Introducing SUNRISE: A USL Super League Power Ranking

Because the world (obviously) needs another power ranking, we at RBLR have devised SUNRISE – the Spreadsheet of UNReliable Information & Suspicious Explanations. This system blends individual player ratings (per 90 stats, weighted by position), current team form, an ELO rating based on head-to-head matchups, and some other secret sauce we won’t be revealing anytime soon.

By pulling from different metrics, SUNRISE isn’t just about who won – it’s about how they won. It values the quality of a victory, recognizes strong performances even in losses, and gives credit (or blame) where it’s due for every player on the pitch.

If a team ranks higher in SUNRISE than in the actual league table, it probably means they’re playing better than their results suggest. Maybe they’re creating a ton of chances (high xG) but just can’t finish, or they’ve had to battle through a brutal schedule and still held their own (strong ELO rating). Their player ratings might also suggest they have a solid squad, even if the results haven’t gone their way yet.

Sometimes, it’s just bad luck. Maybe they keep smacking the post, running into goalkeepers having the game of their lives, or conceding goals at the worst possible times. A team that’s actually defending well but keeps getting burned by one-off mistakes or unlucky bounces might look better in the data than they do in the standings.

Schedule and form matter too. A team that’s had to grind through a gauntlet of top-tier opponents could be much better than their league position suggests. On the flip side, a squad on a hot streak could shoot up the rankings even if they started slow.

Bottom line: the table doesn’t always tell the full story – that’s exactly why power rankings exist.

Let’s take a look at an example of the 2024-2025 Week 25 Super League ranking:

Here we can see there’s a clear #1 in Fort Lauderdale (unfortunately at this moment), and it works out that every 100 points or so delineates a tier – therefore Dallas is behind and fits as a clear Tier 2 leader, much much further along than the teams underneath.

That three-way battle for Tier 3 is between steady Carolina and an underperforming Spokane basically tied, with Tampa Bay in the close vicinity.

Then in this example Brooklyn is situated just outside of the playoff contenders’ fight but clearly better than the current basement teams of Lexington & DC.

This is an ever evolving project, and we hope that you get some value, even if through entertainment, out of these weekly rankings!