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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 25

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 08/28/23, 3:00PM EDT

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One month in under new Head Coach Nicky Law, Tampa Bay has a path to the top

It’s been one month and one day since the Tampa Bay Rowdies announced Nicky Law would be the club’s new Head Coach, and so far, it looks like the two-time Eastern Conference title winners haven’t lost much of a step.

The Rowdies have won four of their five games, including Saturday night’s 2-0 victory against in-state rival Miami FC, which marked the second consecutive road victory for the side. They’ve now got a pair of double-digit goalscorers in JJ Williams and Cal Jennings, both of whom arrived this offseason, while Connor Sparrow has eight shutouts and a 0.76 goals-against average in 21 appearances.

Against Miami, they even found a way to gut out a result despite a lengthy injury list that left the side with only three available outfield substitutes and Jake LaCava filling in at left wingback.

“Every player was crucial tonight,” said Law. “Connor Sparrow and the back line will take a lot of plaudits for the blocks, but it was a complete team effort. Everybody who came here tonight contributed to this result.”

 

There’s some good mojo happening here. The Rowdies have outperformed their Expected Goals (8.24xG) with 11 goals over the five games and their Expected Goals Conceded (6.1xGA) with only three goals allowed. That’s easily accounted for over a small sample, though, and as importantly the side passes the eye test in getting work done at both ends of the field.  

With its rivals dropping points this weekend, there’s a pathway now for Tampa Bay to end the season with the best record in the league. Given everything that’s occurred this campaign, it would be quite an achievement.

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

6 LOU 6 COS

Rank

 

Team

Change

Summary
1 Orange County SC
(13-9-4)
Week 26: @ LV
Last Week:
1		 Orange County set a club record with a seventh consecutive victory and didn’t even need Milan Iloski in Sacramento. A statement for the hottest team in the league.
2 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(14-6-5)
Week 26: v. HFD		 1
Last Week:
3		 The Rowdies have three wins in a row after a stellar performance by Connor Sparrow against former club Miami FC. Their path to the Players’ Shield is also becoming clear after the rest of the weekend’s results.
3 San Antonio FC
(13-4-9)
Week 26: @ RGV, @ TUL		 1
Last Week:
2		 San Antonio is six games undefeated, but a second consecutive goalless performance at home isn’t ideal. Three games on the road next, starting with a South Texas Derby on Wednesday.
4 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(14-5-9)
Week 26: --		 1
Last Week:
5		 The Hounds took their eye off the ball late in Hartford but managed to recover to pick up all three points before putting in a lockdown display in San Antonio. Good week, overall.
5 San Diego Loyal SC
(11-7-7)
Week 26: v. BHM		 2
Last Week:
7		 Add another legend-level performance to the list for Tumi Moshobane in SD Loyal colors after such a tough week for the club.
6 Sacramento Republic FC
(13-4-9)
Week 26: @ PHX, @ OAK		 2
Last Week:
4		 Republic FC did just about everything right overall, but sometimes those are the breaks when a team that’s in its best form of the season shows up.
7 Charleston Battery
(13-7-7)
Week 26: @ NM 		1
Last Week:
8		 Don’t tell me that was just another game. The Battery’s victory against Memphis meant plenty emotionally and gave Ben Pirmann’s side the inside track to a top-three finish.
8 Indy Eleven
(10-9-8)
Week 26: v. MIA		 2
Last Week:
10		 Indy’s win was its first after trailing at home at halftime since April 2022. Maybe this side really has turned a corner?
9 Louisville City FC
(11-8-7)
Week 26: @ COS 		6
Last Week:
15		 You couldn’t ask for a more deserving person to grab a stoppage time game-winner for LouCity than Oscar Jimenez with the way he’s played of late. Superb finish.
10 Oakland Roots SC
(11-8-7)
Week 26: v. SAC 		1
Last Week:
9		 So close to a great week on the road for Roots SC after its midweek win in New Mexico. They’ll have to put that late gut-punch behind them fast with Sacramento coming to The Town next Saturday.
11 Birmingham Legion FC
(11-12-3)
Week 26: @ SD		 1
Last Week:
12		 Legion FC summed up Legion FC’s defeat to Detroit thus – “A lack of focus and concentration.” After the midweek win in Tulsa, that was a major letdown.
12 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(11-12-3)
Week 26: v. LOU		 6
Last Week:
6		 The Switchbacks got a glimmer of hope from Jay Chapman before completely imploding in the end. Now they’ll be without three important players against Louisville City.
13 Memphis 901 FC
(10-7-8)
Week 26: @ DET		 2
Last Week:
11		 No goals in two games and now the pressure’s back on to earn a top-four finish. The ups and downs with this group are quite something.
14 Phoenix Rising FC
(9-8-8)
Week 26: v. RGV		 3
Last Week:
17		 The quality of the goals Rising FC scored in Las Vegas showed once again how dangerous the side can be. We’ve still got questions about consistency, though.
15 Detroit City FC
(8-12-6)
Week 26: v. MEM		 3
Last Week:
18		 Two wins in a row and Le Rouge are above the playoff line. Early September’s home game against Miami FC is set to be one of the biggest of the campaign for both clubs
16 New Mexico United
(9-11-5)
Week 26: v. LV, v. CHS
Last Week:
16		 One up, one down for New Mexico in a week where it probably needed at least four points. Victory against Las Vegas on Wednesday is a must ahead of the Battery’s visit on Saturday.
17 Miami FC
(7-11-8)
Week 26: @ IND 		4
Last Week:
13		 Miami FC had enough chances to take something from its clash with Tampa Bay. They’ll have to take that silver lining into a massive game against Indy Eleven this weekend.
18 Monterey Bay F.C.
(8-11-7)
Week 26: @ ELP		 3
Last Week:
21		 Finally, a victory, and in the nick of time too ahead of going to El Paso Locomotive FC this weekend. If MBFC doesn’t win on Saturday, it’s hard to see a path to the playoffs.
19 Rio Grande Valley FC
(7-9-10)
Week 26: v. SA, @ PHX		 5
Last Week:
14		 The Toros continue to be highly entertaining to watch, but you can’t give up that many premium chances to a team that has SD Loyal’s group of finishers.
20 El Paso Locomotive FC
(10-10-5)
Week 26: v. MB		 4
Last Week:
24		 El Paso got the victory it had to have in Hartford to end its 10-game winless streak. Was it enough to save Locomotive FC’s season? We’ll see.
21 FC Tulsa
(7-12-8)
Week 26: v. v. SA 		2
Last Week:
19		 Six games without a win for Tulsa and all the optimism about a return to the playoffs has vanished. Oh, and San Antonio FC’s coming to town on Sunday.
22 Loudoun United FC
(7-18-3)
Week 26: --
2
Last Week:
20		 Loudoun has officially reached the point where the playoffs are likely out of reach. Six points out of the playoff places, six games to go, four consecutive games against top-four opponents next.
23 Las Vegas Lights FC
(2-15-8)
Week 26: @ NM, v. OC
Last Week:
23		 Tremendous night for Daniel Rios, but it wasn’t enough to get Lights FC another win. Official elimination is closing in.
24 Hartford Athletic
(4-18-4)
Week 26: @ TBR		 2
Last Week:
22		 Hartford conceding a game-winner after rallying to level the game with three goals in eight minutes is about as accurate summation of this season as you’ll find.

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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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