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SBI MLS Power Rankings (Week 2)

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Western Conference powers took a hit this week as the Seattle Sounders and Real Salt Lake both suffered tough losses in tightly-contested matches.

Those results, coupled with another impressive showing by the revamped New York Red Bulls have helped shake up this week's SBI MLS Power Rankings.

The Columbus Crew held on to the top spot, while the Galaxy moved into No. 2 after its comprehensive victory vs. Chivas USA, but the Red Bulls have climbed all the way up to No. 3 after its thoroughly impressive victory against the Sounders at Qwest Field.

Here is how this week's SBI MLS Power Rankings shook out:

SBI MLS POWER RANKINGS (Week 2)

1 (Last Week- 1). COLUMBUS CREW (1-0)

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Last Week– Bye week.

Next Week– at FC Dallas on Saturday.

Outlook: Will Chad Marshall be back? The Crew could use him against Dallas' high-powered offense.

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2 (4). LOS ANGELES GALAXY (2-0)

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Last Week– Beat Chivas USA, 2-0, last Thursday.

Next Week– at Houston Dynamo on Saturday.

Outlook: Beating Chivas USA was no real surprise, but now the Galaxy must leave the comfort of Home Depot Center to take on a tough Dynamo side.

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3 (8). NEW YORK RED BULLS (2-0)

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Last Week– Beat Seattle Sounders, 1-0, last Saturday.

Next Week– at Chivas USA on Saturday.

Outlook: Their defensive effort vs. Seattle was unlike anything we have seen by New York in years. The question now is whether the offense can catch up to the defense.

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4 (7). HOUSTON DYNAMO (1-0-1)

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Last Week– Beat Real Salt Lake, 2-1, last Thursday.

Next Week– vs. Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday.

Outlook: Hard-fought win vs. RSL is a great tone-setter, but the Dynamo must now try to stop the LA Galaxy and do so without Brian Ching.

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5 (5). KANSAS CITY WIZARDS (1-0)

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Last Week– Bye Week

Next Week– vs. Colorado on Saturday.

Outlook: KC probably didn't want a bye week, but a friendly victory vs. AC St. Louis was a nice break before jumping back into the MLS fray.

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6 (2). REAL SALT LAKE (1-1)

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Last Week– Lost to Houston, 2-1, last Thursday.

Next Week– vs. Seattle Sounders on Saturday.

Outlook: Jamison Olave will eventually learn that slide-tackling in the penalty area is a bad idea. The loss to Houston should provide some serious motivation for Real Salt Lake to go after Seattle in the home opener at Rio Tinto Stadium.

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7 (3). SEATTLE SOUNDERS (1-1)

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Last Week– Lost to New York Red Bulls, 1-0, last Saturday.

Next Week– at Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Outlook: One of Seattle's 2009 problems, poor finishing, is back. Can the Sounders afford to wait for Nate Jaqua to return from injury, or should we expect Pat Noonan to be playing forward before long (and yes, I was harsh on Seattle's road record, which wasn't terrible in 2009).

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8 (6). COLORADO RAPIDS (1-0-1)

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Last Week– Tied Chicago Fire, 2-2, last Saturday.

Next Week– at Kansas City Wizards on Saturday.

Outlook: Blew a pair of leads in tying Chicago, with Marvell Wynne on the wrong end of both goal plays. He shows promise at centerback, but can a centerback pairing of Wynne and Moor work in MLS? The Wizards will bring us a step closer to finding out.

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9 (11). NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (1-1)

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Last Week– Beat D.C. United, 2-0, last Saturday.

Next Week– vs. Toronto FC on Saturday.

Outlook: Beating D.C. without Shalrie Joseph, Matt Reis and Darrius Barnes was thoroughly impressive, and Stevie Nicol has some new players emerging in Pat Phelan and rookie Seth Sinovic. The home opener at Gillette Stadium against Toronto FC should tell us just how serious the Revs are about remaining an East power.

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10 (9). CHICAGO FIRE (0-1-1)

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Last Week– Tied Colorado Rapids, 2-2, last Saturday.

Next Week– vs. San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.

Outlook: The Fire played better than in their opener, but still needed a corner kick and penalty kick to score its two goals. Two games without a goal in the run of play isn't a great start for Chicago, but a home opener against lowly San Jose just might be what the doctor ordered.

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11 (10). FC DALLAS (0-0-1)

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Last Week– Bye Week

Next Week– vs. Columbus Crew on Saturday.

Outlook: I'm still not sold on the FC Dallas defense and the Columbus Crew attack should be able to tell us just how good or bad that back-line is.

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12 (12). D.C. UNITED (0-2)

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Last Week– Lost to New England, 2-0, last Saturday.

Next Week– at Philadelphia Union on Saturday.

Outlook: Curt Onalfo must have watched the game tape of the New England loss and asked himself how his team lost. The simple answer is the team did nothing dangerous in the final third. All of a sudden, Saturday's match at Philadelphia carries a ton of pressure for D.C. United.

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13 (13).  CHIVAS USA (0-2)

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Last Week– Lost to Los Angeles Galaxy, 2-0, last Thursday.

