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SBI MLS Power Rankings (Week 5)

Photo by Peter G. Aiken/USA Today Sports
Photo by Peter G. Aiken/USA Today Sports

With the international break wrapped up, MLS resumed with plenty of surprises over the weekend.

The league’s lone remaining unblemished side, Sporting Kansas City, suffered its first defeat of the season at the hands of a shorthanded Real Salt Lake. On the other side, the slumping Seattle Sounders found their first win in a defeat of the Montreal Impact.

Teams like FC Dallas and Orlando City SC continued to roll on, while the New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew still face questions following their most recent results.

Here’s a closer look at this week’s SBI MLS Power Rankings:

SBI MLS Power Rankings (Week 5)

1. (6) REAL SALT LAKE (2-0-2)

RSL Logo

LAST WEEK: Defeated Sporting KC, 2-1, on Saturday

THIS WEEK: vs. Colorado Rapids on Saturday

OUTLOOK– A heck of a win for a shorthanded RSL team. Taking on the league’s last unblemished team, a squad missing much of its spine dazzled against a top level opponent. Through four weeks, RSL have looked dynamic, and when all pieces are back in place, it appears that the club is set to contend out West.

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2. (2) FC DALLAS (3-1-1)

DAL_Primary_COL

LAST WEEK: Tied Columbus Crew, 1-1, on Saturday

THIS WEEK: vs. San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday

OUTLOOK– A rock-solid performance from Chris Seitz helped lead the way as FC Dallas earned a point against the reigning Eastern Conference champions. The FC Dallas attack looked as lively as ever in swarming the Crew goal, but the team struggled to place shots on target. The inaccuracy is of little concern, though, as FC Dallas will take the point to the top of the early season table.

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3. (7)  ORLANDO CITY (2-0-2)

OCSCprimary

LAST WEEK: Defeated Portland Timbers, 4-1, on Sunday

THIS WEEK: at Philadelphia Union on Friday

OUTLOOK–  With Kaka back in the lineup, Orlando City looked flat out unstoppable. The Brazilian star was all over the field on Sunday night, leading the Lions to a 4-1 thrashing of the defending MLS Cup champions. With Kaka back in the fold, Orlando City looks ready to take on all comers in the Eastern Conference.

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4. (Last week-1) SPORTING KANSAS CITY (3-1-0)

SportingKClogo

LAST WEEK: Lost, 2-1, to Real Salt Lake on Saturday

THIS WEEK: at New York Red Bulls on Saturday

OUTLOOK– Playing without Matt Besler, Sporting KC saw their perfect start come to a screeching halt against a shorthanded Real Salt Lake team. The team’s run was bound to end at some point, but with Benny Feilhaber now integrated back into the lineup, Sporting KC should be expected to continue on an upward trajectory despite the blip against RSL.
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5. (4) LOS ANGELES GALAXY (2-1-1)

LA Galaxy

LAST WEEK: Tied Vancouver Whitecaps, 0-0, on Saturday

THIS WEEK: vs. Portland Timbers on Sunday

OUTLOOK– Picking up a point on the road is generally a positive, but the Galaxy will be disappointed to not leave with more from a clash with the 10-man Whitecaps. Without Robbie Keane in the lineup, the Galaxy were unable to put much on frame, and the team as a whole will have to be a bit more decisive in front of goal moving forward.

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6. (3) MONTREAL IMPACT (2-2-0)

Logo Impact MLS

LAST WEEK: Lost, 1-0, to the Seattle Sounders on Saturday

THIS WEEK: vs. Columbus Crew on Saturday

OUTLOOK– The Impact have now lost two in a row and have undone some of the goodwill they established with their early-season dominance. Still, the issues present on Saturday are entirely fixable. With Didier Drogba still waiting in the wings, the Impact’s lack of precision in front of net shouldn’t last long.

