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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 8

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 05/01/23, 4:30PM EDT

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Switchbacks have put the new pieces together to maintain position as contender

When we looked at teams undergoing major overhauls of their roster this past offseason, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC was one of the obvious choices to dig into.

After all, the side had lost most of its attacking corps from the prior season, was looking at crucial changes in midfield as well, and then on top of everything else saw Head Coach Brendan Burke depart for Houston Dynamo FC.

But, as we noted then, the business the club had done early in the offseason to fill those gaps seemed to be good, and there could still be reason for optimism that Colorado Springs would still be a solid playoff proposition.

One quarter of the way through the regular season, that belief seems to have been justified, and then some. Sitting in second place in the West with four wins in its last five games, Colorado Springs is coming off handing the Charleston Battery their first loss of the season and is looking like it might even challenge its club-best record last regular season.

Deshane Beckford has been a hit on the flanks, goals are coming from all over – of the team’s nine goals, no-one has individually scored more than twice – and the defense has just one blemish on its resume in a 4-0 defeat to Sacramento Republic FC.

There’s a long way to go, but things are looking good for the Switchbacks so far in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year.

Here’s how the rest of 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
(5-0-3)
Week 9: --

Last Week:
1
Republic FC stands alone as the last undefeated team in the league this season after maintaining its undefeated record against FC Tulsa, and now gets a week off before its Open Cup clash with the Rapids.
2 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(5-2-1)
Week 9: v. ELP
5
Last Week:
7
The Switchbacks keep racking up victories, handing the Charleston Battery their first defeat of the season. This doesn’t feel like a mirage, either.
3 Louisville City FC
(4-2-2)
Week 9: --

Last Week:
3
LouCity has steadily got back on track going four games without defeat in the league ahead of Derby Week, which means a bye for the club. Riders Up!
4 Charleston Battery
(4-1-3)
Week 9: @ LV
2
Last Week:
2
The Battery couldn’t really complain about their loss to Colorado Springs in heavy conditions. We’ll see how they respond as they head to visit Las Vegas for Lights FC’s home opener.
5 El Paso Locomotive FC
(4-3-1)
Week 9: @ COS
4
Last Week:
9
Locomotive FC might have got away with one at San Diego, but the visitors made the most of the few chances they had in impressive style to maintain momentum.
6 Birmingham Legion FC
(5-2-1)
Week 9: @ MIA, v. OAK
4
Last Week:
10
Birmingham’s second half against Hartford saw the side close to its best. More of that – and much less of the first-half display – and this is a contender
7 San Antonio FC
(3-1-4)
Week 9: @ LV
2
Last Week:
5
San Antonio FC is winless in its last four games and gets a rematch with Las Vegas next on Sunday afternoon. Given the physical nature of this past Saturday’s game, that should be must-see.
8 San Diego Loyal SC
(4-2-2)
Week 9: @ OC
4
Last Week:
4
SD Loyal will feel it deserved better from its first home loss of the season against El Paso Locomotive FC, but it didn’t take its chances cleanly enough in the end.
9 Monterey Bay F.C.
(3-2-3)
Week 9: v. PIT
3
Last Week:
6
There was a small feeling of a letdown for Monterey Bay against Rio Grande Valley FC after its Open Cup triumph, but the side is right where it should be one quarter in.
10 Phoenix Rising FC
(2-1-4)
Week 9: @ TBR
2
Last Week:
12
Solid win for Phoenix, but we’d have liked to see a bit more desire to put the game away in the second half. Can this side repeat that performance in Tampa Bay?
11 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(2-4-2)
Week 9: v. PHX
2
Last Week:
13
We may as well ask the same question of the Rowdies, who put in their best performance of the season so far to win against Detroit. Tampa Bay has defeated Phoenix in each of their first two meetings.
12 Loudoun United FC
(3-3-1)
Week 9: v. IND
4
Last Week:
8
A little bit of a reality check for Loudoun after a great run of form. That said, there’s nothing to get too alarmed about here if it can rebound at home next Saturday.
13 Memphis 901 FC
(1-2-3)
Week 9: @ HFD
1
Last Week:
14
Sustained progress for Memphis, which is now undefeated in four games in the league and coming off a big Open Cup upset. Into the playoff positions next?
14 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(2-2-4)
Week 9: @ MB
3
Last Week:
11
It’s a bit of a mixed bag for the Hounds in terms of recent form in the league, but they’re still in a solid position with Albert Dikwa in contention for the Golden Boot.
15 New Mexico United
(2-3-1)
Week 9: @ RGV
6
Last Week:
21
That was much more like the New Mexico we were expecting to see at the start of the season. Now the question will be if United can build on that against a struggling Rio Grande Valley FC.
16 Oakland Roots SC
(2-3-2)
Week 9: @ BHM
2
Last Week:
18
Roots SC probably had the better chances against Miami, but the absence of Johnny Rodriguez and Anuar Pelaez was noticeable. Need a boost in the final third
17 Miami FC
(1-2-5)
Week 9: v. BHM

Last Week:
17
Florida Valot might have hit the crossbar, but this wasn’t the follow-up we were looking for from Miami, especially after missing out majorly in the Open Cup in midweek
18 Hartford Athletic
(1-4-2)
Week 9: v. MEM
2
Last Week:
16
Hartford looked well on top against Birmingham in the first half and then saw it all slip away after the break. Some crucial games coming up, starting at home to Memphis.
19 Las Vegas Lights FC
(0-1-5)
Week 9: v. CHS, v. SA

Last Week:
19
Las Vegas has an ace in the hole in Leo Diaz, who has saved both of the penalty kicks he’s faced this season – and all three if you count the disallowed one against San Antonio.
20 Indy Eleven
(1-3-3)
Week 9: @ LDN

Last Week:
20
Indy found the net, but only two shots on target and seven overall against Pittsburgh? The excitement we were anticipating still isn’t there.
21 FC Tulsa
(1-3-4)
Week 9: @ DET
2
Last Week:
23
Moses Dyer’s goal at least earned Tulsa a point against perpetual nemesis Sacramento Republic FC, but that’s no wins in five league games for the side now.
22 Orange County SC
(1-4-3)
Week 9: v. SD
7
Last Week:
15
Orange County has scored in seven of its eight outings so far, but 13 goals against – second-most in the league – isn’t going to get a team anywhere.
23 Rio Grande Valley FC
(1-2-4)
Week 9: v. NM
1
Last Week:
22
The Toros still couldn’t find the net for a third consecutive game to remain stalled near the bottom of the Western Conference.
24 Detroit City FC
(1-6-1)
Week 9: v. TUL

Last Week:
24
Le Rouge haven’t scored a league goal in 552 minutes. Saturday’s game with Tulsa isn’t a must-win, but they need to get in gear soon.

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