With 29 weeks down, the playoff races look tight. But simple points totals don’t tell the entire story. In the West, Phoenix is an ostensible bubble team, but they’ve played a league-low 27 matches. Charleston still look to be within shouting distance of Louisville for the Players’ Shield on paper, but they’ve played 30 matches, two more than LouCity.
Busy schedules and a bevy of six-pointers will define the next month of action as the USL Championship ends its regular season. Who made the most headway this time around, and how’d it affect the Power Rankings? Let’s dig in.
1. New Mexico (+4)
Result: 3-1 win v. Sacramento, 1-0 win v. Loudoun
With a 72% save percentage and nearly 70 saves in 2024, Alex Tambakis is putting up his best season since at least 2019 and surely his best during a four-year stint in New Mexico. Tambakis is the all-time USL saves leader, and his five stops against Sacramento were crucial to staving off a first-half barrage in what became a 3-1 win.
Early, New Mexico’s dogmatic tendency to play short from the back put them at risk against the Republic’s high press. A double pivot of Zico Bailey and Sergio Rivas was clean on the ball, and Bailey broke plenty of lines, but there was no guarantee New Mexico would keep possession for long enough to progress further. Any turnover was immediately punished with a spell of Sacramento possession that typically ended with a shot.
Things changed in the second half. The Albuquerque elevation got to the guests, and a New Mexico counter that showed flashes in the first half finally began to pay off. A fifteen-minute flurry just after the 60th minute saw Greg Hurst strike twice to take a 3-0 lead, and that was the game. You couldn’t imagine a more classic New Mexico game, one where a trust in Eric Quill’s system kept things tight until the inevitable breakthrough.
The West’s best were at it again on Sunday, and it was another match where the opposing press couldn't stifle the pivot.
This time, Bailey paired with Nana Houssou against his former club, and New Mexico was much more willing to lump the ball over the top and counterpress hard. Enter: Houssou, whose ball-winning skills are among the best in the entire USL. That run-and-gun setup forced Loudoun into an own goal within the opening 10 minutes and gave New Mexico a critical edge in what became an end-to-end affair.
New Mexico felt wasteful in a game where they consistently found fast breaks in the channels, but a two-win week against two tough opponents is an unassailable outcome. This week was a showcase of depth, tactical integrity, and sheer effort in equal measure. If you had doubts about New Mexico as a title threat, they’ve been put to rest definitely.
2. Louisville (-1)
Result: 2-1 loss at Detroit
Signing Phillip Goodrum came within an implicit promise: we'd eventually get to see Goodrum and Wilson Harris line up next to each other in a pairing of the USL's two purest strikers. Danny Cruz experimented with a 3-5-2 at times, but mostly as a late-game shift featuring Harris and a converted winger up top. This Sunday's front line featuring the two No. 9s wasn't the whole shebang, but it's as close as we've got to date.
In practice, Louisville's system stubbornly refused to pair the two, Goodrum took a very wide and deep role as the left winger against Detroit's back three, and he found himself a wanderer amidst his side's typically right-tilted attack. LouCity's struggles in second ball situations also limited the opportunities for the forwards to connect. The guests didn't put up a single shot on net at Keyworth until a penalty kick four minutes into added time, one that was earned as the lucky byproduct of a hopeful punt over the top.
Things only got worse in the second half once Goodrum was sent off. Down to 10 men, Louisville looked rather solid defensively, but their usual offensive tendencies became riskier. This team loves to push their center backs to the edge of the final third to keep the attacking zone, and doing so just after the 60th minute led to a disastrous Detroit break that changed the match.
It was a tidy summation of a poor game for Louisville, one that highlighted how their new star hasn’t integrated into the system quite yet.
3. Charleston (No change)
Result: 3-1 win v. Tampa Bay
When Charleston last met Tampa Bay at Al Lang Stadium, a second-half comeback punctuated by a stunning free kick knocked the Battery out cold. The Rowdies were let back into the match because of an Aaron Molloy injury, and it would've been easy for Charleston to fold. Instead, this team has lost just twice in seven ensuing games, bolstered by Ben Pirmann's masterful ability to get the most out of his roster.
With the rematch in store, Pirmann again got the most out of Jay Chapman as the Molloy replacement in the heart of the 4-2-3-1. Chapman usually operated as a No. 10 in Colorado Springs last year and got lost in the mix of a struggling Hartford team at the start of 2024. Attracted by their mutual ties to Michigan State, Pirmann brought the midfielder in and trusted his intelligent read on the game to get the job done.
Against Tampa Bay, that meant tightening the screws on Cal Jennings in the channels and patiently setting the tempo with quick and intentional touches in possession. Chapman ended up with four tackles and seven ball recoveries, and his ability to camp in the half space was hugely limiting. When the Battery regained, Chapman was a slick initiator who helped loose his teammates upfield.
It was a great night already, even before you realize that Nick Markanich broke the USL’s single-season scoring record and then added a second goal to extend the record even further. Markanich is resplendent, and he’ll always get his returns. Charleston’s ability to maximize the rest of their lineup is more important to their title hopes still.
4. Colorado Springs (-2)
Result: 1-1 draw at El Paso
Recently, Aidan Rocha has taken a turn at right back to bolster Colorado Springs’ systematic tendency to push high up on the left in the press. You swing left, leave Rocha - a destructive No. 8 by trade - to cover low on the right, and feel good about the entire structure. Rocha played the position with Loudoun, and his ability to do so anew has helped push the Switchbacks up the table.
Still, the 23-year-old is best in the central midfield, and he showed as much in El Paso this weekend. Rocha led all players with five chances created, and the lion’s share of those key passes came when he carved out space between the lines against a slapdash Locomotive press. His service on corner kicks was strong, but he set himself apart by keeping his head up and threading in Ronaldo Damus and Yosuke Hanya.
Unfortunately, El Paso punished Colorado Springs in the wide areas. The transition from a back four into a pressing 3-5-2 was markedly less cohesive, and the Locomotive's front three stretched into the wide areas with aplomb in transition. For a Switchbacks team that’s done well to close down and limit the time allowed to pick out passes, it was something of a surprise.
It’s the reason they walked away with a single point - albeit one that pushed them to second place in the West.
5. Las Vegas (+2)
Result: 2-1 win v. Sacramento
