USL Championship Week 16 Recap: North Carolina Stuns Louisville, New Mexico Tops the West

Week 16 of the USL Championship delivered drama, upsets, and key shifts in the standings. In the East, North Carolina FC stunned Louisville City 2-1, ending LouCity’s 13-game unbeaten run thanks to set-piece goals by Finn Sundstrom and Adam Luckhurst. The win marks NCFC’s second marquee victory of the season and solidifies their spot in the top four with 23 points.

Hartford Athletic turned heads with a 3-0 demolition of third-place Loudoun United. The performance included a staggering 6.06 xG and 22 total shots — a new club record. While Hartford remains last in the East, the result hints at untapped potential heading into the season’s second half.

Charleston Battery also impressed with back-to-back wins: 1-0 over Miami FC and 4-1 against Phoenix Rising. With those six points, they now share the top spot in the East with Louisville City, both sitting on 31 points.

In the West, the week’s headline match came in New Mexico, where the hosts edged San Antonio FC 4-2 in a chaotic finish. Down a man after Luis Paredes’ red card, San Antonio collapsed late, allowing two goals in stoppage time. The result strengthened New Mexico United’s hold atop the Western Conference with 25 points.

El Paso Locomotive climbed into second with a 2-1 win at Monterey Bay, while Las Vegas Lights earned a gritty 1-0 away win over Indy Eleven. Meanwhile, Colorado Springs Switchbacks kept pace with a 2-1 road win at Lexington.

The Eastern race remains tight, with Louisville, Charleston, and Loudoun leading the pack, but North Carolina surging. In the West, New Mexico and El Paso are pulling away, though FC Tulsa and San Antonio remain contenders. As the season’s second act begins, playoff positions are more contested than ever.