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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 15

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 06/19/23, 4:30PM EDT

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As key faces return, Monterey Bay gets into gear again with impressive road win

If there’s one thing we might have learned from the last couple of weeks in the USL Championship, it’s how competitive the league is looking as we approach the midway point of the campaign.

As undefeated streaks continued for El Paso Locomotive FC, Tampa Bay Rowdies, and Memphis 901 FC – say nothing of consecutive drawn contests for San Antonio FC and San Diego Loyal SC, inseparable again on Wednesday night – there’s been the chance for others to capitalize.

None has done better in that regard than Monterey Bay F.C., which after handing Sacramento Republic FC its first home defeat of the season with a 1-0 win on Saturday night, now sports the longest active winning streak in the league at three games.It shouldn’t be a surprise that the upturn in form Head Coach Frank Yallop’s side has experienced has coincided with some of its key players returning from stints on the sideline. In attack, there has been the return of Sam Gleadle to add a spark over the past four games. Against Sacramento, Hugh Roberts made his second consecutive start after being absent for the entire month of May.

The central triangle of Roberts, fellow center back Kai Greene and goalkeeper Antony Siaha were crucial to MBFC’s success last season, and they each put in solid displays to hold Sacramento off the scoreboard on their home turf.

Now sitting in the top four in the Western Conference, Monterey Bay looks the part of the playoff contender we expected in preseason.

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

5 MB 5 IND

Rank

 

