Wr finally get back more or less on schedule with the Power Rankings and yet Week 29 has already started before we publish this. And not in the best way for the Legion either. Some slightly surprising results this week; notably the Eastern Conference leaders did not do too well against a team that played a tough game in midweek. The Legikon edges up in the rankings but still needs a major miracle for the playoffs.
| Rank | Team | Previous | Change | Record | Last 5 | Forge Factor | Note | Next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Paso Locomotive | 1 | 0 | 13-7-4 | WWWWW | 24.495 | El Paso’s win streak extends to 7 with a well-earned 3-1 win in Louisville. They have conceded just 3 times in the streak while scoring 14. But their hold on 1st in the West remains precarious. | @ Phoenix |
| 2 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 8 | +6 | 11-9-4 | LLWWW | 18.500 | The Switchbacks recovered from a USL Cupn loss Tuesday to beat San Antonio 2-1 in a dreary game Friday. They pass Tulsa for 3rd in the West. | v. New Mexico |
| 3 | Phoenix Rising | 9 | +6 | 8-7-9 | WTWTW | 15.898 | Phoenix got an early goal and a late second goal before Tulsa finally broke through with a stoppage-time consolation. The 2-1 win was hard-fought though. 1 point from the playoffs. | v. El Paso |
| 4 | FC Tulsa | 2 | -2 | 10-7-6 | LWWTL | 14.572 | Tulsa tried everything to score against Phoenix but coudn’t score until second-half stoppage time. The 1-2 loss didn’t hurt too much as others around them also lost. | @ Brooklyn |
| 5 | Hartford Athletic | 3 | -2 | 8-5-10 | WWWTW | 14.483 | Hartford rotated the lineup heavily after the midweek USL Cup win but that made no difference. They cruised to a 3-1 win over the Rowdies. Knocking on the door of the home playoff spots. | v. JAX, @ Las Vegas |
| 6 | Charleston Battery | 4 | -2 | 12-8-4 | LWWLT | 14.023 | Charleston dominated the attack against the Legion but were denied repeatedly. A poor back pass gave them a goal in the 2-2 draw. Still 2nd by 2 points, barely. | v. Monterey Bay |
| 7 | Sacramento Republic | 14 | +7 | 9-5-9 | WTTTW | 12.865 | SacRep scored in 13 minutes and that’s all they needed to beat Detroit. A completely one-sided match keeps the Republic knocking on the door of the home playoff spots. | v. San Antonio |
| 8 | Rhode Island FC | 16 | +8 | 9-8-5 | LWLTW | 12.618 | Rhode Island were all over JAX, cruising to a 3-0 win in Florida. 25 shots and 10 on target will get things done. They pull ahead of Indy to strengthen their hold on 7th in the East. | v. Miami |
| 9 | New Mexico United | 7 | -2 | 12-5-5 | TWLWT | 12.450 | New Mexico scored twice in 2 minutes in the first half but could not prevent the comeback as Indy got 2 second-half goals for the draw. They fall 2 points behind El Paso. | @ Birmingham, @ Colorado Springs |
| 10 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 11 | +1 | 11-9-5 | WLTTW | 11.632 | Pittsburgh scored in the 8th minute and rode that goal to beat Loudoun 1-0. They were lucky as several good chances were wasted by the visitors. They move up to 3rd in the East but have played extra games. | @ Detroit |
| 11 | San Antonio FC | 12 | +1 | 9-6-9 | LLWTL | 10.561 | San Antonio had just 7 shots and 1 on target in the 1-2 loss to Colorado Springs, looking entirely unconvincing nin the process. The lower half of the Western playoff spots gets tighter. | @ Sacramento |
| 12 | Detroit City | 6 | -6 | 10-6-7 | TWTTL | 9.587 | Detroit had just 6 shots and 1 on total as they were utterly shut down by Sacramento in the 0-1 loss. 1 win in the last 5 has seen them slip a bit but they have games in hand. | v. Pittsburgh |
| 13 | Lexington SC | 22 | +9 | 10-10-4 | WLLLW | 9.399 | Philip Goodrum had 6 shots. 4 were on target. 3 found the net. Lexington beats Oakland 4-1 with a late burst of goals. They break a 3-game losing streak and hold on to a playoff spot. | v. Orange County |
| 14 | Louisville City | 13 | -1 | 9-9-6 | WLTTL | 9.216 | Lou City’s subpar season continues. They had 6 shots on target but only converted once, losing 1-2 to El Paso at home. The slide down the standings continues. | v. Loudoun |
| 15 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 5 | -10 | 14-4-6 | WLTWL | 9.207 | The Rowdies are pretty safe at the top of the East but this 1-3 loss in Hartford shows they can be overpowered. A poor outing and a late red card to boot. | v. Birmingham |
| 16 | Indy Eleven | 15 | -1 | 8-8-6 | WWLTT | 9.190 | Indy staged a big comeback for the 2-2 draw with New Mexico. Less than 29% possession but they crammed 18 shots into it. | v. Brooklyn*, v. Oakland |
| 17 | Las Vegas Lights | 24 | +7 | 8-11-5 | WLLLW | 9.002 | Las Vegas scored early and late and controlled pretty much everything in between and they leave Orange County deserved 2-0 winners. A necessary win to stay in the playoff hunt. | v. Hartford |
| 18 | Brooklyn FC | 17 | -1 | 5-12-5 | WLWLT | 8.935 | Brooklyn were the beneficiaries of an own goal and blew a late chance to win with a poorly taken PK. They draw 1-1 with Miami in a poor showing. | @ Indy*, v. Tulsa |
| 19 | Oakland Roots | 10 | -9 | 6-9-9 | LTWTL | 8.833 | The Roots played Lexington fairly even for 78 minutes. Then the dam broke and they lost 1-4. A poor run of form sees them slip further from playoff position. | @ Indy |
| 20 | Monterey Bay FC | 19 | -1 | 4-14-6 | LTLTT | 5.634 | Monterey Bay FC were on a bye this week. | @ Charleston |
| 21 | Birmingham Legion | 23 | +2 | 3-9-10 | LLLTT | 5.490 | The Legion desperately needed a win but only got a 2-2 draw with the Battery. A mistake at the back cost them but for once it wasn’t a crossing play. | v. New Mexico, @ Tampa Bay |
| 22 | Sporting JAX | 18 | -4 | 3-16-5 | LWLWL | 3.989 | JAX’s recent roller-coaster form continues as they got hammered 0-3 by Rhode Island after a long rain delay. It won’t get easier this week as they head to surging Hartford. | @ Hartford |
| 23 | Orange County | 21 | -2 | 9-6-9 | LLTTL | 3.173 | Orange County continue to collapse as they lose 0-2 to Las Vegas at home. They never really challenged in the game. 6th in the West but dangerously close to falling out of the playoffs. | @ Lexington |
| 24 | Loudoun United | 20 | -4 | 3-9-11 | TTLLL | 1.716 | Loudoun conceded early to lose 0-1 in Pittsburgh. They dominated the rest of the game and had multiple excellent chances to score but couldn’t finish. Still ahead of Birmingham by a point but with 1 more game played. | @ Louisville |
| 25 | The Miami FC | 25 | 0 | 5-10-9 | LLLTT | 0.125 | Miami were far the better side in Brooklyn but ruined a possible win with weak shoooting and an own goal. The 1-1 draw was saved by Eloy Room stopping a PK he gave up himself. | @ Rhode Island |
* Played Tuesday evening, Indy winning 4-0 over Brooklyn.
