Happy Monday, USL League One fans! We’re moving into week five, and all our clubs have finally played at least two matches. We saw an exciting Saturday with some solid wins, a couple of draws, and no blowouts. The league is still shaping up to be competitive, and while Charlotte may lead in points, every club except one now has a point in the table.
1) Charlotte Independence
Last ranking: 1
Record: 2-0-2 (1st)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW at NCFC 1-1
Next League Match: vs Union Omaha, 4/19
The Jacks remain undefeated in four matches rolling into week five, having departed from the home of their cross-state rivals North Carolina FC with a come-from-behind 1-1 draw. Charlotte came on strong in its Gabriel Obertan-led attack but conceded an early goal by Oalex Anderson. Obertan led another attack in the second half, feeding Dane Kelly for the equalizer in the 61st minute. The Dogwood Darby was a rainy, sloppy affair at times, so they can’t be too displeased with the point.
2) Union Omaha
Last ranking: 3
Record: 1-0-1 (4th)
Matches since last ranking: WIN at Fuego FC
Next Match: vs NCFC, 4/15
The Owls escaped Fresno with three points after fending off a sometimes relentless attack by Fuego FC. The score doesn’t reflect it, but Fuego FC had multiple dangerous opportunities after breaking through Omaha’s usually strong defense. Rashid Nuhu saved a somewhat weak shot from Othoniel Arce, but several first half shots from David Diaz and Alexis Cerritos just went wide of an otherwise open net. Omaha spent the second half fending off challenges from Fuego forward Villyan Bijev, who came off the bench for a fresh attack. Sometimes the football gods are on your side though, and Omaha will take a 2-0 victory home.
3) Hailstorm FC
Last week: 2
Record: 1-0-1 (2nd)
Matches since last ranking: WIN at Tormenta FC, 3-0
Next league match: at Richmond, 4/15
Hailstorm FC was off this weekend and will take their attacking style into Richmond after defeating USL Championship side Colorado Springs Switchbacks in US Open Cup action last week. The Kickers also had the weekend off so both squads will have plenty of time to prepare.
4) North Carolina FC
Last week: 7
Record: 1-1-1 (5th)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW vs Charlotte, 1-1
Next match: at Union Omaha, 4/15
It was a cold and rainy night in Cary when NCFC hosted high-flying Charlotte Independence, but they came away with a point on a first-half goal from Oalex Anderson. Rafa Mentzingen continues to prove his worth as the offensive leader, having set up the goal with Jaden Servania. It would have been nice to take down their cross-state rivals at home, but given the weather conditions, a draw will work just fine this early in the season.
5) Richmond Kickers
Last week: 6
Record: 1-1-1 (T-6th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS vs Charlotte Independence
Next match: vs Hailstorm FC, 4/15
Richmond had the weekend off after a wild, water-logged, delayed 3-2 win in the US Open Cup against Cleveland SC. They’ll need the time to regroup before hosting a strong Hailstorm FC side. If Richmond figures out how to open those passing lanes to Emiliano Terzaghi (who scored twice in the USOC match), they could exploit a Hailstorm side that loves the forward attack.
6) Tormenta FC
Last week: 10
Record: 2-2-0 (2nd)
Matches since last ranking: WIN vs Greenville, 2-0
Next match: at Lexington SC, 4/15
Tormenta FC returned to the win column after two straight losses with a 2-0 win over Greenville Triumph. After those disastrous performances, things seem realigned for the defending champs. First half goals from Jackson Khoury and Pedro Fonseca took care of business. Defender Preston Kilwien returned after a red card suspension, and Daltyn Knutson seems to have eased into his role replacing the injured Jake Dengler. The match also saw the return of striker Kazaiah Sterling, who subbed on late to get his first 17 minutes of the season. So are they back? Or was an injury-depleted Greenville just that bad? Probably a little bit of both. They’ll test it all out at Lexington this weekend.
