USL League 2: Top 10 - Week 4

As promised, The 2how Power Rankings expand this week to fifteen sides. There’s a lot more movement, both up and down, as early leaders advance deeper into their seasons and sides previously yet to play in previous weeks finally took the pitch.

Just Outside:

NONA FC (2-1-0)
Weston FC (2-1-0)
RKC 3rd Coast (2-0-0)
Vermont Green (2-0-0)
Texas United (2-0-0)
Flint City Bucks (2-0-0)
Asheville City (2-0-0)
South Carolina United (2-0-0)

Dropped:

San Francisco Glens (2-1-1)
Project 510 (2-0-1)
Philadelphia Lone Star FC (2-0-1)
Louisiana Krewe (2-0-2)
Christos FC (1-2-0)

15. FC Miami City (2-1-0)

FCMC welcomed Sarasota Paradise to the league, hosting the visitors for their first ever match. The veteran hosts found the new kids every bit their equal, needing a 90th minute goal from Alejandro Caicedo to pull away for the 1-0 victory.

14. Western Mass Pioneers (2-1-0)

The Pioneers should be satisfied with taking points on the road in New Hampshire versus a stout Seacoast United Phantoms side. They’re likely to pick up another 15 or more points over the next four matches before they pay the Green a visit in Vermont.

13. West Chester United (2-1-0)

A small blip for West Chester, a 2-2 draw with struggling Reading won’t keep the Predators down long if they find results this next week versus Philadelphia and Ocean City.

12. NC Fusion (4-0-1)

An absolute classic match between the South-Atlantic leading Fusion and second place Charlotte Eagles played out over the weekend, with the visiting Chimera flying just a bit higher than their rivals in a thrilling 4-3 win.

11. Des Moines Menace (4-0-1)

The Menace may have bit off more than even they could chew in scheduling a two-match swing through the second city this weekend. After tucking away Chicago Dutch Lions 5-1, Des Moines came up short against Chicago City SC, giving away a deciding third goal while trying for the equalizer in a 3-1 loss. They may have stumbled from the number spot, but it’s doubtful they remain here long.

10. Fort Wayne FC (3-1-0)

The matches may be more and more difficult, but FWFC continues to find ways to pull out results, this time holding on late in Glass City to take all three points from Toledo Villa. The Indiana side gets a bit of a breather against hapless Dayton Dutch Lions before a rematch with second place Kings Hammer.

9. Redlands FC (3-1-0)

The officially unofficial Fighting Citrus showed their class versus fellow league newcomer Capoistrano FC, putting five goals past their hosts in a match that wasn’t as close as the 5-2 scoreline. A date with Southern Cal Seahorses short of playing their first time through the Southwest division, Redlands are now squarely in the pole position of the standings.

8. Ballard FC (3-0-0)

The best in the Northwest, Ballard FC has bridged their 2022 success into their 2023 season early, racking up dominant victories over their second and third place divisional challengers before coming from behind versus United PDX Monday afternoon. It won’t be a guard of honor through the rest of their regular season schedule, but it’s hard to envision it being much less than that before the postseason.

7. Little Rock Rangers SC (3-0-0)

The Stags slip a couple spots in the standings this week, but that’s all on how others around them performed this weekend, and not any slip-ups of their own. The Rangers can only play the next game on the schedule, and that meant another dance with current Mid-South division bottom feeder Blue Goose SC.So, the side sauntered down to Shreveport and tallied a quick five goals for the win. Now, If the Arkansas side can find victory on their next trip, to Texas United on Wednesday night, they’ll recover those slipped places, and then some.

6. Southern Soccer Academy (3-0-0)

SSA avoided the third-week loss that many others didn’t, riding an early first half goal, and hanging on thereafter, to defeat Dalton Red Wolves. The matches won’t get any easier as the Lions travel to South Carolina United and Asheville City over the next week and a half. Survive that gauntlet and the rest of the league will be watchful of the roar from Austell, Georgia.

5. Long Island RR (3-0-0)

The Hammers had an opportunity to take sole possession of the Metropolitan division top spot when they hosted Long Island this weekend. The visitors did away with that hope quickly, routing Hudson Valley, 3-0. The defending national finalists themselves now sit in first place, with a relatively easy path for the next few matches until second place Cedar Stars visit on June 7th.

4. Ocean City (3-0-0)

The Nor’Easters gathered strength slowly with a late start to the season, but they’ve left some devastation in their wake. Over six days, Ocean City has wracked nine points, blowing over Real Central NJ, Lehigh Valley United, and previously undefeated Philadelphia Lone Star in turn. From sitting on the sidelines to top of the Mid-Atlantic division in less than a week, they can solidify their standing there with points versus Reading and West Chester in their next two outings.

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

No movement for the Legends this week, on the pitch or in the standings. St Croix enjoyed a weekend’s rest while preparing for a potentially deadlock-breaking match atop the Deep North standings versus RKC Third Coast.

2. Lionsbridge FC (3-0-0)

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

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

The beneficiary of a rest week AND an upset in Chicago, Monterey Bay FC2 ascends the standings throne vacated by Des Moines. The Salinas side will be hard to shake from their new perch for the next couple of weeks, as they take on the two bottom NorCal sides before they square up with a true challenge in Project 510.

by Ryan Stallings