The Birmingham Legion were off this week but managed to jump 3 spots in the standings1The USL is showing only 1 spot up, but that’s wrong based on the tiebreaker system.. They should do that more often. The rest of the league was busy, including 4 teams with double-game weeks. Both expansion teams were in that group and managed 4 losses between them. Some of the results were perhaps a surprise, but it is still early in the season and things are still sorting themselves out. and it’s going to be a busy week again, with teams playing in the Open Cup in midweek. Here are how we see the rankings right now:
| Rank | Team | Previous | Change | Record | Last 5 | Note | Next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville City | 1 | 0 | 4-0-0 | WWWW | Lou City hit 200 regular season wins in Brooklyn but needed an own goal to get it. Far closer than expected but the streak goes on. | @ Lexingtoniii, v. Charleston |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2 | 0 | 3-0-0 | WWW | The Rowdies had very little difficulty in the 3-1 win over Loudoun to stay perfect on the season. That should continue this week. | @ JAX |
| 3 | El Paso Locomotive | 3 | 0 | 2-0-1 | TWW | The Locomotive were 2 goals up before losing a man for 40-odd minutes and surviving a Sacramento onslaught for the 2-1 road win. An impressive display. | @ New Mexicoiii, v. Las Vegas |
| 4 | San Antonio FC | 6 | +3 | 3-0-1 | WTWW | San Antonio beat Lexington SC 2-0 but certainly did not have it all their way over a solid team working on short rest and travel. | v. Tulsaiii, @ Monterey Bay |
| 5 | Detroit City | 16 | +11 | 2-1-0 | WLW | Detroit pummeled Charleston with 12 shots but didn’t get the breakthrough until 75 minutes in. That was all they needed in a dominant performance. | @ Flint Cityiii, @ Rhode Island |
| 6 | Orange County | 14 | +8 | 2-0-2 | TTWW | Orange County were more or less gifted a 1-0 win in Oakland. They are consistent: 1 goal in every game so far. They’ll want to up that. | v. Phoenixiii, v. New Mexico |
| 7 | Hartford Athletic | 9 | +2 | 2-0-2 | WTWT | Hartford had nearly two-thirds possession but stats were very even otherwise against Indy. A slightly fortunate late goal ended the game 2-2. | @ Rhode Islandiii, @ Miami |
| 8 | Lexington SC | 8 | 0 | 1-2-1 | LTWL | Lexington were well into the second half before warming up for a breezy 3-0 result over Brooklyn. The 0-2 Sunday loss in San Antonio was closer than the score implies. | v. Louisvilleiii, @ Colorado Springs |
| 9 | Charleston Battery | 4 | -5 | 2-1-0 | WWL | The Battery had just 4 shots in the 0-1 loss in Detroit. After that and a lucky win over Birmingham they are looking on the shaky side. | @ Charlotteii, @ Louisville |
| 10 | Oakland Roots | 5 | -5 | 2-1-1 | WWTL | Roots GK Raphael Spiegel was the big news in the Championship this week for a huge mistake and a crazy stunt for a red card late. Otherwise Oakland wasn’t too bad in the 0-1 loss to OC. | Bye |
| 11 | Phoenix Rising | 12 | +1 | 0-1-3 | LTTT | Phoenix played Tulsa to a 1-1 draw. It was not an exciting game overall. The Rising are still looking for a win although the 3 draws have been against good sides. | @ Orange Countyiii, @ Sacramento |
| 12 | The Miami FC | 23 | +11 | 2-1-1 | LTWW | Miami had a rough start before taking control for a solid 4-2 win in JAX (one goal was clearly offside). The 2-1 win over Rhode Island was rather against the run of play. | v. Hartford |
| 13 | Birmingham Legion | 10 | -3 | 0-2-1 | LTL | Birmingham Legion were on a bye this week. | @ Loudoun |
| 14 | FC Tulsa | 13 | -1 | 1-1-2 | LTWT | The 1-1 draw with Phoenix was a fair result in a very even match in which neither team really excelled. The Western Conference champs have taken a step backwards. | @ San Antonioiii, Bye |
| 15 | Sacramento Republic | 7 | -8 | 1-1-2 | WTTL | The Republic put themselves in an early hole. They hit the posts twice but even a man up could only convert a PK for the 1-2 loss to El Paso in a nailbiter. 3 disappointing results on the trot. | @ Valley 559i, v. Phoenix |
| 16 | Indy Eleven | 15 | -1 | 1-1-1 | LWT | Indy played toe-to-toe with Hartford and held a lead until the 88th minute when an unlucky own goal tied it 2-2. 2 good showings now for a team that everyone is discounting. | v. Omahaii, v. Pittsburgh |
| 17 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 17 | 0 | 2-2-0 | LWLW | The Riverhounds built a 3-goal lead over a tired JAX (including an iffy PK). Then they allowed them back into the game quickly but edged a 3-2 win. Not overly impressive. | v. Virginia Dreami, @ Indy |
| 18 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 11 | -7 | 1-2-1 | TWLL | After a decent start Colorado Springs has lost two straight. The 2-3 reversal in New Mexico would have been worse without being gifted 2 PKs. | v. Spokaneiii, v. Lexington |
| 19 | New Mexico United | 20 | +1 | 1-2-0 | LLW | New Mexico gave up 2 penalties but still beat the Switchbacks 3-2. The first win of 2026, but a 96th-minute score was needed to get it. | v. El Pasoiii, @ Orange County |
| 20 | Las Vegas Lights | 22 | +2 | 1-2-1 | TLLW | 3 PKs in the game and only one was on target. That was the difference for the Lights in the 1-0 win over Monterey Bay. They were by far the stronger in attack overall. | @ El Paso |
| 21 | Loudoun United | 18 | -3 | 0-2-1 | LTL | Fresh off a 10-save clean sheet Adam Beaudry allowed 3 (including one for which he was credited with an own goal) as Loudoun were dominated by Tampa Bay. | @ Richmondiii, v. Birmingham |
| 22 | Rhode Island FC | 21 | -1 | 0-2-1 | TLL | Rhode Island picked up another red card this week in the 1-2 loss in Miami. They had much of the attack but it wasn’t enough. | v. Hartfordiii, v. Detroit |
| 23 | Monterey Bay FC | 24 | -1 | 0-3-1 | LLTL | Fernando Delgado’s 6 saves were the highlight for Monterey Bay. He couldn’t stop 1 of 2 Las Vegas PKs though. Sebastian Lletget skying his PK was not a highlight. | v. San Antonio |
| 24 | Sporting JAX | 25 | +1 | 0-3-1 | LTLL | The good news: JAX scored in under 2 minutes and went on to rack up 4 goals over 2 games. The bad news: they lost both games, 2-4 to Miami and 2-3 to Pittsburgh. Progress? | v. Tampa Bay |
| 25 | Brooklyn FC | 19 | -6 | 1-4-0 | WLLLL | Brooklyn looked fine for 74 minutes before the wheels fell off in Lexington for a 0-3 loss. The other Kentucky team visited at the weekend and were gifted an own goal for the 1-0 win. The only 5-game team but the worst losing streak. | Bye |
- Open Cup, Tuesday (win)
- Open Cup, Tuesday (loss)
- Open Cup, Wednesday
