The Football Forge Power Rankings: Week 27All streaks must end
3 teams are now locked in to the playoffs and 1 is out. A second elimination was delayed by bad weather. There’s still a ton to play for in this wild USL Championship season.
| Rank | Team | Previous | Change | Record | Forge Factor | Note |
| 1 | Orange County | 1 | 0 | 14-9-5 | 25.535 | The win streak ended with a lifeless 0-0 draw with El Paso. Milan Iloski will be gone this winter, so they need to make as much of this season as possible. |
| 2 | Charleston Battery | 7 | 5 | 15-7-7 | 20.190 | Tristan Trager scored either side of half time for the 2-0 win over San Diego. The Battery clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2019. |
| 3 | Monterey Bay Union | 6 | 3 | 10-11-7 | 20.094 | A softish PK and 7 saves by Carlos Herrera were what the Union needed to beat Memphis 1-0. 3 straight wins and they are now above the playoff line. |
| 4 | Phoenix Rising | 3 | -1 | 11-8-9 | 16.990 | No one seemed all that interested in winning as Phoenix drew 0-0 in Tulsa. The 3-game win streak is over and they remain in 5th place in the West. |
| 5 | Indy Eleven | 4 | -1 | 11-9-8 | 16.667 | Indy Eleven were on a bye this week. |
| 6 | Detroit City | 8 | 2 | 9-12-7 | 16.013 | Detroit led after 72 seconds and never looked back, winning 2-1 over Miami. No Nate Steinwascher for once, but no problem. Not safely above the line yet, but getting there. |
| 7 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 9 | 2 | 15-5-9 | 15.378 | The Riverhounds strolled to a 3-1 win over Loudoun and it wasn’t that close. They stay top of the East, but by the thinnest of margins. |
| 8 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2 | -6 | 16-7-5 | 14.598 | Tampa blew a late lead to lose 2-3 in Memphis then edged Lou City 2-1 at home. 3-goal week for Cal Jennings. Still barely behind Pittsburgh. |
| 9 | San Diego Loyal | 5 | -4 | 12-8-7 | 13.758 | The Loyal had no real answer to the Battery’s defense and went down 0-2, dropping points for the first time since announcing the closure. Still in the top 4 though. |
| 10 | Louisville City | 10 | 0 | 12-9-7 | 13.122 | Lou City played the Rowdies close but lost 1-2 in St. Pete. They remain in 4th but the East is bunched up behind them. |
| 11 | Sacramento Republic | 11 | 0 | 14-5-9 | 11.423 | Sacramento Republic were on a bye this week. |
| 12 | Memphis 901 | 13 | 1 | 11-8-9 | 10.159 | Memphis played both Bays this week, outshooting its opponents 42-9 at home but needed late errors to beat Tampa 3-2 and couldn’t get past Monterey, losing 0-1. |
| 13 | FC Tulsa | 21 | 8 | 8-12-9 | 9.042 | Tulsa needed to follow up last week’s win over San Antonio with another result but ended up 0-0 at home against Phoenix. Bad results fall out of the rankings though. |
| 14 | El Paso Locomotive | 22 | 8 | 10-11-6 | 8.846 | The Locomotive had no shots on goal in the 0-0 draw in Orange County, missing a chance to get back over the playoff line. It counts as a good result though. |
| 15 | Birmingham Legion | 15 | 0 | 12-13-3 | 8.410 | The Legion put together a pretty complete game for once, beating New Mexico 1-0 in a must-win situation. Off to South Texas this week. |
| 16 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 17 | 1 | 11-13-4 | 7.649 | The Switchbacks got a late equalizer and hung on to finish 1-1 with San Antonio and stay barely above the playoff line. |
| 17 | Las Vegas Lights | 24 | 7 | 3-16-9 | 7.250 | 12 minutes in the Lights were down a goal and out of the playoffs, but came back to beat Oakland Roots 3-1. Ironically, their best result of the season. |
| 18 | Rio Grande Valley Toros | 19 | 1 | 7-10-11 | 6.943 | The Toros’ game at Hartford was postponed due to weather. |
| 19 | San Antonio | 20 | 1 | 13-5-11 | 6.408 | San Antonio gave up a late goal for a 1-1 draw with Colorado Springs and are winless in the last 5 games, scoring just twice. |
| 20 | Loudoun United | 16 | -4 | 7-19-3 | 4.777 | Loudoun got thoroughly handled in Pittsburgh, going down 1-3. Not out of the playoffs yet but it’s close. |
| 21 | The Miami FC | 12 | -9 | 7-13-8 | 4.692 | Miami got a late consolation PK, but lost 1-2 in Detroit and were never really in it. 4 losses in the last 5 and the playoffs are starting to get out of reach. |
| 22 | New Mexico United | 18 | -4 | 9-13-6 | 4.005 | New Mexico were unable to muster much in the way of attack in the 0-1 loss at the Legion. Just 4 points in the last 5 games. |
| 23 | Oakland Roots | 14 | -9 | 11-10-7 | 2.176 | Oakland are still safely in playoff position but the 1-3 loss in Las Vegas was their 4th in 5 games and they are looking very vulnerable. |
| 24 | Hartford Athletic | 23 | -1 | 4-19-4 | 0.626 | Hartford’s game against RGV was postponed due to weather. |
