It was a strange week in the USL Championship. There were 2 goalkeeper red cards (with vastly different results for their teams) and 2 penalty kicks this week, both taken by centerbacks. On top of that there was a ton of scoring, the playoff field grew to 6 teams and the first 2 teams were eliminated despite both of them winning (and in the Legion’s case, taking a huge jump in the rankings).
| Rank | Team | Previous | Change | Record | Last 5 | Forge Factor | Note | Next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville City | 1 | 0 | 20-1-6 | WWWWW | 23.093 | The LIPAFC ended in unsurprising fashion, a 2-0 Lou City win. That despite a goalkeeper red card. 6 straight wins now. | v. Miami |
| 2 | Hartford Athletic | 2 | 0 | 11-10-5 | LWWLW | 20.566 | Hartford didn’t play in the league this week but earned its first trophy, beating Sacramento 1-0 in the Jägermeister Cup final. | @ Oakland, v. Sacramento |
| 3 | New Mexico United | 5 | +2 | 13-10-4 | LTWWW | 19.251 | It took 101 minutes of game time and a PK for the 1-0 win over Phoenix. That clinched a playoff spot. | v. Orange County |
| 4 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 6 | +2 | 8-13-6 | TWTTW | 17.575 | The Rowdies’ late-season scoring explosion continued with a 4-0 shellacking of Monterey Bay. 15 goals in the last 5 games but it may not be enough for the playoffs. | @ Rhode Island |
| 5 | Sacramento Republic | 7 | +2 | 12-6-7 | WTWLW | 15.032 | Did the midweek 2-1 win over Orange County affect the Jäger Cup final? Maybe. Still 2nd in the West. | @ Hartford |
| 6 | Charleston Battery | 8 | +2 | 17-5-4 | LWTWT | 14.695 | Charleston Battery were on a bye this week. | v. Colorado Springs |
| 7 | Rhode Island FC | 9 | +2 | 9-12-6 | LWWLW | 14.037 | For 89 minutes it looked like the Legion’s playoff hopes were alive but 2 late goals sealed the 3-1 win over Las Vegas and that was goodnight. | v. Tampa Bay |
| 8 | El Paso Locomotive | 17 | +9 | 10-8-9 | LLWWT | 13.651 | El Paso scored twice in 5 minutes and cruised to a 3-1 win over Oakland. They were then somewhat outplayed by Orange County in a 0-0 draw. | @ Lexington |
| 9 | FC Tulsa | 15 | +6 | 14-5-8 | TWTLW | 12.465 | Tulsa were handed an easy 3-0 victory by Lexington, who lost their keeper early to a red card. Edging closer to the Western title. | v. San Antonio |
| 10 | Indy Eleven | 10 | 0 | 9-13-5 | LLWWL | 12.305 | Indy’s 0-2 loss in Louisville was as expected despite a determined performance. Worse, they drop below the playoff line. | @ Pittsburgh |
| 11 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 4 | -7 | 10-10-7 | WLWWL | 11.498 | Pittsburgh were all over Miami in the first half. Then they collapsed to lose 1-3. | v. Indy |
| 12 | Birmingham Legion | 23 | +11 | 5-11-12 | LLTTW | 11.311 | The Legion had 2 gritty results this week, 1-1 with North Carolina and 1-0 over Loudoun. The winless streak ends but they are eliminated anyway. | Bye |
| 13 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 22 | +9 | 9-11-7 | TLLLW | 9.776 | The Switchbacks were in control all night, winning 1-0 over San Antonio. The losing streak is snapped and they have some breathing room. | @ Charleston |
| 14 | Detroit City | 21 | +7 | 9-10-8 | WLLLW | 9.325 | Detroit’s slide towards the playoff line was halted in the 2-0 win over North Carolina. Not safe yet. | v. Loudoun |
| 15 | San Antonio | 3 | -12 | 10-9-7 | LWWTL | 8.326 | It’s hard to win with no shots on target. The 0-1 loss marks 2 straight games without scoring. | @ Tulsa |
| 16 | Lexington SC | 12 | -4 | 9-10-8 | WTWLL | 7.807 | Logan Ketterer’s red card doomed Lexington to a 0-3 loss in Tulsa. 2 poor results on the trot. | v. El Paso |
| 17 | Orange County | 20 | +3 | 8-11-7 | TLTLT | 7.765 | A 1-2 loss to Sacramento and a 0-0 draw with El Paso were points Orange County really could not afford to drop. | @ New Mexico |
| 18 | The Miami FC | 24 | +6 | 6-15-6 | LTLLW | 7.536 | Miami’s best result of the year – 3-1 over Pittsburgh – ended a 4-game scoreless streak and a 16-game winless streak. Still eliminated. | @ Louisville |
| 19 | North Carolina FC | 11 | -8 | 12-10-5 | WTWTL | 7.332 | North Carolina gave up a late goal in Birmingham for the 1-1 draw and were blanked 0-2 by Detroit. Even so, they locked up a playoff spot. | v. Phoenix |
| 20 | Oakland Roots | 13 | -7 | 7-13-5 | LTTTL | 6.863 | The Roots gave up 2 early goals and were dominated 1-3 by El Paso. Winless in 5 games. | v. Hartford, @ Las Vegas |
| 21 | Phoenix Rising | 14 | -7 | 7-8-12 | TTTTL | 6.801 | Phoenix played a very even game with New Mexico. They killed themselves with a PK in second-half stoppage time. Winless in 6 and barely over the playoff line. | @ North Carolina |
| 22 | Loudoun United | 16 | -6 | 11-10-6 | WLTTL | 4.913 | Loudoun couldn’t break through the tough Legion defense and lost 0-1. They could be out of the home playoff spots by Tuesday night. | @ Detroit |
| 23 | Monterey Bay FC | 18 | -5 | 7-14-7 | LLTWL | 3.716 | Monterey Bay did not enjoy their cross-country trek. They gave up 4 goals to Tampa Bay. 1 point from elimination. | Bye |
| 24 | Las Vegas Lights | 19 | -5 | 6-14-7 | TTLLL | 0.741 | The 1-3 scoreline in Rhode Island does not give the Lights the credit they deserve. They played it far closer than that and deserved a point. | v. Oakland |
Update:
Las Vegas Lights apparently fielded a player who was not on the gameday roster and was therefore ineligible. As a result the game has been recorded as a forfeit and a 3-0 Rhode Island win. There is no real difference to the overall outcome except that all statistics from the game are now invalid. It also means Birmingham and Miami were eliminated the second the game kicked off.
