Super League Power Rankings & Tactical Takeaways: Week 8

Fort Lauderdale rises to the top, plus deep dives for every team in the USL Super League

Sunday was a packed day of Super League action, featuring back-to-back-to-back games that shook up the standings. Paired with a midweek rout, the four results of Week 8 painted a picture of a league that’s incredibly tight at the moment.

Who’s up and who’s down after the first matchweek of October? Let’s dig in.

1. Fort Lauderdale United (+5)

Result: 1-0 win v. Brooklyn

A week ago, Lexington tried to break Brooklyn down by goading them high with a patient style in build before springing toward the wings. The result? Brooklyn allowed less than 0.2 xG and got a shutout. This time around, Tryone Mears’ Fort Lauderdale United constantly put the New Yorkers under pressure running a similar system. What made the difference?

Not to plead “skill issue,” but the ability of players like Cameron Brooks and Felicia Knox to distribute under pressure was paramount. Those two, the left back and No. 10 within Fort Lauderdale’s system, were incredibly good at targeting Sh’nia Gordon (the left winger) with accurate passes into the channels. United built in a very flat 4-2-3-1 with a deep pivot and low full backs in order to draw the press high and open up Gordon in one-on-one situations. It worked like a charm.

You see Brooks’ first-half pass map above, which indicates the verticality used to get Gordon dangerous touches. The left back ended up going six-for-nine on passes into the final third across the full 90 minutes. Resultantly, Gordon ended up with a return of three shots and a key pass. The numbers undersell how dominant she seemed in action.

Fort Lauderdale expanded the range of their attack in the second half as Brooklyn settled in. Right back Adrienne Jordan, who didn’t attempt a cross, win a foul, or beat an opponent on the dribble in the first half, grew bolder on the overlap. Pairing her with substitute Nia Christopher gave United new life late-on and allowed them to get the win.

The press was also well-aligned throughout, with Anele Komani stepping up from her deeper role in possession to create a defensive 4-1-4-1. That shape was able to mostly deny Brooklyn’s angles into their No. 8s. The extra numbers upfield also helped to cause turnovers, allowing for quicker access to Gordon and co.

Fort Lauderdale could've lost the plot when Laveni Vaka, their best center back, went off after 38 minutes. Instead, the defense held, and substitute defender Reese Klein was rewarded with a banging goal to win the game. Great, holistic stuff from United.

2. Carolina Ascent (No change)

Result: 1-1 draw at Lexington

Vicky Bruce and Syndey Studer have quickly become a premier central defensive duo in the Super League, and their no-nonsense powered Carolina in Kentucky this weekend. When Lexington was at their fiercest, the Ascent center backs showed courage under fire. When the Ascent controlled the tempo, the duo’s table-setting in build set the tone.

Defensively, the Bruce and Studer combined for six tackles (all from Studer), four interceptions (all from Bruce), and a total of 11 clearances. Their contributions were most readily apparent during a hot Lexington start led to a number of press-drive breaks for Lexington. That Carolina held firm and limited chances - this team is allowing the second-least xG in the USL - has been a constant in 2024.

Overcoming the Lexington barrage in the possessive phase wasn’t easy, and it took Mia Corbin (a forward) and Riley Baisden (the left mid in Carolina’s 4-2-3-1) dropping extremely low in build to break the press. Things got easier once those players got involved. They’d get touches, open up space on the bounce, and allow for their teammates to switch over the top.

Corbin’s tendency to drop deep presented an opportunity for Jaydah Bedoya, the starting right winger. Corbin would vacate central space, so Bedoya had room to hew toward the middle and make runs in behind. #5 notably tapped in an ultimately offside goal in the 24th minute and was similarly key when the Ascent forced a go-ahead own goal. Bedoya tried just one shot, but three offside calls against indicate her active movement.

That said, Carolina never felt especially slick on the ball. Baisden struggled to make an impact upfield, and the one-touch move that started in the pivot, broke through the press, and forced the own goal was the exception that proved the overarching rule. The lack of a killer instinct let the hosts stay in the game, and it’s why the Ascent walked away with a draw when they should’ve had three points.