Next Week– vs. New York Red Bulls on Saturday.

Outlook: Few bright spots for Chivas USA following loss to the Galaxy. For one, we have been reminded that Michael Umana wasn't a standout defender his first time around MLS. Martin Vasquez gets no rest though, as his goal-less attack must try to produce its first goal of the season against a Red Bulls team that has yet to surrender a goal.

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14 (14). TORONTO FC (0-1)

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Last Week– Bye Week.

Next Week– at New England Revolution on Saturday.

Outlook: A closer look at the season-opening loss to Columbus revealed a closer game than the score indicated, but it also showed a team that still needs a goal-scoring threat. And a central defender. Or two.

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15 (15). SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (0-1)

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Last Week– Bye Week

Next Week– at Chicago Fire on Saturday.

Outlook: Not a great opening schedule for the Earthquakes, opening against the champions and then traveling to Chicago for their home opener. There won't be any excuses though of Frank Yallop's squad can't put together a strong performance against a Chicago side that hasn't gotten off to the best start to the season.

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16 (16). PHILADELPHIA UNION (0-1)

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Last Week– Bye Week

Next Week– vs. D.C. United on Saturday.

Outlook: How does a team have a good bye week? Peter Nowak watched Seattle and D.C. United lose, and he may have found his new right back in Christian Arrietta. The Union's home opener at Lincoln Financial Field should be an unforgettable scene, but the Union will need to be much better than in their season opener to avoid a disappointing homecoming.

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What do you think of this week's rankings? Which team do you think is rated too highly? Which team's rating isn't high enough?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. red bulls deserve to be in 3rd…maybe even over the galaxy…I still don’t see why the crew are in first…just because they won one game 2-0 over toronto… at home…

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  2. I think the Union and DC United will probably swap spots next week (I’m also a Union supporter). DC United looks to be in a lot of trouble so far after the beat down by a good looking KC and their 2-0 loss to a mediocre Revs squad.

    If United loses to the Union I’d put them down in at least 15. Put them at 16 if Union wins with a clean sheet.

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  3. As a Union fan I am looking forward to this weeks match. Although the level of play may not be the best I think it will be fun to watch especially if Novak plays the youngsters. It’s hard to look at this rating and see the Union at the bottom but at this point it is what it is and there is no place to go but up. With the talent on this team I doubt they will still be at the bottom at the end of the season.

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  4. I agree. Ives, you pointed out that Chicago needed a corner kick and a PK in order to tie Colorado on the road, but Houston needed 2 PK’s to win at home. 2 PK’s is even worse than needing a PK and a corner. At least chicago was able to put something away that wasn’t handed to them on a platter. Also, I’m not advocating for Chicago or RSL to be higher, but Houston shouldn’t get that kind of jump off of that performance. As was mentioned, 0 shots on goal at home is kind of pathetic. Not worthy of a 3 place jump in my opinion.

    (SBI-You do realize that a team’s rise or fall can be helped by what other teams do, right? Two teams ahead of them lost, and one of those teams lost to Houston. RSL is one of the best teams in the league and regardless of how the Dynamo won, they won. You say they were gifted two penalties. I say both calls were legit, even if Landin hammed up the second one.

    It’s early in the season, the toughest time to do rankings, and a time when rankings can change dramatically from one week to the next. There’s no exact science. You want exacts, then read the standings and go purely by record and goal difference. I go with what I’ve seen and how I think teams are doing and how I rate teams in general. Minimize the RSL win all you want, Houston still won it and that win still boosts them in my mind.)

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  5. What is the wait with the Red Bulls and van den berg? Are they not interested in him, him not interested in NY, or is it a money thing? Is there any news on this, cuz the Red Bulls could really use him.

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  6. Ives, did the Dynamo ever release an update on Brian Ching’s injury? Last I heard, it was officially a hamstring strain and his return date wasn’t set.

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  7. Houston and DC should be lower, Seattle a little higher; the rest look ok based on what they’ve shown so far

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  8. I suppose if you’re going on results, LA deserves a 2nd place spot, but if you’re going on performances, they should be near the bottom.

    They can’t maintain the ball, they can’t pass, aside from Buddle, they can’t even get the ball on goal. The only thing they have going for them is the low quality of their opponents.

    This team needs to pick it up, they have not looked good.

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  9. I dont agree with Houston being there but than again the Wizards had a bye week and they did just beat RSL so I can see why Ives put them in that spot. These standing are a lot better than last week’s thats for sure. (Cant believe I defended ives here lol)

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  10. DC Josh, regarding the slow start for DCU, I would also add that the team has a lot of new players this year, plus a coaching change, so it may take extra time for them to come together as a team. Out of their four starters at midfield against new England, only Quaranta was starting last year. Two of the four starting defenders were not even on the team last year. They are much younger this year and will need some time to develop chemistry.

