Week 21 was full of action across the league. As the dust settled late Saturday, we saw Omaha move up to third place, after languishing in the lower half of the table during a mediocre first half of the season. But how about that Hailstorm vs. Lexington match for feel good stories?

Let’s see where the clubs ended up in our power rankings. But first, a review:

  • Omaha 2-0 Lexington
  • Greenville 3-2 Charlotte
  • Richmond 1-2 Madison
  • Tormenta 2-3 NCFC
  • Omaha 3-1 Knoxville
  • NOCO 3-4 Lexington
  • Fuego 1-1 Chattanooga

1) North Carolina FC

Last week: 1
Record: 11-4-4 (1st)
Matches since last ranking: WIN at Tormenta 3-2
This week: at Richmond, vs. Greenville

NCFC just keeps on rolling with a 3-2 win in South Georgia on Saturday, even if it wasn’t the prettiest victory. After going down early, Rafa Mentzingen capitalized on a Tormenta foul, which was followed by a defensive misstep that saw Kazaiah Sterling left open in the box resulting in Tormenta going back up. But Mentzingen capitalized on yet another Tormenta foul for a second penalty kick just minutes later. Later. in the half it was Oalex Anderson once again putting it away for his side for his 11th of the year.

Brooks Thompson seems to be stabilizing the goaltending situation, as NCFC heads to Richmond on Wednesday to face a struggling Kickers side. With two matches set for week, they have the chance to re-solidify their spot at the top of the table with Hailstorm on a sudden slide.

2) Union Omaha

Last week: 6
Record: 9-7-5 (3rd)
Matches since last ranking: WIN vs. Lexington, 2-0; WIN vs. Knoxville, 3-1
This week: at Northern Colorado

With four wins in its last five, can we finally put to rest the Union DRAWmaha jokes? The Owls did exactly what they needed to do this week to pick up all six possible points, taking down Lexington and Knoxville in front of home crowds both nights. Steevan Dos Santos and JP Scearce scored in the midweek shutout that saw solid performance from top to bottom. Then on Saturday, the squad went deep, picking up goals from Joe Brito, Conor Doyle and Chavany Willis against a One Knox side that didn’t seem to have anything going right.

This is the Union Omaha side we signed up to see at the start of the season when they added all the new talent. It took a while, but now that things seem to be in place, this is one dangerous squad. They’ll see if they can keep things going at Northern Colorado this weekend.

3) Hailstorm FC

Last week: 2
Record: 10-5-4 (2nd)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS vs. Lexington, 4-3
This week: vs. Omaha

After a 12 match undefeated streak ended last week, Northern Colorado just dropped its third in a row. Given the cushion of points built up during weeks 1-20, it’s not time to panic just yet. But blowing a 3-1 lead at home to Lexington does set off a few alarm bells. This is a defense that was notoriously stingy up until last week. It didn’t help that Bruno Rendón was an unexpected scratch, and his sizable presence was certainly missed as Lexington’s Atês Diouf ran up a hat trick, including the match winner.

On the bright side, 2022’s leading goal scorer Irvin Parra returned to the roster for the first time this season after beating cancer. We’ll have to see how he factors into this lineup, but if he gets his mojo back, it could be what they need to get back on track. For now, he was limited to an appearance off the bench in the 82nd minute.

Hailstorm needs to get things together this week, as a red hot Omaha team comes to town on Saturday. After riding high for so long, there are now only three points between them and 6th place Greenville.

4) Greenville Triumph

Last week: 4
Record (9-5-6, 6th)
Matches since last ranking: WIN vs. Charlotte, 3-2
This week: at NCFC

Sometimes the senior members of the squad need to step up and get things done, and that’s what we saw on Saturday against Charlotte. Leo Castro notched two more, taking him into double digits on the season, while Aaron Waker drove home the late penalty kick after a Charlotte handball. And while they didn’t move up in the standings, the playoff bubble did stretch to six points over 7th place Richmond, adding a little bit of breathing room heading into the back third of the season, and only three points separate Greenville from second place Northern Colorado.

Greenville faces off with top-ranked NCFC on Saturday. A win could send them as high as third in the standings.

5) Forward Madison

Last week: 5
Record: 9-6-5 (5th)
Matches since last ranking: WIN at Richmond, 2-1
This week: vs. Chattanooga, vs. One Knoxville

The trophy remains in Madison, as The Mingos took the second victory of the Henny Derby in Richmond. Nazeem Bartman and Jayden Onen scored for the visitors, and only conceded a penalty kick late in the match to hold on. It was a welcome recovery after a lackluster week 20, and the squad moves a comfortable seven points above 7th place Richmond to cement itself firmly in the playoff bubble. They’re also back on top when it comes to goals allowed per match at an even one.

They’ll host two matches this week, the first against Chattanooga followed by One Knoxville. Maximizing those points would certainly make up for week 20, and could propel them as high as first in the table.

