SBI MLS Power Rankings: Week 23

                                                                               Photo by ISIphotos.com

As we head into September the shift in MLS has gone from building teams to preparing for the stretch drive and securing playoff positions. The New York Red Bulls and D.C. United are embroiled in their own battle in the East standings, tied for fourth place with aspirations of moving up the ladder in the season's final months.

Saturday's scoreless tie was a hard-fought affair and it showed flashes of what makes both teams dangerous, but also what flaws each team is still trying to deal with. If we learned anything on Saturday it is that both teams have the heart and talent to make the playoffs and given the way Toronto FC and Kansas City are fading, the Red Bulls and D.C. both look like safe bets to reach the post-season.

One team looking more and more like a playoff squad is the San Jose Earthquakes, which pulled within two points of a playoff spot and finally climbed out of the Western Conference basement with its 2-1 win vs. Kansas City on Saturday. The revamped Earthquakes will put their unbeaten run on the line against a D.C. team that might come in fatigued after playing in tonight's U.S. Open Cup final and flying to California.

The Earthquakes were the biggest movers in this week's SBI MLS Power Rankings, climbing all the way to eighth. If we're talking current form, San Jose is probably among the top three teams in MLS.

Here is how the rest of the MLS shakes out in the rankings:

SBI MLS Power Rankings

1. Columbus Crew (12-6-4)

Last Week: beat FC Dallas, 2-1 on Saturday.

This Week:  vs. New England on Saturday.

Last Five MLS Games: 4-1

Outlook: Crew is on a roll and face off against New England for first place. Columbus hasn't lost at home in three months and has a chance to put a hammer-lock on first place with a win.

2. New England Revolution (11-6-5)

Last Week: tied Los Angeles Galaxy, 2-2, on Saturday.

This Week: at Columbus on Saturday.

Last Five MLS Games: 1-2-2

Outlook: Injuries are taking their toll on a team that looked so good all summer. Game in Columbus will tell us a lot about just how bad a shape the Revs are in.

3. Houston Dynamo (9-5-8)

 

Last Week: beat Chicago Fire, 2-1, on Sunday.

This Week: vs. Kansas City on Sunday.

Last Five MLS Games: 4-1

Outlook: Winners of five of six, Dynamo looking like a championship squad again. The real question is what starting XI Dom Kinnear will settle on as the season winds down.

4. Chicago Fire (10-7-5)

Last Week: Lost to Houston Dynamo, 2-1, on Sunday.

This Week: vs. New York Red Bulls on Saturday.

Last Five MLS Games: 3-2

Outlook: Brian McBride scored his first goal but still lost to the Dynamo. Now Fire must face streaking Red Bulls without Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Gonzalo Segares, two of the key figures in the Fire's 5-1 thrashing of the Red Bulls earlier in the season. It should also be noted that Chicago is one of just two MLS teams that doesn't have more wins than losses at home (LA Galaxy is the other).

5. New York Red Bulls (8-6-8)

Last Week: tied D.C. United, 0-0, on Saturday.

This Week: at Chicago Fire on Saturday.

Last Five MLS Games: 3-0-2

Outlook: Showed heart and toughness in registering the first shutout at RFK Stadium in team history. Now comes a grudge match against the same Fire team that embarrassed the Red Bulls at Giants Stadium in May. Red Bulls have been awful on the road this year, but Chicago has been vulnerable at home.

6. D.C. United (10-10-2)

Last Week: Tied New York Red Bulls, 0-0, on Saturday

This Week: vs. Charleston Battery on Wednesday (U.S. Open Cup Final), at San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.

Last Five MLS Games: 2-2-1

Outlook: Jaime Moreno misses a penalty kick, but seeing Marcelo Gallardo back in action was the best thing about Saturday's tie vs. D.C. United.

7. Real Salt Lake (8-8-6)

Last Week: Beat Colorado Rapids, 2-0, on Friday.

This Week: at Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday.

