What a week in MLS. Charlotte FC kept some clean sheets, FC Cincinnati won several one-goal games and the Philadelphia Union lost at home. It was truly a week unlike any other.
The Power Rankings are voted on by like 20 MLS writers, editors and personalities and are not solely the fault of the column’s author. The 2024 Power Rankings Committee regrets the errors.
Inter Miami were held scoreless for a little over 180 minutes this week before Leonardo Campana scored in stoppage time against D.C. United. You wouldn’t call it a perfect week, but this team is about overcoming imperfections with sheer talent. They messed around for two games and still ended up with four points.
Previous: 1-0 win vs. DC | Next: 5/25 at VAN
As long as Luciano Acosta is healthy, nothing will slow down Cincy. They’re too stout defensively and Acosta has magic powers. They’re one-goal-winning their way to the top of the standings for the second straight season despite serious roster turnover, and they’d be favorites to win another Supporters' Shield if it weren’t for those folks down in Miami. This week, Cincy reached six straight wins after beating Atlanta and St. Louis.
Previous: 3-1 win vs. STL | Next: 5/25 at TOR
The Crew rediscovered their MLS groove after a short break from Concacaf Champions Cup action, picking up wins over Montréal and Chicago to break a seven-game winless skid. They’re averaging 1.62 points per game despite navigating a trip to the CCC Final.
Previous: 3-1 win at CHI | Next: 5/25 at ORL
Folks… your Western Conference leaders kept running over people. RSL cruised to a 2-0 win over Seattle on Wednesday before powering through a wild Rocky Mountain Cup game vs. Colorado to earn a 5-3 victory.
Cristian Arango ended the week with 13g/8a, which means he's now only directly contributed to a measly 21 of RSL’s 27 goals this season.
Elsewhere, Andrés Gómez scored three times to reach 7g/4a this season. It sure seems like he’s leading the way in the Young Player of the Year race.
Previous: 5-3 win vs. COL | Next: 5/25 at DAL
Minnesota aren’t just winning this year – they’re winning at home. After earning four home wins in 2023, they picked up their third home win of 2024 against Portland on Saturday. Earlier in the week, the Loons earned a totally fine draw against the Galaxy. After 12 games, they’re tied with RSL for the best points-per-game mark (2.0) in the West.
Previous: 2-1 win vs. POR | Next: 5/25 at COL
That San Jose loss might have woken up LAFC. They earned their second straight win and second straight clean sheet on the road in St. Louis on Wednesday. Denis Bouanga scored twice to reach 8g/5a this season, and Hugo Lloris made a PK save.
Previous: 2-0 win at STL | Next: 5/25 at ATL
What a damn week for Nick Cushing and New York City FC. After taking down Toronto in Toronto last Saturday, they went to Philadelphia and earned all three points, then came back to Queens and won the biggest Hudson River Derby matchup in years to reach third in the East.
NYCFC’s run back towards the top of the East is our latest and greatest example of how volatile life is in MLS. Cushing seemed left for dead earlier this year. Now, NYCFC are generating chances at the eighth-highest rate in MLS, putting the ball in the back of the net and earning wins. Even incredibly unlucky finishers like Mounsef Bakrar are scoring in big moments.
A revamped attack got time to gel in that five-game home stretch and now everyone is reaping the benefits. Since the start of that home stretch on April 6, NYCFC have generated 1.97 xG per game, the second-best mark in the league. Everything suggests they’ve finally turned a corner.
In short:
Previous: 2-1 win vs. RBNY | Next: 5/25 at NE
Let’s call last week a mixed bag. The Red Bulls absolutely blew the doors off D.C. United on Wednesday. They just obliterated them to the tune of a 4-1 rout.
They didn’t fare quite as well in the Hudson River Derby on Saturday and, now, they’re looking up at NYCFC in the standings.
Previous: 2-1 loss at NYC | Next: Bye
Toronto didn’t have their best performance in a 2-0 midweek loss at Nashville. I think it just made them angry.
Federico Bernardeschi’s hat trick led the way as they pummeled poor CF Montréal in the ugliest rout we’ve seen this year in MLS. Only scoring five felt merciful. The Reds still have flaws, but their star DPs aren’t one of them. Bernardeschi is producing and Lorenzo Insigne is back in the starting lineup. That makes them capable of beating pretty much anyone on any given day.
After winning just four games last year, Toronto have already earned seven wins through their first 14 games of 2024.
Previous: 5-1 win vs. MTL | Next: 5/25 vs. CIN
The Galaxy visited two good teams last week and earned a point in both games. Draws at Minnesota and Charlotte won’t get people fired up, but they’re still good results. This team isn’t in its best moment, yet they’re still earning points. You couldn’t say that about the last few seasons.
Previous: 0-0 draw at CLT | Next: 5/25 vs. HOU
Austin earned a key Copa Tejas win on Wednesday, then took down Sporting KC to make it four wins in six games. Austin now sit third in the West and are level on points per game (1.57) with the Galaxy. They’ve been excellent at Q2 Stadium.
It's really starting to feel like 2022 again for Josh Wolff's team, huh?
Previous: 3-2 win vs. SKC | Next: 5/25 at SJ
The Rapids started the week with a 1-0 win over Vancouver, then left their Rocky Mountain Cup matchup with RSL empty-handed. That one's gotta sting after holding 2-0 and 3-2 leads.
