The Football Forge Power Rankings: Week 19Shock at the top
I think it safe to say that this week’s leader has never been #1 in the history of the Forge Power Rankings – or of any other USL Championship rankings for that matter – but there sit the Las Vegas Lights. As previously noted, our rankings are heavily slanted towards results over the past five games, and especially the last three. Only Vegas and New Mexico are perfect in the last three games, and the Lights have 11 points from the last five, which is tied with Rhode Island for second-best behind New Mexico’s 12. Mix in strength of schedule and those three teams occupy the top spots.
| Rank | Team | Previous | Change | Record | Forge Factor | Note |
| 1 | Las Vegas Lights | 5 | 4 | 7-7-6 | 21.80 | Las Vegas was not entirely dominant in the 2-0 win over El Paso but made the most of their chances and got some solid goalkeeping from Raiko Arozarena. A well-earned bye this week. |
| 2 | Rhode Island FC | 1 | -1 | 4-4-10 | 19.89 | Rhode Island had just 7 shots in the game and 4 on target. They converted the first 3 of those on the way to a 3-2 win in Miami. 16 goals in the last 5 games. A homecoming for Khano and JJ Wednesday. |
| 3 | New Mexico United | 2 | -1 | 11-4-1 | 19.20 | New Mexico United were on a bye, which is not good as Saturday they host the Legion, who will be on short rest. |
| 4 | Loudoun United | 6 | 2 | 7-6-5 | 17.73 | Loudoun will be ruing not converting several big chances as they were clearly the better team in Indy, but ended up splitting the points 1-1. A bye this week. |
| 5 | Charleston Battery | 7 | 2 | 10-2-7 | 16.09 | Charleston had just 5 shots and 1 on goal in the first half to go down 0-2 in Hartford. Then the Athletic’s keeper was ejected early in the second and they pounded 22 shots in to get the 2-2 draw. They host Miami Friday. |
| 6 | Memphis 901 | 12 | 6 | 8-7-4 | 15.15 | It took Memphis 61 minutes to get a shot on goal, and 86 to put one in, but that was enough to beat Detroit 1-0 in a game with very few big chances. Visiting Tulsa Saturday. |
| 7 | Detroit City | 4 | -3 | 8-5-3 | 14.88 | Detroit came close a couple of times but never got a shot on goal to lose 0-1 at home to Memphis. They remain very erratic. Off to North Carolina Friday. |
| 8 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 11 | 3 | 9-4-5 | 13.03 | Tampa beat Orange County 2-0 on a Cal Jennings brace; it wasn’t remotely that close. Third in the East; 5 points behind Charleston with a game in hand. They head north to Indy Saturday. |
| 9 | Birmingham Legion | 9 | 0 | 8-7-3 | 11.90 | The Legion slept through the first 15 minutes or so before waking up and getting a solid come-from-behind 2-1 win over Colorado Springs. A tough week ahead: Rhode Island at home Wednesday, New Mexico away Saturday. |
| 10 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 8 | -2 | 8-7-3 | 10.69 | The Switchbacks looked in control early but allowed the Legion to take over and got bombarded by 19 shots with 8 on target. Two rebound goals sealed the 1-2 loss. To Louisville Friday. |
| 11 | Louisville City | 14 | 3 | 12-4-2 | 10.54 | Louisville City were on a bye and welcome the Colorado Springs Switchbacks Friday. |
| 12 | Monterey Bay Union | 13 | 1 | 7-8-5 | 10.20 | Monterey Bay were generally the better side in the 0-0 draw with Tulsa. They needed some defensive heroics to keep the clean sheet, though, and blew a 91st-minute penalty. Off this week. |
| 13 | Oakland Roots | 3 | -10 | 9-9-2 | 10.03 | The Roots had just 2 shots, both from long distance and both off target as they were completely humiliated 0-5 by Pittsburgh. Clinging to second in the West. Sacramento visits Sunday. |
| 14 | North Carolina FC | 16 | 2 | 5-6-7 | 9.93 | North Carolina managed just 2 shots on goal, and none after the 25th minute, but were still the better team in the 0-0 draw in Sacramento. A dull game overall. They welcome Detroit Friday. |
| 15 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 23 | 8 | 4-9-6 | 9.71 | The Riverhounds ended the 6-game scoreless streak in emphatic fashion, winning 5-0 in a total romp over Oakland. That increased their season total goals to 16, still not great. Another chance to pad the stats against Hartford Saturday. |
| 16 | Indy Eleven | 10 | -6 | 9-5-4 | 9.40 | The Eleven were largely outplayed by Loudoun in the 1-1 draw, and depended on a late equalizer by Elliot Collier (who beat 3 men to do it) and heroics by Hunter Sulte to get that much. Tampa Bay visits Saturday. |
| 17 | Orange County | 15 | -2 | 7-9-3 | 8.65 | Ben Norris’ red card early in the second half doomed Orange County to the 0-2 loss in Tampa, but 11 men likely wouldn’t have helped. They were totally outgunned. They host San Antonio Saturday. |
| 18 | FC Tulsa | 17 | -1 | 4-6-6 | 8.56 | Johan Penaranda made some great saves, including a PK stop, to preserve the clean sheet in Monterey Bay. But his counterpart Antony Siaha did the same at the other end. They get Memphis Saturday. |
| 19 | Sacramento Republic | 18 | -1 | 7-3-8 | 7.73 | Sacramento didn’t get a shot on goal until the 82nd minute and it wasn’t a great attempt. They were outplayed by North Carolina, who also couldn’t find the net. 0-0 draw. Off to Oakland Sunday. |
| 20 | Hartford Athletic | 20 | 0 | 5-10-2 | 4.74 | Hartford were all over the Battery with a 2-goal lead before keeper Renan Ribeiro got two yellow cards for dissent in eight seconds. They gave up 2 goals after that for the draw. They visit Pittsburgh Saturday. |
| 21 | San Antonio | 19 | -2 | 5-8-5 | 3.68 | San Antonio were on a bye. They go to Orange County Saturday. |
| 22 | Phoenix Rising | 21 | -1 | 5-7-6 | 2.01 | Phoenix Rising were on a bye; at home to El Paso this Friday. |
| 23 | El Paso Locomotive | 22 | -1 | 3-12-3 | -1.28 | The Locomotive had chances but couldn’t convert and doomed themselves with a late own goal to go down 0-2 to Las Vegas. Just 3 wins so far this season. They travel to Phoenix Friday. |
| 24 | The Miami FC | 24 | 0 | 2-15-2 | -3.25 | Miami were down 0-3 before Rhode Island took the foot off the gas a bit and let them back in. They still lost 2-3. Only 2 wins this season and none since April 27th, along with a goal difference of -25. To Charleston Friday. |
