USL League One Power Rankings

USL League One Power Rankings - Week 25

By ETHAN TRIEBSCH - ethan.triebsch@uslsoccer.com, 09/08/23, 9:15PM EDT

Owls fly to top of Power Rankings for first time since Week 3

The race for the Players’ Shield is in full swing as North Carolina, Northern Colorado, Omaha and Charlotte duke it out at the top.

Can Knoxville jump back into a playoff position? Is Lexington out of time? Tell us why your club should rank higher and keep the conversation going on Twitter at @USLLeagueOne.

Biggest Movers

2 GVL

2 NC, MAD

Rank	Team	Change	Summary
1	Union Omaha (13-5-7) Week 26: v. NC (4-3), v. RIC	1 Last Week: 2	The Owls have set an all-time league record with their seventh consecutive win, which came against first-place NCFC, no less. Omaha are on fire as of late and it wouldn’t be a shock to see them finish atop the table by the final day of the regular season.
2	Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (13-5-7) Week 26: v. LEX (3-2), v. TRM	1 Last Week: 3	Northern Colorado have won three consecutive matches to position itself just one point behind North Carolina on the table. Assuming they take care of Tormenta FC, they have a shot to overtake NCFC atop the table this weekend.
3	North Carolina FC (14-6-5) Week 26: @ OMA (4-3), @ GVL	2 Last Week: 1	A tough loss to Omaha isn’t the end of the world, but with the Owls and the Hailstorm heating up down the stretch, NCFC need to put together a few more wins.
4	Charlotte Independence (11-8-7) Week 26: v. CHA	Last Week: 4	With one of the easier remaining schedules in the league, Charlotte should lock up a spot in the postseason here within the next few weeks, barring some sort of implosion.
5	One Knoxville SC (9-9-8) Week 26: @ MAD	1 Last Week: 6	A positive result against a struggling FMFC side this weekend would extend the recent success of Knoxville and position the first-year League One side in a good spot heading into the final weeks of the season.
6	Greenville Triumph SC (10-8-7) Week 26: v. NC	2 Last Week: 8	A 1-2-2 five-match stretch has allowed Greenville to hover just above the playoff line. With the second-easiest schedule remaining, Greenville should be able to lock up its fifth consecutive postseason appearance soon.
7	Forward Madison FC (10-8-7) Week 26: v. KNX	2 Last Week: 5	Close to recording its best-ever season, the ‘Mingos have suffered a tough stretch of three losses and one draw. If they can’t take down a surging Knoxville side, Madison will be bumped out of a playoff position for the first time since early June.
8	South Georgia Tormenta FC (9-11-5) Week 26: v. KNX	1 Last Week: 7	Some high-scoring draws and head-scratching losses have seemingly cemented the defending champions’ position just outside of a playoff position. The Ibises have work to do in their handful or remaining matches to make something of their title-defending season.
9	Lexington SC (7-12-7) Week 26: @ CV	Last Week: 9	Lexington have a big opportunity this weekend to grab three more points and extend its postseason hopes in just its first-ever campaign. LSC is just a few wins away from positioning itself within just a few points of a playoff position.
10	Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (6-14-6) Week 26: @ CLT	Last Week: 10	The Red Wolves have put together a nice little run to wrap up the regular season. Unfortunately, it’s looking nearly impossible for the 2022 finalists to jump back into the playoff conversation.
11	Richmond Kickers (6-10-10) Week 26: @ OMA	Last Week: 11	A year after claiming the Players’ Shield with the most points in the league, nothing has been going the way of the Kickers. A 10-match winless run has nearly confirmed the side’s elimination from postseason contention.
12	Central Valley Fuego FC (5-15-4) Week 26: v. MAD	Last Week: 12	Central Valley have failed to claim a win in eight consecutive contests. A loss or draw this weekend will likely eliminate the second-year side’s slim postseason hopes.