Photo by Noah K. Murray/ USA Today Sports

By RYAN TOLMICH

In a matchup of two of the league’s top teams, the New York Red Bulls and LA Galaxy held on to a result that kept both sides elevated atop the league’s perch.

The Galaxy and Red Bulls played to a 1-1 draw, although the Red Bulls did emerge from their home field as the more aggressive and dynamic side.

Elsewhere, the Seattle Sounders earned a victory over their Cascadia Rivals, the Portland Timbers, while Toronto FC finally got back into the win column with an impressive victory over Orlando.

The Columbus Crew and New England Revolution continued to impress as well, showing some of the form that saw the two sides emerge as major contenders towards the tail end of last season.

Here is a closer look at the SBI MLS Power Rankings for Week 8, as voted on by SBI editorial staff (We have expanded our voter pool, so you will see plenty of adjustments to last week’s rankings):

SBI MLS Power Rankings (Week 8)

1. (Last Week-2)  NEW YORK RED BULLS (3-0-3)

LAST WEEK: Tied LA Galaxy, 1-1, last Sunday

THIS WEEK: vs.Colorado Rapids on Wednesday, at New England Revolution on Saturday

OUTLOOK– Following the draw against the Galaxy, Sacha Kljestan pointed to the Galaxy’s relative happiness with the draw as a sign of just how talented, and feared, this Red Bulls team is. Kljestan certainly has a point, as the Red Bulls continue to chug along unbeaten with their swarming pressure and multi-faceted attack..

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2. (3) SEATTLE SOUNDERS (4-2-1)

LAST WEEK: Defeated Portland Timbers, 1-0, last Sunday

THIS WEEK: at NYCFC on Sunday

OUTLOOK– The Sounders still haven’t quite hit their stride, but Sunday’s performance showed once again how quickly a game can turn when you have Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey on your side. Even with Chad Marshall absent, the defense stepped up admirably, ensuring that this Sounders side is far more than just an attack-minded team.

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3. (1) LOS ANGELES GALAXY (3-2-3)

LAST WEEK: Ties New York Red Bulls, 1-1, last Sunday

THIS WEEK: vs. Colorado Rapids

OUTLOOK– Shorthanded once again without Robbie Keane, the Galaxy went in to Red Bull Arena and did well to snag a point. Bradford Jamieson IV continues to impress in Keane’s absence, showing that the Galaxy really do have some depth up top for the long haul

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4. (6) D.C. UNITED (4-1-2)

LAST WEEK:  Defeated Vancouver Whitecaps, 2-1, last Saturday

THIS WEEK: vs. Columbus on Sunday

OUTLOOK– D.C. United is perhaps the league’s hottest team over the past month and a half or so, continuing this past week with a statement win in Vancouver. Adding to things now will be the return of forward Fabian Espindola, who was perhaps D.C.’s best player in the Whitecaps victory.

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5. (9) NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (4-2-2)

LAST WEEK: Defeated Real Salt Lake, 4-0, on Saturday

THIS WEEK: vs. New York Red Bulls on Saturday

OUTLOOK– After dropping the opening two matches of the season, the Revs have quietly reemerged as a power team. Dominating RSL, although shorthanded, was impressive, and Juan Agudelo continues to look like the missing piece from last year’s MLS Cup final run.

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6. (8) COLUMBUS CREW (3-2-2)

LAST WEEK: Defeated Philadelphia Union, 4-1, last Saturday

THIS WEEK: at D.C. United on Saturday

OUTLOOK: The Crew followed up what was their most impressive performance to date with one that was even better, thrashing the Union into submission early. Ethan Finlay has emerged as one of the most fearsome wide players in this league, while Kei Kamara is a handful with both his shooting and ability to create with others. With Wil Trapp’s return coming, the Crew are starting to look like the team that many pegged as contenders.

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7. (4) VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (5-3-1)

LAST WEEK: Lost, 2-1, to D.C. Unites last Saturday

THIS WEEK: at Portland Timbers on Saturday

OUTLOOK– The Whitecaps have come back down to earth in recent weeks following their hot start, continuing this week with a loss to D.C. United. The next step now for Vancouver is discipline, as Laba’s sending off was their undoing this past weekend. If the Whitecaps can better their composure, they will remain among the top teams in the West.

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8. (5) FC DALLAS (4-2-2)

LAST WEEK: Tied Colorado Rapids, 1-1, last Friday

THIS WEEK: At Houston Dynamo on Friday

OUTLOOK– FC Dallas fared much better this weekend against a Rapids side that demolished them last time out, but if the Rapids are to join the league’s elite, the Rapids are the type of team that needs to be disposed of. That may have been done had Blas Perez kept his cool, as the Panamanian striker needs to stay on the field if FC Dallas are to continue taking down the opposition.

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9. (14) TORONTO FC (2-4-0)

LAST WEEK: Defeated Orlando City, 2-0, last Sunday

THIS WEEK: At Philadelphia Union on Saturday

OUTLOOK– Finally. Toronto FC put together their first real performance since the opening week, toppling Orlando City in an impressive victory. Jozy Altidore looked absolutely fierce, but questions still remain on the team’s supporting cast. Altidore, Michael Bradley and Sebastian Giovinco have all looked good, but it’s still up to the rest of the team to step up and help elevate the superstars to a level where they can compete night in, night out.