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  11. They were outplayed in every dimension of the game. RSL must be sick right now thinking about dropping those 3 points. Anyone who puts HOU in the top 8 right now is out of their mind! way overrated

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  12. Beckster, DCU had about 70% of possession and looked like the more dangerous team for the better part of the game. Both goals came against the run of the play. You can fault DCU for failing to finish in the final third (just as Sounders did against Red Bulls) and for one poor clearance that led to the first goal, but despite the score they did not play bad. I was at the game and Ives’ assessment is spot on.

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  13. Come on Ives, did you watch the Houston game? How in the world do you watch a game where a team doesn’t have a shot on goal the entire time and come to the conclusion that they are the 4th best team in MLS? They were are home no less.

    So yes they won but you said yourself it is not about records. A combination of really poor reffing and poor decisions by Olave to put himself in the position to allow the ref to change the game led to Houston winning a game that they have no business winning.

    I am not saying that RSL should be higher because they let it get away. But if you watched the game and really think that Houston is the 4th best team in this league then I question your analysis of soccer. The Dynamo are really not a good team this year.

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  14. Just want to point out DC typically starts off slow. Considering that, we still suck this year and won’t make the playoffs with the current lack of chemistry and offensive threat. Just some junk food for thought.

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  15. I believe the finals drew respectable ratings last year. The regular season drew increased but minuscule ratings.

    If Henry were to join NYRB as expected that final could not have more star power for this league. Henry, Beckham, Donavon and a little Angel is about as much hype as Garber could hope for.

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  16. Did LA really draw that many fans to TV last year for the Finals?

    Just asking. I don’t know the answer, but the city really hasn’t embraced soccer in the US…

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  17. You’re right about them not being amazing last year, but remember that both these guys came in late in the season. I’ve read up a bit about how they’ve been working together in the pre-season lead up, and in practice. It sounds promising, but I think we’ll both find out if anything has really improved once they hit the field together.

    Wynne isn’t a CB. The fact that Gary Smith has been able to play him there with the sort of success he had against Chivas was either inspired or simply dumb luck.

    And like I said, we saw the pitfalls of playing a guy like Wynne in the middle. He’s fast, he’s got great energy, but he doesn’t have consistent awareness to go with that.

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  18. On the other end of the spectrum the DC vs Phili game next weekend has the potential to be the worst game in league history.

    Like your rankings but I think I would move KC up a spot or two. The most famous MLS team in India looks to have some real dynamic attackers this year.

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  19. How excited do you think Garber is right now with even the possibility of NY and LA in a league final with maybe 4 DP’s on the field?

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  20. Oh, yes. Ives forgot. Seattle is the most importnat farnchise is world football & the best since the Brazil ’70 squad.

    (SBI-William, you do realize a funny troll is still a troll, right? Stop trying to pick fights.)

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  21. Even though I’m a Galaxy fan, I believe I’d rank Red Bulls above the Galaxy. They have played harder competition and won on the road. LA has played a depleted Revolution and a toothless Chivas.

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  22. Wynne is not going to be CB forever. The risks of playing him at that position were exposed this weekend. He’s fast, not physical. Once Julien Baudet is back up to health, I expect Wynne is going to move to his more familiar position of RB. Kimura then becomes the super-sub, which is great because then we minimize the risk running out of energy and pace on our sides.

    Baudet and Moor are the better pairing to hold the middle for Colorado. They’re tough, dynamic, and have fantastic communication between the two of them.

    (SBI-Maybe it’s just me but I don’t remember Baudet-Moor being such an amazing centerback tandem. I agree that it should be better than Wynne-Moor, but I think the jury is still out on how that tandem will work over the course of a season.)

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  23. Ives, I have to disagree with you on this one. DC has no offense, not much in the way of defense except Perkins and the midfield is pretty woeful. I’m not sure why you think that they showed more than NE when NE didn’t have their best player and still scored two points.

    I’m a DCU fan all the way but they need to be lower.

    (SBI-I think you’re being hard on your squad. For the first 70 minutes of that match I can’t imagine any impartial observer thinking D.C. wasn’t the better team. I wouldn’t say they were overwhelmingly dominant, but they controlled the flow of play more and looked more likely to score than NE. As it stands, I’m not ready to put D.C. behind any of the teams they are currently ahead of in the power rankings.)

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  24. D.C. United has been outscored 6-0 over during their first 2 games. If they lose to Philadelphia then they should be at the bottom of the table. I’d actually put them there now.

    (SBI-The Rankings aren’t based purely on record and goals, that’s what the standings are for. And as bad as D.C. has been they still showed more vs. NE than Philly or Chivas have shown this year.)

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  25. I don’t feel that Houston deserve to be that high, considering Olave gave them their goals. Without that, they had no shots that threatened RSL. It was just a lucky win for them.

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  26. I guess when you are 2-0 you get the third spot.

    Maybe I am just bitter after attending the game against NYRB this weekend ( and not rooting for NY )

    But I don’t really think NY are the third best team.

    A lot better for sure, but for Seattle finishing has always been a problem no matter who the opponent.

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  27. Ives you wrote: “Will (Seattle’s) subpar road form also return?” But Seattle scored 20 points on the road last year, tied with LA for second-best in the league. No doubt Rio Tinto will be a tough venue, but the Sounders were a very good road team last year.

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