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USL Championship Power Rankings – Preseason

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 03/05/24, 1:00PM EST

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With its depth and talent, Sacramento gets the nod as our preseason No. 1

It’s a new USL Championship season, and anything might be possible.

(Yes, even for you, Miami FC.)

Last year, for the first time in league history, we saw two teams that missed the postseason completely in the campaign prior – combining for 18 wins overall – square off in the USL Championship Final.

For the first time, one team – Phoenix Rising FC – won four consecutive road games to claim the league title.

If you want unpredictable, this league always seems to find ways to surprise.

At the same time, there are constants.

Louisville City FC reaching the Eastern Conference Final is one – the Boys in Purple have achieved that in nine consecutive seasons, or every year of their history.

And now, increasingly, the powers at the top of both conferences have built themselves into clubs that year-in and year-out go into a season not just hoping to be a contender, but knowing they will.

At the top of this year’s list – and the top of the preseason power rankings – is Sacramento Republic FC. Last year, Head Coach Mark Briggs’ squad was in contention for the Players’ Shield until the final weeks of the season. It posted the best defensive record in the league.

This year, it has brought back its top nine minutes leaders as well as players who recorded 85.2 percent of the club’s minutes across the regular season and playoffs. On top of that, they signed Trevor Amann, who set a League One record with 23 goals a season ago for Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, further bolstering their attack.

On paper, it’s a formidable squad, one that should make noise throughout the season.

We’ll see how it goes in practice.

Here are how our first rankings of the season look.

Birmingham Legion FC Charleston Battery Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Detroit City FC El Paso Locomotive FC Hartford Athletic Indy Eleven
Las Vegas Lights Loudoun United FC Louisville City FC Memphis 901 FC The Miami FC Monterey Bay F.C. New Mexico United
North Carolina FC Oakland Roots SC Orange County SC Phoenix Rising FC Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Rio Grande Valley FC Sacramento Republic FC
San Antonio FC Tampa Bay Rowdies FC Tulsa

Rank

 

Team

Summary
1 Sacramento Republic FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: v. OC		 Sacramento kept the core of the team that finished top of the Western Conference a season ago and added the League One Player of the Year. On paper, they’re the favorites for the Players’ Shield that just eluded them last year.
2 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(0-0-0)
Week 1: ---		 The Rowdies made some interesting moves this offseason, but it all seems to be coming together nicely under new Head Coach Robbie Nielson. We’ll see what it looks like for real in Week 2.
3 Louisville City FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: ---		 The generational shift is on in Louisville, but the standards are still as high as ever. There was a bump in the road to end preseason against Pittsburgh, but there’s a lot to like about where this squad is.
4 Charleston Battery
(0-0-0)
Week 1: @ NC
 The Battery don’t have star winger Fidel Barajas anymore, and someone will need to step up to fill Augustine Williams’ scoring boots, but there’s still plenty to feel good about going into Saturday’s Southern Derby.
5 Indy Eleven
(0-0-0)
Week 1: @ OAK		 The Boys in Blue have been putting in some impressive results this preseason, and we like the style of new Head Coach Sean McAuley. This might be the best Indy side we’ve seen since its Eastern Conference Final appearance in 2019.
6 San Antonio FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: v. LDN		 There have been a lot of changes at Toyota Field this offseason, and usually that might make us nervous. We have a level of trust that Alen Marcina and his staff can deliver on their new direction.
7 Orange County SC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: @ SAC		 You could put stock in OCSC’s preseason results, but we’re going to think back to how this side – which returns a lot of key parts and added a strong forward in Ethan Zubak – looked at the end of last season.
8 Phoenix Rising FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: v. BHM		 It’s been an offseason full of changes for Phoenix Rising FC. They’re the defending title holders, but Saturday’s home opener against Birmingham Legion FC promises to be a test.
9 Birmingham Legion FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: @ PHX		 We’re feeling optimistic about Legion FC’s chances of greater consistency this campaign, which gets them a Top 10 slot to start the season. The speed this side has could cause opponents real problems.
10 El Paso Locomotive
(0-0-0)
Week 1: v. HFD		 Both Locomotive FC and New Mexico United will insist there’s no such thing as an exhibition when they play. That was in evidence with multiple red cards in Saturday’s preseason game, which El Paso won 3-0.
11 New Mexico United
(0-0-0)
Week 1: v PIT 		New Mexico’s roster has a lot of new faces among its returning core. On the fifth anniversary of its inaugural home opener, United will be hoping it all comes together against Pittsburgh.
12 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: @ NM		 The thing you can count on with the Hounds is they’re going to do all the fundamentals right. That could be enough to earn a result on the road to start the season.
13 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: @ MIA		 The Switchbacks didn’t seem to lose a lot this offseason after all the comings and goings, but did they get better? A win in Miami on Saturday to get off the mark would definitely be welcome.
14 Hartford Athletic
(0-0-0)
Week 1: @ ELP		 Brendan Burke arrives, tears down the house to its brass tacks, and rebuilds it in time for the new season with some impressive masonry and hardwood. We’ve seen this movie before, and we’re intrigued.
15 North Carolina FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: v. CHS		 Welcome back to the USL Championship, North Carolina FC, nice trophy you’ve brought with you. Here’s a season opener against the defending Eastern Conference title holder to get you started.
16 Memphis 901 FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: v. LV		 There should be enough in place for Memphis to still be a playoff contender at the end of the campaign, especially under the guidance of Stephen Glass. 901 FC will want to avoid another home-opener letdown this season, though.
17 FC Tulsa
(0-0-0)
Week 1: ---		 We think we believe in what Tulsa’s doing. We just sorta want to see what it looks like in practice first.
18 Rhode Island FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: ---		 Rhode Island went out and got some big names this offseason to launch its inaugural campaign. The question we have is whether it’s got the depth to be consistent.
19 Oakland Roots SC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: v. IND		 Oakland’s new kits might be the best in the league. It may have to hope the squad glows up in similar fashion, because on paper we’re not quite sure this is better than a season ago.
20 Detroit City FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: ---		 As always, Detroit City is going to be a pain to break down defensively. We’re going to have to hold judgement on the attack, though.
21 Las Vegas Lights FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: @ MEM		 The long-term outlook for the Lights has rarely been brighter. The reality is an overhaul of this kind can take time and patience to come together, even with the sort of names Las Vegas has brought in.
22 Monterey Bay F.C.
(0-0-0)
Week 1: ---		 Every year, it feels like the standard in the USL Championship raises. Which leaves us wondering - did Monterey Bay’s this offseason after missing the playoffs last year?
23 Loudoun United FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: @ SA		 The appointment of Oliver Gage as Loudoun’s Sporting Director right before the season starts – and after this year’s opening day roster was built – is an interesting one. Going to San Antonio is hardly an easy opener.
24 Miami FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: v. COS		 There are some experienced heads in Miami’s squad this season, but there’s a lot more that’s unproven about this roster. That’s not generally the place you want to be at this point.

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

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