Previous: 5-3 loss at RSL | Next: 5/25 vs. MIN
If you haven’t picked up on it by now, Charlotte FC are one of the best defensive teams in the league (they've allowed just 13 goals). Their attack could use some help, though. And it seems like they'll get it this summer after offloading three DPs to make way for new additions.
The latest move came last week when Charlotte transferred striker Enzo Copetti to Rosario Central. They have two open DP spots to work with and head coach Dean Smith has already shown enough proof of concept to merit big spending from ownership. Charlotte could be in a great position when Leagues Cup rolls around.
Previous: 0-0 draw vs. LA | Next: 5/25 vs. PHI
The ‘Caps followed up a midweek loss at Colorado by stealing a road point in the dying moments against Seattle. They’re winless in their last five MLS games.
Previous: 1-1 draw at SEA | Next: 5/25 vs. MIA
Philadelphia took care of business on the road against New England on Saturday, but that probably won’t make anyone feel much better after the Union picked up their fourth-straight home loss on Wednesday. Remember: Philadelphia lost four home games total over the last three seasons. This feels like we’re on the strangest possible timeline – something just isn’t clicking right now.
Previous: 3-0 win at NE | Next: 5/25 at CLT
Rough week.
D.C. United got thumped at home by the Red Bulls, then went down to Miami and nearly earned a point… before allowing a stoppage-time winner.
They’re a good team. But they (understandably) still have work to do before they’re on the same level as the league’s top tier.
Previous: 1-0 loss at MIA | Next: 5/25 vs. CHI
It’s officially okay to worry about Houston. After falling to Austin midweek and drawing with Dallas last weekend, they have one win in six games. Since beating Minnesota on April 13, they’ve scored three MLS goals. It’s been a bad stretch, especially after getting their best player (Héctor Herrera) back from injury. They need reinforcements in attack this summer.
Previous: 1-1 draw vs. DAL | Next: 5/25 at LA
St. Louis kicked off a brutal four-game stretch with losses to LAFC and FC Cincinnati. They’ll get a break with Seattle on Saturday before visiting Miami the week after.
Previous: 3-1 loss at CIN | Next: 5/25 vs. SEA
Orlando, as they tend to do, left it late. But they still found a way at San Jose when Jack Lynn delivered (all after losing Duncan McGuire to injury).
That goal gave them a 1-0 win and a pretty excellent four-point week overall. On Wednesday, the Lions kept Inter Miami’s attack quiet in a 0-0 draw that probably felt like a win. They’ve taken seven points from their last three games and have crept back up to 10th in the East.
Previous: 1-0 win at SJ | Next: 5/25 vs. CLB
Seattle had matchups with two of the better teams in the West and emerged with just a point. That Portland win didn't quite provide the springboard they hoped for. At least they got DP attacker Pedro de la Vega back on the field this week (silver linings).
Previous: 1-1 draw vs. VAN | Next: 5/25 at STL
Atlanta came away with one point from two road games last week. Just when it seemed like they were about to return to something close to full strength, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Thiago Almada picked up injuries. They haven’t been close to full strength since the last time they won… back on March 31.
Previous: 1-1 draw at NSH | Next: 5/25 vs. LAFC
Well. It’s a brand new era in Nashville for the first time.
Nashville parted ways with head coach Gary Smith last week and are now looking for their second-ever manager in the club's history.
I wrote about it in The Daily Kickoff on Friday, but Nashville’s results since Leagues Cup have been well below par. When you play with that game model and you don’t get results, patience wears thin.
Nashville will have to make their first major front-office move since joining MLS in 2020. It will be fascinating to see who they gravitate toward. Do you keep a similar game model? Or do they swing to a more attack-minded setup?
Previous: 1-1 draw vs. ATL | Next: 5/25 at MTL
Dallas aren’t exactly flying, but they are dragging themselves out of the pit of despair. After a draw with Houston last weekend, they’ve picked up seven points in four games. DP striker Petar Musa is starting to find his place, too.
Previous: 1-1 draw at HOU | Next: 5/25 vs. RSL
The Timbers won an MLS After Dark special against San Jose on Wednesday, but couldn’t keep the momentum going at Minnesota on Saturday. They aren’t a great team right now. But they are entertaining. They’ve scored the second-most goals in the West (26) and allowed the second-most (29) as well. It’s better to be something than nothing, right?
Previous: 2-1 loss at MIN | Next: 5/25 vs. SKC
After two straight wins, San Jose ran into another wall. They’ll (rightfully) feel hard done by some calls in a 4-2 midweek loss at Portland and regret not earning at least a point against Orlando after a 1-0 defeat. But that won’t change the standings.
Previous: 1-0 loss vs. ORL | Next: 5/25 vs. ATX
Montréal are spiraling.
They’ve lost four in a row and are winless in six matches after getting thumped by Columbus midweek and clobbered by Toronto in the latest edition of the Canadian Classique.
Having injuries is one thing. And it’s fair to say Montréal are fighting with a hand tied behind their back right now. But that doesn’t excuse starting like that.
Previous: 5-1 loss at TOR | Next: 5/25 vs. NSH
Make it four straight losses for Sporting KC after falling at Austin on Saturday. They’re sitting 13th in the West after taking just 11 points through 13 games. They’ve allowed multiple goals in six of their last seven games. It’s not great.
Previous: 3-2 loss at ATX | Next: 5/25 at POR
[sigh]
Previous: 3-1 loss vs. CLB | Next: 5/25 at DC
There is a positive! It’s good to see Dylan Borrero back on the field after last year’s season-ending knee injury.
Previous: 3-0 loss vs. PHI | Next: 5/25 vs. NYC
