The second edition of the USL Jägermeister Cup will see USL Championship clubs get their chance for a Shot at Glory over the course of the campaign, with the group stage kicking off this weekend in 18 games across the three-day weekend.

That got us thinking – which clubs might it be beneficial for to put some additional emphasis on the in-season tournament, both for immediate and longer-term reasons?

We’ve picked out one club from each group that not only could have a chance at claiming the title on Saturday, October 4, but may want to ensure it puts its best foot forward as it tries to navigate the group stage.

Agree? Disagree? Let us know on the league’s social channels which club you think is primed to make a run.

Group 1 – Sacramento Republic FC

Since the start of the 2015 USL Championship season, nine teams have won at least 100 regular season games in the league. Eight of them have lifted some form of silverware in that span, whether a Players’ Shield, Eastern or Western Conference title or the USL Championship title.

The one team that hasn’t is Sacramento Republic FC, which has come desperately close in both the Championship and the U.S. Open Cup but hasn’t been able to add to the league crown it claimed in its inaugural 2014 season. Republic FC has gone 136-91-87 in that span – tied for the third-most wins with 2023 Players’ Shield winner Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and trailing only Louisville City (178) and Phoenix Rising (145) – but a trophy is what the club’s supporters are growing restless for.

That’s part of why Neill Collins was brought in this offseason, with the Scottish manager having led the Tampa Bay Rowdies to three trophies in his tenure at the club. While results haven’t gone Republic FC’s way early this season, the underlying numbers point toward a side that will contend. Coming out of Group 1 won’t be simple, but this is a path of opportunity Sacramento could embrace as it looks to end its silverware drought.

Group 2 – New Mexico United

New Mexico United’s 2024 season was a major breakthrough. It set single-season club records for wins (18) and points (59), finished top of the West and hosted its first playoff games before being eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals.

That trend has continued this season. After Wednesday night’s victory against Monterey Bay FC*, United is on top of the Western Conference with 15 points from its first six games of the regular season – a higher points-per-game clip (2.5ppg) than it managed a season ago (1.74ppg). It’s fulfilling the vision the club has had on the field while sporting some of the best attendance and atmosphere in the Championship since its arrival in 2019.

While the side was knocked out of the Open Cup in disappointing fashion by rival El Paso Locomotive FC earlier this month, that could prove a blessing when it comes to a USL Jagermeister Cup bid. United won’t have additional midweek games to stretch its squad – we saw how that affected the club’s league form in 2019 as it just scraped into the playoffs – and instead can focus on winning the first silverware in club history, which would cement New Mexico’s place as one of the teams to beat when the 2025 postseason comes around.

Group 3 – Indy Eleven

Throughout its decade-long history, Indy Eleven has been a force. It’s built a devoted following at Michael A. Carroll Stadium, brought in figures with big resumes on the field and on the sidelines, and become part of one of the best rivalries in American soccer with perennial rival Louisville City FC.

The one thing that’s not been consistently present? On-field success. The Boys in Blue have been on the hunt for silverware since they claimed the Spring Season title in the NASL in 2016, and while there have been some near-misses since then – the Eastern Conference Final in the 2019 USL Championship Playoffs the most prominent – there have also been times where the club has slipped away early, either falling in the opening round of the postseason or failing to reach the playoffs at all.

For a club of this stature, the USL Jägermeister Cup could be a big opportunity to advance out of a group that looks favorable and then use the qualities it showed in the club’s run to the Semifinals of the 2024 U.S. Open Cup to its advantage in the knockout stage.

Group 4 – Hartford Athletic

After making serious progress in 2024 – more than doubling their points total from the previous season – there has been very little that’s gone right for Hartford Athletic so far this season. The side did at least get its first win of the campaign – and showed a smart plan and adjustment to get there – last week against Birmingham Legion, but there’s still a long way to go for Head Coach Brendan Burke’s side to pull out of the early hole it’s dug for itself.

In the same vein as the Rowdies, then, this is Hartford’s chance to wipe the slate clean and exact a little revenge over its regional rivals. After losing the regular season series to Rhode Island FC last year before seeing the other half of El Clamico go on to win the Eastern Conference title in its first season and then getting eliminated by Portland Hearts of Pine in their first meeting in the U.S. Open Cup, Hartford gets an opportunity to finish top of the pile after squaring off with both in the group stage.

Group 4 could be hard to call a winner in – Detroit City FC and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC are also in the mix, and Westchester SC has proven solid in its first year – but it’s a great chance for Hartford to make some noise. With the way this season’s started, that’s absolutely what’s needed at Trinity Health Stadium.

Group 5 – Lexington SC

Lexington SC’s season has been a curious one so far. After the club’s thrilling victory to open the season, it’s gone winless in its last six league games – drawing four times – and been knocked out of the U.S. Open Cup.

There are positives in the club’s underlying numbers, though, which say this side is on the right track. Lexington ranks second in the Championship with a 9.4 Expected Goals mark, and it currently ranks second in the league in Expected Points at 11.78xP, narrowly ahead of current Players’ Shield leader Loudoun United FC.

For a club that’s invested strongly in its squad, there’s a big opportunity here for Lexington to make a mark. It’ll have to overcome in-state rival Louisville City FC in Group 5 – their meeting in Lexington on July 26 to close the group stage will be a must-watch – or find an uptick in production in front of goal to earn a Wild Card to the knockout stage. For a team that’s been short on success in its first two years, though, the opportunity to make a seven-game run to a trophy should be awfully enticing.

Group 6 – Tampa Bay Rowdies

With only three points from six games, the Rowdies are off to their worst start since joining the USL Championship. It’s already resulted in changes for the side, but what’s as concerning is the club’s numbers at either end of the field aren’t where they need to be for consistent success. Tampa Bay is underperforming its Expected Goals mark with five goals on 6.96 Expected Goals, while its Expected Goals Against mark of 8.81xGA is fourth-highest in the league.

What the USL Jägermeister Cup represents, then, is a chance to wipe the slate clean. While the Charleston Battery will be the Group 6 favorites – offering a potential showdown in the final round of group play on July 26 – the Rowdies will be hoping it can navigate the rest of a manageable schedule starting with an improving Miami FC at home this weekend.

As importantly, finding success in the USL Jägermeister Cup can help the Rowdies as they try to turn their league form around, something we saw happen in the tournament’s first edition featuring USL League One clubs. With the USL Jägermeister Cup being played on a weekend cadence – and not adding games in the way the U.S. Open Cup does, which has affected teams’ league form as they’ve made runs in recent seasons – keeps the players in a regular tempo and can help Tampa Bay get back into the playoff picture over the coming months.

The Rowdies believe in the squad they have, and there are some silver linings to be found in the numbers – most notably American Soccer Analysis’ Expected Points metric, which has the Rowdies at 8.00xP, in the middle of the pack in league terms. The USL Jägermeister Cup could be the springboard this side needs to fulfill that potential.