33 weeks down, one to go. After a full weekend of action, the stakes are clear across the USL Championship heading into decision day. In the East, Indy Eleven need a result to leapfrog Miami FC and return to the postseason; atop the conference, the Tampa Bay Rowdies have sewn up the Players’ Shield as the league’s overall number one seed. The West is thornier, with four clubs vying for two spots on the bubble and three more teams in the running to top the conference.
How did those races develop in Week 33, and which clubs are building momentum ahead of the postseason? I’m ranking all 25 clubs in the Championship to help find out.
1. Lexington SC
Trending: No change
Result: 5-3 win at Las Vegas
Xavier Zengue entered Week 33 with six goal contributions as a fullback, and that probably undersells just how vital he is to the Lexington offense. With 2.7 box touches per game, Zengue is nigh unmatched at his position in terms of his involvement close to goal. His role within the LSC system is critical, but it also creates a very specific balance behind the ball – one that defined this weekend’s trip to Las Vegas.
Lexington bend their shape to spotlight Zengue up the right, and he’s formed a tight connection with winger Malcolm Fry as of late. As 4-4-2 flexes into 3-2-5, Zengue and Fry are capable of speeding the game up and working off one another to bend the opposing defense. It’s a fun relationship in that it stands contrary to Marcus Epps’ more surgical, isolated profile off the left. Now, this is a team that can burn you from either wing.
Xavier Zengue gets @LexSporting on the board only three minutes into the match! pic.twitter.com/JGIGpMIf8n
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) October 18, 2026
Just four minutes into Saturday’s match against Las Vegas, Lexington struck through those players. Epps received in a one-on-one off the left, whilst teammates like Fry and roving No. 10 Nick Firmino probed around the edge of the box. When Epps finally got free to cross on his left foot, he could loft a pass in and find Zengue for a gritty finish at the far post.
