USL League One Power Rankings

USL League One Power Rankings - Week 30

By ETHAN TRIEBSCH - ethan.triebsch@uslsoccer.com, 10/13/23, 1:45PM EDT

Final weekend of the regular season looms

The race for the Players' Shield is in full swing as Omaha, North Carolina and Northern Colorado look to lift a trophy ahead of the postseason.

Can Omaha finish on top? Can the defending champs sneak back into the postseason? Tell us why your club should rank higher and keep the conversation going on Twitter at @USLLeagueOne.

Rank	Team	Change	Summary
1	Union Omaha (18-5-8) Week 31: @ MAD	Last Week: 1	The Owls dismantled a pair of quality opponents in Charlotte and South Georgia, scoring a combined eight goals in those two matches - the most for the Owls in a two-match span since scoring nine in its two postseason matches in 2021.
2	North Carolina FC (18-7-6) Week 31: v. KNX	Last Week: 2	A special 2023 campaign has seen North Carolina remain in contention for the Players’ Shield after snatching a win in Lexington.
3	Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (17-6-8) Week 31: v. CHA	Last Week: 3	The Hailstorm can round out an incredible 2023 regular season with a first-round bye should they defeat Chattanooga and Omaha or North Carolina drop points.
4	Greenville Triumph SC (13-10-8) Week 31: v. LEX	1 Last Week: 5	Greenville’s draw with Chattanooga means that Charlotte controls its own destiny when it comes to locking up a home match in the first round of the playoffs.
5	Charlotte Independence (13-9-9) Week 31: v. TRM	1 Last Week: 4	The Jacks suffered their largest defeat of the season last week at the hands (talons?) of Omaha. They’ll next be tasked with facing an even hungrier side when they host Tormenta FC on Saturday.
6	South Georgia Tormenta FC (12-14-5) Week 31: @ CLT	Last Week: 6	Backs against the wall, South Georgia must win to remain in contention for the postseason. The Ibises need to bounce back from that Omaha thrashing in a big way.
7	Forward Madison FC (11-10-10) Week 31: v. OMA	1 Last Week: 8	Winless in a month, it’s now or never for the ‘Mingos. Madison need a win against Omaha or points dropped by South Georgia to finally lock in its postseason position.
8	Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (8-16-7) Week 31: @ NCO	1 Last Week: 9	Only first-place Omaha and second-place North Carolina have as many points across their last three as Chattanooga (7). The Red Wolves can deny the Hailstorm's shot at the Players’ Shield if they can claim points on the road.
9	One Knoxville SC (9-11-11) Week 31: @ NC	2 Last Week: 7	A five-match winless run sealed Knoxville’s postseason-less fate. The first-year League One side can spoil North Carolina’s Players’ Shield aspirations with a big game in Cary on Saturday.
10	Lexington SC (7-14-10) Week 31: @ GVL	Last Week: 10	Despite Ates Diouf winning Player of the Month, Lexington have cooled off significantly as the season has come to a close.
11	Richmond Kickers (6-14-11) Week 31: v. CV	Last Week: 11	The Kickers will aim to grab one more win to close out a disappointing 2023 campaign.
12	Central Valley Fuego FC (5-21-5) Week 31: @ RIC	Last Week: 12	Central Valley will look to keep its unbeaten streak at City Stadium alive while simultaneously snapping its five-match losing streak to close out 2023.