At this point last season, the gap between 1st place and 9th place between the USL Championship’s two conferences was, on average, 10.5 points. This year, that number is down to 7.5. The league still has its share of juggernauts and also-rans, but there’s a historic level of parity throughout the playoff positions.
Week 10 was full of results that continued to tighten the table, but what stood out? I’m ranking all 25 clubs in the USL Championship to assess everything that went down.
1. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Trending: No change
Result: 1-1 draw at Rhode Island
Tampa Bay has been the top team in these rankings for more than a month, and that’s probably not going to change in the foreseeable future. That doesn’t mean the Rowdies are infallible. In recent matches against the Charleston Battery and, now, Rhode Island FC, a lack of a killer instinct has turned probable wins into draws.
In the positive column, the Rowdies were as sharp as ever in the early going at Centreville Bank Stadium. With Evan Conway and Louis Perez – two players that’ve played as wingback in their USL careers – paired as No. 9s, Tampa Bay’s 4-2-2-2 was even more fluid than usual. Interchange between forwards and wingers constantly put the RIFC fullbacks under duress; third-man movement from Pedro Dolabella was equally devastating.
