USL State of the Season: The West | OneFootball

In my colleague Josep’s discussion on the state of the East, he noted that the USL Championship regular season is now four games shorter. So this puts us two-thirds of the way through the 2025 season, with Gameweek 21 kicking off tomorrow.

To steal from his article: So how do things stand? Never fear, dear reader, the Hooligan crew is here to give the high points on the lowdown. This time we focus on the Western Conference.

Your Leaders

There are no runaway teams in the West, though FC Tulsa is making a game effort at it. I haven’t watched any of their games, but I feel I should going forward. For weeks I genuinely felt their success was a fluke; I concede that my opinion might have been misplaced. They have 39 pts. and 36 goals from 14 different players. Taylor Calheira leads the team with 10 of those. They defensively sound, too. They’re my only guaranteed side from the West at this point.

Seemingly operating in stealth mode, Sacramento Republic have climbed from tenth place in Gameweek 13 to second place. This impressive run has truly been a team effort, with 13 different goal scorers and no individual with more than five. Three of their sixteen conceded goals came in last Sunday’s 3 – 3 draw with Oakland Roots. It’s really difficult to score on this team.

The Great Middle Muddle

Five points separate third place and tenth place, that’s how close the West is at the moment. Every game from now on is thick with meaning and potential, and its entirely likely more than a couple of playoff positions are finalized in the Oct. 25 “Decision Day” fixtures.

The Texans

Wilber Cabrera and Amando Moreno may have scored half of El Paso Locomotive’s goals, but the team is far from reliant on these two for winning. They have seven draws and are climbing out of a brief slump during which they lost three straight.

San Antonio FC are the highest positioned team (in any league) with a negative goal differential. They’ve had one headscratchingly poor result (4 – 0 loss to Charleston), and generally are a solid squad who will give you a good contest. I don’t see them stumbling and they should make the playoffs.

Two Climbers & the Team Inbetween

Orange County SC has been on a tear recently, with four wins in five games across all competitions. As a result, they’ve climbed up from tenth place into fifth. Eleven of their twenty-eight goals were scored in this same five week stretch, and the team is playing with a flow and confidence hitherto unseen this season. If this momentum holds, OCSC will be in the post-season.

New Mexico United is a very boolean team. They either win or they lose. They have eight of each, and only two draws (tied for fewest in the league with Charleston). They and Orange County have two games in hand, and the rowdy fans at Isotopes stadium are among the best in the west.

I had to double-check my stats when I saw Lexington SC so high. For so long (between GW7 and GW15) they were either dead last or one rung up. But with one loss in their last eight league games, they’re in the playoff hunt for real. Forster Ajago (on loan from Real Salt Lake) has netted three times during this span, and the team has been held scoreless only once.

Scrumming for Eighth Place

Phoenix Rising scores goals. Thirty-one, to be precise, which is third most in the West. Sixteen different players have scored so far this season, a number not likely to increase. They also concede goals; more than any other team in the league. Hence their low position (clinging to eighth place on 25 pts.) and my bearish outlook on their post-season chances.

The number twenty-four has a brief, but important, relevance for the Colorado Springs Switchbacks. It’s the number of points they have, and the total number of goals they have scored and conceded. If you sum up the digits of the average attendees (7,467) in the season so far… you got it, that’s twenty-four as well. What does this mean for their post-season chances? Not a damn thing. Last season’s champions will not be back to defend their title.

We’ve talked about teams with incredible climbs, but here’s a tale of a side with a long and slippery fall. Monterey Bay FC were in first place back in Gameweek 9. They’re in tenth place now. Despite Luke Ivanovic and Anton Søjberg each scoring four goals apiece, the team can’t find any rhythm or consistency and have dropped six of their last seven league games (the other was a draw).

The Losers

I do not hide my support of Oakland Roots. They’re my local team, and I’ve been to games in every season of their existence, from before their USL days. This hasn’t been the best season for them, but there is potential. They already made a coaching change, which was welcome and has substantially improved play. They’ve also replaced four players. But something else is needed. On 21 pts., they’re only four away from the final playoff spot, so there is hope.

I mocked and belittled Johnny Rodriguez’s transfer from Oakland to Las Vegas Lights, but he’s had a second half boost to his scoring. He’s now sitting on seven goals, and it’s safe to say without him they’d been in even worse shape; his tally is 44% of the team’s total. Plus, though it pains me to admit it, seven is more than any Roots player has scored.