With eight of this weekend’s 11 games in the USL ending all square, it’s arguable the biggest winners outside the three teams to earn all three points from their games – the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Saint Louis FC and Reno 1868 FC – were those watching the results from afar during a bye week.
That proved to be the case in the Power Rankings, at least, for Orange County SC as the side moved into second place in the rankings after Real Monarchs SLC’s loss in Tampa Bay on Saturday night. The Monarchs’ performance didn’t see them slide far, with draws across the board elsewhere allowing the side to hold onto the No. 3 spot.
As for this week, there are definitely two interesting games to keep an eye on this Saturday night with No. 14 Saint Louis FC paying a visit to the No. 6 Swope Park Rangers in search of another positive performance and No. 8 Phoenix Rising FC playing host to No. 15 Fresno FC as part of a 17-game slate in the next five days.
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 64 pts | (4-0-1) Week 6: T, 1-1 @ATL Week 7: BST |
Last Week: 1 |
Louisville’s perfect start to the season came to an end thanks to a 1-1 draw on the road with ATL UTD 2, but the defending champions are still a unanimous No. 1 here. | |
2 | Orange County SC 52 pts | (4-1-1) Week 6: -- Week 7: @RGV, COS |
1 Last Week: 3 |
Orange County moves up a spot without kicking a ball but will be busy this week as it visits Rio Grande Valley FC on Wednesday before returning home to face Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Saturday. | |
3 | Real Monarchs SLC 50 pts | (4-1-0) Week 6: L, 0-2 @TBR Week 7: -- |
1 Last Week: 2 |
The Monarchs’ mistakes proved costly in a hard-fought contest on the road against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, but thanks to results elsewhere Real remains in the top three for the voters. | |
4 | Tampa Bay Rowdies 47 pts | (4-2-0) Week 6: W, 2-0 SLC Week 7: @CHS |
4 Last Week: 8 |
The Rowdies are undefeated at home in the regular season for more than a year after Saturday’s victory against Real Monarchs SLC, but now face three consecutive road games as they try and keep the pressure on Louisville. | |
5 | Sacramento Republic FC 46 pts | (4-0-2) Week 6: W, 2-1 COS Week 7: TUL |
2 Last Week: 7 |
Republic FC’s midweek victory against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC allowed the club to continue its best start to a season, where it’s now undefeated and on top of the West. | |
T-6 | New York Red Bulls II 44 pts | (3-1-2) Week 6: T, 1-1 @LA Week 7: @TOR |
2 Last Week: 4 |
For a second time in a row New York followed a dominant home performance with a 1-1 draw on the road, this time against the LA Galaxy II, but still sits top-three in the East. | |
T-6 | Swope Park Rangers 44 pts | (3-1-2) Week 6: T, 2-2 @PHX Week 7: STL |
1 Last Week: 5 |
The Rangers’ visit to Phoenix lived up to the expectations in terms of excitement, but Swope Park might feel it let its hosts off the hook after Kharlton Belmar’s spectacular finish earned it a late lead. | |
8 | Phoenix Rising FC 43 pts | (3-1-2) Week 6: T, 2-2 SPR Week 7: FRS |
2 Last Week: 6 |
Rising FC picked up a valuable point after a helter-skelter clash with the Swope Park Rangers, keeping it in touch with the Western Conference’s front-runners. | |
9 | Indy Eleven 30 pts | (3-1-0) Week 6: -- Week 7: @CLT |
Last Week: 9 |
Indy’s week off saw it lose little ground to the teams around it, and its visit to face the Charlotte Independence could be one of the more interesting games on Saturday night’s schedule. | |
10 | FC Cincinnati 24 pts | (2-1-2) Week 6: T, 2-2 PGH Week 7: @OTT |
Last Week: 10 |
Cincinnati picked up a point after fighting back twice against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, but the side is now winless in three consecutive games as it heads north to Ottawa. | |
11 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 22 pts | (2-0-3) Week 6: T, 2-2 @CIN Week 7: ATL |
1 Last Week: 12 |
Riverhounds SC remained undefeated after its trip to Cincinnati and moves up a place in the rankings as a result as it creeps closer to the top four in the East. | |
12 | Las Vegas Lights FC 21 pts | (2-0-2) Week 6: -- Week 7: SA |
1 Last Week: 11 |
Lights FC gets the national spotlight for its undefeated start on Friday night as it hosts San Antonio FC in the USL Game of the Week on ESPN, part of a two-game run that also sees it serve as the visitor for the opening of Real Monarchs SLC’s Zion’s Bank Stadium next Monday night. | |
13 | Atlanta United 2 19 pts | (1-0-3) Week 6: T, 1-1 LOU Week 7: CHS, @PGH |
1 Last Week: 14 |
Atlanta came through a serious test with Louisville City FC with its undefeated record, but after three consecutive draws the side faces another two good matchups this week against the Charleston Battery and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. | |
14 | Saint Louis FC 16 pts | (3-1-2) Week 6: W, 1-0 @OKC Week 7: @SPR |
1 Last Week: T-15 |
A third 1-0 victory in the last four games keeps things moving for Saint Louis as it shifts into the logjam that’s beginning to develop in the West’s playoff positions. | |
15 | Fresno FC 10 pts | (2-1-4) Week 6: T, 2-2 TUL, T, 0-0 SA Week 7: @PHX |
2 Last Week: 13 |
Two winnable games, two draws for the Foxes which would have expected more after the way its contests with Tulsa Roughnecks FC and San Antonio FC played out. | |
16 | Nashville SC 5 pts | (2-2-1) Week 6: -- Week 7: @PEN |
1 Last Week: T-15 |
Back to business on Tuesday night for Nashville, which will try to rebound from its loss to Indy Eleven when it heads to face Penn FC to kick off the week. |
Also receiving votes: San Antonio FC 3, Charlotte Independence 2, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 2
Dropped from rankings: --
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