With San Antonio FC off for the week, Real Monarchs SLC had a big chance to take control at the top of the Western Conference standings. With a pair of impressive wins, and an eight-point lead, the Monarchs also became a unanimous No. 1 in this week’s edition of the USL Power Rankings as the top five in the list remained unchanged.

The Monarchs’ attack was without Sebastian Velasquez, but managed to barely miss a beat as it knocked in seven goals over its two outings last week, moving into a tie with Reno 1868 FC for the most goals in the USL this season. At the forefront was Chandler Hoffman, whose 42 regular-season goals in the league now place him tied for third all-time since the USL’s inception in 2011 alongside Richmond Kickers legend Matthew Delicate.

By contrast, No. 3 San Antonio has been getting things done at the defensive end this season with the fewest goals conceded in the league. With the showdown between the two clubs on July 22 now starting to close in, that contrast will be a major talking point in one of the games of the season.

The five-person USLSoccer.com voting panel tabulates 10 points for first-place team votes, nine points to the second-place team and so forth to one point for 10th place. The accrued points among the group determines the final ranking.

Here’s your new Top 10.

1. Real Monarchs SLC (50pts)

Last Week: W 3-1 vs. OKC Energy FC; W 4-1 vs. Seattle Sounders FC 2

The Monarchs have 10 consecutive wins at Rio Tinto Stadium under their belt after the past week, which has given them a sizeable cushion despite SAFC’s game in hand on them. The relentlessness with which Real attacks has been difficult for most teams to deal with this season, putting the side two-thirds of the way to the New York Red Bulls II’s USL record of 21 overall victories a season ago only 17 games into the season.

2. Charleston Battery (44pts)

Last Week: D 1-1 vs. Louisville City FC

The Battery remained six points clear of Louisville thanks to their 1-1 draw at MUSC Health Stadium in a compelling contest between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. Without Romario Williams – who scored on Sunday in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup for his first goal for Jamaica – the Battery still looked dangerous enough, and will look to complete a season sweep of Saint Louis FC on Saturday night.

3. San Antonio FC (41pts)

Last Week: Bye

San Antonio didn’t get the results it was hoping for on its week off, with both Real Monarchs SLC pulling further into the distance and the sound of the Swope Park Rangers’ footsteps starting to sneak up behind. A national spotlight should provide another memorable night for SAFC after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Liga MX’s Santos Laguna in front of 8,007 at Toyota Stadium.