25% of the season has now passed. While there is a huge spread in matches played between those at the top of the table and a few towards the bottom, NCFC pulled three points ahead of Charlotte Independence, and Tormenta FC continues to find ways to win big, despite alternating those wins with bad losses. The middle of the table (four through ten) is tight as can be. Only two points separate places four and nine. Meanwhile, tenth-place Hailstorm FC has the most matches in hand and can move up quickly if the final part of their road trip is successful.
Here’s how the clubs stack up moving into week nine.
BONUS: for each club, we’ll review our pre-season wild card players to see if they’ve had an impact or if we’re still waiting to see.
1) North Carolina FC
Last week: 1
Record: 5-1-1 (1st)
Matches since last ranking: WIN at Fuego FC, 2-0
Next league match: vs. Forward Madison, 5/13
North Carolina FC coasted through an easy win over last-place Fuego FC on the strength of yet another Rafa Mentzingen goal followed by a beauty of a free kick from Louis Pérez. They held Fuego to just five shots and only one on target, which came late in the match. They’ll have a much bigger test when they host undefeated Forward Madison this week.
WILD CARD: Rafa Mentzingen
STATUS: IMPACT
After eight weeks, Rafa is the clear front-runner for league MVP and the Golden Boot race. Half of the club’s 12 goals belong to him. It’s safe to say he’s had a massive impact on his club’s success.
2) Charlotte Independence
Last ranking: 2
Record: 3-1-4 (2nd)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS vs. Greenville, 3-1
Next league Match: at Lexington SC, 5/13
Not even Austin Pack could save this injury-depleted club from a rejuvenated Greenville side, as they took their first loss on Wednesday. Making matters worse, Pack exited the match with an injury of his own, and was later spotted on crutches. Gabriel Obertan and Clay Dimick were out of the roster, and Greenville took full advantage, with two goals to close out the first half and a third soon after the second started. The Jacks had previously conceded only three goals in seven matches with Dimick on the back line.
We’re keeping Charlotte at number two for now based on the overall strength of the roster, and the ten-day break they have to recover. They’ll travel to Lexington on Saturday where we’ll see if they’re back or if they’ve at least made appropriate adjustments. If not, things could go downhill quickly.
WILD CARD: Khori Bennett
STATUS: IMPACT
Bennett is part of a dangerous rotation in a toolbox of offensive weapons wielded by coach Mike Jeffries. He has one goal in three starts and eight appearances, which came off the bench in replacement of Dane Kelly. With the club dealing with some key injuries, he’ll be needed over the next few weeks.
3) Union Omaha
Last ranking: 3
Record: 2-1-3 (5th)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW at Richmond, 0-0
Next Match: at Red Wolves SC, 5/20
The Owls drew a hard-fought defensive match in Richmond in which they were limited to one shot on target. I wouldn’t worry much about it, given that Richmond has emerged to have one of the best defenses in the league this year. The club will have an extended break before traveling to Chattanooga on May 20th to face an unpredictable Red Wolves SC.
WILD CARD: Steevan Dos Santos
STATUS: IMPACT
Dos Santos has one goal in his six appearances. More importantly, the imposing forward provides ample cover for other goal producers, such as Noe Meza, something that seems to have been missing last season.
4) Richmond Kickers
Last week: 4
Record: 2-1-3 (6th)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW vs. Union Omaha, 0-0
Next match: at Greenville, 5/13
Richmond made Rashid Nuhu work for it, but couldn’t escape being shut out again. The Kickers dominated possession in the first half and the chances were there, but so was Nuhu. So the Kickers will settle for a point on another stellar defensive performance with no goals. They’ll return to Greenville for the second time this season, where they’ve already won. But they’ll be facing a much healthier Greenville squad this time.
WILD CARD: Nil Vinyals
STATUS: IMPACT
Vinyals won league player of the month honors for the first month of the season based on his (then) league-leading chances created and all-around impactful, two-way play in the midfield. He has also emerged as a quiet leader of Richmond’s midfield, resulting in others stepping up as he missed a few recent matches due to injury. His presence was missed against Omaha though.