Team

Change

Summary
1 El Paso Locomotive FC
(9-3-3)
Week 16: ---
Last Week:
1		 A four-point week has Los Locos up into first place in the Western Conference and undefeated in 12 games ahead of a well-deserved week off
2 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(7-4-4)
Week 16: @ LDN
Last Week:
2		 Welcome back to the lineup, Jake LaCava. The Rowdies might be disappointed to have let a lead slip in El Paso, but it was probably a fair result in the end.
3 Memphis 901 FC
(6-2-4)
Week 16: v. TUL, v. CHS
Last Week:
3		 Memphis didn’t find the net for the first time this season but still earned a point. Moving the club’s undefeated run into double digits will do this time around.
4 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(7-2-6)
Week 16: v. SD		 1
Last Week:
5		 The Hounds’ winning streak came to an end in a tight contest on the road in Oakland. Still right there for the Eastern Conference lead.
5 Monterey Bay F.C.
(6-4-5)
Week 16: v. MIA		 5
Last Week:
10		 Handing Sacramento its first home defeat of the season is no small feat, and that’s both three wins in a row and a top-four place for MBFC after the rest of the weekend’s results.
6 San Antonio FC
(6-2-7)
Week 16: @ SAC
Last Week:
6		 San Antonio showed off its resilience to come back from a goal down in San Diego, but one again couldn’t make its lead stand. An opportunity lost.
7 Sacramento Republic FC
(8-2-5)
Week 16: v. SA		 3
Last Week:
4		 We’re not sure there’s a big reason to worry about Republic FC even after its loss at home to Monterey Bay, but that’s three games without a win and San Antonio coming in on Saturday.
8 San Diego Loyal SC
(6-4-5)
Week 16: @ PIT
Last Week:
8		 On one hand, the three consecutive draws against San Antonio and Sacramento are good results. On the other, they’re not moving the needle for SD Loyal when it comes to its position.
9 Oakland Roots SC
(6-4-4)
Week 16: v. PHX 		2
Last Week:
7		 Roots SC continues to be solid defensively, running its undefeated streak to four games, but will want to start picking up wins again with three of the next four games at home.
10 Louisville City FC
(6-4-4)
Week 16: v. LV		 1
Last Week:
9		 LouCity scored multiple goals for the first time in more than a month in Phoenix, but goalkeeper Oliver Semmle’s play continues to be a revelation in his rookie season.
11 Charleston Battery
(8-4-4)
Week 16: @ MEM 		2
Last Week:
13		 The Battery’s comeback in Hartford was remarkable, and a sign of the belief that this side has. It even had Augustine Williams enthralled away with Sierra Leone.
12 Detroit City FC
(4-7-4)
Week 16: v. OC		 2
Last Week:
14		 Le Rouge found their shooting boots in Hartford but then misplaced them again in Memphis. Still, a four-point week keeps the positive momentum going.
13 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(7-7-1)
Week 16: @ RGV, @ NM		 2
Last Week:
15		 Two consecutive victories and the Switchbacks are back knocking on the door of a top-four place in the West.
14 Birmingham Legion FC
(6-7-1)
Week 16: v. LDN		 2
Last Week:
16		 It felt like Legion FC had created enough chances to have its game with Indy Eleven settled before Enzo Martinez popped up to provide the winner. Important three points there.
15 Phoenix Rising FC
(4-4-6)
Week 16: @ NM, @ OAK		 4
Last Week:
11		 Phoenix is now winless in four but could do itself a lot of favors if it can find a win on the road on Wednesday night in New Mexico to build some separation from the teams below the playoff line.
16 Loudoun United FC
(5-9-1)
Week 16: @ BHM, v. TBR
 2
Last Week:
18		 Loudoun continues its upward momentum with Zach Ryan leading the way, and if Jackson Hopkins starts to heat up it could be very good news for the side.
17 Indy Eleven
(4-6-4)
Week 16: @ HFD		 5
Last Week:
12		 Indy’s back three eventually crumbled in Birmingham, but overall it didn’t feel like a performance that deserved a result.
18 New Mexico United
(4-6-3)
Week 16: v. PHX, v. COS		 1
Last Week:
17		 If we’re grading Eric Quill’s first game in charge, good marks for New Mexico’s opening half against Rio Grande Valley FC, less so for the second half. United will need more of the former against Phoenix.
19 Orange County SC
(4-8-4)
Week 16: @ DET		 2
Last Week:
21		 Orange County took a comprehensive victory against Tulsa for a second consecutive season and pushed its way into the playoff conversation in the process.
20 Rio Grande Valley FC
(2-5-7)
Week 16: v. COS 		3
Last Week:
23		 The Toros were excellent in the second half in New Mexico but couldn’t turn it into a victory. Still, it feels like there are more positive signs here.
21 FC Tulsa
(2-6-7)
Week 16: @ MEM		 2
Last Week:
19		 You’d figure there’ll be plenty of motivation on both sides when Tulsa and Memphis meet on Wednesday night, but after consecutive defeats Tulsa really needs a result in this one.
22 Hartford Athletic
(2-9-4)
Week 16: v. IND		 2
Last Week:
20		 Losing a two-goal lead – even down a player – in the manner Hartford did on Saturday might be a sign that it’s just not going to be your season.
23 Las Vegas Lights FC
(1-7-6)
Week 16: @ LOU		 1
Last Week:
22		 Las Vegas had twice as many shots as Colorado Springs, sure, but when you compare the quality of chances the sides created they just weren’t at the same level.
24 Miami FC
(2-6-7)
Week 16: @ MB
Last Week:
24		 Miami is only three points behind eighth place in the Eastern Conference. It feels like a wider margin, though, doesn’t it?

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Tag(s): Power Rankings  San Antonio FC  CO Spring Switchbacks  Orange County SC  Phoenix Rising FC  Rio Grande Valley FC  Sacramento Republic FC  FC Tulsa  Charleston Battery  Louisville City FC  Pittsburgh Riverhounds  Tampa Bay Rowdies  Las Vegas Lights FC  Birmingham Legion FC  Indy Eleven  Memphis 901 FC  El Paso Locomotive FC  New Mexico United  Loudoun United FC  Hartford Athletic  San Diego Loyal SC  Miami FC  Oakland Roots SC  Detroit City FC  Monterey Bay F.C. 

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