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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 12

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 05/29/23, 4:30PM EDT

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Republic FC’s balance complemented by Cicerone’s finishing to produce impressive frontrunner

When Sacramento Republic FC lost its first league game of the season to Orange County SC last week, it was a surprise.

Not just because of the result, but because for the first time this season things just didn’t quite click in the way they’ve been used to.

So, how did the side respond? Just two more textbook victories in which Republic FC’s finishing was clinical, its defense was stout, and the gap to its biggest rivals in the Western Conference grew to five points.

Republic FC is now almost on the same points-per-game pace as San Antonio FC was a season ago with a third of the regular season complete, making it potentially one of the best regular season campaigns in league history. It’s scored the most goals in the league (24) and conceded the fewest (6), giving it a chance to be only the second team to lead the league in both since the 2016 New York Red Bulls II side that won the Players’ Shield in the regular season and the league title.

That’s long been the aim at Heart Health Park since its success in its inaugural season in 2014, one that’s always seemed to come up just short in some area. With Russell Cicerone delivering in the way it was hoped for with nine goals this season, though, that final piece of the puzzle looks to be in place.

While there’s a long way to go, Sacramento’s well-rounded squad is already in a high gear.

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 El Paso Locomotive FC
(7-3-1)
Week 13: @ NM

Last Week:
1
Six consecutive victories coming into the Derby del Camino Real, but there’s pressure to keep pace after most of the West’s contenders won this past weekend.
2 Sacramento Republic FC
(8-1-3)
Week 13: @ TBR
1
Last Week:
3
Once again, plenty to like about a good all-around team display that gives Republic FC a five-point cushion at the top of the Western Conference.
3 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(6-4-2)
Week 13: v. SAC
1
Last Week:
4
The Rowdies completed a perfect month with victory against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and have found an ideal fit on the left side with Ryan Spaulding, who’s now tied for the league-lead in assists.
4 San Antonio FC
(6-2-4)
Week 13: v. SD
2
Last Week:
6
San Antonio’s first half against New Mexico showed why it’s so hard to earn a result at Toyota Field, even if the finishing in the second half showed why the side isn’t sitting closer to Sacramento right now.
5 Louisville City FC
(6-3-2)
Week 13: @ HFD
3
Last Week:
2
LouCity should have had its game in midweek against Tulsa done and dusted and it ended up costing them. Good response in Indy, though, even if there are still areas to be tightened up.
6 Memphis 901 FC
(4-2-3)
Week 13: v. MIA
1
Last Week:
5
We should get our first look at Memphis with Rodrigo da Costa this weekend against Miami, certainly should be an interesting debut.
7 Charleston Battery
(7-2-3)
Week 13: v. IND

Last Week:
7
The Battery have now won more games this regular season (7) than they did in the duration of the 2022 regular season (6). Victory in South Texas kept everyone else at arm’s length in the Eastern standings.
8 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(5-2-5)
Week 13: v. PHX

Last Week:
8
The Hounds deserved their win in Loudoun to keep the train rolling after Wednesday night’s success. Everything seems to be falling into place as hoped for currently.
9 Oakland Roots SC
(5-4-2)
Week 13: @ COS
3
Last Week:
12
Oakland needed some big stops by Paul Blanchette to earn a good bounce-back result against SD Loyal on Saturday, but more often than not he keeps finding a way to come through when needed.
10 San Diego Loyal SC
(6-4-2)
Week 13: @ SA
1
Last Week:
9
Saturday’s performances felt underwhelming considering what we know this side can be capable of. As strong as the battle for position is in the West, SD Loyal can’t afford many of those.
11 Phoenix Rising FC
(4-3-4)
Week 13: @ PIT
1
Last Week:
10
Rising FC did everything but score and then got sucker-punched by Las Vegas. The performance was probably where it needed to be, but that result is going to sting.
12 New Mexico United
(4-4-2)
Week 13: v. ELP
1
Last Week:
11
New Mexico’s second-half display was what was needed throughout the full 90 minutes. Reality is if you play that meekly for 45 minutes against San Antonio, you’re not going to get a result.
13 Detroit City FC
(3-7-2)
Week 13: --
6
Last Week:
19
Two consecutive wins, two consecutive shutouts, and a vintage Maxi Rodriguez performance. Le Rouge are on the rise in a lower-half of the Eastern Conference that’s struggling otherwise.
14 Indy Eleven
(3-5-3)
Week 13: @ CHS
1
Last Week:
13
There were some chances, but once again Indy’s attack didn’t seem to live up to the sum of its parts. The full back injury list is also starting to get worrying.
15 Birmingham Legion FC
(5-7-1)
Week 13: --

Last Week:
15
A great midweek Open Cup victory, and then a fifth consecutive defeat in the league to follow it. Legion FC is still in the top five for now, but it’s going to have to find a turnaround in form soon.
16 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(5-6-1)
Week 13: v. OAK
2
Last Week:
14
The Switchbacks couldn’t quite find their timing when it came to breaking the Rowdies’ back line, otherwise this might have been a closer game than it ended up.
17 FC Tulsa
(2-4-6)
Week 13: @ MB
5
Last Week:
22
Phillip Goodrum scoring the winner and generally making a nuisance of himself in his debut at Louisville? That’s the sort of early return that makes the deal Tulsa made to get him look smart.
18 Monterey Bay F.C.
(3-4-4)
Week 13: v. TUL, v. LDN
2
Last Week:
16
Monterey Bay gets two home games this week against Eastern Conference foes and then a trip to Vegas. If it’s going to break a four-game winless run, this is about as good a chance as it’s going to get.
19 Rio Grande Valley FC
(2-4-5)
Week 13: @ OC
1
Last Week:
18
The Toros have recorded 17 shots on target in the past two games and come away with no goals. There’s potential here, but it’s got to start delivering results soon.
20 Las Vegas Lights FC
(1-4-6)
Week 13: --
4
Last Week:
24
Lights FC was due for one of its battling displays to get rewarded, even if it benefited from Phoenix’s profligacy in front of goal. Something to build on going into the bye week.
21 Hartford Athletic
(2-7-2)
Week 13: v. LOU
4
Last Week:
17
There were positive aspects to Hartford’s performance against Sacramento, but the hosts got a clinic in finishing from Republic FC that made the difference.
22 Orange County SC
(2-7-4)
Week 13: v. RGV
2
Last Week:
20
If there was going to be a winner in South Florida on Saturday night, OCSC looked the more likely. Crucial month coming up for the side now.
23 Miami FC
(2-4-6)
Week 13: @ MEM
2
Last Week:
21
Saturday’s game was the third this regular season in which Miami FC has been held to four shots or fewer. That’s really not a good sign.
24 Loudoun United FC
(3-8-1)
Week 13: @ MB
1
Last Week:
23
Six consecutive defeats and all the optimism about the start this side made to the season has evaporated. Saturday’s game in Monterey Bay is an important one.

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