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7. (10) VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (2-2-1)

WhitecapsLogo

LAST WEEK: Tied LA Galaxy, 0-0, on Saturday

THIS WEEK: at D.C. United on Saturday

OUTLOOK–  Given Matias Laba’s dismissal, a tie was a fair result for the Whitecaps. Down to 10 men early, the Caps were on their back foot throughout, save for a few looks on goal. Still, the draw extends the team’s unbeaten run to three, a solid achievement given the difficult start to the season.
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8. (9) SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (2-1-1)

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LAST WEEK: Tied D.C. United, 1-1, on Saturday

THIS WEEK: at FC Dallas on Saturday

OUTLOOK– A late Adam Jahn goal rescued a point, but the Earthquakes would have expected more from a clash with D.C. United. The Earthquakes always have a flair for the dramatic, but the club will need to pick up wins in games like Saturday’s to compete in the deep Western Conference.
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9. (8) PHILADELPHIA UNION (2-2-0)

UNI_Primary_COL

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

THIS WEEK: vs. Orlando City on Friday

OUTLOOK– After shining for several weeks, the Union crashed back down to Earth in a shutout loss to the Fire. Warren Creavalle’s dismissal spelled doomsday, while Andre Blake continued to shine in net. To this point, it remains to be seen just how legit the Union are, but they’ll have a chance at a bounceback game against Orlando City on Friday.
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10. (5) PORTLAND TIMBERS (1-2-1)

TimbersLogo

LAST WEEK: Lost, 4-1, to Orlando City on Sunday

THIS WEEK: at LA Galaxy on Sunday

OUTLOOK– A bad, bad game from the reigning champions. The Timbers were thoroughly destroyed by a flat out better Orlando City team, who battered them to a 4-1 scoreline. Through the opening month, the Timbers have failed to show off any championship mojo, and the team will have to improve their road form starting on Sunday against the Galaxy.

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11. (11) HOUSTON DYNAMO (1-2-1)

HOU_Primary_COL

LAST WEEK: BYE

THIS WEEK: vs. Seattle Sounders on Sunday

OUTLOOK– The Dynamo have had an extra week off to let the disappointing defeat to the Whitecaps marinate a bit. Undone by David Ousted, the Dynamo were unlucky and unfortunate not to find the back of the net. Now with fresh legs, the team will have to return to doing just that in a clash with the Sounders.
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12. (15) NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (1-1-3)

NE_Primary_COL

LAST WEEK: Defeated New York Red Bulls, 1-0, on Friday

THIS WEEK: vs. Toronto FC on Saturday

OUTLOOK– Was the win controversial? Certainly, but the Revs will surely take it. Now in the win column after settling for a few too many ties, the Revs are back in the discussion in the East. The perception changes a bit on the heels of the victory, as the Revs hope they can consistently find their finishing boots as the season goes on.
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13. (17) SEATTLE SOUNDERS (1-3-0)

Seattle Sounders FC

LAST WEEK: Defeated Montreal Impact, 1-0, on Saturday

THIS WEEK: at Houston Dynamo on Sunday

OUTLOOK– The Sounders have finally found a victory, and an impressive one at that. Knocking off the Impact is no easy feat, and the Sounders will feel a lot better following three straight losses. There are still questions and plenty of work to be done, but the Sounders will be hoping last week’s result can be the start of an upswing in results.
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14. (18) COLORADO RAPIDS (2-1-1)

RapidsLogo

LAST WEEK: Defeated Toronto FC, 1-0, on Saturday

THIS WEEK: at Real Salt Lake on Saturday

OUTLOOK– A solid win for the Rapids, who benefited from a slightly controversial finish to topple 10-man Toronto FC. The Rapids have quietly amassed seven points from four games, despite scoring just three goals. The team faces another test on Saturday, but the Rapids will be hoping Marco Pappa can continue to pull the strings in leading the club on the attacking end.
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15. (12) TORONTO FC (1-2-1)

TOR_Primary_COL

LAST WEEK: Lost, 1-0, to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday

THIS WEEK: At New England Revolution on Saturday

OUTLOOK– Another week, another frustrating defeat for TFC. For the second game running, TFC will feel hard done by a slightly controversial call. The Canadian club has shown an inability to really play to the whistle, but its the club’s struggles in front of goal that will need to be remedied as the season wears on.
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16. (14) NEW YORK CITY FC (1-1-2)

