With three weeks down, we’ve got three teams that have separated themselves from the pack in the USL eCup: FIFA20 Edition, and something big is going to need to happen to keep one of Rio Grande Valley FC, the New York Red Bulls II or Saint Louis FC from walking away with the title.
Due to the structure of the overall tournament, there’s a big reward for consistency that all three teams have pulled off so far. Win big, and you create a virtuous cycle that puts you in line for consistent points week in and week out. All three of the Toros, Red Bulls II and STLFC enter the new week one win away from adding to their totals in Division A.
If someone’s going to bridge the gap, it’s likely going to have to come from a group effort among the teams in action tonight, with Austin Bold FC, Hartford Athletic, OKC Energy FC or Union the most likely sides to find a way into the upper echelon. With three weeks left, they’re going to need to make a move fast before things get too far gone.
Things get back underway on Tuesday night with all three new division lineups in action. Check out the schedule for all the action on Twitch here.
Rank |
Team |
Change |
Summary |
|
1 | Rio Grande Valley FC Brazil Charity: Amigos Del Valle |
2 Last Week: 3 |
The Toros Kembo Kibato got right back in the groove to take a second bracket victory last week and is now sitting pretty at the top of the overall standings. | |
2 | New York Red Bulls II Chile Charity: Wings For Life |
1 Last Week: 1 |
There was some good fortune to the Red Bulls II picking up third place as comfortably as they did, but now they can look to regain top spot with the chance to pull Mike LaBelle back into the lineup. | |
3 | Saint Louis FC France Charity: STL Area Food Bank |
1 Last Week: 2 |
STLFC was so close to claiming the Division A bracket last week, but it’s still in really good position as the second half of the tournament kicks off. | |
4 | Austin Bold FC Italy Charity: Central Texas Food Bank |
2 Last Week: 6 |
Austin’s player depth is clearly two-deep with Valeri Saramutin and Diego Restrepo putting in solid performances in Week 3. Let’s just forget the Third-Place Game, alright? | |
5 | OKC Energy FC Portugal Charity: Energy Assist Foundation |
1 Last Week: 4 |
Energy FC is lined up in the same section of the bracket as Austin this week, which means only one of the two is going to get the points it needs to bridge the gap to the top three. | |
6 | Union Omaha Norway Charity: Omaha Foundation |
1 Last Week: 7 |
Los Buhos must feel like they’re caught between a rock and a hard place. Clearly good enough to be in Division A, but not quite consistent enough to be a contender. | |
7 | Greenville Triumph SC Poland Charity: United Way of Greenville County |
3 Last Week: 10 |
It’s been uncanny how Greenville has ensured it remains in Division A for the past two weeks, but it’s going to get a serious challenge from Phoenix to stay in the top flight on Tuesday. | |
8 | Hartford Athletic Scotland Charity: Foodshare |
3 Last Week: 5 |
The magic of the opening couple of weeks has begun to fade, and that means the Athletic are facing the prospect of relegation if they can’t pick things back up immediately. | |
9 | Phoenix Rising FC Netherlands Charity: Local First Arizona |
8 Last Week: 17 |
Corey Whelan on the sticks + Kevon Lambert and Junior Flemmings as the hype team = success. | |
10 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Belgium Charity: Pittsburgh Food Bank |
6 Last Week: 16 |
Finally, the Hounds took their top-level squad and showed off what they can do. The Goal of the Week contender Mark Lindstrom produced was special, more of that please. | |
11 | Tampa Bay Rowdies Colombia Charity: Feeding Tampa Bay |
7 Last Week: 18 |
Malik Johnson pushed the Rowdies into Division A for the first time and looked good in doing so. Tampa Bay now has to consolidate against a fading Hartford side. | |
12 | New England Revolution II Russia Charity: Revolution Charitable Foundation |
4 Last Week: 8 |
All the good work John Oliveira did to get into Division A in Week 2 disappeared in a tight-fought game against Greenville. Back to the promotion grind again. | |
13 | Sacramento Republic FC Mexico Charity: Raley's Food for Families |
4 Last Week: 9 |
Republic FC just didn’t quite seem to have it in its contest against Union Omaha, which meant a quick return back to Division B this week. | |
14 | FC Tucson Czech Republic Charity: United Way - Tucson |
12 Last Week: 26 |
Tucson is in Division A this week, but it’s going to have to be far sharper than in its back-to-back defeats to close Week 3 if it’s going to have a chance at staying there this week. | |