5) Tormenta FC
Last week: 7
Record: 4-4-0 (3rd)
Matches since last ranking: WIN at Chattanooga, 2-0
Next match: at Fuego FC, 5/20
Eight matches, four solid wins, four bad losses. It’s becoming almost like clockwork. W, L, L, W, L, W, L, W. Of course, this week at Chattanooga was on the winning schedule, as the first rematch of the 2022 championship resulted in a 2-0 win for Tormenta FC. Pedro Fonseca landed in the first half, and then Ryan Sierakowski hit a highlight-worthy outside-the-box goal in the second half. They were aided by some just unlucky breaks for Chattanooga, who had enough quality shots, but all went just wide.
Despite the placement at third in the table and a clean-sheet win, the club still sports a -1 goal differential after eight matches. They’ll have a little break before traveling to Fuego FC on May 20th. The club indicated this week that Kazaiah Sterling and Arthur Bosua will return soon, so we’re now on full alert for their roster appearances.
WILD CARD: Elija Amo
Status: Pending
Amo serves a backup role, making five substitute appearances in seven matches. Coach Ian Cameron uses Amo for fresh legs on the attack, but so far has been limited to two shots on goal with no goals, assists, or chances created. With Tormenta showing inconsistency from match to match, perhaps he’ll get more chances over the next few weeks. However, he remained on the bench against Chattanooga. So for now, we wait.
6) Greenville Triumph
Last week: 9
Record (3-4-0, 4th)
Matches since last ranking: WIN at Charlotte Independence, 3-1
Next match: vs. Richmond, 5/13
Greenville went into Charlotte mid-week with a chip on its shoulder after a bitter loss to NCFC just a few days before. They took this energy and exploited an exhausted and injury-depleted Independence squad to hand the Jacks their first loss of the year. It helped that Greenville was finally overcoming its own injuries, with the return of Nate Shultz and Tevin Shaw, and Leo Castro’s reported injury only being minor. Speaking of Castro, the forward’s two assists on Wednesday now have him leading the league with four total. And let’s not forget about Lucas Coutinho, who now has three goals, already matching his best USL League One season.
Greenville will host Richmond for the second time this season on Saturday. The previous visit from the Kickers resulted in a 1-0 loss, but this is a different squad than from week two.
Wild Card: Jacob Labovitz
Status: Pending
The second-year striker, who led the club in goals in 2022, has largely seen his starting role go to professional veteran Leo Castro. He remains a viable threat off the bench but has yet to score this season in two starts and six appearances. But it’s a long season, and older veterans sometimes need a break, so he’ll likely get his chance.
7) Forward Madison
Last week: 5
Record: 1-0-4 (9th)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW at One Knox SC, 0-0
Next match: at NCFC, 5/13
The good news: Forward Madison remains the lone undefeated squad in the league, largely thanks to good defense and solid goaltending. Their two goals allowed is best in the league so far, although most clubs have more matches played.
The bad news: one win and four draws only add up to seven points in five matches, barely good enough for 9th place in the table. And with the exception of the explosion of four goals in the Greenville match, the Mingos only have one goal in the other four matches. When your huge off-season pickup was Christian Chaney, this is probably starting to become unacceptable to the team and its fans.
The squad will face a huge defensive test when they travel to North Carolina FC on Saturday.
WILD CARD: Francis Jno-Baptiste
STATUS: Pending
The young English forward currently sits at the bottom of a large depth chart and has only seen a few minutes of play. He’ll continue to wait his turn, but with offensive production scattered, he may just get it soon.
8) Hailstorm FC
Last week: 6
Record: 1-1-2 (10th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS at Union Omaha, 3-2
Next league match: at One Knox SC, 5/13
Hailstorm FC had the week off to prepare for the back end of their extended road trip, which they’ll finish in quick succession. They’ll face One Knox on Saturday, and then Forward Madison the following Thursday before finally making their home debut at the end of the month. Not falling into a deep hole on this six-match away streak would be an enormous success, and so far they haven’t, with only one close loss. At the very least, a win and a draw to close out the stretch would make a huge statement. The club also has four matches in hand compared to clubs that have played the most, and can move up the table quickly with some wins.
