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USL Championship Power Rankings – Week 21

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 07/28/25, 5:00PM EDT

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New Mexico United’s comeback in San Antonio wasn’t enough to advance, but adds a mental edge moving forward

Let’s face it, New Mexico United’s schtick of being the Kings of Chaos might have started out as a slogan, but it’s one that they’re living up to.

Just take this past weekend in San Antonio FC. By the time the comeback came around with a pair of goals in second-half stoppage time, the chance to earn a place in the USL Jägermeister Cup knockout stage had slipped away.

Advancing would have been nice, certainly, but the 2-2 draw at Toyota Field and ensuing 3-0 victory from the penalty spot is about the long play.

United’s now undefeated in its last four meetings with San Antonio. This season it’s scored four goals in second-half stoppage time in their two meetings to earn results – previously taking a chaotic 4-2 win at Isotopes Park in their first league encounter.

For United, it didn’t result in advancement, but it had all the feel of a game in November.

“This was a like a playoff game,” United Head Coach Dennis Sanchez told the Albuquerque Journal. “We fought back and to get this type of penalty shootout win is a great experience that we went through together.”

For teams that either did or did not have something to play for this weekend, this will end up the big takeaway. How did your team battle to either find a way to advance – in the case of Hartford Athletic – or find a way to get a result when advancement wasn’t at stake – see North Carolina FC.

That mentality could prove key during the push for the playoffs, and when the postseason arrives.

Here are this week’s rankings.

Biggest Movers

4 RI 4 OAK

Rank

 

