The Football Forge Power Rankings: Week 23A lot of movement in the rankings this week
A lot of goals scored in the USL Championship this week. 38 to be exact, across 14 games for an average of 2.71. That’s a lot of entertainment. Unless you were on the losing end…
| Rank | Team | Previous | Change | Record | Forge Factor | Note |
| 1 | Orange County | 1 | 0 | 10-9-4 | 24.021 | Orange County were on a bye this week. |
| 2 | San Antonio | 5 | 3 | 12-4-7 | 23.633 | Rida Zouhir scored within 2 minutes on a long-range banger for the game-winner, but added another in the first half as San Antonio cruised past New Mexico 3-0. |
| 3 | The Miami FC | 2 | -1 | 6-10-8 | 18.958 | Miami’s 0-1 to Indy was not that close and the 3-game win streak ends with them still below the playoff line. A trip to Hartford could get them there. |
| 4 | Oakland Roots | 6 | 2 | 10-6-7 | 18.152 | Oakland Roots were on a bye this week. |
| 5 | Phoenix Rising | 18 | 13 | 8-7-8 | 17.640 | 2 goals and 2 assists by Danny Trejo led Phoenix to the 5-0 rout of El Paso. Slowly climbing in the standings. |
| 6 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 11 | 5 | 13-4-8 | 17.579 | The Riverhounds’ 2-0 win over Hartford surprised absolutely nobody. 3 straight wins as they continue to cruise atop the East. |
| 7 | Sacramento Republic | 4 | -3 | 12-3-9 | 16.961 | Sacramento were completely outplayed in Birmingham but got a late equalizer from sub Luther Archimede to split the points 1-1. The West race tightens again. |
| 8 | Louisville City | 9 | 1 | 10-7-7 | 16.915 | Lou City’s 1-1 draw with the Charleston Battery was as tight as the score suggests. The 2-2 draw with RGV was just as hard; 2 points out of 6 at home. |
| 9 | Indy Eleven | 14 | 5 | 8-9-7 | 16.616 | Indy embarrassed the Legion 4-0 in midweek and followed that with a convincing 1-0 win in Miami to jump in the rankings. A trip to El Paso next. |
| 10 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 12 | 2 | 12-6-5 | 15.960 | Tampa Bay trailed early but then romped to a 4-1 win over Monterey Bay. They are 6 points off the Eastern lead with 2 games in hand. |
| 11 | Memphis 901 | 17 | 6 | 10-6-7 | 15.753 | Andrew Romig stopped a PK and Rodrigo da Costa scored in an otherwise uninteresting 1-0 win in San Diego. Big game against Indy next. |
| 12 | Charleston Battery | 7 | -5 | 12-6-7 | 14.813 | Charleston Battery got 4 road points this week, 1-1 in Louisville and then 1-0 in Detroit to keep the pressure on Pittsburgh. This week’s game in Orange County will be harder. |
| 13 | Rio Grande Valley Toros | 10 | -3 | 6-6-10 | 12.174 | The Toros trailed twice in Louisville City but refused to give up and could have gone home winners. The big win over Orange County drops out of the algorithm though and they fall a bit. |
| 14 | Detroit City | 8 | -6 | 6-12-6 | 12.052 | Detroit’s best chance on goal came right as time expired but they couldn’t convert and ended with no shots on goal. 0-1 at home to the Battery. |
| 15 | Loudoun United | 21 | 6 | 7-16-3 | 10.770 | Loudoun United got a massive 80-save performance from Hugo Fauroux but still lost 1-2 to San Diego. They then got 5 more, including a PK stop from Dane Jacomen as they beat Las Vegas 3-0. |
| 16 | San Diego Loyal | 3 | -13 | 10-7-6 | 10.725 | San Diego needed 86 minutes to get a goal against Loudoun and eventually won 2-1. They then failed to convert a PK and lost 0-1 to Memphis. 2 losses in the last 3. |
| 17 | Hartford Athletic | 16 | -1 | 4-15-4 | 6.775 | Hartford got 1 shot on goal all night in the 0-2 loss in Pittsburgh. 8 points adrift at the bottom of the East now. |
| 18 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 19 | 1 | 10-11-3 | 6.770 | The Switchbacks outshot Tulsa 19-8 but had to come from behind to get the home 1-1 draw in the USL Summer Showcase. |
| 19 | New Mexico United | 15 | -4 | 8-10-4 | 3.993 | New Mexico were handled easily at home by San Antonio, losing 0-3 for their third straight defeat as they begin to lose sight of the playoff line. |
| 20 | FC Tulsa | 20 | 0 | 7-9-8 | 3.255 | Tulsa were thoroughly outplayed in Colorado and can consider themselves lucky to exit with a point. 1 point in the last 3 game and Tampa is next. |
| 21 | Birmingham Legion | 13 | -8 | 9-11-3 | 1.994 | The Legion’s rain-soaked disaster in Indianapolis was almost made up for against Sacramento but points were given up late again and the Three Sparks sink deep. |
| 22 | Monterey Bay Union | 23 | 1 | 7-11-6 | -0.282 | The Union scored first, but that was their only shot on goal as they went down badly 1-4 to Tampa in the battle of the bays. |
| 23 | Las Vegas Lights | 22 | -1 | 1-13-8 | -0.853 | Las Vegas had the bulk of play and 19 shots but could not convert, including on a PK by Andrew Carleton and were beaten 0-3 at home by Loudoun. |
| 24 | El Paso Locomotive | 24 | 0 | 9-9-5 | -11.717 | The Locomotive looked totally inept as they were whipped 0-5 in Phoenix. They have given up 17 goals in 4 straight losses. |
