Week 9 Power Rankings

Well, this week didn’t have any Sunday matches due to Easter, which makes sense, but 15 MLS matches on one day was almost overwhelming. At least we could mostly be on our couches watching MLS 360 for it after our early win.

1. Inter Miami (2): Let’s be honest here. For the second straight week, the Herons got outplayed on the road. If the Crew could finish, they easily beat Miami. However, Miami won and reclaims their spot atop the rankings.
2. Vancouver Whitecaps (1): St. Louis is a tough defense to score against, but a team that put 5 past Austin couldn’t figure out on a midwestern evening. We can’t for Thursday’s night matchup at BC Place between these top two teams.
3. Charlotte FC (4): This team may be the best team in the league at home. Their road form not so much. They get resurgent New England time at the Bank this week, but we are more excited for their early May trip to Columbus.
4. Columbus Crew (3): For much of this season, we were like they need a 10. They found their 10. However, they need a 9 who can finish now. Luckily, they still have space for this future 9, but it looks like it’s not coming until the next window.
5. FC Cincinnati (5): The Orange and Blue took care of business up at Soldier Field against a feisty Fire team. This match was the first start for Matt Miazga since returning from his injury, and he got trashed by Hugo Cuypers on the Fire’s first goal. Miazga will have to return to his previous condition for this team to hit its potential.
6. Philadelphia Union (11): We were starting to write off this team against the Gadzag trade and their lackluster performance against NYCFC. Then, they go out and destroy Atlanta. They are clearly below the top 5 tier in this league, but they should remain a force to be reckoned with or Atlanta is really awful.
7. Portland Timbers (8): The Timbers played one of the most thrilling matches of the season so far. They haven’t lost in 6 weeks, and that opening loss to Vancouver doesn’t look that bad, all things considered.
8. Minnesota United (6): Drawing Frisco at home isn’t a great look. Consecutive 0-0 draws is an odd look for this team, and we’ll see the streak continues against a Vancouver team that has to travel on short rest.
9. Austin FC (15): The Verde and Black probably don’t deserve to jump 6 spots after beating an awful Galaxy team, but we are biased here at the compound.
10. San Diego FC (7): It was their first east coast road trip, and going to Charlotte is simply brutal. Adding 10 men into that journey for more than half of this match made it impossible. Real Salt Lake at home on Saturday should be a nice recovery match.
11. LAFC (16): While they only got a draw in Portland, this match was so much fun. It was great to see Giroud get on the board in league play (finally!). The results here will likely improve without CCC and Open Cup matches moving forward.
12. Colorado Rapids (9): The Rapids should have held onto the win in Houston on Saturday. Giving up a late equalizer was brutal for a team that deserved all 3.
13. Orlando City (13): This team has played 3 straight 0-0 draws and 2 consecutive matches where they have ended up with 10 men. While Atlanta has been having issues defending, it would not surprise us to see a full goalless month from the guys in purple.
14. Seattle Sounders (19): The Sounders crushed Nashville in the first half on Saturday, and this match could have been a lot uglier. They have an interesting trip up to Colorado on Saturday that will help sort out the middle of these power rankings.
15. Chicago Fire (10): This team is so much more fun than in previous seasons. However, they still make comical mistakes playing out of the back and didn’t win any of their first 4 at home. With Orlando at home next (after a trip to Nashville on Saturday), that screams another draw.
16. Nashville SC (12): Sometimes you just get destroyed in this league. Playing the Fire at home will give Nashville a chance to stabilize and pick up all 3.
17. FC Dallas (20): We wrote off this team to begin the season thinking it was a rebuilding project like their stadium. However, this side keeps chugging along and will be in the conversation much deeper into the season even with Musa hurt.
18. New York Red Bulls (14): Losing to DC United is painful. If they encore and lose at home to Montreal on Saturday, they should be in the bottom 5 come next week.
19. New England Revolution (22): We still have no clue if this team is actually good, but that’s two impressive results in a row. If they can even a draw in Charlotte this weekend, they will continue their climb up this table.
20. NYCFC (17): This team did not do enough in the offseason to become a serious competitor. We expect them to make major moves this summer, as they are not clicking at the moment.
21. San Jose (21): San Jose won that match on xG. The bad news for them is that matches aren’t played on xG, and their backline looked like a classic SJ backline. That match was classic MLS After Dark, but no one should give up 5 goals to this SKC team, much less at home.
22. Atlanta United (18): This team broke the MLS transfer record in this offseason and looks like worse than they did as a 9 seed last year. It’s MLS so they have plenty of time to turn it around, but their loss in Philly was the single worst result of the weekend.
23. St. Louis CITY (24): Yes, they had a goal taken back due to offside, but this team needs to learn how to score to get out of the basement.
24. DC United (29): So losing your best player causes a better result? This league continues to make no sense, and we love it! There is no result now in Philly on Saturday that would surprise us.
25. Real Salt Lake (23): That red card on Diego Luna was the single worst call we have seen this season in the league. That was horrendous officiating, and we are glad Luna’s red card was rescinded.
26. Sporting Kansas City (25): If they score 5 goals on the road against any other team in MLS, they likely go up by more than 1 spot. However, San Jose going to San Jose, even with a different manager.
27. (Tied) Houston (25): Ondrej Lingr had a heck of a debut for the Orangemen with a stoppage time equalizer. As he gets embedded in the squad, this team should be significantly better. They get the Josh Wolff revenge derby in Copa Tejas on Saturday, which should be a fun one.
28. (Tied) Toronto (26): They won and went down in the rankings?! Well, we think that was because of the refs hating on Diego Luna’s red card, but TFC hasn’t lost this month and frankly should beat NYCFC at home on Saturday.
29. (Tied) CF Montreal (30): Well at least Montreal got a point. This team is on the struggle bus with no clear pathway out. Opening with 7 straight away is hard, but not scoring in the first two at home is simply brutal.
30. (Tied) LA Galaxy (28): This team has so much talent on paper, but without Puig, this team has no flow to it. Winless in the first 9 is unacceptable for everyone, but especially for the defending MLS Cup champs. They may be digging themselves into a whole that’s simply too large.