The Football Forge Power Rankings: Week 13Some confusing changes
This week’s rankings see New Mexico United take a big leap, but don’t expect that to last. Still, they are not the only team making positive moves as the league moves into the second third of the season and things start to get, well, messy.
| Rank | Team | Previous | Change | Record | Forge Factor | Notes | |||
| 1 | New Mexico United | 1 | 0 | 6-2-4 | 7.72 | United get the 2-1 win in Orange County courtesy of Alex Tambakis stopping a PK as time expired. The 7-0 win over a depleted Phoenix Rising side is about to drop out of the form calculations, so expect a drop this week. | |||
| 2 | Memphis 901 | 2 | 0 | 9-2-1 | 6.84 | Area Code FC took advantage of the bye week to prepare for Atlanta United 2, who they proceeded to grind into the AutoZone Park infield dirt 5-2. A much tougher assignment this week on short rest as they travel to play a revived Legion team. | |||
| 3 | Monterey Bay Union | 4 | +1 | 4-8-0 | 5.63 | The Union lose 0-2 at home to the Roots but gain a spot in the rankings thanks to Tampa’s form change. They are still riding those wins over Lou City and the Switchbacks. A visit from San Antonio this week will likely bring reality down hard. | |||
| 4 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3 | -1 | 6-3-5 | 5.36 | The Rowdies should have won in Tulsa but didn’t capitalize on their chances. They did win 1-0 over Louisville City despite again squandering opportunities and getting the goal on a weak PK call. 4 points but the 5-1 win over Phoenix no longer affects the ranking, hence the slight drop. | |||
| 5 | San Antonio | 8 | +3 | 9-3-0 | 4.87 | The weirdest move in the rankings. San Antonio were thoroughly outplayed in Sacramento in the 0-1 loss and also incurred a late red card. Credit the gain to other teams performing even worse. | |||
| 6 | Oakland Roots | 12 | +6 | 4-4-7 | 4.55 | 2 second half stoppage time goals got the 3-2 win over Orange County and then a 2-0 win in Monterey made for a pretty good week. The Roots are now out of the playoffs on tiebreakers. | |||
| 7 | Birmingham Legion | 16 | +9 | 5-4-4 | 4.08 | Two road wins in a row gives the Three Sparks a huge boost in the rankings, especially the unexpected win in Phoenix. Can they do the same at home against a powerful 901 side? | |||
| 8 | The Miami FC | 5 | -3 | 5-4-5 | 4.03 | A 0-0 draw in Tulsa in which chances were plentiful on both sides adds to the slight decline in form for the South Floridians. The Rowdies are in town this week so another drop could be coming. | |||
| 9 | Detroit City | 9 | 0 | 7-2-4 | 3.61 | A 1-1 draw in Pittsburgh keeps DCFC static on the rankings. However, the thin roster is beginning to show fatigue and the draw is thanks primarily to the continued heroics of Nate Steinwascher who logged 5 saves. | |||
| 10 | Sacramento Republic | 17 | +7 | 5-3-4 | 3.53 | The 1-0 win over San Antonio wasn’t that close. The hosts were easily the better team and had several wasted chances. Still, a big gain in the rankings. | |||
| 11 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 10 | -1 | 9-2-0 | 3.25 | The 3-0 win over Las Vegas wasn’t as easy as it looks. One goal was clearly offside and Cal Jennings missed a sitter. Even so, Colorado Springs was dominant all game. But gains by the Legion and SacRep kick them down a spot. | |||
| 12 | LA Galaxy II | 23 | +11 | 5-6-3 | 3.16 | Los Dos remain the best of the MLS 2 teams, but can coinsider themselves somewhat lucky to win against the Toros, who had the better play in the game. Credit the 3 points to an iffy offside call and excellent goalkeeping by Eric Lopez. | |||
