It’s easy to look at the USL Championship table or the goals leaderboard and get a loose idea of what’s driving the league in 2026. Still, all 25 clubs in the Championship have been defined by deeper themes, on and off the field. Which storylines aren’t getting enough attention with the playoffs and the offseason just around the corner? I’ve got one pick for every team in the division.
Birmingham Legion
The Legion offense is suddenly good good
Over the course of their last eight games, Birmingham have put up 2.3 goals a pop. They’ve scored multiple goals in seven of those matches, and they’ve hit the four-goal mark twice in the last two weeks. 32-year-old Romario Williams’ ascension as the Legion’s starting striker (and occasional captain) over Ronaldo Damus has fueled the improvement; Birmingham has been a successful possession team all year, but Williams is clearly a better back-to-goal facilitator in the final third. It doesn’t hurt that his presence in the box has yielded six goals since August 22nd. If nothing else, this hot finish to 2026 gives the Legion some hope heading into the offseason.
Brooklyn FC
Brooklyn simply never figured out the midfield
There have been things to like across Brooklyn’s expansion season. Before his loan recall, Markus Anderson was a reliable striker with terrific transition upside; fellow loanee attacker CJ Olney remains a clever creator. At the back, center back Thomas Vancaeyezeele (2.9 takeaways per game), fullback Gabriel Alves (8.4 final-third entries), and goalkeeper Jackson Lee (72% save rate) have formed the loose spine of a competent defense.
Between those poles, Brooklyn is a mess. This club’s -4.2 per-game recovery margin is comfortably the worst in the East, and an inability to control matches away from Maimonides Park has spoiled a potential bubble push. There’ve been flashes of talent at the pivot spots, but no single player has been reliable enough to save Brooklyn’s year.
