USL League One Power Rankings

USL League One Power Rankings - Week 28

By ETHAN TRIEBSCH - ethan.triebsch@uslsoccer.com, 09/27/23, 12:15PM EDT

Just a few weeks remaining in the regular season

The race for the Players' Shield is in full swing as North Carolina, Omaha, and Northern Colorado officially locked up the first playoff spots and battle to finish the season atop the table.

Will all six playoff spots be claimed by the end of the weekend? Can South Georgia and Knoxville stave off postseason elimination for another week? Tell us why your club should rank higher and keep the conversation going on Twitter at @USLLeagueOne.

Biggest Movers

1 NC, TRM

1 NCO, KNX

Rank	Team	Change	Summary
1	Union Omaha (16-5-7) Week 29: @ NC	Last Week: 1	The Owls have the most points possible remaining in the league and are riding a 10-match winning streak. Omaha could become the first team in league history to lift the Players’ Shield twice.
2	North Carolina FC (17-7-5) Week 29: v. OMA	1 Last Week: 3	A big, six-point week consisting of a pair of shutout victories propelled North Carolina back to the top of the table. A huge matchup with Omaha on Friday could decide the fate of the Players’ Shield.
3	Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (15-6-8) Week 29: @ GVL	1 Last Week: 2	Picking up just one point from a pair of tough Week 28 contests is rough for the Hailstorm’s Players’ Shield aspirations, but a relatively easy remaining schedule could see Northern Colorado challenge late.
4	Charlotte Independence (13-8-8) Week 29: v. KNX	Last Week: 4	With a pair of NCFC wins, the Jacks are officially out of the race for the Players’ Shield. Still, a big win against Madison would mean that a Charlotte win or draw over Knoxville on Saturday would secure a playoff berth for the Independence.
5	Greenville Triumph SC (12-9-7) Week 29: v. NCO	Last Week: 5	Greenville can become the first club in league history to head to the postseason in all five seasons. A massive matchup against Northern Colorado will be a good test for John Harkes’ side.
6	South Georgia Tormenta FC (11-13-5) Week 29: @ RIC	1 Last Week: 7	The defending champs have turned it on late and done everything they’ve needed to with a pair of recent wins. Win against Richmond and the Ibises will live to see another day.
7	One Knoxville SC (9-11-9) Week 29: @ CLT	1 Last Week: 6	Knoxville’s playoff hopes are hanging on by a thread, but a win in Charlotte could totally flip the script as they challenge for the postseason in their first League One season.
8	Forward Madison FC (11-9-9) Week 29: v. LEX	Last Week: 8	The ‘Mingos are aiming to avoid another late-season collapse, but five points in five matches won’t do the trick. Even with a tough upcoming matchup against Lexington, Madison has a chance to lock up a postseason spot this week.
9	Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (7-16-6) Week 29: v. CV	Last Week: 9	The 2022 finalists are eliminated but might just be one of the most entertaining teams to watch. Only North Carolina and Omaha have more goals through their last five matches than the Red Wolves.
10	Lexington SC (7-13-9) Week 29: @ MAD	Last Week: 10	Lexington can break some ‘Mingo hearts if they it snag its first win over Madison on Saturday. The individual performances from the first-year side have been fun to watch.
11	Richmond Kickers (6-13-10) Week 29: v. TRM	Last Week: 11	The Kickers can play spoiler and significantly reduce South Georgia’s playoff chances with a win over the defending champs on Saturday.
12	Central Valley Fuego FC (5-19-5) Week 29: @ CHA	Last Week: 12	Fuego FC is a loss away from matching an all-time league record of 20 losses in a single season (ORL, 2019). With remaining matches against Chattanooga, Greenville and Richmond, Central Valley could set a new record by the end of the campaign.