League One Power Rankings

League One Power Rankings – Week 16

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 07/06/23, 12:00PM EDT

Greenville’s victory sees it surge into the top three, while the Independence’s horrible holiday weekend sends them the other way

Hi, folks, Nicholas Murray here to wreck your Power Rankings for a week as I usually do for the USL Championship as Ethan Triebsch is out on vacation.

We’ve got a big upward move for Greenville Triumph SC, who are starting to move like that gorgeous 1961 Triumph TR3 the club has as a mascot, and a sinking feeling for the Charlotte Independence, whose holiday weekend started and ended with a whimper.

For me, the game to keep an eye on this Saturday night is One Knox SC playing host to North Carolina FC. In the meantime, tell us why your club should rank higher and keep the conversation going on Twitter at @USLLeagueOne.

Biggest Movers

4 GVL

5 CLT

Rank	Team	Change	Summary
1	Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (7-1-4) Week 17: v. CLT, @ CHA	Last Week: 1	Hailstorm trailed for the first time at Future Legends Complex on Tuesday night, but still roared back for victory behind Trevor Amann’s brace. Top spot could be there for the taking in the actual standings on Saturday.
2	North Carolina FC (8-4-2) Week 17: @ KNX	1 Last Week: 3	Find you someone who likes you like Oalex Anderson likes scoring against the Charlotte Independence. Four goals in three Dogwood Derbies this season, five goals in four going back to last season.
3	Greenville Triumph SC (6-5-4) Week 17: --	4 Last Week: 7	Three consecutive wins, six games undefeated, and an impressive result to defeat playoff rival Forward Madison FC this weekend. Triumph SC continues to heat up nicely.
4	Forward Madison FC (7-4-4) Week 17: v. CV	Last Week: 4	One up for the Flamingos at Tormenta FC, one down on the weekend in Greenville. Still right there where they need to be with plenty of home games to come in the second half of the season.
5	One Knoxville SC (5-4-6) Week 17: v. NC	Last Week: 5	Results didn’t really go One Knox’s way in the past week, dropping them below the playoff line, but this weekend’s game against North Carolina FC is a big opportunity to make a statement and get back in the win column.
6	Richmond Kickers (6-4-6) Week 17: @ OMA	Last Week: 6	The Kickers took victory, but once again it was against one of the teams well below the playoff line and required a pair of penalty kicks. Solid enough, but we’d like to see a little bit more.
7	Charlotte Independence (6-5-5) Week 17: @ NCO, v. LEX	5 Last Week: 2	That was a rough five days for the Independence. Lose to your Dogwood Derby rival and then squander a two-goal lead on the road to drop a two-goal lead for the first time in League One. This four-game winless streak needs to end, fast.
8	Union Omaha (4-3-7) Week 17: v. RIC	Last Week: 8	Noe Meza might be singlehandedly keeping Omaha in with a chance at the playoffs. Doesn’t anybody want to help this plucky young man?
9	South Georgia Tormenta FC (5-7-3) Week 17: --	1 Last Week: 10	Putting the loss to Madison aside, that was a #BeatEmDown of massive proportions on Sunday night in Lexington, and only the second time Tormenta has scored five in a game in League One. The last time? Last July, against Greenville, and this time they only conceded once.
10	Lexington SC (3-7-5) Week 17: @ CLT	1 Last Week: 9	In an inaugural season, there are some games where you’re just going to have to take your lumps and move on. The next two games at a struggling Charlotte and last-placed Central Valley offer some chance of redemption.
11	Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (3-9-3) Week 17: v. NCO	Last Week: 11	If we’re being realistic, the Red Wolves probably should have found the net in Richmond. At the same time, they also probably should have conceded more goals as well.
12	Central Valley Fuego FC (3-10-1) Week 17: @ MAD	Last Week: 12	Farewell, Martin Vasquez. Our general rule of thumb is if you’ve got fewer games left to play (18) than points to make up to the playoff positions (12) you’re almost certainly not going to make it. That line is moving fast for Fuego FC and Adam Smith.