For the majority of the season, both LAFC and the LA Galaxy have been at the top of our Power Rankings. While the Black and Gold are still on top, despite a tough loss to the Colorado Rapids in Commerce City, FC Dallas went to Carson, California, and reminded the Galaxy that Texas has its fair share of contender, too.
After opening the season with a draw and a win, the Music City side went back on the road with eight straight away from home. It will have to take advantage of those opportunities to balance out some of the dropped points of its difficult start to the year.
After a wild weekend of soccer, Kyle Bonagura and Caitlin Murray look at the results, break down where all 28 teams stand, and give you the latest edition of MLS Power Rankings.
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1 was the previous ranking.
The next MLS match is Wednesday against Austin FC. The show is on the Disney channel.
The thing about MLS is that you can be at the top of the Power Rankings and in what appears to be the best form in the league, and then a mid-tier team like the Colorado Rapids can unexpectedly punch you in the mouth. LAFC looked flat, but squad rotation may be to blame. There is no reason to believe they will bounce back.
The previous ranking was 2.
The next MLS match is on Wednesday. The show is on the Disney channel.
The Union added onto expected goals and shots after Dylan Nealis was sent off in the 55th minute, but in actuality this Union team looks like it. A disappointing draw at home.
The previous ranking was 7.
The next MLS match is on Wednesday at the Whitecaps. The show is on the Disney channel.
FC Dallas is one of only two teams in MLS that average at least two points per game after a win. Jesus Ferreira leads the league with nine goals and it has allowed a low eight goals.
The previous ranking was 5.
The next MLS match is against Chicago Fire FC. The show is on the Disney channel.
A draw after playing down a man for 35 minutes? The Red Bulls will take it. There are long-term concerns about whether the goal scorers will stay competitive in a full season, but at the moment they look resilient thanks to solid team defense.
Luquinhas scores the goal.
The previous ranking was 3.
The next MLS match is on Wednesday at Minnesota United FC. The show is on the Disney channel.
The second MLS goal of Douglas Costa was too little, too late, coming after the Galaxy fell behind and lost to FC Dallas. In the past five league games, the GALAXY have scored just three goals.
The previous ranking was 6.
The next MLS match is on Wednesday at D.C. United. The show is on the Disney channel.
NYCFC is the reigning MLS Cup champion. They have 13 of 15 possible points since the end of their CCL run, and their 2-0 win over Columbus was never in doubt. Their past three games in league play have been clean sheets, fitting for a team that proudly wears the name of a sponsor on their kit.
The previous ranking was 9.
The next MLS match is on Wednesday. The show is on the Disney channel.
We have a new team atop the Eastern Conference. Montreal is playing like a well-drilled, cohesive side, with a comfortable 2-0 win over Charlotte.
The previous ranking was 11.
The next MLS match is on Sunday at Austin FC. The show is on the Disney channel.
Kyle Smith, the defender who worked as an accountant before making the Lions squad, scored the game-winning goal in the final seconds of the game. In an up-and-down season so far, it found itself up this weekend after clearly outplaying Toronto.
Kyle Smith put the city on the board.
The previous ranking was 4.
The next MLS match is against Montreal. The show is on the Disney channel.
Nashville has not been involved in a match where either team scored more than two goals. The trend continued Saturday with a 2-0 loss at Houston, despite the fact that the Dynamo's Adam Lundqvist was sent off in the 35th minute.
The previous ranking was 10.
The next MLS match is on Sunday. The show is on the Disney channel.
In four games since giving up six to NYCFC, RSL have only allowed three goals. Andrew Brody scored the game-winner in the 88th minute after Mikael Chang leveled the score at the 55th-minute mark.
The previous ranking was 8.
The next MLS match is Wednesday at LAFC. The show is on the Disney channel.
The club announced a three-year extension for coach Josh Wolff on Friday, which shows the work he has done improving the team in Year 2. The Verde lost to Real Salt Lake on Saturday for the second time in a row.
The previous ranking was 13
The next MLS match is on Wednesday at the San Jose Earthquakes. The show is on the Disney channel.
It was a way to break a winless streak. After a 2-0 loss to LAFC in Open Cup play, Sebastian Blanco and Nathan Fogaca both scored braces in a 7-2 demolition of Sporting KC.
The Portland Timbers scored seven goals in a win over the Kansas City Wizards.
The previous ranking was 15.
The next MLS match is on Wednesday. The show is on the Disney channel.