WILD CARD: Billy King
Status: IMPACT
Hailstorm FC may emerge from an extended road trip relatively unscathed, and King is a huge reason why. While he doesn’t have any goals or assists, he is second to Arthur Rogers on chances created, providing an additional threat to ease pressure on Rogers.
9) Red Wolves SC
Last week: 8
Record: 2-3-1 (8th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS vs. Tormenta FC, 2-0
Next match: at One Knox SC, 5/16
Chattanooga struggled to find the back of the net again, but this time it wasn’t for lack of trying. They put up 14 shots with four on target, and a few that went just wide. Those would have surely been in the net with just a few more inches, but that’s how it goes. They’ll rematch with One Knox next Tuesday, a club they’ve already defeated once this year.
WILD CARD: Ropapa Mensah
Status: Pending
Mensah missed the first part of the season due to visa issues. However, in his second appearance, he scored the game-winning goal against Lexington SC. He got the start and lasted the full 90 against Tormenta FC, but did not have any shots while creating one chance. We’ll keep him in the pending column for now.
10) One Knoxville SC
Last week: 10
Record: 2-2-2 (7th)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW vs. Forward Madison, 0-0
Next match: vs. Hailstorm FC, 5/13
The good news for One Knox in week 8: they looked a lot better against Forward Madison than they did against Fuego FC. It’s always a positive when your defense can effectively shut down Christian Chaney and Jayden Onen for 90 minutes. Neither had any shots, and each only had one chance created. The downside: they still failed to convert their own chances into goals, resulting in a 0-0 draw. The club has an 8% shot conversion rate, second to last in the league. They take a lot of shots, but few go on target and fewer have the quality to find the back of the net.
They’ll host Hailstorm FC on Saturday, a club with a stingy defense (when they have 11 on the pitch). Improved shot accuracy will be paramount.
WILD CARD: Seba Andreassen
Status: Pending
The imposing striker was a fan favorite for the USL2 side, and his conversion over to the USL1 squad was celebrated. So far he has four appearances, all off the bench, with no goals or assists. But he’s in his first year, and this is a long season, so we’ll be patient in his professional development.
11) Lexington SC
Last week: 11
Record: 1-4-1 (11th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS at Red Wolves SC, 3-1
Next match: vs. Charlotte Independence
Lexington had the week off after a brutal come-from-behind loss at Chattanooga. They’ll face a Charlotte Independence side which started hot but was exposed as fallible by Greenville last week. Both squads will be well-rested, but Charlotte may have some serious problems on their hands if the injuries to Clay Dimick, Gabriel Obertan, and Austin Pack persist. Lexington should be ready to exploit that if so.
WILD CARDS: Will Baynham and Ates Diouf
Status: Pending
Baynham has four appearances with two starts but hasn’t found the back of the net just yet. He missed a couple of matches in between with injury. His impact status is definitely still on the pending side.
Diouf, meanwhile, has taken over the starting role at center-forward. He currently leads the club in shots and has four chances created with one assist. The way he’s been playing, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before starts raining goals.
12) Fuego FC
Last week: 12
Record: 1-5-1 (12th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS vs. NCFC, 2-0
Next match: vs. Tormenta FC, 5/20
The good news: José Carrea-García finally became eligible to appear and was immediately thrust into the starting 11 against NCFC. And the club will have next week off to try to re-tool everything back to where they probably expected to be from the start of the season, around JCG.
The bad news: it was another match where nothing went right. Once again, the offense was anemic with only five shots and one on target. The one shot on target came in the 85th minute. Another red card, this time for Razak Cromwell, who had only just made his season debut at the start of the second half.
They’ll host Tormenta FC, who, according to our schedule, are due for a loss. Let’s hope the squad uses the next two weeks to get it together and take advantage of the fact that they now have one of the best in the league ready to go.
Wild Card: José Carrea-García
Status: Pending
JCG made his season debut with Fuego FC against NCFC. While the loss was not pretty, we saw some flashes of what we love about his play – passing accuracy, and the ability to create solid chances. The chance came near the end of the match, but if we see more of that earlier next week, maybe this squad can exploit an inconsistent Tormenta FC. We’ll leave his status in pending for now.