What a week in MLS.
St. Louis won, Philadelphia won and Nashville won. It was truly a week unlike any other.
As always: The Power Rankings are voted on by, give or take, 15 people associated with MLSsoccer.com. The author does not decide the rankings, but he does get a little rush out of moving your team in particular down a few spots when he can.
Twenty-eight matches. 63 points. It’s the best record in MLS history through 28 matches.
The only question now is whether they’ll break Inter Miami’s 2024 points record. They need 75 points to do it. The only thing that’s going to stop them is…them. They’ve built up such a massive lead that no one would blame them for rotating their lineup a few times before the playoffs.
Previous: 4-1 win at ATX | Next: 10/14 vs. SKC
It’s getting harder and harder to believe anyone in the West will slow this team down.
They were up 3-0 on the Galaxy before anyone could blink on Sunday and cruised to a 6-2 win, their fourth straight. If you’re keeping track, St. Louis hasn’t lost since May 2. Their unbeaten run is up to 20 games across all competitions – tying the MLS record.
Oh, and they’re just one point behind first-place Vancouver. Which, hey, look at that: St. Louis host the ‘Caps on Wednesday night (8:30 pm ET | Apple TV) in the Western Conference’s biggest match of the year.
A record and first place are on the line.
Previous: 6-2 win vs. LA | Next: 10/14 vs. VAN
They got the job done in a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake. There’s no reason to expect anything different now. The Union have now won seven straight and gone 13 games without a loss. They’ve only drawn twice in that span. We’re watching the best second-half turnaround in MLS history.
That turnaround has come, in part, thanks to Milan Iloski. He scored again this weekend. He’s now at 17 goals for the season. Only Petar Musa and Lionel Messi have more.
Previous: 2-1 win vs. RSL | Next: 10/14 at CHI
Tristan Blackmon’s seventh-minute red card kept the Whitecaps from putting their best foot forward against LAFC, but Vancouver still managed to pick up a point in a 1-1 draw.
It was an admirable performance given the circumstances. However, it left the window slightly ajar for a St. Louis side that might just break through headfirst anyway. Vancouver’s lead in the West is down to one point as they prepare for a huge showdown with St. Louis.
Previous: 1-1 draw at LAFC | Next: 10/14 vs. VAN
Messi (x2). Suárez (x2).
Miami’s stars did what they do in a 4-0 win over D.C. United. Their braces snapped a five-game winless run and put the Herons in second place in the East. There’s still just a three-point gap between them and fifth-place Charlotte FC, though.
Previous: 4-0 win vs. DC | Next: 10/14 vs. NYC
Other teams might have called it a day. Chicago went down a goal and down a man in the first half against New York City FC and still managed to pull out a 2-1 win.
Maren Haile-Selassie’s…we’ll call it “interesting” 87th-minute winner kept the Fire in a top-four spot in the East. If Chicago host a home playoff match in a few weeks, they’ll look back on this as a critical moment.
Previous: 2-1 win vs. NYC | Next: 10/14 vs. PHI
FC Dallas traveled all the way to Charlotte, got soaked in the remnants of a hurricane, and then messed around for the final 25 minutes and blew a 2-0 lead. Rough trip and a rough way to end a six-game unbeaten run that featured four one-goal wins.
Previous: 3-2 loss at CLT | Next: 10/14 vs. SEA
Down 2-0 to Dallas late in the second half, Idan Toklomati finished at the near post in the 70th minute, Harry Toffolo headed the ball just across the line off a corner in the 74th minute, and Toklomati struck again in the second minute of stoppage time to complete a stunning comeback against one of the West’s best.
It’s just more of the same for The Crown these days. They’ve won seven of their last 12. Somehow, that still has them on the outside looking in at a top-four spot in the jam-packed East. Regardless of where they finish in the standings, they’ll be a true threat in the playoffs.
Previous: 3-2 win vs. DAL | Next: 10/14 at CLB
San Jose's 1-1 draw at Colorado kept them a point ahead of fifth-place Houston. It also pushed their unbeaten run to seven. They’ve pulled themselves out of their mid-summer struggles nicely.
Previous: 1-1 draw at COL | Next: 10/14 at RSL
Ok, so, the Seattle Sounders mayyyyyy have sorted this out.
Seattle went all the way across the country and beat up the New England Revolution, 3-0. It’s their fourth straight win and their ninth straight match without a loss. Maybe everyone should start preparing for a playoff run? Based on how things tend to go for Seattle, it feels almost inevitable.
Previous: 3-0 win at NE | Next: 10/14 at DAL
The Revs went down a goal to Seattle early, then got burned by the game state in what turned into a 3-0 loss. It’s the second straight red flag for New England after their 3-0 loss to RSL before the international break.
They’re suddenly on the verge of dropping out of the top four. And all six of their remaining matchups are against teams above the playoff line.
Previous: 3-0 loss vs. SEA | Next: 10/14 at CIN
Orlando have improved somewhat defensively since Antoine Griezmann arrived and kickstarted their good run of form. But only somewhat. Sometimes you still get a reminder that they play as open a style as anyone in the league. We got that against Columbus. The Lions allowed 27 shots as the Crew generated 4.28 xG per FotMob.
The good news is we’re also reminded almost every week now that they’re one of the league's most dangerous attacking sides. They took 20 shots of their own and Iván Angulo found an 89th-minute winner in a wild 3-2 win. Orlando have won five of their last eight and are a point above the Wild Card spots.