Last Five MLS Games: 2-2-1

Outlook: Looked good in beating Rapids, but can RSL finally show some competence on the road? LA is one of the worst home teams in MLS so this will be as good a chance as any for Jason Kreis' team to win away from Utah.

8. San Jose Earthquakes (6-9-7)

Last Week: Beat Kansas City Wizards, 2-1, on Saturday.

This Week: vs. D.C. United

Last Five MLS Games: 3-0-2

Outlook: The miracle comeback continues as San Jose pulls within two points of a playoff spot. The toughest part of the Earthquakes' remaining schedule is up next with a date vs. D.C. and two games against Houston. If San Jose can do well in those three games, the stretch run is easy enough for Frank Yallop's squad to complete its shocking climb into the playoffs.

9. FC Dallas (6-8-8)

Last Week: Lost to Columbus Crew, 2-1, on Saturday.

This Week: vs. Colorado Rapids on Thursday.

Last Five MLS Games: 2-2-1

Outlook: Hoops have to feel disappointed about not having taken at least a point from Columbus. They'll have a chance to regroup against a terrible Colorado squad.

10. Chivas USA (7-9-6)

Last Week: Beat Toronto FC, 2-1, on Saturday.

This Week: at Toronto FC on Sunday.

Last Five MLS Games: 1-2-2

Outlook: Looked good in beating Toronto FC and should have an easier time as they take on the Canadians again, but with TFC missing almost half of its senior roster due to international call-ups.

11. Kansas City Wizards (6-8-8)

Last Week: Lost to San Jose Earthquakes, 2-1, on Saturday.

This Week: at Houston Dynamo on Saturday.

Last Five MLS Games: 1-3-1

Outlook: If there is a more invisible team in the league right now than KC I don't know who it is. With an offense that just doesn't have much punch, the Wizards don't look likely to climb back into the playoff race. The Houston game on Saturday could be the beginning of the end.

12. Los Angeles Galaxy (6-9-7)

Last Week: Tied New England Revolution, 2-2, on Saturday.

This Week: vs. Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Last Five MLS Games: 0-3-2

Outlook: Showed some life in tie vs. short-handed Revolution but now the Galaxy have to find a way to win without Landon Donovan and David Beckham. Good luck with that. On the bright side, RSL is the opponent this week, a team that has been dreadful on the road.

13. Toronto FC (7-10-5)

Last Week: Lost to Chivas USA, 2-1, on Saturday.

This Week: vs. Chivas USA on Saturday.

Last Five MLS Games: 1-3-1

Outlook: Greg Sutton kept Toronto in the Chivas USA game, but then gave it away with a late blunder. Rebounding from that would be tough enough, but rebounding from that with most of your key players absent due to national team duty makes things downright dreary. Will John Carver stick around the rest of the year, or will he pack his bags early for a return to England?

14. Colorado Rapids (7-12-3)

Last Week: Lost to Real Salt Lake, 2-0, on Friday.

This Week: at FC Dallas on Thursday.

Last Five MLS Games: 1-4

Outlook: Fernando Clavijo knew what he was doing when he got off this sinking ship. There isn't much reason for optimism and if Rapids ownership were smart (and that's highly questionable) they might want to start the fire sale now and start looking toward 2009.

-------------------------

What do you think of this week's rankings? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[WTF]

Carver aint leaving yet, I bet he's back next year with TFC.

[Mickey]

Columbus earns a ton of credit for their record at this stage of the season. They've got a lot of solid competition left in their schedule before the post-season (NE x2, NYRB x2, DCU and Chicago). If they can manage their form through the balance of their games, they deserve a nod as MLS Cup favorite going into the tournament.

Houston on the other hand is demonstrating the luck of residing on top of the Western Conference. They would barely squeek into the Eastern Conference play-off bracket right now and have some soft competition ahead of them (save San Jose x2 and DCU).

