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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 34

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 10/28/24, 4:30PM EDT

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The regular season is over, and some teams are hot heading to the playoffs. Will it matter?

Thirty-four weeks done, 408 games completed, here comes the postseason.

So, who’s going to come out on top, and does their form going into the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs presented by Terminix matter?

You’d think it would. Every team would probably prefer to be carrying the confidence of a run of wins, or at least a run without having suffered defeat.

That was close to the modus operandi when Louisville City FC claimed its first two league titles in 2017 and 2018, losing only once in its last seven games in 2017 and winning its last two outings before putting up six consecutive wins to end the 2018 regular season that continued with four more in the playoffs.

The following season, Real Monarchs SLC followed a similar pattern. While they were the No. 4 seed in the West, they won four out of five in an undefeated streak to end the regular season and carried that form to a remarkable postseason run.

Orange County SC in 2021? Five game winning streak into the playoffs.

San Antonio FC in 2022? Eight games undefeated with six wins to close the regular season.

And then, of course, we get to Phoenix Rising FC a season ago, which effectively belly-flopped into the postseason. Rising went five games without a win and lost its last two outings before going on its epic road run to a title.

The exception that proves the rule? Maybe. You’d probably prefer not to be on the sort of run that New Mexico United and Sacramento Republic FC are each on going into the postseason right now.

But if there’s anything the playoffs offer, it’s a reset. Everyone’s four wins from the title, and who knows how it’s going to end?

Better tune in to find out.

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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 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

On The Move

7 TBR 6 HFD

Rank

 

Team

Change

Summary
1 Louisville City FC
(24-6-4)
Playoffs: vs. NC
Last Week:
1		 16 wins out of 17 at Lynn Family Stadium, 58 goals scored, and eight games in which it bagged four goals or more this season. It’s going to be a mammoth task to knock off LouCity this postseason.
2 Detroit City FC
(15-8-11)
Playoffs: vs. TBR
Last Week:
2		 Le Rouge are on a nine-game undefeated going into the postseason and scored seven goals in the last two outings. They seem ready to make a serious run. .
3 Charleston Battery
(18-6-10)
Playoffs: vs. PIT
Last Week:
3		 If not for Louisville, the Battery would have equaled the league record for most home wins in a regular season with its win against Loudoun. Can’t sleep on this squad.
4 Orange County SC
(13-14-7)
Playoffs: @ MEM 		2
Last Week:
6		 OCSC is on an eight-game undefeated streak entering the postseason and has the No. 6 seed in the West. Head Coach Danny Stone was at Phoenix last year, it can’t happen again, can it?
5 Rhode Island FC
(11-7-15)
Playoffs: N/A		 2
Last Week:
7		 Rhode Island ended on a high at home to Miami, now we’ll see what they can deliver in the postseason with a six-game undefeated streak to build on.
6 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(12-10-12)
Playoffs: @ CHS		 2
Last Week:
8		 The Hounds won three consecutive games by a 2-0 scoreline to close out the regular season and seal a playoff spot. Their playoff opener at Charleston is a classic Old Guard matchup.
7 Memphis 901 FC
(14-11-9)
Playoffs: vs. OC 		5
Last Week:
12		 Memphis lost only once in its last seven games to get into the top three out West, and that was to Louisville City. There’s no-one this side will fear going into a fourth consecutive postseason.
8 North Carolina FC
(13-12-9)
Playoffs: @ LOU		 5
Last Week:
13		 Saturday night’s win was NCFC’s fourth in the last five, and only their second comeback victory this season after a win away at Miami. This one was a little more impressive.
9 Indy Eleven
(14-11-9)
Playoffs: vs. RI		 5
Last Week:
4		 A 3-0 away defeat to Tampa Bay probably wasn’t the pre-playoffs tune-up the Boys in Blue were aiming for. They’re going to have to be on their game with Rhode Island coming to the Mike on Sunday.
10 Las Vegas Lights FC
(13-10-11)
Playoffs: vs. SAC 		5
Last Week:
5		 The Lights’ first two-game losing streak since May is a real road-bump going into the playoffs. This week is time to reset and get ready for the biggest game in club history.
11 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(15-12-7)
Playoffs: vs. OAK		 5
Last Week:
16		 The Switchbacks had won only three away games all season before sweeping victories in NorCal on back-to-back weekends to close and earn the No. 2 seed in the West. That’s massive.
12 New Mexico United
(18-11-5)
Playoffs: vs. PHX		 3
Last Week:
9		 New Mexico is winless in its last five games as it heads into the playoffs. Good news? So was Phoenix Rising last season as it entered the postseason and look how that turned out.
13 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(14-12-8)
Playoffs: @ DET		 7
Last Week:
20		 The Rowdies still aren’t completely watertight defensively, but those two attacking performances in the past week were a sight for sore eyes. If Cal Jennings and Manuel Arteaga get hot, watch out.
14 Sacramento Republic FC
(13-11-10)
Playoffs: @ LV		 3
Last Week:
11		 The last time Republic FC went on a five-game winless streak was during the 2021 season. There was promise in Saturday’s performance, but now it’s got to start the playoffs in Las Vegas.
15 El Paso Locomotive FC
(8-18-8)
Playoffs: N/A		 2
Last Week:
14		 Locomotive couldn’t end the season on a high, but there was enough over the final third of the season to think they could be back in contention next season.
16 Hartford Athletic
(12-14-8)
Playoffs: N/A		 6
Last Week:
10		 Hartford knew its playoff chances were over before it kicked off in Orange County so it treated us to a tremendous back-and-forth to end the season. Watch this space in the offseason.
17 Birmingham Legion FC
(13-15-6)
Playoffs: N/A 		4
Last Week:
21		 Legion’s Enzo Martinez ended the campaign with a goal, an assist, and a red card. That’s basically the soccer equivalent of a Gordie Howe Hat Trick.
18 Loudoun United FC
(11-14-9)
Playoffs: N/A		 3
Last Week:
15		 Results elsewhere weren’t going to let United into the playoffs anyway, but they sure gave it a heck of a go in Charleston. Onward and upward next season.
19 Phoenix Rising FC
(11-14-9)
Playoffs: @ NM		 2
Last Week:
17		 Rising committed the error of scoring too early against Louisville. Turn the page and get ready for a rivalry clash on Sunday night.
20 FC Tulsa
(9-14-11)
Playoffs: N/A 		3
Last Week:
23		 Tulsa ended 2024 the same way as it ended 2023 with a confidence-boosting victory. Hopefully that sets things up for a few steps forward this offseason.
21 Oakland Roots SC
(13-16-5)
Playoffs: @ COS		 3
Last Week:
18		 Playoffs secured, Oakland got absolutely carted by Legion on home turf. Roots have won once previously in Colorado Springs, but this wasn’t the performance they needed.
22 San Antonio FC
(10-15-9)
Playoffs: N/A		 3
Last Week:
19		 San Antonio had never conceded four goals at home in the USL Championship prior to Saturday night. Heck of a way to end the campaign.
23 Monterey Bay F.C.
(8-16-10)
Playoffs: N/A 		1
Last Week:
22		 Monterey Bay won the Expected Goals battle (2.28xG to Tulsa’s 1.49xG) and lost the game. Story of the season, really.
24 Miami FC
(3-29-2)
Playoffs: N/A
Last Week:
24		 “Say good night, Felipe.” “Good night, Felipe.”

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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  Oakland Roots SC  Detroit City FC  Monterey Bay F.C.  Rhode Island FC 

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