15 | Charleston Battery Greece Charity: MUSC Foundation |
3 Last Week: 12 |
The step up in quality at the Division A level proved a bit too much for the Battery last week, which means it’s time to rebuild this week. | |
16 | El Paso Locomotive FC Argentina Charity: El Pasoans Fighting Hunger |
3 Last Week: 13 |
There’s no shame in getting bounced by the eventual Division A winner to start off the week. Getting knocked off 5-0 with Argentina, though? That’s going to leave a mark. | |
17 | The Miami FC England Charity: Communities in Schools - Miami |
6 Last Week: 11 |
Miami had its chance to return to Division A but ran into a hot Phoenix Rising FC side and as a result is stuck in the middle tier again this week. | |
18 | Indy Eleven Côte D’Ivoire Charity: Community Health Network Foundation |
1 Last Week: 19 |
The Eleven looked great in claiming Division C last week, now the question is which player can build on the momentum the club picked up as it lands in Division B? | |
19 | Las Vegas Lights FC Uruguay Charity: Mayor's Fund of Las Vegas |
5 Last Week: 14 |
Las Vegas is looking for its first victory since Week 1 this week. If it fails, the slide from Division A to Division C will be complete. | |
20 | Charlotte Independence Germany Charity: Hemby Children's Hospital |
5 Last Week: 15 |
When you get handed the No. 1 team in the game, there are expectations to live up to. The Independence have failed to do so, and now could get dropped into the bottom tier. | |
21 | Louisville City FC Wales Charity: One Louisville COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund |
9 Last Week: 30 |
Akil Watts shone in leading Louisville to the Division C bracket victory. The question now is whether he – or someone else – can make sure the promotion to Division B sticks this week. | |
22 | FC Tulsa United States Charity: Tulsa Area United Way |
6 Last Week: 28 |
We said last week that player selection was going to be crucial to a turnaround for Tulsa. Panin Boakye proved the player for the job in getting FCT its first wins of the tournament and promotion. | |
23 | LA Galaxy II Sweden Charity: Los Angeles Regional Food Bank |
2 Last Week: 21 |
One step forward in Week 2, one straight back in Week 3. Los Dos got the #BeatEmDown from Phoenix Rising FC to get sent straight back to Division C. | |
24 | Real Monarchs SLC Switzerland Charity: RSL Foundation |
2 Last Week: 22 |
There’s nowhere but up from here for the Monarchs, who are looking for their first win since Week 1 as they kick things off in Division C this week. | |
25 | Memphis 901 FC Austria Charity: Mid South Food Bank |
6 Last Week: 31 |
The late collapse against Tulsa was a reminder that nothing is a sure thing, but putting six goals up in the Division C Third-Place Game showed Memphis might be on the right track. | |
26 | North Carolina FC Turkey Charity: NCFC Youth Financial Aid Fund |
1 Last Week: 27 |
Promotion to Division B was achieved, but NCFC still went 1-2 for the week in Division C while conceding six goals twice. That doesn’t augur well for a long stay in Division B. | |
27 | Philadelphia Union II Spain Charity: City Team - Chester |
7 Last Week: 20 |
It’s quite something to take one of the best digital teams in the tournament in Spain and manage to sink them into Division C. Slow clap for the Union II. | |
28 | Birmingham Legion FC Ireland Charity: Birmingham Strong Fund |
4 Last Week: 24 |
Legion FC put up a solid rally against the Rowdies after going down early, but the number of goals the side ships really made the 5-2 defeat inevitable in the end. | |
29 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Paraguay Charity: Care and Share Food Bank of Southern Colorado |
4 Last Week: 25 |
The Switchbacks suffered the narrowest defeat in the Division C Quarterfinals last week, but that won’t come as much comfort as they find themselves right back there again tonight. | |
30 | Orange County SC Cameroon Charity: OCSC Community Foundation |
7 Last Week: 23 |
Something just doesn’t seem to be clicking for Orange County this tournament, and that means it could end up being a long week again. | |
31 | Tacoma Defiance Slovenia Charity: Big Brothers, Big Sisters - Puget Sound |
2 Last Week: 29 |
The Defiance gave up five goals in a defeat to a side that then proceeded to have six goals knocked past it in its next two matchups. Not good, Bob. | |
32 | Loudoun United FC Denmark Charity: Tourism & Hospitality Relief Fund |
Last Week: 32 |
Loudoun continues to wait for its first win of the tournament after seeing Memphis accomplish that feat against it last week with a four-goal victory. |