The Birmingham Legion may have been idle this week but there was plenty of action around the league and a ton of motion in the Forge Power Rankings. One team got a much-needed result at last. And there was a small matter of a ridiculous Championship record being set. Worst, you will not be happy who is now top of the rankings…
| Rank | Team | Previous | Change | Record | Last 5 | Forge Factor | Note | Next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico United | 3 | +2 | 7-4-3 | TTWWW | 24.077 | New Mexico had 4 shots on target in Lexington. They scored on all 4 and cruised to the 4-1 victory. 4 points off the West lead with 2 games in hand. | @ Birmingham |
| 2 | Detroit City | 6 | +4 | 8-4-3 | LTWWW | 22.307 | Detroit beat Indy 2-0 but it could have been much worse. 8 shots on target and they controlled the game start to finish. | v. Las Vegas |
| 3 | Lexington SC | 1 | -2 | 5-6-3 | LWWWL | 20.815 | Lexington had 2 4-1 wins in the previous 3 games. They were ruthlessly treated to the same punishment by New Mexico. 11th in the West but only 1 point out of the playoffs. | v. Oakland, @ Tulsa |
| 4 | Orange County | 2 | -2 | 7-2-7 | TWWTT | 17.315 | Orange County were on a bye this week. | @ Monterey Bay |
| 5 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 8 | +3 | 5-5-4 | WLWLW | 15.925 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks were on a bye this week. | v. Miami, v. Charleston |
| 6 | Sacramento Republic | 19 | +13 | 5-4-5 | LWLWT | 13.416 | Sacramento’s goal looked offside, then they gave up a PK and a red card. Very fortunate to escape an atrocious Patriots Point field with a 1-1 draw. | @ Oakland |
| 7 | Charleston Battery | 4 | -3 | 8-5-3 | WWWLT | 13.411 | The Battery deserved more than a 1-1 draw with SacRep. They could not get the extra goal even with a man advantage and stay 5 points behind the Rowdies. | @ Colorado Springs |
| 8 | Rhode Island FC | 7 | -1 | 5-5-4 | LWTLW | 12.670 | Rhode Island had more shots on target than Hartford had in total. They pounded away at the goal all night in El Clámico but only managed a 1-0 win. | @ Pittsburgh |
| 9 | Las Vegas Lights | 13 | +4 | 5-7-3 | TWLLW | 12.187 | Las Vegas shook off an early deficit and some sloppy defending to get a 2-1 win in San Antonio. Still in the hunt for the playoffs. | @ Detroit |
| 10 | Brooklyn FC | 12 | +2 | 3-8-4 | TTLWT | 11.175 | Brooklyn were down 2 goals in the first 9 minutes in Jacksonville and looked very much the weaker side. They were gifted a late PK and came away with a 2-2 draw. | v. San Antonio |
| 11 | FC Tulsa | 22 | +11 | 6-4-4 | TLWLW | 10.183 | Tulsa were definitely the better team in the 1-0 win over El Paso, but that’s not saying much. A dreary affair with only 1 shot each on goal. | v. Lexington |
| 12 | Oakland Roots | 16 | +4 | 5-4-6 | LTTWL | 10.077 | Oakland Roots were on a bye this week. | @ Lexington, v. Sacramento |
| 13 | Louisville City | 9 | -4 | 7-6-3 | TWTWL | 9.777 | Lou City were the victims of the fastest hat-trick in league history and weren’t exactly good the rest of the game. They lose 1-3 at home to Pittsburgh. | Bye |
| 14 | The Miami FC | 20 | +6 | 5-5-6 | LTLTW | 9.730 | Miami were not exactly dominant against Indy but were also not truly challenged. They take a 2-0 win. Eloy Room now has 5 clean sheets. | @ Colorado Springs, v. Tampa Bay |
| 15 | Monterey Bay FC | 14 | -1 | 4-9-3 | WLWTL | 8.474 | Both teams scored a wild own goal as Monterey Bay went down 2-3 in Phoenix. They were generally outplayed and the result was fair. | v. Orange County |
| 16 | El Paso Locomotive | 18 | +2 | 5-6-4 | TTLWL | 7.783 | El Paso’s only shot on goal did not challenge Tulsa’s Dane Jacomen. The erratic season continues with a 0-1 loss. | v. JAX |
| 17 | San Antonio FC | 17 | 0 | 6-3-7 | TLWTL | 7.731 | San Antonio couldn’t make a 6th-minute goal hold up and lost to Las Vegas 1-2. And also lost Santiago Patiño to a stupid red card. Still 2nd in the West but looking shaky lately. | @ Brooklyn |
| 18 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 15 | -3 | 9-2-5 | TLWLT | 7.641 | The Rowdies may have been denied a valid goal but they also got an iffy PK. The 1-1 draw in Loudoun was a tad lucky. 1 win in the last 5 games now. | @ Miami |
| 19 | Sporting JAX | 24 | +5 | 1-11-5 | LLTWT | 7.492 | It took 16 games for JAX to finally get their first league win, a solid 2-1 result over Pittsburgh. That almost carried over to the weekend but they blew an early 2-goal lead to draw Brooklyn FC 2-2. | @ El Paso |
| 20 | Hartford Athletic | 10 | -10 | 4-4-7 | WTLTL | 7.190 | Hartford had no shots on goal and only 7 in total to lose miserably 0-1 in a Rhode Island downpour. They flip positions across the playoff line. | @ Phoenix |
| 21 | Indy Eleven | 5 | -16 | 6-5-3 | WLWLL | 6.959 | Indy had one decent scoring chance in Miami but couldn’t convert that in the 0-2 loss. They had the same score in Detroit but only thanks to GK Eric Dick. | v. Loudoun |
| 22 | Birmingham Legion | 21 | -1 | 2-5-8 | LTTLT | 6.296 | Birmingham Legion were on a bye this week. | v. New Mexico |
| 23 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 11 | -12 | 7-6-2 | WTLLW | 5.375 | The Riverhounds looked completely outplayed in the 1-2 loss to Sporting JAX but whipped Louisville City 3-1. And that thanks to Trevor Amann’s hat-trick scored over a record 3 minutes and 27 seconds. | v. Rhode Island |
| 24 | Phoenix Rising | 23 | -1 | 5-6-5 | LTLLW | 4.932 | Phoenix had most of the attack in the 3-2 win over Monterey Bay and mostly deserved the result. Losing coach Pa-Modou Kah to a red card will not help them hold on to their flimsy playoff spot. | v. Hartford |
| 25 | Loudoun United | 25 | 0 | 1-5-9 | LTLTT | 2.965 | Loudoun pummeled Jahmali Waite’s goal early and should have come away with a big win. All they could get was a 1-1 draw. | @ Indy |
