The Football Forge Power Rankings: Week 23A strange week of results
Another week loaded up with 0-0 draws; four of them, in fact. However, Louisville City and Sacramento Republic did all they could to make up for the lack of scoring elsewhere.
| Rank | Team | Previous | Change | Record | Forge Factor | Note |
| 1 | Louisville City | 3 | 2 | 16-4-2 | 23.00 | Not shocking: Lou City scored 4 goals. They needed all 4 of them in the shootout last-gasp 4-3 win over Sacramento. A critical game against Charleston Saturday. |
| 2 | Charleston Battery | 6 | 4 | 14-3-7 | 20.35 | The Battery had a surprisingly hard time disposing of 10-man Memphis 901 but eventually got the 3-1 win. 1 point behind Louisville on 2 more games; they travel there Saturday. |
| 3 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1 | -2 | 11-4-7 | 18.21 | Tampa’s 0-0 draw in Phoenix was filled with good scoring chances on both sides, but the visitors were probably the slightly weaker team Loudoun Saturday. |
| 4 | Las Vegas Lights | 2 | -2 | 8-7-8 | 18.01 | If Raiko Arozarena hadn’t come way off his line the Lights would likely have beaten Detroit but had to settle for a 1-1 draw. 11 straight unbeaten now. To Hartford Saturday. |
| 5 | North Carolina FC | 11 | 6 | 7-7-8 | 16.05 | North Carolina have scored 4 goals 3 times this season; the other 2 were both against Miami. The 4-1 home win over Colorado Springs was huge. THye go to San Antonio Saturday. |
| 6 | Birmingham Legion | 9 | 3 | 10-8-5 | 15.79 | Long road trip, late night, thin roster, red card. Didn’t matter; the Legion scored two great goals and hung for the much-needed 2-1 win in Monterey. Detroit Friday at home. |
| 7 | FC Tulsa | 8 | 1 | 6-6-8 | 14.87 | Neither Tulsa nor Orange County could generate any real scoring chances in the 0-0 draw. Still 3 games in hand and the playoff spots are easily reachable. To New Mexico Wednesday and to Memphis Saturday. |
| 8 | Sacramento Republic | 7 | -1 | 9-5-8 | 14.52 | SacRep went down 0-2, then scored 3 in 7 minutes before giving up 2 more in the wild 3-4 loss in Louisville. 2 straight losses and they are falling behind New Mexico. They get El Paso Wednesday. |
| 9 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 4 | -5 | 6-9-9 | 14.45 | Pittsburgh managed just 2 shots on goal in 2 games, drawing 0-0 in Detroit and 0-0 at home with San Antonio. 3rd-worst scoring rate in the league. Colorado Springs visit Saturday. |
| 10 | New Mexico United | 13 | 3 | 13-6-2 | 14.34 | New Mexico shook off 2 straight losses and going down a goal in Indy to roar back for the 3-1 win. 6 points clear at the top of the West with a game in hand. Tulsa Wednesday and Monterey Bay Saturday, both at home. |
| 11 | Rhode Island FC | 5 | -6 | 7-5-11 | 13.89 | Rhode Island had only one good scoring chance in the 0-1 loss to Indy Wednesday but then cruised to the 3-0 win over Hartford. It wasn’t that close either. They welcome Oakland Saturday. |
| 12 | Oakland Roots | 20 | 8 | 11-10-2 | 9.09 | Oakland got the 3-1 win over Loudoun, but it was tighter than the scoreline. Tied with SacRep on points but with one more game. They head to Rhode Island Saturday, |
| 13 | Memphis 901 | 16 | 3 | 9-9-5 | 7.77 | Area Code FC managed to claw a goal back to go 1-1 after going down a man but eventually lost 1-3 in Charleston. 4th in the West but tied on points with Las Vegas. Off to Miami Wednesday, Tulsa visiting Saturday. |
| 14 | Loudoun United | 10 | -4 | 8-8-6 | 7.73 | Florian Valot missed two big chances and that was the difference in the 1-3 loss in Oakland. They drop to 8th in the East with North Carolina knocking. They go to the Rowdies Saturday. |
| 15 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 12 | -3 | 9-9-4 | 7.12 | The Switchbacks had absolutely no answer to North Carolina, especially Oalex Anderson, and went down 1-4. Another trip east to Pittsburgh Saturday. |
| 16 | Detroit City | 19 | 3 | 8-7-7 | 6.99 | The 0-0 midweek draw with Pittsburgh Riverhounds was boring. They took a lead in Las Vegas at that weekend on a poor decision by Arozarena but were otherwise outplayed in the 1-1 draw. 4 key points dropped. To the Magic City Friday. |
| 17 | Hartford Athletic | 14 | -3 | 6-12-4 | 6.48 | After the somewhat lucky 2-2 draw in Birmingham Hartford returned to form and got pasted 0-1 by local rivals Rhode Island. Beginning to drop out of contention. Las Vegas incoming Saturday. |
| 18 | Monterey Bay Union | 15 | -3 | 7-10-6 | 6.27 | Losing 1-2 at home to a team plagued with injuries and down to 10 men was not a good start for new coach Jordan Stewart. Another test in New Mexico Saturday. |
| 19 | Phoenix Rising | 18 | -1 | 6-8-8 | 6.19 | Phoenix had 2 goals called off for offside and had several other good chances in a gripping 0-0 draw with Tampa Bay. 1 point out of 8th but with a game in hand. The only bye this week. |
| 20 | El Paso Locomotive | 22 | 2 | 4-14-4 | 6.00 | It took 11 games and Miami visiting but El Paso finally won at home, 2-1. The game was shockingly entertaining. They go to Sacramento Wednesday and Orange County Saturday. |
| 21 | Indy Eleven | 21 | 0 | 10-8-5 | 3.61 | Indy handled Rhode Island fairly easily for the 1-0 win Wednesday and contoured to control for 45 minutes against New Mexico at the weekend before imploding 1-3. 1 win in the last 8. To Las Vegas Saturday. |
| 22 | Orange County | 17 | -5 | 8-11-4 | 3.14 | The 0-0 draw in Tulsa was OC’s 4th-straight road game without scoring and 6th in the last 8 overall. Slipping badly now. El Paso Saturday. |
| 23 | San Antonio | 23 | 0 | 5-11-6 | 2.02 | Just 5 shots total and none on goal in the tedious 0-0 draw in Pittsburgh. 1 point is better than the previous 3 games though. They host North Carolina Saturday. |
| 24 | The Miami FC | 24 | 0 | 2-19-2 | -3.00 | Miami lost 1-2 to El Paso. They are on track for 12 points this season; no one has earned fewer than 15 (Timbers 2 in 2017 and that was 32 games) other than the COVID year. Memphis Wednesday. |
