USL Super League Power Rankings – Week 4 

Tampa Bay sees a big jump in the rankings after earning first win 

All eight teams saw action in Week 4, resulting in some shifts in this week’s Power Rankings.  

Carolina Ascent remains at the top of the pack after winning 2-1 against Fort Lauderdale United on Friday. Renée Guion’s Olimpico in the 26^th minute set the tone for the team, and Carolina found its second goal from Jill Aguilera in the second half. Giovanna DeMarco looked to have scored the third goal, but it was called back for offside. Fort Lauderdale’s Jasmine Hamid prevented the shutout by scoring in the 90^th minute. 

Tampa Bay Sun became the first team to record a win on the road this season by defeating Lexington 3-2 in a back-and-forth thriller. The away side took a 2-0 lead into halftime with goals from Talia Staude and Carlee Giammona, but Lexington cut the deficit in half in the 57th minute. Ashley Clark scored Tampa’s third goal in the 79^th, which proved to be the game-winner after Lexington got another goal back minutes later. 

The other two contests were intense 1-1 draws. Jorian Baucom intercepted a pass in Dallas Trinity’s defensive third and scored from close range to put DC Power ahead, but Sam Meza equalized for Dallas in the second half. On Sunday, it looked like Spokane would earn three points at home after Taryn Ries put Zephyr ahead in the 35^th minute, but a late penalty allowed Brooklyn to tie things up. 

Here’s how the full rankings look after Week 4: 

Rank		Team	Change	Summary
1		Carolina Ascent FC (2-0-1) Week 5: @ SPK	Last Week: 1	Carolina extended its unbeaten streak to three after earning another win last weekend. The home team controlled the tempo for most of the match against Fort Lauderdale and showed the depth of its roster by getting two new scorers on the stat sheet.
2		Tampa Bay Sun FC (1-0-2) Week 5: v. BKN	5 Last Week: 7	Tampa Bay makes a huge leap up after earning its first win on the road at Lexington. Sunday’s match was the first we’ve seen the Sun dominate possession as they put 8 of 14 shots on target.
3		Dallas Trinity FC (0-0-2) Week 5: v. LEX	1 Last Week: 2	Dallas looks like of the most cohesive teams thus far. The team presses as a unit, which led to Sam Meza’s goal and multiple other chances in Saturday’s match against DC.
4		Spokane Zephyr FC (0-0-2) Week 5: v. CAR	1 Last Week: 5	Spokane looked better and better as Sunday’s match went on. The team can quickly transition from defense to attack, send in great crosses and shoot from anywhere. However, for the second match in a row, they couldn’t hold on to the lead for the full 90 minutes.
5		DC Power FC (0-1-2) Week 5: vs. FTL	1 Last Week: 6	DC Power matched up evenly with Dallas and put up a strong defensive effort, but it needs to create more chances in the final third. If it wasn’t for Jorian Baucom pouncing on a weak pass in Dallas’ box, they’d likely still be scoreless.
6		Brooklyn FC (0-0-1) Week 5: @ TB	Last Week: Not Rated	Brooklyn’s attack looked as sharp as its kits as it ripped off 12 shots in its first match of the season to get a deserved point in Spokane. We’d like to see a bit more precision on the ball, but if you can create that many chances with that little possession, more power to you.
7		Fort Lauderdale United FC (0-1-1) Week 5: @ DC	3 Last Week: 4	Only two of Fort Lauderdale’s 11 shots were on target, and the team connected on just one of its 17 crosses in the match against Carolina. Creating more plays like the one that led to its lone goal will be essential if the team wants to move up the rankings.
8		Lexington SC (0-1-1) Week 5: @ DAL	5 Last Week: 3	Lexington capitalized on two scoring opportunities on Sunday but ultimately allowed Tampa to spoil its home opener. The team needs to become stronger and cleaner in the defensive end as it hunts for its first victory.