[Jordan]

I hope Carver stays so the rest of the league can take advantage of this highly functioning retard

[Mike]

I doubt Carver will leave, but it would be good to see him go. Who really wants to play for a loudmout that clearly has so little respect for the players? I'm sure it's been sweet for Cunningham to score 2 in the last 3 matches. Hope he puts a few past Toronto in October.

[Mighty]

Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedddddddd Bulllllssss....

[Duthie]

is there something your not telling us about Carver Ives? to be honest I wouldn't want him to come back. Tactically he isn't a good coach and has left his players hung out to dry at times. I do think he was given alot of empty promises though.

[Keith]

You keep stating that RSL is so horrible on the road, with only one win. Please note the following teams also only have one road this win this year:

NYRB
Kansas City
Chivas
Colorado

In fact, there are only three teams in the league with more than 2 road wins this year (NE, Chicago and Columbus). Face it, just about everyone is dreadful on the road, no need to pick on RSL.

[anotherbodymurdered]

If you're going to note that the Fire will be without specific players due to international duty when RBNY comes to town this weekend, it might be fair to note the players that will be absent from the Pink Cow lineup.

[Mickey]

Good point Keith... damn good point.

[Mikemike]

anotherbodymurdered -

I think the difference is that Blanco>Rojas and Angel>McBride. Chicago is hurt more by the international date than NY is.

That and Chicago fans are predominately nitpicking pinheads. It is just plain fun to irritate them and wait for the eventual backlash.

-Mike

[Andrew]

If RSL can't get a road win against the Donovan and Beckham-less Galaxy this weekend, I doubt their playoff chances.

[Curtis Spiteri]

New England should drop 8 spots solely on their poor CCL performance.

[brett]

mikemike- yes the fire are hit by the intl' games.... with the losses of Blanco, Segares and Pappa, the fire will be pressed to hold off a well-performing Bulls...

i do not forsee another thrashing like the last meeting, i see a physical and hard fought game.... outside of the houston blunder, we still hold one of the MOST solid defense... it all depends on who's offense shows up...

[VAMOS UNITED]

Seriously... why you ranking the energy drink cows over DC United??? Obviously if Jaime didnt miss the PK, NY would be sittin low.

[joe k]

pink cows? oh so clever!
red bull new jersey? what a lark!
landycakes? you're incorrigible!

you trolls on the sbi comment sections should have your own stand up specials.

can i add the other nicknames we should see for the rest of the league. here's a start:

DC scum
Chicago fuckheads
new england pantywaists

ps. how come nobody tries 'metroqueers' for a disparaging name for the new york team?

[j1m]

Mikemike - But don't you agree that having Boyens out will seriously compromise the height of the bench? I think anotherboymotheredtodeath is on to something here...

[joe k]

hey VAMOS:

if jaime didn't miss the PK, conway would have saved it. he guessed correctly.

[metrostar 4]

i agree with Joe k-it's funny seeing DC fans still hate on RBNY after getting 4 points from the last 2 meetings.

[Tony in Ninerland]

I'm digging the Quakes-Love!

Best thing about the Quakes right now is not only that they are winning, they are playing entertaining soccer. They are playing smart, tough and agressive. Playoffs or not, it's a great show.

...and if we make the playoffs, anything can happen.

[Rapids1]

If the we really want to see results maybe we should start the firesale on the Rapids Front Office first!

[joe k]

keith, RSL has 4 points on the road. even colorado has more, and they suck at home too.

[kco]

As a KC supporter, the end has come and gone.

LA playoff chances < SJ playoff chances

[Mickey]

Hey DCU-haters - what do you think about the US Open Cup? A waste of time? Or a piece of legitimate hardware that teams should keep an eye on due to the CCL berth that comes with the title?

[mike]

Is it just common practice to basically hate any team coming from NY?

[Tim]

Mickey

Quit whining about conference parity like a 14 yr old girl. Houston would be in third in the east and maybe you didnt notice but they are 1-0-1 against CBus this year and 2-0-0 against Chicago, so stuff your "luck of being in the west" crap.

