Colorado Springs Switchbacks rise to top of USL Championship power rankings

Nicholas Murray’s Week 17 USL Championship power rankings, posted June 29 at 5:00 p.m. EDT, pushed Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC to the top after a stretch that included a 2-2 draw with Orange County SC on May 8 and a 2-0 loss to Las Vegas Lights FC on May 23. The reigning 2024 league champions have the title edge, but the latest reshuffle showed that reputation only buys so much in a season where momentum can change fast.

Colorado Springs still carries the profile of a proven side. The Switchbacks won their first USL Championship crown 3-0 over Rhode Island FC on Nov. 23, 2024 at Weidner Field, the Colorado Springs stadium that remains the club’s home. Juan Tejada finished that run by scoring the winner in the Western Conference final against Las Vegas, and James Chambers had the side positioned to turn a strong postseason into a championship. In 2026, though, the same club has had to answer tougher questions, and the draw with Orange County plus the defeat in Las Vegas gave voters a fresh reason to weigh current performance over past hardware.

There were also signs that Colorado Springs could still overwhelm opponents when the attack clicked. Adrien Pérez earned USL Championship Player of the Week honors for Week 17/18 after a two-goal, one-assist performance against Phoenix Rising, a reminder that the Switchbacks can still generate the kind of final-third production that stabilizes a ranking. That kind of burst matters in a league where the top end is often decided by how often a team can turn chances into goals, not just how well it protects a lead.

Orange County SC was one of the main climbers, and the context around the club has grown as much as the results. Backheeled tied Orange County’s recent run to the fact that the club was serving as the United States Men’s National Team’s base camp for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a spotlight that has followed every good result. Las Vegas Lights FC also moved up after its 2-0 win over Colorado Springs, with Blake Pope and Johnny Rodriguez scoring on either side of halftime to deliver the club’s first win over the Switchbacks this decade.

Detroit City FC and Indy Eleven were among the fallers as the standings remained tightly bunched in both conferences. That congestion has made the weekly rankings a blunt but useful read on who is playing the cleanest soccer right now, and for the moment, Colorado Springs, Orange County and Las Vegas all have a stronger claim to upward movement than the clubs sliding behind them.