6) Charlotte Independence

Last week: 3
Record: 9-6-7 (4th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS at Greenville, 3-2
This week: vs. Tormenta

First things first, we believe that numbers 4-6 in these rankings are virtually tied. But the thing about rankings is that we don’t do ties, and Charlotte drops because the other two won. That being said, the difference between 4-6 and 7-10 is increasingly vast, and the difference between 1-6 is vanishingly small. It’s going to be a tight race in the final third of the season.

Charlotte was unable to follow up the drubbing of Northern Colorado, and dropped their visit to Greenville 3-2 on a late penalty conversion by their hosts. But it was Dane Kelly and Gabriel Obertan who put Charlotte on the board to carry the draw into the 87th minute. These are dangerous veterans, who are backed by exciting younger players, a formula that could set this squad up for a deep run this fall. They’ll look to recover against Tormenta on Saturday.

7) Tormenta FC

Last week: 7
Record: 7-3-10 (9th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS vs. NCFC, 3-2
This week: vs. Fuego, at Charlotte

Tormenta gave up two unnecessary fouls in the box which ended up being the difference in a match where they otherwise looked like equals to top of the table NCFC. The 7-9 spots in the table and our rankings are all experiencing similar struggles, and with each loss, fall further out of contention. For now, Tormenta seems most likely to break away, but like the others in this pack, can’t quite seem to get there.

They’ll have two opportunities this week, hosting Fuego and visiting Charlotte. Even maximizing these points won’t get them in the bubble, but it could at least put them within striking distance.

8) Richmond Kickers

Last week: 8
Record: 6-8-7 (7th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS vs. Madison, 2-1
This week: vs. NCFC, at Chattanooga

Richmond fell further from the bubble with a home loss to Madison, now six points out and three league wins from even gaining the tiebreaker. The Kickers were only able to place one shot on target and settled for a penalty conversion late in the match to stave off the shutout.

We aren’t certain, but there may be signs that the season is either moving towards desperation or is turning into a wash – three academy players appeared off the bench in favor of some scratched veterans. Is this an attempt to see if the young kids can light a fire? Or a push toward their development with the acknowledgment that the season is fading and the veterans likely won’t be with the team next year?

We’re sure many Richmond fans are wondering where the rest of the season is going, just one after winning the regular season points race. And it’s a busy week, with NCFC visiting on Wednesday, followed by a trip to Chattanooga. If the plan is to remain in the race, these six points are absolutely essential.

9) Lexington SC

Last week: 10
Record: 5-6-10 (10th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS at Omaha, 2-0; WIN at Northern Colorado, 4-3
This week: vs. Fuego

Lexington took three of six points on the road, with two firsts along the way: their first road win, and first hat trick. The shutout loss at Omaha was all but forgotten with the thrilling come-from-behind win at Northern Colorado in which Atês Diouf scored three to overshadow golden boot leader Trevor Amann’s brace. Diouf is now tied for 4th in the league after starting the season with a lot of shots, but no goals to show for them. It seems the efforts have now paid off.

They’re still 11 points out of the playoff race, with 11 matches to go. It’s going to take a lot of magic like this down the stretch to become a contender. They’ll host Fuego FC on Saturday.

10) One Knoxville SC

Last week: 9
Record: 6-7-9 (8th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS at Omaha, 3-1
This week: at Madison

Nothing went right for One Knox this week. Injuries and a suspension were already taking their toll against a surging Omaha side when Angelo Kelly-Rosales took two yellow cards in quick succession to pit his side down a man for most of the second half. A late Callum Johnson goal was only enough to ward off a shutout. And with a visit to Forward Madison this weekend, things aren’t getting any easier.

11) Fuego FC

Last week: 11
Record: 5-2-12 (11th)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW vs Chattanooga, 1-1
This week: at Tormenta, at Lexington

The battle for the bottom of the table was somewhat of a chaotic affair in Fresno in which neither side emerged the victor. After going up on a Chattanooga own goal, the hosts nearly held on until a stoppage time goal from Ropapa Mensah. Many of Fuego’s regulars rested for the first half or more of the match in anticipation of a busy road week. On the bright side, they managed four shots on target, and only conceded one. Too bad the one ended up going through.

They’ll travel to South Georgia and Lexington this week.

12) Red Wolves SC

Last week: 12
Record: 4-5-11 (12th)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW at Fuego, 1-1
This week: at Madison, vs. Richmond

A trademark late goal from Ropapa Mensah was only enough to draw with fellow basement dwellers Fuego FC in a match where Chattanooga was limited to just one shot on target. A lackluster result for a lackluster squad that does not seem to have much direction. Making matters worse, interim coach Jimmy Weekley was not present due to a medical issue, for which we wish him a speedy recovery.

Perhaps an upset is in the cards this week, with a visit to Madison and then a visit from a struggling Richmond side. But both will be looking to use this club to build a cushion or recover.