Two players in the USL have already surpassed the double-digit goals scored mark: Loudoun’s Abdellatif Aboukoura and Charleston’s Cal Jennings. They’re the two players in the Championship that feel likeliest to stay atop the scoring leaderboard come fall – though you wouldn’t be surprised to see Louisville’s Phillip Goodrum join them after a hat trick this weekend.
For 21 clubs in the league, consistency has been devilishly hard to maintain in 2025. For Louisville, Charleston, and Loudoun, the exact opposite has been true. The fact that you’d bet your money on their star scorers to keep producing is a byproduct of top-down tactical brilliance as much as individual performances, and it’s the thing that’s setting these clubs apart.
The landscape only got muddier this week, with just two draws in 13 matches shaking up the tables in the East and West. Who came out looking better amidst the upheaval, and how’d they make it happen? Let’s dig in.
1. Louisville City
Trending: +1
Result: 2-1 win v. Rhode Island, 4-2 win v. Birmingham
Ray Serrano is putting up fewer shots per game in 2025 than in 2024, but he’s putting a far greater share of those shots on target. His pressing takeaways are down a tick, but they’re buoyed by vastly improved duel win rates and recovery numbers. In other words, Serrano has become even more efficient after starting from an all-USL base.
The 25-year-old is far beyond prospect status at this point, but he’s still getting better while taking on more importance within Danny Cruz’s system. Part of that phenomenon relies on Serrano’s ever-sharpening read on the game, particularly in his weak-side movement in the attacking phase.