[jeff]

Sorry Joe. You're the only Metroqueer left.

[Mickey]

Tim - Through all you angst, I missed your point. Try again?

[Mikemike]

j1m - I think you are joking, but not sure.
In case, you aren't: Boyens has played well recently, you have to give him that, but he can only really use his head to block crosses. He'll only play if Cichero gets a red card. You think Mcbride has the same special as Dichio?

In case, you are joking: maybe Boyens could have helped block projectiles lobbed at Osorio from Chi fans, but we might never know.

brett -
I agree on it being close. I don't see NY losing though. The absence of Richards is what I think will hurt NY the most. We need that speed to take pressure off of Angel. I think 0-0 or 1-0 NY. A win sure would be nice. I may be biased though.

-Mike

[Vamos United]

Amen Mickey. These queer NY/NJ sewer folk have never seen a trophy - and probably never will. Conway didnt guess right... he stayed in the middle - he even said in a postgame conference that he guessed middle.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

Love how the majority of people that hate carver arent TFC fans. Dude has alot of heart and loves the team. Hes not going anywhere at the end of the year. Cunny is a lockerroom cancer (took us almost a full season and a half to recognize it) and deserved to be spoken aloud about. Please note that when any of the young players (Barrett, Velez) have scored they go running over to Carver. Thats not because they hate him. I look forward to him being around next year (provided there are some slight policy changes, such as playing players that perform well but obviously arent the best starting 11). I also look forward to us becoming the most hated team in the league (if Ruiz ends up being signed on again, coupled with Carver and Guevara).

[Rafael]

There is no question MLS needs to raise the salary cap. With all these tournaments popping up in the last two years.

As for UNITED haters, I don't see any love coming our way after United adds another piece of silverware to our display case tonight.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

PS
I meant ridding of that policy change, defo not in favor of it

[Brant]

Tim - Houston hasn't tied Columbus. They're 1-1-0. They won in Houston (8/2), lost in Columbus (4/26).

[Mickey]

The question was an honest one - I'm curious to know what folks other than DCU-partisans think of the "new" US Open Cup (i.e., title plus automatic birth to next year's Concacaf Champions League). It's easy for us to get excited if our team is in what used to be considered a "minor final."

If [INSERT YOUR TEAM] were looking at salvaging a long, hard-fought season to attempt a run at the MLS Cup or laying all your chips on the table for a US Open Cup Title, would you give a damn as to whether or not your team took the Open Cup even if you risked injuring a number of your key players?

For the record - not all DCU fans hate the NYRB - some of us enjoy a good competitive rivalry and welcome more of it to come... Who knows - with the addition of Philly - we might have an exciting Corridor Cup with solid competition instead of this Atlantic Cup (Thing).

[Brant]

Crew Power!

[Haig]

Every single game at home for DC's cup run.

USSF and MLS really, really want to see them win a trophy.

[anotherbodymurdered]

I don't say "Metroqueers" because 1. they aren't Metro any more and won't ever be again, and 2. I am not into using bigoted terminology.

My favorite is "RE-BRAND NEW YORK". See? RBNY. I made it up myself, feel free to share.

[Hincha Tim]

Ives,
You said based on current form, SJ would be ranked third. Isn't that what the power rankings are, how good a team is at the moment based on its CURRENT form, not what happened earlier in the season? If so, why not rank them 3rd?

[Tony in Quakeland]

Hmmm, I used my incorrect nom de guerre above, but only dannyc58 will recognize its source....

[Mickey]

Haig - DCU enjoyed home field advantage by merit of winning the Supporters Shield last year (i.e., top-seeded MLS side in this year's tournament). I suspect DCU won't enjoy that luxury next year - perhaps Columbus will enjoy a few extra fixtures next year?

As an aside - if the Sounders beat Charleston in the semi-final, DCU would NOT have received home field advantage for the final and DCU would be playing in Seattle tonight.

No conspiracy here folks... get back to good ole analysis of MLS....