After going through USL side San Antonio to reach the U.S. Open Cup round of 16, the team went on to beat Nashville 2-0. Adalberto Carrasquilla and Darwin Quintero scored the goals.
The previous ranking was 18.
The next MLS match is on Wednesday at Sporting Kansas City. The time is later.
As former Rapids coach Pablo Mastroeni once said, "Stats will lose to the human spirit every day." To that end, credit goes to current coach Robin Fraser, who managed to get his squad to shake off a loss in the U.S. Open Cup only. LAFC dominated possession and took a lot of shots, but Colorado shut them down from quality chances.
The previous ranking was 14.
The next MLS match is on Saturday at Nashville SC. The time is later.
Most of the time, the Five Stripes look mediocre. The first and second goals in the 2-2 draw with New England were beautifully taken.
The previous ranking was 12.
The next MLS match is on Wednesday. The show is on the Disney channel.
The first-half goal by Robin lod went to waste for the Loons, who allowed three second-half goals to the Sounders for their third straight loss. There are two games this week against the LA and Dallas.
Luciano Acosta took the ball from the keeper and scored the goal to give FC Cincinnati a 2-1 lead.
The previous ranking was 20.
Saturday's MLS match is against the New England Revolution. The show is on the Disney channel.
A win on the road in MLS is never a bad thing, but the end result on Sunday was more about the Fire giving up two goals than the Cincy being effective.
The previous ranking was 17
The next MLS match is Saturday at FC Cincinnati. The show is on the Disney channel.
New England is alone in 11th place in the Eastern Conference after setting the MLS single-season points record. The Revs had to settle for a 2-2 draw after going up by two goals.
The previous ranking was 16.
Saturday's MLS match is against LAFC. The time is later.
The team in NYCFC is better than the Crew and is more talented. There are fundamental questions to ask about the Crew team. At the half, Coach Porter changed his formation to no avail, and it appears more tweaking will be coming because what is happening right now isn't enough.
The previous ranking was 24.
The next MLS match is on Wednesday. The show is on the Disney channel.
After winning the CCL last week, the Sounders were knocked out of the Open Cup on penalties by San Jose before a win against Minnesota on Sunday. The three goals came in the second half after Minnesota led at halftime.
Nicolas Lodeiro scored in the 94th minute to give the Seattle Sounders a victory.
The previous ranking was 21.
The next MLS match is on Sunday. The show is on the Disney channel.
A 2-0 loss at home is never a good thing, but falling to Montreal raises more important questions. Charlotte can barely get the ball out of the middle of the field in the diamond formation that head coach Miguel Angel Ramirez has insisted upon. That is a big problem.
The previous ranking was 19
The next MLS match is on Wednesday at New York Red Bulls. The show is on the Disney channel.
The backslide continues in Chicago. The Fire simply can't get out of their own way, which is why they lost to Cincinnati 2-1. It is impressive how Chicago finds new ways to lose.
The previous ranking was 22.
The next MLS match is on Saturday at D.C. United. The show is on the Disney channel.
Toronto has now gone 22 games without a clean sheet, including MLS play and the Canadian Championship, stretching back to last year. If you want to include MLS preseason, it is 28 games. The last clean sheet was in September. It is difficult to have success without a defense.
The previous ranking was 23.
The next MLS match is on Wednesday at Philadelphia Union. The show is on the Disney channel.
Miami went up 2-0 on D.C. United in the first half but couldn't hold onto the lead. Miami is winless in three MLS matches heading into a rough week with games against Philadelphia and the New York Red Bulls.
D.C. United and Inter Miami played to a 2-2 draw.
The previous ranking was 25.
The next MLS match is against New York City FC. The show is on the Disney channel.
The D.C. fell behind 2-0 in the first half against Inter Miami, but a first-half goal from Taxiarchis Fountas and a second-half goal from Ola Kamara gave them a point. D.C. has seven points in their past four games.
The previous ranking was 26.
The next MLS match is against FC Dallas. The show is on the Disney channel.
The Whitecaps were able to eke out a 3-3 draw against the Earthquakes, a team that has similarly struggled so far this season.
The previous ranking was 27.
The next MLS match is on Wednesday. The show is on the Disney channel.
Jeremy Ebobisse was traded away from Portland and he scored two goals for the Earthquakes against the Whitecaps, but it is a shame there is not a better team to support the attack. The lack of defending does not bode well.
The previous ranking was 28.
The next MLS match is against Colorado Rapids. The show is on the Disney channel.
The wheels are coming off. The worst points per match average and goal differential in MLS is by SKC, who lost to Portland 7-2.
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