Not quite the massive goalfest we saw last week but there was still a bunch of scoring going on. It helped that everyone was in action for once and moreover 6 teams had double-game weeks. Beyond that, at least one result was a huge surprise and a clear favorite is now on the table.
Also, we’ve added a form guide; we’re showing the last 5 decisions for each team, the most recent being on the right. Here then are the Power Rankings for this week:
| Rank | Team | Change | Previous | Record | Last 5 | Forge Factor | Note | Next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville City | 2 | +1 | 13-1-5 | WWTWW | 26.335 | Lou City scored early and often in the first half. A shock 4-1 win over Charleston puts the rest of the league on notice. As if they didn’t already know. | v. Miami |
| 2 | Hartford Athletic | 8 | +6 | 6-8-4 | LTWWW | 23.335 | 2 solid wins over Miami (2-0) and the Legion (4-1) made for a very good week. 10 goals in the last 3 games and the Athletic is in a strong position with games in hand. | v. Tulsa |
| 3 | FC Tulsa | 4 | +1 | 11-3-5 | WTWWW | 22.642 | Tulsa came from behind twice this week to beat Monterey Bay 3-2 and wipe out New Mexico 5-2. The only blemish in the last 5: 1-1 against Louisville. | @ Hartford |
| 4 | Sacramento Republic | 1 | -3 | 8-4-6 | WWTWW | 20.394 | The Republic pummeled Monterey Bay with 23 shots. They only got one past GK Nico Campuzano but that was enough. They keep hold of 2nd in the West. | v. Oakland |
| 5 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 9 | +4 | 6-6-6 | LLWWW | 18.871 | The Switchbacks beat Oakland comfortably 2-1. They have a 3-game win streak but all 3 were against teams below the playoff line. They hang on to 8th in the West. | v. Orange County |
| 6 | Orange County | 5 | -1 | 7-7-3 | TLWWT | 17.203 | Orange County had just 3 shots total and 1 on goal but pulled out a 1-1 draw in Pittsburgh. Ethan Zubak scored in his 3rd straight. | @ Colorado Springs |
| 7 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 7 | 0 | 5-11-2 | WLWWL | 16.236 | The Rowdies led early but North Carolina took over. 2 goals on errors and the 1-2 loss ends the 2-game win streak. Still in the cellar. | v. Phoenix |
| 8 | Charleston Battery | 3 | -5 | 13-4-2 | TWWWL | 16.086 | The Battery’s 3-game win streak ran headlong into a wall in Louisville. The 1-4 loss could have been even worse as Charleston had almost no response to a brutal attack. | @ Pittsburgh |
| 9 | Oakland Roots | 6 | -3 | 6-10-2 | WWLWL | 13.064 | The Roots continue to be inconsistent, losing 1-2 to Colorado Springs. They did keep it close though; Benny Feilhaber is slowly making this team better. | @ Sacramento |
| 10 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 11 | +1 | 7-6-6 | TTTWT | 11.792 | The Riverhounds were dominant but still had to come from behind to finish with a 1-1 draw against Orange County. 4 draws in the last 5 games. | v. Charleston |
| 11 | El Paso Locomotive | 13 | +2 | 7-5-6 | WLLWT | 10.954 | El Paso follow the best win in club history with a 0-0 draw in Miami, in good part thanks to Miami GK Bill Hamid. They miss a chance to go 3rd in the West. | v. Monterey Bay |
| 12 | Lexington SC | 14 | +2 | 5-7-7 | WTTLW | 10.902 | A confident 2-0 win in Phoenix keeps Lexington creeping up the standings. Beginning to look like a real Championship side. | @ San Antonio |
| 13 | North Carolina FC | 15 | +2 | 9-7-2 | LLWLW | 10.121 | North Carolina were not daunted by Tampa’s lead and completely controlled the rest of the game to win 2-1. Solidly 3rd in the East with a game in hand. | v. Detroit |
| 14 | San Antonio | 10 | -4 | 8-6-4 | LWWLT | 9.400 | San Antonio did not make the most of their chances and ended up with a 1-1 draw in Las Vegas. They blew a chance to stay level with Sacramento and El Paso are close behind. | v. Lexington |
| 15 | Rhode Island FC | 23 | +8 | 5-9-6 | LTLWT | 7.613 | Rhode Island were a little lucky to beat Detroit 1-0 on a weak PK call and then played Loudoun to an entertaining but scoreless draw. They stay barely in the playoff spots. | Bye |
| 16 | Detroit City | 20 | +4 | 6-7-6 | LLTLW | 6.535 | Le Rouge lost to Rhode Island on a slightly iffy PK and then needed an own goal to beat 10-man Indy. Their 1st win and 2nd goal since June; still struggling. | @ North Carolina |
| 17 | Monterey Bay FC | 21 | +4 | 6-10-4 | LWLLL | 6.093 | Monterey Bay led 2-1 against Tulsa but eventually fell 2-3 in midweek, then were toothless against Sacramento, losing 0-1. Playoff hopes beginning to fade. | @ El Paso |
| 18 | Birmingham Legion | 12 | -6 | 4-9-7 | TWLTL | 5.144 | The Legion played possibly the worst game in its history, losing 1-4 to Hartford. A win was crucial and now the team has its work cut out to make the playoffs. | Bye |
| 19 | The Miami FC | 16 | -3 | 5-9-5 | TLTLT | 4.399 | 2 tough opponents for Miami this week. They get outplayed by Hartford 0-2 and get a gritty 0-0 draw with El Paso. Winless in 7 games now. | @ Louisville |
| 20 | Loudoun United | 19 | -1 | 8-7-4 | TTLLT | 4.283 | Loudoun played Rhode Island close in a 0-0 draw. But they are winless since June 14th and are slipping in the standings. Still 4th in the East by a whisker. | v. Indy |
| 21 | Indy Eleven | 17 | -4 | 5-8-5 | WWLLL | 1.591 | The Eleven doomed themselves with a red card after 30 minutes, followed by an own goal in the 57th. 3 straight losses put them below the playoff line. | @ Loudoun |
| 22 | Phoenix Rising | 18 | -4 | 6-7-6 | LWLTL | 0.252 | A second shutout loss to Lexington in just over a month, this time 0-2. The Rising has allowed 9 goals in the last 3 games and are struggling to keep pace. | @ Tampa Bay |
| 23 | New Mexico United | 22 | -1 | 8-8-1 | WLLLL | -1.367 | New Mexico’ 2-5 loss to Tulsa was their 4th straight. That’s the worst streak in team history and they have allowed 12 goals in the process. They need a turnaround fast. | v. Las Vegas |
| 24 | Las Vegas Lights | 24 | 0 | 5-10-4 | LLLLT | -6.639 | The 4-game losing streak ends as the Lights manage a 1-1 draw with San Antonio. Even so their only shot on target was a PK. They remain in the playoffhunt though. | @ New Mexico |