Previous: 3-2 win vs. CLB | Next: 10/14 at TOR
Duncan McGuire rescued a point for the Dynamo in a 2-2 draw with Minnesota United. McGuire scored in the second minute of stoppage time after Houston relinquished a 1-0 lead earlier in the second half.
The draw kept Houston within a point of a home playoff spot, but they now have just one win in their last eight.
Previous: 2-2 draw at MIN | Next: 10/14 at SD
It’s hard to be too upset about a draw with Vancouver, but man, for a team with championship aspirations, LAFC have to be kicking themselves over a home draw in which the Whitecaps went down to 10 men after only seven minutes. That’s a missed opportunity in what was the toughest game left on their schedule.
The Black & Gold have just one win in 11 matches.
Previous: 1-1 draw vs. VAN | Next: 10/14 vs. ATX
A 1-1 draw with San Jose kept the Rapids a point ahead of ninth-place LA. Getting a home game in the Wild Card round feels like the primary objective right now. It will take something extra to catch the Sounders and LAFC.
Unfortunately for them, that probably means winning a road game or two. They’ve only won twice on the road all season.
Previous: 1-1 draw vs. SJ | Next: 10/14 vs. MIN
Red Bull New York might be getting it together at the right time. They’re at least remembering how to win again. After a tough summer, New York have earned three victories over their last four matches. The latest came against San Diego in a 4-1 romp. That triumph puts New York in eighth place, three points ahead of 10th-place NYCFC.
Previous: 4-1 win vs. SD | Next: 10/14 at DC
Even without Evander, Cincy’s attack still worked in a 3-1 win over Atlanta United. DP striker Kévin Denkey made the difference, scoring his 15th and 16th goals of the season.
The reported $16 million transfer has 31 goals in just under 4,300 minutes since joining MLS last year. His performance in this one put the Orange & Blue three points above the playoff line. They have a game in hand on the two teams chasing them and the two teams in front of them.
Previous: 3-1 win at ATL | Next: 10/14 vs. NE
Sometimes the ball doesn’t go in. FotMob has the Crew’s expected goals total against Orlando City at 4.28 xG on 27 shots. The Crew were far from perfect – they allowed 2.44 xG on 20 shots – but a 3-2 loss with an 89th-minute winner just felt kind of mean.
Now, with six games left, the Crew are seven points below the playoff line. A tough year is likely going to end without a postseason berth.
Previous: 3-2 loss at ORL | Next: 10/14 vs. CLT
When you go up a goal and a man in the first half, you expect to win. NYCFC…well they haven’t done a lot of that lately and they didn’t do it this time despite being in that exact situation. Even without Matt Freese’s error on Chicago’s game-winner, they didn’t seize control of the match despite their advantages.
They’ve got one win in their last 11 matches now and are one spot below the playoff line with six games left.
Previous: 2-1 loss at CHI | Next: 10/14 at MIA
There’s no shame in losing to St. Louis these days, but getting beat like that must have been a little demoralizing. LA were down 5-1 before halftime. They’re still in a playoff spot for now, but they’ve played one more game than everyone else around them and the 10th-place Portland Timbers are just three points behind.
Previous: 6-2 loss at STL | Next: 10/14 vs. POR
It remains to be seen if Toronto FC will make the playoffs, but they’ll always have this moment.
Toronto are four points off the Wild Card spots.
Previous: 2-1 win vs. MTL | Next: 10/14 vs. ORL
The Timbers led 2-0 and 3-1 against Sporting KC, then managed only a point against the league's last-place team. Even with the caveat that SKC’s André Luiz is a superstar, that’s a tough, tough draw to take.
Portland trail ninth-place LA by three points, with a game in hand.
Previous: 3-3 draw at SKC | Next: 10/14 at LA
Getting thumped by RBNY didn’t end their playoff hopes, but it’ll take a serious late push to get over the line now. They’re four points back with six games left and they’re winless over their last six matches.
Previous: 4-1 loss at RBNY | Next: 10/14 vs. HOU
Inter Miami did Inter Miami things and that’s all you really need to know about D.C.'s 4-0 loss to the Herons. They have a game in hand on eighth-place New York, but a six-point gap feels awfully wide at this point in the year.
Previous: 4-0 loss at MIA | Next: 10/14 vs. RBNY
Like most teams nowadays, RSL couldn’t get anything going against Philly. Unlike most teams, they’ve only won once since May 16.
Previous: 2-1 loss at PHI | Next: 10/14 vs. SJ
Sometimes, it’s your week to play Nashville.
The Shield leaders emphatically ended Austin’s unbeaten run at eight. With six games left, there’s a five-point gap separating them from the playoff line.
Previous: 4-1 loss vs. NSH | Next: 10/14 at LAFC
Atlanta made a number of changes to the roster in the summer window and… little has actually improved. Their 3-1 home loss to a Cincinnati side missing Evander all but sealed a second-straight season without a playoff berth. They haven’t finished higher than fifth in the East this decade.
Previous: 3-1 loss vs. CIN | Next: 10/14 at MTL
The Loons really needed to hold onto their 2-1 lead over Houston. Instead, they allowed an equalizer in stoppage time. They’re six points back of the playoff line now with six games left to go.
Previous: 2-2 draw vs. HOU | Next: 10/14 at COL
New DP winger André Luiz scored twice to bring his goal tally to seven in his last five matches. His brace helped SKC draw against Portland.
He’s single-handedly given SKC fans a reason for optimism heading into 2027.
Previous: 3-3 draw vs. POR | Next: 10/14 at NSH
Hard year.
Previous: 2-1 loss at TOR | Next: 10/14 vs. ATL
