9. Tampa Bay Rowdies. Index rating: 13.730
- 7-4-4, 22/13, 7 shutouts, 1 come from behind win, 6 road points, 5 dropped home points.
On paper, the Rowdies have one of the best rosters outside of MLS. The early grind has caught up to the Rowdies as they’ve had to rely on depth recently. Early losses to Charleston and Louisville, along with their defeat at the hands of Miami FC in the Open Cup, drop their rating down.
8. North Carolina FC. Index rating: 13.982
- 6-2-4, 25/15, 1 shutout, 2 come from behind wins, 10 road points, 8 dropped home points.
The club formerly known as the Railhawks have used a strong Open Cup showing to help them climb the latter, handling Carolina Dynamo 6-1 on the road before beating the Charlotte Independence 4-1. NCFC have jumped up the table after a slow start to the year, currently sitting in fourth place in the NASL.
7. Saint Louis FC. Index rating: 17.734
- 6-3-3, 18/17, 3 shutouts, 3 come from behind wins, 12 road points, 3 dropped home points.
Saint Louis have held strong at home, only losing to the Charlotte Independence, while also making noise on the road. They’ll host Bethlehem Steel FC and then the Chicago Fire in Open Cup play, who will put their home record to the test.
6. Orange County SC. Index rating: 19.248
- 5-1-4, 15/14, 3 shutouts, no come from behind wins, 13 road points, 3 dropped home points.
Easily the biggest surprise of this list, OCSC’s schedule plays a large part in their ranking. Orange County has only played two home games this year, handling Los Dos 4-0 and losing to Real Monarchs 1-0 just last weekend. Because of this stat, they have only lost three home points, helping them make a similar jump like Saint Louis FC. They’ve also faced two amateur sides on the road in Open Cup play. They’ve taken their lumps, Sacramento and Tulsa both handed them 4-0 losses, so we’ll see where they land once their schedule evens out.
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