League One Power Rankings

League One Power Rankings - Week 5

By ETHAN TRIEBSCH - ethan.triebsch@uslsoccer.com, 04/19/23, 3:00PM EDT

Madison, Greenville head in different directions following Week 5 blowout

Madison's big win sees 'Mingos enjoy big rise, while Greenville's dismal start to the 2023 campaign has the league's winningest side dropping down the rankings.

Can North Carolina challenge Charlotte at the top? What going on with Tormenta FC? Tell us why your club should rank higher and keep the conversation going on Twitter at @USLLeagueOne.

Biggest Movers

5 MAD

5 GVL

Rank	Team	Change	Summary
1	Charlotte Independence (2-0-2) Week 6: v. OMA, CV	Last Week: 1	The Jacks still have the most goals scored across the league this season, even after sitting out last week. An intriguing matchup against an Omaha side eager to extend a two-match unbeaten streak against Charlotte awaits the Independence on Wednesday.
2	Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (1-0-2) Week 6: --	2 Last Week: 4	The Hailstorm are one clean sheet away from breaking a league record. Unbeaten through three matches to open its second League One season, Northern Colorado have the week off before a big test in Omaha against the Owls on April 29.
3	North Carolina FC (2-1-1) Week 6: v. CHA	2 Last Week: 5	NCFC is enjoying the best start to a season since 2020 and sits second in the table through four matches. John Bradford’s retooled side lead the league in expected goals (5.96) even with 2022 leading scorer Garrett McLaughlin only logging 147 minutes so far this season.
4	Union Omaha (1-1-1) Week 6: @ CLT	2 Last Week: 2	Usually starting off hot, Omaha suffered just its second loss before May across all competitions since its inception in 2020. Still, the Owls should be fine as the new-look roster continues to gel.
5	Richmond Kickers (1-1-2) Week 6: --	2 Last Week: 3	Will Palmquist has filled in brilliantly for veteran goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald, allowing just two goals through three matches and recording two clean sheets. The Kickers defense has been solid early as the offense hasn’t quite delivered as expected so far.
6	Forward Madison FC (1-0-2) Week 6: --	5 Last Week: 11	Madison’s jump up the Power Rankings could admittedly be a bit of an overreaction, but the ‘Mingos finally looked like a strong, cohesive unit on Saturday. A solid offseason needs to yield results and a 4-1 victory is a good start.
7	South Georgia Tormenta FC (2-3-0) Week 6: @ KNX	1 Last Week: 6	It’s been up and down early in the season for the defending champs. South Georgia have struggled defensively, allowing a league-high eight goals. Still, Tormenta FC leads the league in passing accuracy, touches, touches in the opponent’s box and fouls won. Now, it’s just a matter of cleaning up the goalkeeping and defending and allowing the offense to continue to produce.
8	Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (1-1-1) Week 6: @ NC	Last Week: 8	Although sitting out last week, the Red Wolves still maintain the highest shooting accuracy in the league (52.94%). With just two goals scored through three matches, though, they’ll hope to capitalize on their shooting efficiency in the coming weeks.
9	One Knoxville SC (1-1-1) Week 6: v. TRM	1 Last Week: 10	Head Coach Mark McKeever and Knoxville’s possession-based style of play has allowed the League One newcomers to average a league-best 56.8% possession and start their first professional season at 1-1-1. Knoxville will need to increase its scoring chances, though, as OKSC maintain the worst shooting accuracy (27.27%) in the league and second-fewest goals from open play (2) this season.
10	Central Valley Fuego FC (1-1-1) Week 6: @ GVL	1 Last Week: 9	The start of Fuego FC’s second season hasn’t been too flashy; Central Valley are 1-1-1 with just two goals scored on the young season. I’d expect Fuego FC to pick up a point or two as it wraps up April with a pair of trips to the Carolinas (GVL, CLT) before welcoming Knoxville to Fresno.
11	Lexington SC (1-2-1) Week 6: v. GVL	1 Last Week: 12	Lexington claimed its first-ever win on Saturday, downing defending champions South Georgia. After some tough matchups early, LSC has a real chance to finish the month 2-0 against Greenville and Chattanooga.
12	Greenville Triumph SC (0-3-0) Week 6: v. CV, @ LEX	5 Last Week: 7	The league’s winningest club now can claim a new rather unfortunate achievement: the worst start to a season in league history. With three consecutive losses, a league-low one goal scored and the second-most goals conceded (7), Greenville has looked rough early.