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10. (7)  SPORTING KANSAS CITY (2-2-3)

LAST WEEK: Tied Houston Dynamo, 4-4, on Saturday

THIS WEEK: vs. Chicago Fire on Sunday

OUTLOOK– Sporting KC continue to be a bit of an enigma, and Saturday’s performance just added more questions to the fray. Ike Opara’s absence was obvious in the goalfest against the Dynamo, but Benny Feilhaber’s heroics saved the day. Sporting KC still has plenty to show, as does Dom Dwyer, who may have started to move past his cold streak with a finish against the Dynamo.

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11. (16) CHICAGO FIRE (3-3-0)

LAST WEEK: Defeated NYCFC, 1-0, last Friday

THIS WEEK: at Sporting KC on Sunday

OUTLOOK– Following a layoff that was more like an offseason, the Fire returned and put together a solid performance to top a struggling NYCFC team. As the team continues to gel around offseason signings, the Fire have now quietly put together three straight victories, erasing some of the memories that catastrophic start to the season.

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12. (17) HOUSTON DYNAMO (2-2-4)

LAST WEEK: Tied Sporting KC, 4-4, last Saturday

THIS WEEK: vs. FC Dallas on Friday.

OUTLOOK– After earning a reputation for ground out results, the Dynamo did nothing of the sort in a four goal explosion that ended up yielding just one point. At the end of the day, the dropped points came as a result of poor refereeing in the sending off of Jermaine Taylor, giving the Dynamo plenty to hang their hat on from what should have been a victory with plenty of improvements.

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13. (15) SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (3-4-0)

LAST WEEK: BYE

THIS WEEK: at Real Salt Lake on Friday

OUTLOOK– Fresh off a bye week, the schedule gets hot and heavy for the Earthquakes with three games in seven days, starting with a matchup with RSL on Friday. To find any success, the Quakes will need to avoid performing like they did last time out against the Red Bulls, a game in which they were outclassed to the tune of a 2-0 defeat.

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14. (10) REAL SALT LAKE (2-2-3)

LAST WEEK: Lost, 4-0, to New England Revolution last Saturday

THIS WEEK: vs. San Jose Earthquakes on Friday

OUTLOOK– Following this week’s beatdown at the hands of the Revs, it’s time to start asking questions of where exactly this RSL team belongs in the league’s hierarchy. Shorthanded, yes, but RSL wasn’t even competitive Saturday, dropping a second straight game. While judgement can not be passed until the team’s defensive unit is back, it is certainly worrying to see such a poor performance from a team that has made its name in grinding our results.

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15. (12) PORTLAND TIMBERS (2-3-3)

LAST WEEK: Lost, 1-0, to Seattle Sounders last Sunday

THIS WEEK: vs. Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday

OUTLOOK– In reality, the Timbers are merely looking to tread water until the return of Diego Valeri, Wil Johnson and the rest of the wounded, and they’ve done a decent job of that to this point. Still, any loss to the hated Sounders hurts, especially one that could have gone the other way had it not been for a few missed chances.

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16. (11)  ORLANDO CITY (2-4-2)

LAST WEEK: Lost, 2-0, to Toronto FC on Saturday

THIS WEEK: BYE

OUTLOOK– The Citrus Bowl has proven to be anything but a fortress for Orlando City, who have yet to grace their home fans with a win. The story continues to be the same, as the team has yet to find a goalscorer up top who can benefit from Kaka’s magic. Until this team finds an attacking edge, its hard to see Orlando contending with the league’s upper echelon any time soon.

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17. (19) COLORADO RAPIDS (1-2-4)

LAST WEEK: Tied FC Dallas, 1-1, on Friday

THIS WEEK: at New York Red Bulls on Wednesday; at LA Galaxy on Sunday

OUTLOOK– The Rapids continue to turn in strong performances against some of the league’s better teams, earning yet another point against FC Dallas. Nick LaBrocca’s finish showed promise in breaking down the 10-man FC Dallas as this young Rapids side continues to grow and acclimate to one another.

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18. (13) NEW YORK CITY FC (1-4-3)

LAST WEEK: Lost, 1-0, to Chicago Fire on Friday

THIS WEEK: vs. Seattle Sounders on Sunday

OUTLOOK– NYCFC continue to struggle mightily at putting the ball in the back of the net, something that was apparent once again Friday. Having scored only two goals in six games, NYCFC pose little to no threat on the attacking end as the team continues to rely too heavily on the battered and bruised David Villa.

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19. (20) MONTREAL IMPACT (0-2-2)

LAST WEEK: BYE

THIS WEEK: BYE

OUTLOOK– It’s do or die time for Impact in CCL play with Wednesday’s finale against Club America. With nearly a month between MLS games, the Impact have a chance to make a statement against the Mexican side, one that could be vital for the team’s spirits when it emerges back into league action.

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20. (18) PHILADELPHIA UNION (1-5-3)

LAST WEEK: Lost, 4-1, to Columbus Crew last Saturday

THIS WEEK: vs. Toronto FC on Saturday

OUTLOOK– While things initially looked promising, the Union are right back where they were before the benching of Rais M’bolhi. The Union lacked any sort of fight against the Crew, something hinted at by head coach Jim Curtin. Just nine games in and it appears the Union may already be packing it in, making it seem like things may get worse before they get anywhere close to getting better.

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