34 weeks later, we’ve hit the end of the USL Championship regular season. The March-to-October calendar doesn’t have any breaks built in, and it’s a grueling gauntlet for all 24 clubs. It took until the final day to decide who’d qualify for the postseason, but the groundwork was laid all the way back in the spring.
A quick note on the rankings: five of the top seven here are Eastern Conference clubs. For my taste, most of the East is entering the playoffs in strong form and with a sense of identity. That just isn’t true of the West, where every team barring Orange County has been unconvincing over the last month or so. That’s not to say that a Western Conference team won’t win it all, but the East looks like a gauntlet by comparison.
That’s a concern for another day. After the final week, who’s hitting their stride in time for a playoff run, and what did the eliminated clubs learn ahead of the offseason? Let’s dig in.
1. Louisville (No change)
Result: 4-1 win v. Phoenix
Whether this year's version of Louisville City is the best team in USL history is a question that can't be properly answered until the playoffs, but they might have my vote.
Danny Cruz took a team that finished fifth last season, restored a sense of tactical coherence, and took them to the Players' Shield. Yes, all-league additions like Taylor Davila and Arturo Ordonez helped the cause, but Cruz deserves massive credit for allowing Elijah Wynder to grow and developing diamonds-in-the-rough like Jansen Wilson. Resources don't guarantee success, and LouCity has maximized the hand they've been dealt.
That quality was on show again versus Phoenix, a once-dominant club with foibles that underline Louisville’s consistency. Rising took an early lead at Lynn Family Stadium, but LouCity came back to win thanks to their ability to wear down the opposing press. Switching the ball to wingback Jake Morris was the best way to ask questions of Phoenix, and it gradually forced their high-ish line to deepen out.
As soon as Rising took their foot off the gas, Louisville struck. Kyle Adams advanced from central defense and found room to cross toward Wilson Harris to open the scoring. Both Adams and Sean Totsch began to push up while their side was out of possession, marking Rising outlets and allowing the front end of 3-4-3 to press with less responsibilities in recovery. It’s a classic formula for LouCity by now; when you’re scoring 2.5 goals a game, you can trust the process after an early concession.
The title march begins against North Carolina, who Cruz and co. hung six goals on in Cary less than two months ago. The stage is set for Louisville City to win that game and go on to make history.
2. Detroit (No change)
Result: 4-1 win at San Antonio
Maxi Rodriguez is a San Antonio native, and he spent two years with San Antonio FC before joining Detroit City. Whether Rodriguez would've developed into the star that he is without his time under Trevor James for Le Rouge is unlikely, and he showed that quality in his home town on Saturday.
These days, Rodriguez is mostly found in the pivot of Detroit’s 3-4-2-1 (or 5-4-1, it’s all relative) shape, and his ability to slink into open space is unmatched. Against San Antonio, Rodriguez mostly created from a deeper pocket on the right, but he was willing to step up when one or both of the dual No. 10s pushed into the box. That was the scenario that allowed Rodriguez to pick up the ball in the left half space and curl in Detroit’s opening goal.
The game was virtually decided by halftime after a free kick scored in the wake of an opposing red card, but Detroit never let up. Ben Morris got a brace thanks to patient, opportunistic movement. Outside defenders like Michael Bryant were hyper-aware against SAFC’s channel-centric distribution. Le Rouge played their game, spotlighted their best players, and made just enough subtle tweaks to address their opposition in full. That’s the mark of a legit title contender.
3. Rhode Island (No change)
Result: 8-1 win v. Miami
Playing against Miami is a bad barometer for pretty much anything, but Rhode Island looked so good against the USL's worst team that Khano Smith must be left with some important questions. For one: is Albert Dikwa still a starter? The reigning Golden Boot winner (last week I can say that!) hasn't been in the lineup since September 28th, and Rhode Island looked rampant without him.
