5. Charleston Battery. Index rating: 24.754
- 9-3-2, 28/16, 6 shutouts, 1 come from behind win, 16 road points, 7 dropped home points.
The leaders of the USL Eastern Conference are definitely an exciting side, tying Real Monarchs with the most goals scored. However, Saint Louis FC is the only other top 10 team to allow more goals than the Battery. Charleston has also dropped more home points than any team in the top five. They’ll take on Atlanta United for the newcomer’s first taste of Open Cup action, and Charleston has a good chance to play spoiler.
4. Miami FC. Index rating: 25.985
- 8-3-1, 21/10, 5 shutouts, 1 come from behind win, 13 road points, 5 dropped home points.
The NASL leaders check in at number four, their home-opener loss to the New York Cosmos and a draw at home last weekend against Puerto Rico FC keeps them from moving higher up the list. Miami will face Orlando City in the Open Cup, then look for them to take care of business against their NASL opponents the rest of the year. Small side note, they’ve been heavily linked to Totti the last few weeks. Yes, that Totti.
3. Louisville City FC. Index rating: 30.205
- 5-4-2, 21/10, 5 shutouts, no come from behind wins, 14 road points, 4 dropped home points.
Louisville has done very well on the road this year, and get a nice bump with their 9-0 thumping of Tartan Devils in the Open Cup (without which they would be in seventh). Just this weekend they traveled to Charleston and earned a draw in an eight-goal match against the Battery. They would be a lot higher on this list if it wasn’t for a scoreless home draw against TFC II back in late April. We’ll see if they can stay this high in the rankings, now that they’ve been bounced from the Open Cup by rivals FC Cincinnati.
2. San Antonio FC. Index rating: 36.815
- 10-4-0, 12/5, 10 shutouts, no come from behind wins, 19 road points, 6 dropped home points.
San Antonio has a been a force to be reckoned with, as Tampa Bay is the only team that comes close to having as many shutouts with seven. Their five total goals allowed is tied for the best in Division 2, and they’ve played four more matches than RGVFC Toros, who they share that figure. While the club is the only undefeated team left in the whole country (technically), they have stumbled at times, specifically by dropping points at home against the likes of Sounders II, Swope Park Rangers, and Colorado Springs. San Antonio was also upset in the Open Cup during their visit to Tulsa, where the Roughnecks got the best of SAFC on penalty kicks. Regardless, the club’s high-level of play and their lock-down defense makes their July 22 matchup that much better, when Real Monarchs come to down.
1. Real Monarchs SLC. Index rating: 44.256
- 10-0-1, 28/11, 4 shutouts, 1 come from behind win, 15 road points, 0 dropped home points.
A bit anti-climactic, but hear me out, the Monarchs are the real deal (no pun intended). The RSL reserve side is the only team who have yet to drop points at home, and their only blemish comes in a 2-1 defeat while they visited the Switchbacks. They’ve walked away with three points in every other match. With 28 goals they are tied with Charleston with the most scored but have played three fewer matches than the Battery.
Don’t let the reserve label fool you, this team is loaded with professional talent. Leading scorer and starting forward Chandler Hoffman was Louisville’s goal leader in 2016 after Hoffman bounced around MLS for a few years. Former Brentford product Charlie Adams helps control the midfield alongside the flashy attacker Sebastian Velasquez and Nick Besler. Yes, the younger brother of the other Besler and Nick is making a name for himself.
The Monarchs success is a bit bittersweet, as RSL is struggling in MLS play. Their reserve-team status also keeps them out of the Open Cup, but don’t be surprised if several Monarchs players, especially the ones mentioned above, take the field in the RSL uniform a week from Wednesday against the Sacramento Republic.
Next: Meet Seattle's New Starting Forward
So there you have it, folks. Thoughts, questions, outrage, hot takes? Let us know what you think in the comments below. We’ll see you again in a few weeks with our July update.
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