3. Brooklyn FC (-2)

Result: 1-0 loss at Fort Lauderdale

Playing a match in the middle of a torrential rainstorm after you’ve travelled from New York to Florida is a challenge for any team. Context aside, Brooklyn still showed off some vulnerability during their loss to Fort Lauderdale. As good as the Brooklyn defense is, the club’s attack is too reliant on transitional moments and good fortune from the edge of the box.

That limitation hadn’t stung before Sunday evening. Thanks to their persistent 4-1-4-1 press, Brooklyn had been able to turn defense into offense. Against a possessive opponent with a strong center back pairing, however, Brooklyn struggled to force turnovers and took a majority of their shots from outside the box. A banger from range wasn’t forthcoming this time around.

While Jessica Silva’s high back line, the backstop for the press, drew nine offside calls, the risk-reward balance felt off in comparison to prior weeks. It took smart substitutions to get right and even the match out.

As mentioned up top in the Fort Lauderdale blurb, Sh’nia Gordon was the focal point of attacking success early on. Part of the problem from the Brooklyn was Samantha Rosette’s speed on the turn from the right back spot, so she subbed off after 45 minutes. Carlyn Presley entered the match at left back, starter Sasha Pickard replaced Rosette on the right, and things leveled out.

That change combined with 90 minutes of excellence from goalkeeper Neeku Purcell to keep Brooklyn in the game. Between multiple moments of smart sweeping and consistently excellent shot-stopping, Purcell looked like a starting-level option. The goal she conceded was hard to stop, and her vision was obstructed by post-corner traffic in the box.

At the end of the day, you can’t win ‘em all. Brooklyn still had moments where the offense worked. Their formula of…

1. Pass to a winger or No. 8 between the lines.

2. Have the receiver cut inside to draw the defense.

3. Spray a pass to a now-open teammate in the weak-side channel.

4. Profit.

…still bore fruit even when Fort Lauderdale had the momentum; see Hope Breslin shooting from that scenario in the 30th minute or a 51st minute Isabel Cox look forged in a similar manner. That consistency and the in-game defensive adjustments bode well for Brooklyn’s continued success.

4. Dallas Trinity (-1)

Result: 2-1 win at Spokane

Dallas has seen ups (that six-goal outburst against Lexington) and downs (a shutout loss in Brooklyn), but a patient performance in Spokane on Saturday felt more like level ground. Trinity took time to find their offensive flow, and Zephyr dominated down the middle early on. Still, Dallas’ ability to win without Sam Meza in the lineup was hugely encouraging for Pauline MacDonald.

Meza, a star No. 8, began on the bench due to an injury and never featured. Jordyn Hardeman, a starting center back, also missed out after a US U-17 call-up. The new central spine was nowhere to be seen in the first half hour, and most offensive moves ended in stagnation against Spokane’s 4-1-4-1. It felt like a re-run of the Brooklyn game.

There was a whole lot of mindless circulation around the back, and passes upfield felt rushed; starting left back Gabriela Guillen went seven-for-14 on pass attempts to start the match as a sign of that disconnection. Hannah Davison also struggled to penetrate into useful areas.

What changed? Trinity’s attackers finally started to move with more intention, seeking out space without the ball. Jenny Danielsson and Lucy Shepherd best captured the dynamic. Danielsson, the right-central mid in Dallas’ 4-1-4-1 (which often looked more double pivot-y in defense), grew particularly adventurous moving toward the sideline. Shepherd added verticality, either making low runs to allow Danielsson to overlap or pushing far ahead to push Spokane back and open up space nearer to halfway.

Once Zephyr had to back off, Dallas could settle into a better rhythm. A 31st minute chance that drove through Danielsson with Shepherd pushing up like a striker was representative of the change. The opening goal came minutes later, with Shepherd again doing No. 9 things while Chioma Ubogagu made a daring cross-field run to receive in space.

I’m making it sound like Dallas was rampant, but that wasn’t the case. Their defense was rather shaky even as the offense grew more cohesive, and it took Amber Brooks’ virtuoso performance at the No. 6 spot to stay whole.

You see #22’s season-long numbers above, and that excellence was on show against Spokane. She battled well against the Zephyr’s No. 9 in hold-up situations, showed a tackle-and-run in transition, and should’ve got a hockey assist when playing in Shepherd in the 57th minute. Brooks’ ability to backstop Dallas while possessing in the final third let Trinity keep plays alive until a chance arrived; Gracie Brian’s winner was a prime example, even if Brooks didn’t directly feature.