| 13 | El Paso Locomotive | 6 | -7 | 6-6-3 | 3.13 | It took the Locomotive 56 minutes to break through against Hartford and then they gave a up a tying goal in a game they should have won easily. This was a bump on the road to redemption for this generally improving team. | |||
| 14 | Indy Eleven | 15 | +1 | 6-4-2 | 2.81 | Manuel Arteaga got a first half hat trick in the 4-3 win in Charleston. But they let the Battery score 3. And the home team wasted a 4th goal when an offside Augustine Williams touched a ball already past the keeper. Closer than it should have been. | |||
| 15 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 13 | -2 | 7-3-3 | 2.37 | Pittsburgh should have beaten Detroit at home but got just the 1-1 draw. 2 points from the last 3 games counts as bad form as the Hounds drop in the rankings. | |||
| 16 | Hartford Athletic | 18 | +2 | 2-7-2 | 2.24 | Hanging on in El Paso for the 1-1 draw is about the best result the Athletic have achieved all year. Are they turning it around? I doubt it. | |||
| 17 | FC Tulsa | 20 | +3 | 4-8-2 | 2.02 | 2 points from 2 home games is not good. Tulsa were completely outplayed by the Rowdies and were saved by a late Rodrigo da Costa goal and then went on to draw Miami 0-0 in a game where both teams spent the entire time wasting chances. The 1-5 loss to Orange County is off the ranking algorithm now so they get a slight lift. | |||
| 18 | Rio Grande Valley Toros | 7 | -11 | 6-8-0 | 1.95 | A goalfest 4-3 win in Atlanta was followed by a 0-1 home loss to LA Galaxy II. They were denied points in that game by a very tight offside call on a goal and insult was added to injury as Jose Torres got a red card right at the end of the game. | |||
| 19 | Louisville City | 20 | +1 | 8-3-3 | 1.83 | Lou City can complain about the soft PK awarded to the Rowdies, but they had no shots on goal in this game so it’s really on them as their recent poorish form continues. They rise in the rankings only by virtue of OC crashing. | |||
| 20 | Las Vegas Lights | 22 | +2 | 4-6-4 | 1.40 | Losing 3-0 in Colorado Springs is kind of a given, although it could, and should, have been a lot closer. 1 point from their last 9 yet they gain in the rankings. Go figure. | |||
| 21 | San Diego Loyal | 14 | -7 | 6-3-4 | 0.97 | The Loyal had to claw their way back from an early 2-goal deficit to get the draw in New York. 1 point is not good enough against the Baby Bulls. San Diego is having a run of bad form lately that raises some questions. | |||
| 22 | Atlanta United 2 | 21 | -1 | 2-10-1 | 0.93 | It’s a rough week when you score 5 goals but drop 6 points. Twonited got edged by RGV at home and then pummeled by Memphis away. One bright light: the play of Robbie Mertz who bagged three times this week. | |||
| 23 | New York Red Bulls II | 25 | +2 | 1-10-2 | 0.86 | They gave up a 2-goal lead against San Diego but as draw is a good result for this team. Bad results elsewhere helped the 2-spot rise. | |||
| 24 | Orange County | 11 | -13 | 3-5-5 | 0.83 | So: OC give up 2 stoppage time goals in Oakland to lose 2-3 and then go down 0-2 to New Mexico, get a goal in stoppage and then blow a PK at full time that would have earned a draw. Nothing is going right for the champions. | |||
| 25 | Phoenix Rising | 27 | +2 | 7-6-0 | 0.47 | The home loss to the Legion did nothing to improve the Rising’s fortunes. El Paso comes to town this weekend, which will be a challenge, although the 0-7 hammering by New Mexico will drop out the form book. Things could get better. | |||
| 26 | Loudoun United | 24 | -2 | 0.43 | Loudoun United were on a bye this week. | ||||
| 27 | Charleston Battery | 26 | -1 | 1-9-2 | -0.12 | The good news: they scored 3. The bad news: Indy scored 4. The worse news: Augustine Williams spoiled a potential draw with a stupid offside play. The Battery cannot get out of their own way. | |||
