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USL Power Rankings – Week 6

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 05/01/17, 4:03PM EDT

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Undefeated San Antonio retains top spot, Louisville sits close behind

After two wins out of two on the road, giving the side a club-record four in a row, it shouldn’t come as much surprise that San Antonio FC is still sitting as the unanimous No. 1 in the USLSoccer.com Power Rankings. With Billy Forbes and Cesar Elizondo leading the charge, in attack, and Sebastian Ibeagha marshalling a strong back line, the question is now who might be able to knock SAFC from its throne?

The answer, at least according to some of the panel, might be this week’s opponent, Sacramento Republic FC, which has held onto its place in the rankings after a 0-0 draw against Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 on Saturday afternoon. There’s historic precedent for that feeling, too. The last time Republic FC was held scoreless in four consecutive games – early last season – its next outing saw it go on the road to defeat a still undefeated LA Galaxy II.

Beyond that clash on Saturday night at Toyota Field, there are no other meetings between Top 10 teams on this week’s slate. There are potential traps lying in wait, though, as the Tampa Bay Rowdies go north of the border to face Ottawa, while Phoenix Rising FC hosts a Reno 1868 FC side that has been better than its record might indicate.

The five-person USLSoccer.com voting panel tabulates 10 points for first-place team votes, nine points to the second-place team and so forth to one point for 10th place. The accrued points among the group determines the final ranking.

Here’s your new Top 10.

1. San Antonio FC (50pts)
Last Week: W 3-2 at Seattle Sounders FC 2; W 4-0 at Portland Timbers 2
San Antonio FC kept its momentum going to extend its winning streak to a club-record four games despite losing starting goalkeeper Matt Cardone to injury in the first game of the club’s trip to Cascadia. Experienced back-up Diego Restrepo stepped in and did enough as SAFC’s attack continued to tear forward, with Billy Forbes and Cesar Elizondo scoring in both victories. SAFC has scored eight goals in its past three games, with its counter-attack looking lethal. 


Photo courtesy Diego Diaz / Portland Timbers 2

2. Louisville City FC (44pts)
Last Week: D 0-0 vs. Toronto FC II
Louisville had one of those games where at the end all you can do is tip your hat to the opposing goalkeeper. Another great crowd of 8,282 – the largest outside MLS this weekend in North America – did all it could to cheer the host on to victory at Slugger Field, but a 10-save performance by Toronto FC II’s Angelo Cavalluzzo left Louisville still undefeated, but also without the three points it had been hoping for.

3. Charleston Battery (39pts)
Last Week: D 2-2 vs. Ottawa Fury FC
The Battery continued to hold the top spot in the Eastern Conference after a draw that probably felt a little bit like a win against an Ottawa Fury FC side that took the lead twice at MUSC Health Stadium. Atlanta United FC loanee Romario Williams was the hero for Charleston, and is now tied for the league lead with six goals this season. The Battery are close to the pace they set to start the 2015 season, when the side was 5-0-2 after its first seven games. A win on Saturday against Bethlehem would keep the side nicely on track.

4. Tampa Bay Rowdies (34pts)
Last Week: W 1-0 vs. Richmond Kickers
The Rowdies needed a pick-me-up after three games without a win, and got it from Deshorn Brown’s highlight-reel scissor kick that earned victory against the Kickers and the No. 1 spot on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 on Saturday night. The Rowdies will get some serious tests over the next two weeks, though, with a visit to Ottawa followed by a visit from Louisville on May 13. Both games are setting up to be must-sees.


Photo courtesy Matt May / Tampa Bay Rowdies

5. Real Monarchs SLC (33pts)
Last Week: W 2-1 vs. Swope Park Rangers
The Monarchs have taken five wins from their first six contests, and Saturday’s victory against Swope Park might have been the most impressive yet. Chandler Hoffman has already notched four goals this season – giving him 35 in the USL for his career – and the side is showing far stronger backbone defensively to get off to an outstanding start.

6. Swope Park Rangers (24pts)
Last Week: L 2-1 at Real Monarchs SLC
The Rangers suffered a second consecutive defeat despite battling hard on the road against the Monarchs, and slide a little further in the rankings as a result. The numbers for Swope Park are still impressive; the team still leads the league in passing accuracy (85 percent) and is averaging more than 10 chances created per game. Getting out to a good start on Friday against Vancouver in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Final will be imperative, though.

7. New York Red Bulls II (11pts)
Last Week: Idle
New York shifts up in the rankings due to results elsewhere, and will look to continue its move up the standings on Saturday afternoon when it looks for a modicum of revenge against a Harrisburg side that defeated it earlier this season.

8. Sacramento Republic FC (10pts)
Last Week: D 0-0 at Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2
Republic FC managed to end its losing streak with a draw in Vancouver, but is still drifting further behind San Antonio FC after managing only one point and no goals in its last four games. The 2014 USL champion has a chance to rectify that this Saturday, however, as it visits San Antonio for one of the marquee games of Week 7.

9. Phoenix Rising FC (9pts)
Last Week: Idle
As with New York, Rising FC benefitted from others around it falling over the weekend. Phoenix returns to action at home on Saturday night against a Reno side still looking for its first win. Will the host be able to make it three wins in a row?

10. Rochester Rhinos (7pts)
Last Week: W 4-0 vs. Charlotte Independence
After grabbing a draw from the jaws of defeat in Week 5, the Rhinos left no doubt in their emphatic victory against the Charlotte Independence on Saturday night. Two goals by Darius Madison, two assists by Christiano Francois, and Rochester looked like its old self again. A visit to Saint Louis – and former standout Christian Volesky – on Saturday should prove another good test of the side’s credentials.

Also receiving votes – Rio Grande Valley FC 6, Tulsa Roughnecks FC 5, Saint Louis FC 3

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