There’s a constant debate as to whether the USL Championship’s Eastern or Western Conference is the stronger division. No Eastern club has won the title since 2018, but just one of the last four Players’ Shield winners (i.e., the club that picked up the most regular-season points) has come from the West.
This year, the competitive landscape in each conference is remarkably different. No club in the West has a better goal difference than a meager plus-6, and six different teams are within a game of first place. The East, meanwhile, has four clubs that are lapping the competition, including the three best teams in the USL by goal difference. One conference is up for grabs from top to bottom, while the other has calcified into distinct tiers.
How did Week 14 affect those races, and which big decisions stood out? Let’s dig in.
1. Charleston Battery
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Result: 1-1 draw at Loudoun
Houssou Landry has long been seen as a massive talent in USL ranks, dating back to his youthful days with Loudoun United. That reputation has only grown in the intervening seasons. Facing his old club this weekend, the 24-year-old showed why he’s become so critical in the Lowcountry.