7) Forward Madison
Last week: 4
Record: 0-0-2 (10th)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW at Lexington SC, 0-0
Next match: vs Greenville Triumph, 4/15
Going into Lexington and spoiling their home debut would have really shown the league that Forward Madison is for real this year. And while there were a few really good chances among their 16 shots, they just couldn’t find the back of the net. The Mingos will go into week five still winless but may have another shot when they host a floundering Greenville Triumph side this weekend.
8) Red Wolves SC
Last week: 11
Record: 1-1-1 (T-6th)
Matches since last ranking: WIN vs One Knoxville SC, 2-1
Next match: at NCFC, 4/21
Coming into the weekend, there were concerns about how Chattanooga had yet to score a goal in two matches. However, they finally found one in a 4-1 loss to Birmingham Legion in the mid-week US Open Cup match and carried that energy to the Smoky Mountain derby against One Knoxville SC. After conceding a penalty kick, the Lobos rolled forward with goals from Andrew Paoli and Walter Varela, both set up by midfielder Riley Kraft. From there, they held off a strong attack by One Knox for the win. They’ll have this weekend off to prepare for a visit to Cary to face NCFC. Let’s see if the momentum lasts.
9) One Knoxville SC
Last week: 5
Record: 1-0-1 (8th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS at Red Wolves SC, 2-1
Next match: vs Fuego FC, 4/12
After a long break with a bye week and a weather-related postponement, One Knoxville fell short at Chattanooga. The play was strong, and the scoreline was close, but Chattanooga goalkeeper Carlos Avilez stymied Jake Keegan late in the match, and the crossbar stopped Sebastian Andreassan to help the Red Wolves hold on. More concerning, dynamic right-back James Thomas exited the match in the 38th minute with an apparent injury. Newly healthy Jan-Erik Leinhos came on as his backup, and had a decent shot on goal, but did not particularly impress defensively. They’ll have a quick turnaround to try to figure things out, as they host Fuego FC on Wednesday.
10) Fuego FC
Last week: 8
Record: 1-0-1 (9th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS vs Union Omaha, 2-0
Next match: at One Knox SC, 4/12
Fuego FC experienced a setback against Union Omaha, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. The possession numbers and attack were strong, with a dangerous shot in the first half from David Diaz and two from Alexis Cerritos that went just wide of an otherwise open net. An unfortunate giveaway by José Partida led to Omaha defender Shaft Brewer sending the ball forward to Noe Meza for a goal-of-the-week qualifying shot, who seemed to catch defenders Mouhammed Dabo and Omar Lemus unaware. Fuego brought striker Villyan Bijev on early in the second half for reinforcements, and a shot of energy, but Omaha held on. Fuego conceded a second goal late in the match to Steevan Dos Santos, who came off the bench in the second half.
On the bright side, Fuego still has some strong talent waiting on the injury and visa lists, and if they can figure out how to improve shot accuracy under pressure, should be a force moving forward.
11) Lexington SC
Last week: 12
Record: 0-2-1 (11th)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW vs Forward Madison, 0-0
Next match: vs Tormenta, 4/15
Lexington SC hosted their first-ever home match and walked away with their first regular season point with a 0-0 draw against Forward Madison. They held off a Christian Chaney-led attack and formed some solid chances of their own, but neither team could find the back of the net. We don’t yet know if this is a turning point for Lexington SC, but a point in the standings will do to get them out of the cellar. They’ll host Tormenta FC on Saturday, and a win there would go a long way to boosting their confidence at the end of the first month of play.
12) Greenville Triumph
Last week: 9
Record (0-2-0, 12th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS at Tormenta FC, 2-0
Next match: at Forward Madison, 4/15
First of all, let’s just say that it’s not time to panic in Greenville just yet. They faced a strong Richmond side in week one, and a rejuvenated Tormenta FC side this weekend, while dealing with an injury list a mile long. The Tormenta match came a few days after traveling to Phoenix for a US Open Cup match against a USL Championship side. They’re not fielding players who are 100%. So no, they are not playing well right now, but it’s two matches into a long season. We’d expect a bounce back (and perhaps a few goals) over the next few weeks as key players such as Devin Boyce, Allen Gavilanes, and Nate Shultz return to 100%, but for now, it’s not pretty.