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With the preseason - and our Pre-Preseason rankings - behind us, we look forward to the regular season and reflect on what we have seen these past few months. The Indomitable City Soccer staff is back once again to rank the top ten teams in the USL as we see it. Five writers got together to rank who they see as their top ten teams, awarding 10 points. A perfect score where all five of us agreed a team is #1 would be worth 50 points. Tie breaks are based on the highest ranking received.
1 (Previous Rank – 2) - New York Red Bulls II (47)
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- Highest 1st
- Lowest 3rd
2 (1) - Louisville City FC (32)
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- Highest 2nd
- Lowest 9th
3 (5) - Rochester Rhinos (27 Points)
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- Highest 1st
- Lowest 8th
4 (7) - Tampa Bay Rowdies (24 Points)
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- Highest: 2nd
- Lowest: Not Ranked
5 (4) - Rio Grande Valley Toros (23 Points)
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- Highest: 4th
- Lowest: Not Ranked
6 (9) – FC Cincinnati (22 Points)
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- Highest: 1st
- Lowest: Not Ranked
7 (3) - Sacramento Republic (22 Points)
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- Highest: 3rd
- Lowest: Not Ranked
8 (Not Ranked) - Los Angeles Galaxy II (17 Points)
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- Highest: 6th
- Lowest: Not Ranked
9 (NR) - Oklahoma City Energy (16 Points)
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- Highest: 2nd
- Lowest: Not Ranked
10 (NR) Phoenix Rising - (11 Points)
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- Highest 5th
- Lowest: Not Ranked
Also receiving votes:
Charlotte Independence (9), Saint Louis FC (7), Charleston Battery (5), Colorado Springs Switchbacks (5), Reno 1868 (4), Swope Park Rangers (4)
The greatest agreement between writers is New York, who all five had in their top three teams this time. Both Louisville City and Rochester Rhinos also received votes from all of us. Rio Grande Valley, Phoenix and Los Angeles were the only teams to receive points from four of five writers.
Large differences in opinion came on teams such as FC Cincinnati, who two had ranked in their top two teams, while two other writers did not see them as a top ten side. Tampa Bay received a similar treatment with three top-four votes, and two deciding not to rank them. Oklahoma City made a meteoric rise from the previous rankings, even though they are only ninth in today’s, coming from zero points in February to 16 points, representing an average rank of 8th.
What teams are we still sleeping on? Do you agree with the new teams that have cracked our top ten as deserving of the honor? Who do we have too highly ranked? Let us know in the comments, and check back for our updated rankings at the end of April!