The top two teams in Week 2’s USLSoccer.com Power Rankings will square off in the biggest game of the regular-season so far on Saturday afternoon when Louisville City FC plays host to the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Slugger Field, with the two having gained points – and flipped positions – as the voters continue to find little to choose between the two perceived favorites in the Eastern Conference.
Others have also made shifts up, with Phoenix’s impressive win against OKC Energy FC moving it firmly into third place in the rankings, while the weekend will also see another Top 10 match-up with No. 9 Indy Eleven playing host to No. 4 FC Cincinnati at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The four-person USLSoccer.com voting panel tabulates 16 points for first-place team votes, 15 points to the second-place team and so forth to one point for 16th place. The accrued points among the group determines the final ranking.
Rank |
Team/Record |
Change |
Summary |
|
1 | Louisville City FC 62 pts | (1-0-0) Week 2: -- Week 3: TBR |
1 Last Week: 2 |
Louisville’s game with North Carolina was washed out but results elsewhere pushed more points into the defending champions’ column to edge it past the Rowdies. | |
2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies 61 pts | (2-0-0) Week 2: W, 2-0 BST Week 3: @LOU |
1 Last Week: 1 |
Two wins from two matches Tampa Bay’s start from a season ago and now the Rowdies get the chance to earn an early edge on maybe their biggest conference foe. | |
3 | Phoenix Rising FC 50 pts | (1-0-1) Week 2: W, 4-1 OKC Week 3: @RNO |
1 Last Week: 4 |
Rising FC put on a show in its home opener against previous No. 3-ranked OKC Energy FC with Chris Cortez bagging the first hat trick in the club’s history. | |
T-4 | FC Cincinnati 44 pts | (1-0-0) Week 2: -- Week 3: @IND |
1 Last Week: 5 |
Cincinnati gets a slight shift up on its bye week thanks to OKC’s defeat in Phoenix ahead of a mouthwatering game against Indy Eleven on Saturday. | |
T-4 | Real Monarchs SLC 44 pts | (1-0-0) Week 2: W, 3-2 @TUL Week 3: POR |
2 Last Week: 6 |
The Monarchs pulled victory from the jaws of defeat thanks to Chandler Hoffman and Charlie Adams’ late goals against Tulsa Roughnecks FC. | |
6 | Swope Park Rangers 39 pts | (2-0-0) Week 2: W, 4-2 SEA Week 3: @LV |
4 Last Week: T-10 |
Eight goals in two games, including a brace in both for Kharlton Belmar, have the Rangers flying high ahead of their trip to face Las Vegas this weekend. | |
7 | Sacramento Republic FC 38 pts | (2-0-0) Week 2: W, 1-0 @OC Week 3: @RGV |
Last Week: 7 |
Republic FC didn’t hit the high gears against Orange County, but Cameron Iwasa’s brilliant finish proved enough to make it two wins from two. | |
8 | San Antonio FC 36 pts | (1-1-0) Week 2: W, 2-1 STL Week 3: @LA |
Last Week: 8 |
A solid rebound victory in the club’s home opener got SAFC into the points column in the standings and holding steady in the Top 10 in the rankings. | |
9 | Indy Eleven 33 pts | (1-0-0) Week 2: W, 1-0 @RIC Week 3: CIN |
3 Last Week: 12 |
Indy’s USL debut brought a victory on the road, but the Eleven will likely need to be better as it hosts FC Cincinnati this Saturday in its home opener at Lucas Oil Stadium. | |
10 | Charlotte Independence 31 pts | (2-0-0) Week 2: W, 2-0 TOR Week 3: ATL |
1 Last Week: 9 |
Another solid victory for the Independence powered by Caleb Calvert’s goal and assist, which earned the first two-game winning streak to start a season in club history. | |
11 | OKC Energy FC 21 pts | (1-1-0) Week 2: L, 1-4 @PHX Week 2: OC, @FRS |
8 Last Week: 3 |
Energy FC tumbles out of the Top 10 after its defeat in Phoenix and will be looking for a bounce-back week as it hosts Orange County on Wednesday and visits Fresno on Saturday. | |
12 | Las Vegas Lights FC 18 pts | (1-0-1) Week 2: T, 1-1 RNO Week 3: SPR |
Last Week: NR |
Lights FC moves into the rankings after its two-game undefeated start to the season, but that momentum should be tested by the visit of Swope Park on Saturday night. | |
13 | Reno 1868 FC 14 pts | (0-1-1) Week 2: T, 1-1 @LV Week 3: PHX |
1 Last Week: 14 |
Reno slips behind its Silver State Cup rivals in the rankings but deserves credit for emerging from Cashman Field with a draw after going down to 10 men. | |
T-14 | New York Red Bulls II 11 pts | (1-1-0) Week 2: L, 1-3 @ATL Week 3: CHS |
1 Last Week: 13 |
The Red Bulls II got the plus of Brian White’s first professional goal but will be looking for a better defensive display as the Charleston Battery visit this week. | |
T-14 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 16 pts | (0-0-1) Week 2: 0-0 @NSH Week 3: PEN |
Last Week: NR |
No goals in its season-opening visit to Nissan Stadium and Nashville SC but plenty to be optimistic about ahead of Saturday’s home opener against Penn FC. | |
16 | Atlanta United 2 10 pts | (1-0-0) Week 2: W, 3-1 NY Week 3: @CLT |
Last Week: NR |
It seems slightly incongruous for ATL to be a point back of the side it beat in its home opener on Saturday but this week’s game with Charlotte should tell us more about the club’s trajectory. |
Also receiving votes: Bethlehem Steel FC 8, Charleston Battery 6, Saint Louis FC 4, Portland Timbers 2 (2), Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 1
Dropped from rankings: Bethlehem Steel FC, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, Saint Louis FC