This wasn’t Dallas at their best, but good teams find ways to win. MacDonald set up her team to do so on Sunday.

5. Tampa Bay Sun (+2)

Result: 3-0 win at DC

Denise Schilte-Brown is firmly doin’ her own thing, and I mean that as a compliment. With a few key lineup changes in tow - notably featuring Cecilie Fløe Nielsen in the XI and Ashely Orkus on the bench - her Tampa Bay Sun side looked defensively stout and finally recovered their offensive groove last Wednesday.

Nielsen would end up with a brace in her first start, but that success was only possible because of the solidity of the out-of-possession shape. I still don’t know what to call the Sun’s formation, frankly. On paper, this is a 4-2-3-1, but the press often flexes into a 3-3-3-1 with a wild potpourri of players composing those lines.

Tampa Bay truly cohered after a 26th minute substitution where Sydny Nasello, who played for Schilte-Brown at USF, came onto the right wing. Thereafter, Erika Tymrak moved into the pivot next to Jordyn Listro. The shift let the Sun find balance down the middle and sharpen their attack up the right sideline.

Indeed, the change did the trick in both directions. Left back Kristen Edmonds was terrific all night and made 11 recoveries, but she felt more comfortable with Tymrak providing rotational support. Tymrak anchored the left half space, making three recoveries post-change and attempting three important defensive actions in her own third during the back 45 minutes. DC’s patterns instantly became less effective against that new look.

The other side of the coin was Nasello’s entrance, which proved even more game-changing. I’ve been crying out for Tampa Bay to find an outlet on the right, and Nasello provided it. Things really clicked into place after the 50th minute or so, when Jordyn Listro’s defensive contributions and winger-striker rotation between Nasello and Fløe Neilsen powered a spate of counterattacking moves.

This was the Sun team we were promised as this roster came together. I’ll be curious to see how things change strategically next time out, but the DC win felt like a major marker of progress.

6. Spokane Zephyr (-2)

Result: 2-1 loss v. Dallas

After Emina Ekic was pulled from the lineup shortly before kickoff, Spokane could’ve wilted in the face of a solid Dallas team. Instead, Zephyr ran the table offensively through McKenzie Weinert but fell because of fleeting moments of defensive timidity. A loss is a loss, but Spokane shouldn’t feel bad given the context of their performance.

With Ekic out, Spokane still reprised their typical 4-1-4-1 with Natalie Viggiano on the left. There were some up-and-down moments from Viggiano, whose runs were good but seemed beguiling to Taryn Reis as a distributor from left back. All the best action came centrally, focusing on Emma Jaskaniec’s physicality and hold-up play between the lines.

You saw a few positive plays drive through Jaskaniec. She could hold off an opposing defender or No. 6, quickly bouncing the ball to Marley Canales in the No. 8 spot. Jaskaniec herself could curl around the presser on her backside to initiate a give-and-go. Headers and flicks toward McKenzie Weinert were the best option of all; the winger ended up with six shots, and many of her opportunities early on came from Jaskaniec’s service.

You see Jaskaniec’s passes mapped out above, featuring side-to-side engagement in the channels and a sole focus on backwards and sideways dinks to teammates. Still, you aren’t seeing a single shot - she didn’t attempt any before subbing off. #3 struggled to make the runs you’d want from your striker. Sans Ekic, that made Weinert a functional one-woman offense until Jodi Ulkekul and Jennifer Vetter refreshed the attack. By then, however, Spokane was down by two.

Luck just never broke Zephyr’s way. Changing up with Ulkekul up top, Vetter on the right, and Katie Murray in an interesting deployment as the left-sided No. 8 definitely helped. Beyond Ulkekul and Vetter’s chemistry, I thought Murray added a sesne of solidity and really helped Spokane to press against Dallas’ strong right side. Even so, Dallas ultimately was given too much time to linger in the final third when they broke the press.

Spokane’s game-losing allowance was a prime example. To start, both center backs got split by an opposing striker to allow a point-blank shot. The ensuing clearance from Haley Thomas wasn’t up to snuff, allowing Trinity to stay on the front foot. From there, fellow center back Sarah Clark stepped to an attacker higher in the box, Thomas got doubled-up, and Dallas converted.

