Welcome back to another edition of the power rankings. We skipped a week to let some clubs catch up on matches played, something that is still somewhat out of balance. Now that we’ve seen some more action, we get to shake things up a bit.
Some questions for the week:
- Can anyone stop Union Omaha?
- Is Juan Carlos Obregón about to start running this league?
- Are Lexington, Northern Colorado and Richmond slowly coming out of their early-season troubles?
- Is there hope for Central Valley Fuego?
Editor’s note: we recently joined the crew at Beyond the 90 and will be slowly migrating content there. This article is cross-posted at Beyond the 90 without paywall.
1) Union Omaha
Previous ranking: 2nd
Table: 2nd
Jägermeister Cup: 1st (Group 3)
Nothing seems to be slowing down the Owls, the club that can seemingly do it all right now. League play? Dominating 4-2 win over Tormenta. Jägermeister Cup? Shootout win over Northern Colorado. US Open Cup? After taking down USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive, they’ll host MLS side Sporting Kansas City this week.
Maybe the rigorous schedule will catch up at some point, but for now, there’s no sign of that. This squad is firing on all cylinders from top to bottom.
2) Charlotte Independence
Previous rank: 4
Table: 3
Jägermeister Cup: 1st (Group 1)
It took penalties, but Charlotte fell back on old reliable Austin Pack to seal the win over Tormenta in the teams’ Jägermeister Cup opening match. Then they went across the country and had no issues with Central Valley Fuego, a 3-1 win on the strength of a Juan Carlos Obregón brace. For a team that didn’t even really have a true striker when the season started, it seems they have found their man.
They’re also still in the US Open Cup and will travel to MLS side Atlanta United mid-week before hosting Forward Madison in Jägermeister Cup action on Saturday. With more of the squad returning healthy, Charlotte seems like the one squad that can truly challenge Omaha again this year.
3) Greenville Triumph
Previous ranking: 1st
Table: 1st
Jägermeister Cup: 4th (Group 1)
Greenville’s hot start cooled down just a bit over the last two weeks. First, a penalty kick loss to Richmond in the opening match of the Jägermeister Cup, then a stoppage time loss at Forward Madison. They’re still sitting top of the table, but with 1-3 matches in hand over the four sides in striking distance. They’ll host Tormenta in cup action on Saturday, an unpredictable side prone to breaking down defenses.
4) One Knoxville
Previous ranking: 3rd
Table: 4th
Jägermeister Cup: 1st (Group 2)
One of the few sides to take care of business in regulation during the opening matches of the Jägermeister Cup, Knoxville had the momentum heading into a visit to Richmond this past weekend. However, they were unable to maintain the lead, giving up a late equalizer. It was a match where they weren’t so much out-played as out-coached, as Richmond’s second half tactics just worked a bit better than Knoxville’s.
They have a busy week, hosting Madison on Wednesday and Northern Colorado on Saturday. Both sides seem to be taking a bit of momentum into the week, so Knoxville should be prepared.
5) Forward Madison
Previous rank: 6th
Table: 6th
Jägermeister Cup: 4th (Group 2)
After a disastrous performance in the Jägermeister Cup against Lexington, the Mingos regrouped and came out swinging against Greenville. They struck first, then came back from a deficit and, in one of the most brilliant sequences we might see all season, scored a stoppage time goal to steal three points. We’ll have to see if they can replicate the success this week at Knoxville and Charlotte before we move them any higher, but it shows how quickly confidence can return.
6) Spokane Velocity
Previous rank: 5th
Table: 5th
Jägermeister Cup: 4th (Group 3)
Spokane had a break from league play this weekend, after a disappointing loss in penalties at Central Valley Fuego in Jägermeister Cup action. It was a bad break in stoppage time in which Marcelo Lage conceded a penalty in the box resulting in a Fuego penalty conversion to equalize. During post-regulation penalty kicks, Spokane saw a missed and a saved attempt to give Fuego the 4-2 PK win.
They return to cup action on Saturday, hosting the mighty Union Omaha. Spokane’s one advantage will be rest, as their opponents face an MLS side in the US Open Cup this week.
7) Richmond Kickers
Previous rank: 11th
Table: 8th
Jägermeister Cup: 2nd (Group 1)
Slowly but surely Richmond seems to be coming out of its early-season slump as injuries subside. While they continue to miss the services of three time MVP and Golden Boot winner Emiliano Terzaghi, others have stepped up, including Adrian Billhardt. The winger currently sits tied for second in the league with four goals scored on the season. His latest was a late-match equalizer against Knoxville, a match in which he was used as a second half tactical substitute.
They’ll face an inconsistent Chattanooga side on Saturday in Jägermeister Cup action. A win would solidify a spot at the top of the Group 1 table.
8) South Georgia Tormenta
Previous rank: 7th
Table: 7th
Jägermeister Cup: 3rd (Group 1)
Tormenta went through a rough schedule over the last few weeks, and did not come away with a win. Losses to Greenville, Charlotte and Omaha saw 8 goals conceded. It does not bode well for a US Open Cup matchup with the top USL Championship side this week, Charleston Battery. But we’ve seen Tormenta surprise before, especially in that tournament. Unfortunately, a second matchup with Greenville awaits on Saturday. No rest for the weary.
9) Northern Colorado Hailstorm
Previous rank: 9th
Table: 12th
Jägermeister Cup: 3rd (Group 3)
The boys from Northern Colorado continue to chase that elusive first win of the season in league and Jägermeister Cup play. They’ve shown signs making it happen sooner rather than later, with a respectable 2-2 draw at Union Omaha, ending in a 3-2 loss on penalties. Next up is a visit to Knoxville, a side known for a tough defense. But if NOCO can figure out Omaha, they might just be able to figure out Knoxville.
10) Lexington SC
Previous rank: 10th
Table: 9th
Jägermeister Cup: 2nd (Group 2)
It wasn’t pretty, but Lexington banged out a 1-0 win over Forward Madison on a late goal where Jorge Corrales connected with Kaelon Fox’s head from a set piece. The most spectacular part of this: Lexington was playing with nine men after suffering through two red cards.
We’ll need to see some consistency from this squad before we move them up the rankings, but maybe this was the shot in the arm they needed? They’ll host Central Valley Fuego on Saturday in more cup action. Let’s see if they can keep it going.
11) Chattanooga Red Wolves
Previous rank: 8th
Table: 10th
Jägermeister Cup: 3rd (Group 2)
Chattanooga has struggled with consistency this season, with the only win coming against lowly Central Valley Fuego. In the cup loss to Knoxville, the squad did not inspire much confidence, giving up five shots on target, while only producing one of their own, on just eight shots total. They’ve had a week to regroup before further cup action this weekend against Richmond.
12) Central Valley Fuego
Previous rank: 12th
Table: 11th
Jägermeister Cup: 2nd (Group 3)
Fans around the league had high hopes for this squad in the off-season. But they’re now on a five game losing streak, and quickly bringing back nightmares of last season. With an overhauled roster and a high profile coach, this wasn’t supposed to happen. A win in penalties over Spokane in the Jägermeister Cup may inspire a bit of confidence, but the win relied on a stoppage time penalty conversion.
They’ll travel to Lexington this weekend for more cup action.