[Ives]

Hincha, power rankings aren't purely a current form stat. That isn't the case in any power rankings. What rankings are is a gauge of how the body of work of a team over the year, with current form being one of the variables. San Jose's current form has helped offset the horrendous first half, but not erased it. They're climbing up the standings, have moved from last to eighth in a few weeks, so I'm not sure what you expect.

As for the RSL being bad on the road thing, someone said it for me. RSL has FOUR points on the road this year. That's the worst total in the league. Only the two last-place teams and Chivas USA are close. Now, if RSL is supposed to be a serious contender, it needs to do better on the road, especially when you consider that four of their next five games are on the road. I think that's a completely valid point to make.

[anotherbodymurdered]

"Outlook: Jaime Moreno misses a penalty kick, but seeing Marcelo Gallardo back in action was the best thing about Saturday's tie vs. D.C. United."

So wait, this comment was under the DC United entry... So did DC United tie DC United, or is this written from the perspective of an RBNY fan?

[Haig]

"Haig - DCU enjoyed home field advantage by merit of winning the Supporters Shield last year (i.e., top-seeded MLS side in this year's tournament)."

Mickey, what you stated is simply not true. MLS teams do not "earn" home field advantage in the Open Cup by having the best regular season in MLS.

USSF decides where each round should be played, based on expressed interest from teams. USSF decided that DC should host every game they were involved in, and that had NOTHING to do with DC's performance a year ago.

[Mikemike]

anothermurderedbobby-

I wrote some Chicago fans are pinheads. You just might take the cake.

-Mike

[Mickey]

Haig - Can you show us some evidence that suggesting that DCU was favored during the tournament? Anything objective? New England, Dallas and Seattle also had home field advantage through-out the ENTIRE tournament - did USSF want each of them to win it all as well?

To accuse an organization the size of USSF of deliberately scheduling a multi-league tournament to benefit one particular team is silly.

[Mickey]

Scratch the NE Rev reference - that had home field advantage through-out the entire tournament until they lost to DCU at RFK during the semi-finals...

Got a little carried away with my berating of yet another conspiracy theorist...

[A.S.]

"Hincha, power rankings aren't purely a current form stat. That isn't the case in any power rankings."

Really? Huh - I always thought the opposite. I thought power rankings were basically, if the two teams played today, on a neutral site, the higher team would win. Now I'm thoroughly confused.

[anotherbodymurdered]

Mikemikemikemikemikemike,

Why do you sign your posts like they're an email?

[Haig]

I'm not a conspiracy theorist-- I actually think the USSF couldn't organize an ant farm.

But the lack of away games should make it very, very hard for all but the most arrogant of DC fans to take pride in winning this competition.

[Seth]

What I don't understand is this. Colorado sucks, yet their best player, Christian Gomez, sits on the bench. He's not even the first player off the bench. Under two coaches. I don't get it. I'm sure DC would take him back if Colorado would like a backup goalie.

[Mickey]

Haig - fair enough - as long as you're honest - your argument stands for itself - DCU shouldn't win because you don't like DCU.

Ironically... I agree with you that MLS, USSF and CONCACAF couldn't effectively organize much separately let alone together... which is why scheduling and venues are never an excuse (to one's benefit or detriment). Where you find scheduling/venue selection benefiting DCU in the US Open Cup, a lot of DCU fans complain that scheduling/venue selection during DCU's CONCACAF Champions Cup and SuperLiga schedules are to blame for our poor performance this season. Personally - I think it's all bunk unless someone can show me some stat's to prove otherwise.

As to pride in winning the tournament... if DCU is fortunate tonight, I'll be proud to simply have the club salvage something from this season - which sounds more like humility than arrogance.

[Hincha Tim]

Ives,
No big deal, though I'm with A.S. on this one: "I thought power rankings were basically, if the two teams played today, on a neutral site, the higher team would win. Now I'm thoroughly confused".

By the way, it wasn't I who complained about your RSL comment. I agree with you.