A better clearance or a recovery by a center mid off said clearance would’ve stopped Dallas from getting a second bite at the apple. It didn’t happen, and Spokane also put up a mixed counterpressing performance when they had the ball; Zephy made just one recovery in the final third. That fact paired with a lot of other little things - a slightly one-note attack, fleeting moments of lost defensive focus - to doom a chance at points.

(Also, I’d be remiss to omit a suspect penalty non-call that Spokane fans are mad about. I’m never going to be the guy that criticizes the ref; it’s a difficult and thankless job. Should there have been a whistle? Yeah. Did Zephyr still fail to convert chances in a game they could’ve won? Also yeah.)

7. DC Power (-2)

Result: 3-0 loss v. Tampa Bay

If you’re DC Power, you’ve got a problem. Your 3-5-2 hasn’t shown an ability to find room between the lines to attack from. When you try to supplement that faltering offense with support from the wing backs, you’re suddenly leaving yourself vulnerable to breaks. Tampa Bay exposed that weakness in a major way last week.

While maintaining a 0-0 scoreline for the first 56 minutes, DC actually edged out the Sun by a 0.8 to 0.6 xG margin. The front-to-back balance worked out, and Frederic Brillant’s side was able to own the channels against an uneven Sun shape.

When DC got chances, they tended to come from moments of central pressure out of their defensive 4-4-2. There were solid instances of more direct offense down the wings as that 4-4-2 shifted into a 3-2-5, but they weren’t seen often enough. That left winger Anna Bagley - whose movement was very good - and right wing back Susanna Friedrichs attempted just one dribble in the attacking half was a sign of hesistation toward the sidelines.

Even so, the pair still tried seven crosses in the run of play and felt like DC’s backbone. If striker Loza Abera made side-to-side moves to support those wide attackers, the Power were in business. Too often, however, that support didn’t arrive.

That limitation set up an essential problem for Brillant. Pushing numbers forward into attack rarely generated chances between the hashes, and it left DC vulnerable in recovery. Tampa Bay ate the Power alive on the counter in the final 30 minutes, racking up 1.6 goals during that stretch.

It’s a catch-22 for DC. This team wants to stretch opponents out and occupy the flanks. At the same time, doing so introduces too much risk and instability further back. It’s unclear whether the answer lies with personnel or shape, but Brillant needs to find an answer soon.

8. Lexington SC (No change)

Result: 1-1 draw v. Carolina

Successful high-pressing teams recognize the impossibility of going all out for 90 minutes, and they often engage in “periodization” where they spell 10 or 15 minutes of hard-closing defending with off periods. Ramping down the press doesn’t mean giving up the initiative, of course; you’re still influencing the match, just in a deeper zone. Lexington doesn’t have that variety in their bag.

Early against Carolina, their 4-4-2 press was dominant. The central pairing of Claire Winter and Shea Moyer ended up with a total of eight recoveries and defensive attempts in the attacking half, emblematic of the impact. The backpressure they consistently applied - paired with Nayeong Shin’s situational man marking against the Ascent left wing - made build-out hugely frustrating for the guests.

Turning pressure into chances was more of an issue. Madi Parsons and MaryKate McGuire, the ostensible forwards, didn’t put a shot on frame. Amanda Allen and teenaged Emma Johnson were more dangerous when they could cut inside from their inverted left- and right-sided positions, but they combined for one shot attempt between them.

Meanwhile, Carolina took over the match from about the 20-minute mark onward. The press lost its juice, the Ascent possessed, and Lexington started to eschew the ground game. It’s a trend for this team, which goes long on about 47% of their goalkeeper’s touches; no other USL team exceeds a 36% clip. Rejecting wall passes to Winter in favor of long balls derailed any sense of flow, and Lexington didn’t even force a save until the 95th minute.

Lexington did generate an absolute boatload of corner kicks, most of which came on the fast break. By my count, they teed up from the corner 10 times, and the eventual Kimberly Mendez equalizer came from a dead ball. That it took so many tries is probably a concern. Lexington is generating 0.08 xG per shot off corners this year, the third-worst mark in the USL. The Mendez goal wasn’t defined by excellent design as much as poor marking; Carolina’s unique “two at the near post, six across the top of the goal area” zonal setup simply failed on their tenth and final defensive try.

A result is encouraging, but the process? Mixed. Lexington continues to have moments, but they just aren’t stringing them together into something meaningful.