in its last 15 games across the regular season and playoffs, and while the side has injury concerns, there’s nothing like the willpower that exudes from this squad.

The challenger to its title? So far, it looks like Sacramento Republic FC, which has matched San Antonio’s 10 points in four games and delivered the performance of the season so far on Saturday against Louisville City FC.

Set to be played before another sellout crowd at San Antonio’s Toyota Field, this is going to be appointment viewing. Hopefully, it lives up to the billing.

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
(3-0-1)
Week 5: @ SA

Last Week:
1
It had been almost four years since Sacramento had hung five goals in a USL Championship game – it defeated FC Tulsa 6-0 on June 22, 2019 – but we doubt anyone saw that sort of victory against LouCity coming
2 San Antonio FC
(3-0-1)
Week 5: v. SAC

Last Week:
2
Jordan Farr momentarily appeared mortal, and his teammates stepped up to earn a victory anyway. The depth of the squad is going to be tested against Republic FC this Saturday, though.
3 Birmingham Legion FC
(3-0-1)
Week 5: v. PHX

Last Week:
3
Legion FC is the only team with double-digit points in the Eastern Conference after Saturday’s win against Tampa Bay, the club’s first against the Rowdies since its inaugural season in 2019.
4 San Diego Loyal SC
(2-1-1)
Week 5: v. TUL
1
Last Week:
5
SD Loyal turned up the heat late to earn a point and spoil Phoenix’s club record-setting home opener – five of its six best chances per xG modeling came in the final 20 minutes and produced both goals.
5 Charleston Battery
(1-0-2)
Week 5: v. HFD
1
Last Week:
6
The Battery were off this weekend but are in a very good spot after only Birmingham took victory in the past seven days of the teams currently ahead of them in the East.
6 Indy Eleven
(1-0-2)
Week 5: v. OAK
2
Last Week:
8
It’s not hard to imagine how the game might have opened up if Solomon Asante’s first-half header had found the net. Indy just needs to find attacking chemistry to add to a solid foundation.
7 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(2-1-1)
Week 5: v. PIT
5
Last Week:
12
The Switchbacks might need to keep grinding out results like the win they earned at Loudoun United FC given the injuries they’re accumulating, but that goal by Romario Williams was vintage stuff.
8 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(1-0-3)
Week 5: @ COS
1
Last Week:
9
It felt like the Hounds had a good argument that Albert Dikwa’s finish in Tulsa should have been permitted to stand. Still undefeated through four games, though
9 Louisville City FC
(2-2-0)
Week 5: v. DET
5
Last Week:
4
Saturday was the first time LouCity had conceded five goals in a game in its USL Championship history, and the first time it had conceded 3+ goals in consecutive league games.
10 Rio Grande Valley FC
(1-0-3)
Week 5: ---
3
Last Week:
13
The Toros held on for a first win of the season against Detroit City FC as Taylor Davila’s arrowed finish gave him two in two games. Signs of progress.
11 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(0-2-2)
Week 5: v. MIA
1
Last Week:
10
The Rowdies arguably went toe-to-toe with Legion FC, but they’re now winless in four games to start the regular season. It’ll likely be OK in the long-term, but a win against Miami would be very helpful.
12 FC Tulsa
(1-1-3)
Week 5: @ SD
2
Last Week:
14
Pulling a point out of the fire against Locomotive FC on Friday was a big moment for Moses Dyer, while Marcus Epps showed why Pittsburgh keyed on him earlier in the week when El Paso gave him more space to work
13 Monterey Bay F.C.
(1-2-1)
Week 5: v. NM
2
Last Week:
11
Monterey Bay showed fight, but not enough in the final third to upend San Antonio. Wednesday’s Open Cup clash with League One’s Fuego FC is going to be tense, too.
14 El Paso Locomotive FC
(1-3-1)
Week 5: v. OC
1
Last Week:
15
El Paso Locomotive FC – Luis Solignac put three points within reach for El Paso on Friday night only for FC Tulsa to foil that plan. Now, can the side pick up its first Open Cup victory?
15 Oakland Roots SC
(1-1-1)
Week 5: @ IND
6
Last Week:
21
On balance, Oakland deserved its win against New Mexico on Saturday. Five consecutive games against Eastern Conference opposition are up next in the league.
16 New Mexico United
(1-1-0)
Week 5: @ MB
9
Last Week:
7
As solid as New Mexico felt in its opening game, that all felt a bit blunt attacking-wise on Saturday night. There’s going to need to be more confidence when transition moments appear to push the pace.
17 Orange County SC
(0-1-3)
Week 5: @ ELP

Last Week:
17
Same old story for Orange County. Take a lead, fail to hold onto it. Three consecutive draws aren’t that useful.
18 Loudoun United FC
(1-2-1)
Week 5: ---
2
Last Week:
16
On one hand, it’s two losses in a row for Loudoun. On the other, sometimes you’re just going to run into a goalkeeper as hot as Colorado Springs’ Christian Herrera was on Saturday.
19 Phoenix Rising FC
(0-1-2)
Week 5: @ BHM
3
Last Week:
22
There are good signs for Rising FC, no question. There are also no victories yet, and until that first one arrives it remains a concern.
20 Las Vegas Lights FC
(0-0-3)
Week 5: ---
1
Last Week:
19
Las Vegas’ defensive organization looks good. The set pieces are decent. That first win needs to come soon, though.
21 Miami FC
(0-1-3)
Week 5: @ TBR
3
Last Week:
18
An unfortunate own goal is a really difficult way to let a home lead slip. That’s doubly so when you’re a team like Miami that really must start picking up victories on its own turf to contend.
22 Detroit City FC
(1-3-0)
Week 5: @ LOU
2
Last Week:
20
The big question for Le Rouge going into this season was where the goals were going to come from. Held scoreless in three games out of four so far, we haven’t got a proper answer.
23 Hartford Athletic FC
(0-2-2)
Week 5: @ CHS

Last Week:
23
The Athletic have only rallied to win five games in their history after trailing. Saturday’s second half lost momentum and never seemed likely to change that number.
24 Memphis 901 FC
(0-2-1)
Week 5: ---

Last Week:
24
A point, and a big save from Bill Hamid, finally got Memphis off the mark. Only one shot on target for the game, though, which isn’t a great sign when it comes to the side’s current confidence level.

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