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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 16

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 06/26/23, 4:30PM EDT

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Momentum building at top of both conferences as midway point of season arrives

Officially, the USL Championship regular season reached its midway point this weekend.

If it feels like the drive for playoff seeding is starting to heat up, you’re not wrong. In fact, with the undefeated streaks some teams are carrying, it might already have arrived.

There are currently four teams in the Championship with undefeated runs of at least nine games. El Paso Locomotive FC (9-0-3) and Memphis 901 FC (8-0-4) are both at 12 games without defeat, while the Tampa Bay Rowdies (7-0-2) and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (6-0-3) are on the surge as well.

When it comes to seeding – and homefield advantage – these are the sort of runs that can prove crucial at the end of the season, no matter how the results are achieved.

Just take Memphis on Saturday night. Coming off a convincing midweek win, 901 FC hosted the Charleston Battery in a top-three contest in the Eastern Conference with a chance to put first place within reach. It did so in a 3-2 victory that lived up to the pregame hype of two talented attacking teams going back-and-forth.

It was by no means a flawless display – those are hard to come by at the best of times – but it was enough to show Memphis remains a team that’s hard to beat under new Head Coach Stephen Glass.

“We stayed in the game when we weren’t playing great,” said Glass. “When the quality comes through, which we believe we’ve got, then you end up getting wins.”

Memphis is currently the form team in the USL Championship with 22 points from its last eight games. As it gets set for the national spotlight this weekend against Phoenix Rising FC on ESPN2, it’ll be well worth tuning in to see if its streak continues.

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 BHM 6 COS

Rank

 

Team

Change

Summary
1 El Paso Locomotive FC
(9-3-3)
Week 17: v. NM
Last Week:
1		 A week off meant Locomotive FC dropped a spot in the official standings, but they can claim a season sweep of Derby del Camino Real rivals New Mexico United this weekend to continue their undefeated run.
2 Memphis 901 FC
(8-2-4)
Week 17: @ PHX		 1
Last Week:
3		 A two-win week for Memphis continued its upward momentum, even though the side was seriously challenged by the Charleston Battery on Saturday. With games in hand, first place is in view.
3 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(8-4-4)
Week 17: @ LV		 1
Last Week:
2		 The Rowdies pulled away for victory, but it wasn’t the most convincing display overall. Anytime you can score four goals without looking great, though, is a good sign.
4 Sacramento Republic FC
(9-2-5)
Week 17: v. RGV		 3
Last Week:
7		 Aside from the second-half goal it allowed, it’s hard to imagine a game that played out more ideally for Republic FC than in its win against San Antonio. Back on top of the West with a big bounce-back victory.
5 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(8-2-6)
Week 17: v. LOU		 1
Last Week:
4		 The Hounds have won six in a row at home thanks to Illal Osumanu’s late winner against San Diego Loyal SC. Now they get a huge game with Louisville City FC this Saturday at Highmark Stadium.
6 Monterey Bay F.C.
(7-4-5)
Week 17: @ OC		 1
Last Week:
5		 It wasn’t the cleanest display overall, but another clinical counterattack made it four wins in a row and pushed MBFC into third place in the Western standings.
7 Louisville City FC
(7-4-4)
Week 17: @ PIT		 3
Last Week:
10		 As Head Coach Danny Cruz admitted, LouCity still needs to be more clinical in the final third. Brian Ownby’s spark and Enoch Mushagalusa’s finish was enough this time around.
8 Oakland Roots SC
(6-4-5)
Week 17: v. RGV 		1
Last Week:
9		 Roots SC will be disappointed to note have held on for all three points against Phoenix on Saturday night, but it’s now undefeated in the last five games.
9 Birmingham Legion FC
(7-7-1)
Week 17: @ SA		 5
Last Week:
14		 Dominique Wilkins is on board, and Legion FC is heading in the right direction on the field with two consecutive wins. Saturday’s visit to San Antonio should be a very interesting game.
10 San Antonio FC
(6-3-7)
Week 17: v. BHM		 4
Last Week:
6		 San Antonio lost the game and then lost its cool against Sacramento, which could end up putting it in a tough spot for its home game against Birmingham Legion FC this weekend.
11 Charleston Battery
(8-5-4)
Week 17: v. LDN
Last Week:
11		 The Battery were on top against Memphis before Trey Muse’s misjudgment right before halftime let in Rashawn Dally. Who knows where the game goes if Charleston’s ahead at the break?
12 San Diego Loyal SC
(6-5-5)
Week 17: @ IND		 4
Last Week:
8		 There’s no question SD Loyal’s had a tough schedule of late, but you’ve got to win one of those games to be considered a contender. Five games without a win after Saturday’s late defeat.
13 Phoenix Rising FC
(5-4-7)
Week 17: v. MEM		 2
Last Week:
15		 Rising FC looked great in New Mexico in midweek, and grabbed a late equalizer in Oakland after it looked like the game had slipped away. Good work overall to solidify the side’s position.
14 Indy Eleven
(5-6-4)
Week 17: v. SD		 3
Last Week:
17		 Cam Lindley’s wonderstrike was officially Indy’s first shot on target against Hartford on Saturday. Nice work if you can get it, but it still doesn’t feel all that sustainable.
15 Orange County SC
(5-8-4)
Week 17: v. MB		 4
Last Week:
19		 Two consecutive road wins after going without since last July prior is a big step forward for OCSC. The gap to the playoff positions means the side needs to keep pushing strongly.
16 Detroit City FC
(4-8-4)
Week 17: @ TUL		 4
Last Week:
12		 A strangely muted attacking display from Le Rouge until Dario Suarez injected some life into the game as a substitute. Consecutive games without a goal is a step back, again.
17 New Mexico United
(5-7-3)
Week 17: @ ELP		 1
Last Week:
18		 New Mexico had to hold on for its first win under Eric Quill on Saturday not just for its position in the standings but to add some needed confidence ahead of Saturday’s derby game.
18 Rio Grande Valley FC
(3-5-7)
Week 17: @ OAK, @ SAC 		2
Last Week:
20		 In a game that could have gone either way, the Toros got rewarded for their better performances with victory against Colorado Springs on Wednesday. Still got a long way to go.
19 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(7-9-1)
Week 17: v. MIA		 6
Last Week:
13		 Two steps forward, and now two steps back for the Switchbacks. They’re still in the playoff positions, at least.
20 Loudoun United FC
(5-11-1)
Week 17: @ CHS
 4
Last Week:
16		 The step up in class from wins against Tulsa and Miami to defeats against Birmingham and Tampa Bay showed where United’s at right now. Close, but not there yet.
21 FC Tulsa
(2-7-7)
Week 17: v. DET
Last Week:
21		 That was not the return to AutoZone Park that Phillip Goodrum was hoping for. Three consecutive defeats for Tulsa and 10 goals conceded in that span.
22 Hartford Athletic
(2-10-4)
Week 17: --
Last Week:
22		 Hartford has got to be wondering what it’s got to do to get some good fortune running its way. Another wonderstrike from a visitor to Trinity Health Stadium, another defeat.
23 Las Vegas Lights FC
(1-8-6)
Week 17: v. TBR
Last Week:
23		 Tabort Etaka Preston came inches from giving Lights FC the lead in Louisville, but it caromed away to safety off the crossbar. Four consecutive defeats, and the playoff places are looking very distant.
24 Miami FC
(2-7-7)
Week 17: @ COS
Last Week:
24		 Of all the ways to lose a game, Miami’s defeat in Monterey Bay has got to be so disheartening. They’re still just three points out of eighth place, though.

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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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