Team

Change

Summary
1 Charleston Battery
(13-3-2)
Week 22: ---
Last Week:
1		 The Battery came through with a win to spoil the Rowdies’ USL Jägermeister Cup aspirations. Now they’ll get a week off before a crucial showdown against LouCity.
2 Louisville City FC
(11-1-5)
Week 22: vs. NC
Last Week:
2		 Louisville came up short of the knockout stage in the USL Jägermeister Cup, but the fightback against Lexington SC was outstanding and set up the Commonwealth Cup as something potentially special.
3 Sacramento Republic FC
(6-4-6)
Week 22: @ SA		 2
Last Week:
5		 Republic FC had a nervous hour to wait and see if their one-goal win was going to be enough before AV ALTA lent a helping hand. They’re going to be a tough out in the knockouts.
4 FC Tulsa
(8-3-5)
Week 22: vs. LDN		 1
Last Week:
3		 Tulsa rotated with little chance to advance, and Indy took advantage with a good victory on home turf. The Scissortails will want to kick on against Loudoun on Friday night.
5 New Mexico United
(8-6-1)
Week 22: @ HFD		 3
Last Week:
8		 It didn’t end up mattering in the big picture, but New Mexico’s going to take that comeback against San Antonio and penalty shootout win and put it in the memory bank for the playoffs.
6 North Carolina FC
(8-6-2)
Week 22: @ LOU		 1
Last Week:
7		 North Carolina took the initiative up a player against Loudoun United and got rewarded with Louis Perez’s late equalizer. For a team that was already eliminated from contention, that was an admirable effort.
7 San Antonio FC
(8-5-3)
Week 22: vs. SAC		 3
Last Week:
4		 SAFC played well against New Mexico, but has got to learn to close out games. If it doesn’t, it could come back to bite them in the postseason.
8 Indy Eleven
(5-6-5)
Week 22: vs. TBR		 2
Last Week:
10		 The Boys in Blue didn’t trail for a minute in the USL Jägermeister Cup group stage. They’re going to be a serious contender in the knockout rounds.
9 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
(6-6-4)
Week 22: vs. MIA; vs. RI		 3
Last Week:
6		 The Hounds fought back twice against 10-player Portland Hearts of Pine, and got an on-field Bob Lilley lecture about it. Important bounce-back opportunity against Miami on Tuesday.
10 Phoenix Rising FC
(6-5-5)
Week 22: @ OC; vs. BHM		 1
Last Week:
9		 Rising’s chances of advancing in the USL Jägermeister Cup were slim going into the weekend, and so it proved. Time to solidify a place in the playoffs from here.
11 El Paso Locomotive FC
(6-5-5)
Week 22: vs. LV
Last Week:
11		 After all of its prior struggles visiting Omaha in the U.S. Open Cup, Locomotive finally put that hex to bed with a win at Werner Park. That should boost their confidence.
12 Orange County SC
(6-7-2)
Week 22: vs. PHX		 3
Last Week:
15		 Some unheralded heroes came through for a good road win in Oakland. Take a bow Tetsuya Kadono and Gavin Karam, very well done.
13 Loudoun United FC
(8-6-3)
Week 22: @ TUL		 1
Last Week:
14		 It was looking touch-and-go for a minute after Hugo Fauroux got sent off, but United got what it needed to advance. That’s a big step forward for a side that should be dangerous in the knockout stages.
14 Lexington SC
(4-6-7)
Week 22: @ COS		 2
Last Week:
12		 Lexington’s defense did about as much as it could to hold off Louisville City, blocking 19 of 33 shots, but it just couldn’t hold on. Still, love the competitiveness.
15 Birmingham Legion FC
(4-8-6)
Week 22: @ PHX		 1
Last Week:
16		 You couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to Legion fans for Sebastián “Bofo” Saucedo. Crucial goal to ensure we see those sweet USL Jägermeister Cup kits again.
16 Hartford Athletic
(3-8-4)
Week 22: vs. NM		 3
Last Week:
19		 Somehow, someway, Hartford Athletic is into the knockout stage of the USL Jägermeister Cup. That’s the first instant classic El Clamico, it certainly won’t be the last.
17 Oakland Roots SC
(6-9-2)
Week 22: ---		 4
Last Week:
13		 Roots could have taken a result against Orange County but couldn’t find a telling finish. Time to get to work during the bye before a key stretch of in-conference games.
18 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
(4-6-6)
Week 22: vs. LEX		 2
Last Week:
20		 The Switchbacks put up four goals for the first time in a game since last September to rout Texoma FC. They need more of that in a six-pointer against Lexington on Friday.
19 Rhode Island FC
(4-8-5)
Week 22: @ PIT		 4
Last Week:
23		 RIFC earned its spot in the knockout round, but it won’t be happy with letting a lead go to Hartford and falling in a shootout.
20 Tampa Bay Rowdies
(4-10-2)
Week 22: @ IND		 3
Last Week:
17		 The Rowdies had the chances to send their game with Charleston to a shootout, which would have given them a chance to advance. They just didn’t hit the target consistently.
21 Miami FC
(5-8-3)
Week 22: @ PIT		 3
Last Week:
18		 Miami is winless in its last six games across all competitions. It really needs to produce something good on Tuesday night against a strong Pittsburgh outfit.
22 Detroit City FC
(5-6-6)
Week 22: ---		 2
Last Week:
24		 We’ll grant the opposition wasn’t the strongest, but Detroit getting a big victory at home is exactly what this side needed. Really important to build on that during the upcoming bye.
23 Las Vegas Lights FC
(5-9-3)
Week 22: @ ELP		 1
Last Week:
22		 The Lights’ outside chance at a place in the USL Jägermeister Cup came up short. Now they’re going to need to figure out what their lineup looks like after last week’s roster shakeup.
24 Monterey Bay FC
(6-8-4)
Week 22: ---		 3
Last Week:
21		 Monterey Bay had a place in the USL Jägermeister Cup knockout round within its grasp against AV ALTA FC and couldn’t close the deal. That’s tough.

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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  El Paso Locomotive FC  New Mexico United  Loudoun United FC  Hartford Athletic  Miami FC  Oakland Roots SC  Detroit City FC  Monterey Bay FC  Rhode Island FC  Lexington SC 

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