NYCFC_Badge

LAST WEEK: BYE

THIS WEEK: vs. Chicago Fire on Sunday

OUTLOOK–  Following a bye week, NYCFC will now have another chance to right some wrongs at Yankee Stadium. Through the first few games, the second-year club has struggled in their home stadium. Now, the team standing in their path — the Fire — is the only one its defeated this season.
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17. (13) NEW YORK RED BULLS (1-3-0)

NY_Primary_COL

LAST WEEK:  Lost, 1-0, to the New England Revolution on Friday

THIS WEEK: vs. Sporting KC on Saturday

OUTLOOK–  The Red Bulls settled for defeat yet again, even if it was of the controversial variety. Jesse Marsch’s side will feel wronged by the manner in which the goal was scored, but the Red Bulls’ inability to score themselves was the major concern. Things remain just off for the reigning Supporters’ Shield winners, although there is plenty of time to correct the inconsistencies.
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18. (16) COLUMBUS CREW (0-2-2)

CCSC-Primary

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

THIS WEEK: at Montreal Impact on Saturday

OUTLOOK–  Another point for the Crew, who remain winless through four games. A draw with FC Dallas is nothing to feel ashamed about, although the struggles of Kei Kamara remain a concern for a team still in need of a kickstart.
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19. (19) CHICAGO FIRE (1-1-2)

Chicago-Fire-Main

LAST WEEK: Defeated Philadelphia Union, 1-0, on Saturday

THIS WEEK: vs. New York City FC

OUTLOOK– An impressive win for the Fire, who did well to knock off a surging Union team. Rookie Jonathan Campbell continues to impress while the back line as a whole has looked solid to start the season. It’s still early days, but the Fire’s first win should serve as a major boost for a team looking to make a push.
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20. (20) D.C. UNITED (0-2-3)

D.C. United logo

LAST WEEK: Tied San Jose Earthquakes, 1-0, on Saturday

THIS WEEK: vs. Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday

OUTLOOK– D.C. United earns yet another draw, their third of the young season. To date, the team still hasn’t really ever looked like a winning one. Even with the point, D.C. United is still in the danger zone as the club falls further and further out of the race early.

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What do you think of the SBI MLS Power Rankings? Which teams do you see being ranked too highly? Who didn’t get enough respect?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I’m always amazed when things dont go well for sporting when Espinoza is out (see last game and after he got hurt last year), that its never mentioned as a big reason. I know its hard to follow players that dont show up in the assists and goals, but he is the most important player on SKC. He was much more a reason for the bad play against RSL than not having Besler in the back (not a slight to Besler, he was missed too, but a terrible midfield is doom and thats what SKC’s midfield is w/o Espinoza)

    Reply
  2. I complained that RSL was too low after the Orlando tie, but I have to admit that they are too high in this one. I agree with Neruda that until their defense is straightened out, and they learn to defend without fouling, they are always one tackle away from playing a man (or two) down.

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  3. Dallas looked lackluster in the attack against Columbus…we had our chances, sure, but it was clear that the Ulloa-Gruezo-Acosta trio is not a creative trio. If Rosales can’t go for 90, surely he can go for 45 and should have come in way earlier or gotten the start and an early exit. Chances are nice, but when you’re mainly taking potshots from outside the box when you’re used to crashing the box with numbers and space, something isn’t going to plan.

    Good to see our defense stand firm for the most part, had to curse Fig a bit on his poor Meram marking for the goal, but with a 3 CDM set up I guess we should have done well defensively. Hopefully Diaz comes back quickly, his vision and passing are a big part of what make the FCD counter attack so dangerous.

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  4. I doubt RSL is number one right now. Their defense is far from great. Good to see them doing so well. They need to improve defensively by picking up a seasoned defender and clean up the sloppy play by adjusting to the stricter new rules.

    Reply

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