USL League 2: Top 10

USL League 2: Top 10 - Week 3

Some clubs are four matches in, some are one, and some have yet to kickoff this season. With that matches-in-hand imbalance, we’ll stick to a top 10 this week, but expand to 15 next week, before topping out at a Top 20 edition the week after. In this week’s, some clubs held fast to their pole positions, other made significant gains, and a few dropped to outside looking in status.

Just Outside: 

  1. San Francisco Glens (2-0-1)

  2. Project 510 (2-0-1)

  3. Louisiana Krewe (2-0-1)

  4. NONA FC (1-1-0)

  5. FC Miami City (1-1-0)

  6. Christos FC (1-1-0)

Dropped:

  • AFC Ann Arbor (1-0-1)

  • FC Carolinas (1-0-1)

10(A) NC Fusion  (3-0-1) 

Remember that one loss? Neither does anyone else after the Chimera reeled off two more victories and regained a more fitting place just behind Tobacco Road in the South Atlantic division.

10(B) Redlands FC (2-1-0) 

The SoCal newbies are more than holding their own in their rookies outing so far. The Redland side has held their own against long-existing sides FC Tucson and Arizona Arsenal, and defending national champion Ventura County, emerging undefeated through the initial gauntlet.

10 (C) Fort Wayne FC (2-1-0) 

The Valley Division leaders paid newcomer FC Buffalo a ‘welcome to the neighborhood” visit this weekend. The visitors quickly showed their hosts the ropes of USLL2 level play and returned to Indiana with a 4-0 victory. The matches haven’t gotten easier though, as FWFC needed some stoppage time magic to draw Cleveland Wednesday night..

9. Southern Soccer Academy (2-0-0)

The Lions of SSA have now notched winning in a rout, vs league newcomer North Alabama SC, and in a tightly contested affair, vs Tennessee SC. They’ll need more of the latter in the coming weeks, as a three-game road swing against Dalton, Asheville, & South Carolina could either set them apart at the top of the South Central Standings, or hurl them to the bottom of them.

8. Western Mass Pioneers (2-0-0)

The Pioneers turned in two peerless efforts in their first conference matches, twin 3-0 victories over Boston Bolts and Pathfinder FC. In a stacked (NINE teams) Northeast Division, Western Mass is out to an early lead.

7. West Chester United (2-0-0)

A later start to the season than most, West Chester has quickly moved up the power rankings by recording two victories in conference competition in four days. They’ve done it at home and on the road already, defeating Real Central New Jersey across state lines and in-state rival Lehigh Valley at home. Their next four matches (at Reading, vs Philly, vs Ocean City, at Reading) could determine their staying power in this list, and their chances of postseason play.

6. Philadelphia Lone Star FC (2-0-0)

Following up a blowout victory over Lehigh Valley, PLSFC proved they can win the close matches as well, grinding out a 3-2 win over Reading United AC in their second game of the season. We’ll know more what Lone Star is made of when they leave the friendly home confines of Bartram High School this week for a road swing that includes perennial contender Ocean City Nor’Easters and hot-on-Philly's-heels West Chester United.

5. Little Rock Rangers SC (2-0-0)

In the first of two matches over the weekend featuring two sides ranked in last week’s Top 10, the formerly no.9 Stags suffocated 3rd-ranked hosts’ Louisiana Krewe’s high flying attack and ground out a 1-0 result with a headed effort from team captain Nick Doyle. Little Rock has two more matches on their current road swing, the latter a looming test vs Texas United

4. Saint Croix Legends (2-0-0)

The Legends are bound to sneak up on the national attention, with cross-metro MPLS City soaking up the limelight. That hasn’t stopped their mens side from being legendary unto themselves though, as Saint Croix has put away both the Crows, and storied club Bavarian United SC to open their first two weeks of the new-look Deep North division without a mark on their record.

3. Lionsbridge FC (2-0-0)

It didn’t take long for the defending division champs from Virginia to emerge on the Top 10 list. The Newport News side has made light work of their northern VA rivals in the past week, 2-0 over cross-bay opponent Virginia Beach and a 4-1 shellacking of Northern Virginia. The Blue & White will raid out of state and up the Chesapeake against a game Patuxent FA side this week.

2. Monterey Bay FC2 (4-0-0)

MBFC2 paid a midweek visit to Davis Legacy, winning 3-1, then wrapped up their tidy week of work with a 1-0 home victory over a dangerous San Francisco Glens side. The season is young, but the Salinas side could very well be THE one to watch as a favorite out of the west.

1. Des Moines Menace (2-0-0)

The Menace will remain here until they falter, and that seems unlikely. Even in the difficult confines of FC Wichita’s indoor playing surface, Des Moines broke a 1-1 deadlock late and secured a 3-1 victory to remain unblemished in league play.

by Ryan Stallings