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USL League One Power Rankings - Week 8

By USLLeagueOne.com Staff, 09/07/20, 4:30PM EDT

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Wins at the top, draws in the middle add to separation between contenders, pretenders

TAMPA, Fla. – Taken in a microcosm, weeks like the one we saw in the past seven days in League One are how the serious playoff contenders and those that are going to struggle to find a playoff place at the end of the season end up separating themselves.

At the top of the standings, the teams that look most likely to be part of the League One Final either took victories or in the case of the Richmond Kickers managed to pull a result out of the fire late on the road to keep their momentum going. Further down for teams like Chattanooga Red Wolves SC and Fort Lauderdale CF, playing to a stalemate was all that could be achieved, making the path ahead that much steeper.

We saw this last year, where each team to reach the postseason put in a notable surge at a key point of the season. Forward Madison’s run going 7-2-3 over its final 12 games gave it the boost it needed for a playoff place, as did Greenville Triumph SC’s run of seven wins in 10 games before a late tail-off that ended up not mattering.

As we reach the midway point of this year’s condensed schedule, it’s certainly looking like the two final participants will be made up from the current top four in the standings. If another – like say the Red Wolves – that winning streak is going to have to arrive very soon.

Here’s how everything else looks this week. As always, feel free to come and yell at me on Twitter (@NJEMurray).

Biggest Movers

Rank

 

Team

Change

Summary

1 Union Omaha
(4-0-3)
Week 9: @TRM
1
Last Week: 2
Los Buhos move into top spot after Sunday night’s victory against Orlando. The consistency with which this new squad has been able to put results together in its first year has been very impressive indeed.
2 Richmond Kickers
(4-1-2)
Week 9: @CHA
1
Last Week: 1
The Kickers slipped a place, but don’t underestimate how big that point in Tucson might be at the end of the season, or how much better it had the team feeling on its trip back to Virginia.
3 Greenville Triumph SC
(6-2-1)
Week 9: MAD

Last Week: 3
Triumph SC bounced back nicely as Alex Morrell and Lachlan McLean played the roles of the Dynamic Duo up top. Sunday’s showdown with Forward Madison FC should be a must-see, and not just for the fans of the two clubs.
4 Forward Madison FC
(3-2-2)
Week 9: @GVL

Last Week: 4
The Michael Vang experience is in full flight in Madison, and it’s helped lift everyone in the squad during the club’s four-game undefeated streak. The big question is whether it will continue against a defensively strong Greenville side on Sunday in Wisconsin.
5 Chattanooga Red Wolves SC
(2-2-3)
Week 9: @NE, RIC
1
Last Week: 6
The Red Wolves had a healthy advantage in shots and chances created against Fort Lauderdale but couldn’t make it count on the scoreboard. Those are the sort of results that cost a side a postseason spot.
6 Fort Lauderdale CF
(2-3-2)
Week 9: ORL
1
Last Week: 7
There wasn’t anything that great about FTLCF’s performance against Chattanooga, but the fact this first-year club is hanging strong with some formidable opponents is pretty impressive.
7 FC Tucson
(2-4-1)
Week 9: NTX
1
Last Week: 8
Tucson would have been ecstatic not only with the three points, but also turning the tables on the Kickers and former coach Darren Sawatzky after Richmond’s win at home earlier this year. That late equalizer by the visitors was a real downer, then.
8 South Georgia Tormenta FC
(2-4-3)
Week 9: OMA
3
Last Week: 5
Tormenta FC consistently plays a really nice brand of soccer. Unfortunately, it’s going to take more decisiveness in front of goal to make that pay off as the playoffs look very far away from here.
9 North Texas SC
(1-2-4)
Week 9: @TUC
1
Last Week: 10
The winless streak continues for North Texas, but it did at least get some brings performances from Oscar Romero and Carlos Avilez in its visit to Orlando City B.
10 Orlando City B
(1-4-3)
Week 9: @FTL
1
Last Week: 11
Orlando knocked pretty hard on Tormenta FC’s door when they got up a man on Friday night, but still couldn’t find a way to open it and pick up a much-needed victory.
11 New England Revolution II
(1-4-2)
Week 9: CHA
2
Last Week: 9
The excitement of the victory against Greenville has quickly been tempered by back-to-back 4-0 defeats. Joe Rice leads the league with 25 saves, but the Revolution II have allowed 46 shots on goal in seven games, which just isn’t going to work.

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