MLS Power Rankings, 1-30 | Matchday 24

A belated happy Labor Day to all!

Here's the Power Rankings. It's a weird week for it because we're now, officially, at the start of the stretch run – the final third of the season – and the window is closed. But at the same time, a bunch of the big moves aren't fully settled in with their new teams yet (looking Colorado's way), so what we got, in many instances, were makeshift squads.

Thus I'm trying not to read too much into many of these results. That said, some can't be ignored.

In we go:

1. Nashville SC (-): A point on the road is, by definition, a good result. But that should really have been the full three.
2. Vancouver Whitecaps (-): Everybody gets a mulligan from time to time. This was theirs.
3. St. Louis City (+2): Holy shit, man. That was maybe the most impressive win anybody’s had all year. 
4. Chicago Fire (-1): Wrapped up an unbeaten, four-game road trip. But there are some warning lights flashing given the most recent displays.
5. Inter Miami (-1): Shocking points to drop this past weekend. Can make up for it tomorrow in Chicago. 
6. Philadelphia Union (+3): Zero question they’ve been one of the best teams in the league since the World Cup break. They are thin, though, and the minutes are starting to pile up.
7. Houston Dynamo (-): Good job grinding out that road point. Bad job of (not) taking advantage up a man over the game’s final 20 minutes.
8. New England Revolution (-2): “Sometimes ball not go in” is an unsatisfying narrative, but also the correct one.
9. BCG Charlotte (+1): Resolute and tough to beat. I’ve made no secret, over the years, that I don’t really like the way they play under Dean Smith because I think limits their upside, but if the ambition is just to be a good team that makes the playoffs every year, they’re nailing it.
10. FC Dallas (+2): They’ve scored 2+ goals in four of their past five, and Wednesday’s trip is to St. Paul to face a Loons side that suddenly can’t defend at all.
11. LAFC (-3): Last league win was in July. At home. Against Kansas City. There’s a reason the fans are losing their minds.
12. FC Cincinnati (-1): Parting ways with Matt Miazga will probably be addition by subtraction. He was unplayable this year.
13. San Diego FC (-): Some weird moments of tactical confusion this year that just weren’t a part of the team’s DNA in 2025.
14. Portland Timbers (+1): So about that Voodoo Donuts crack I made about Vincent Janssen on Soccerwise last week...
15. Orlando City (+1): The win was huge, and the best part of it was the defensive performance – one of their best of the year. Joran Gerbet looked fully healthy at d-mid and I’m pretty sure that matters.
16. Colorado Rapids (-2): Didn’t show up. Have to imagine some of the XI will have lost the manager’s trust after that one.
17. NYCFC (-): Now just one win in nine across all competitions, but they are starting to get their guys back. That should help.
18. Columbus Crew (+5): Flipped back to the 3-4-2-1 and Santi Rodríguez, predictably, looked great on that “2” line. Know who else also looked really good? Brooks Lennon, in that Max Arfsten role as an ultra-attacking left wingback. Didn’t see that coming.
19. Seattle Sounders (-1): Performances have been better but they’ve got to start winning these games if they’re going to climb back over the red line.
20. Austin FC (-1): Unbeaten in four, and just five points back. They’ve given themselves a puncher’s chance down the stretch here, but dropping home points hurt.
21. Toronto FC (-): Pushed the unbeaten streak to six games, and hopefully just got the breakout performance they needed from Josh Sargent.
22. RBNY (-): Dropped under the playoff line but they’ve got to be happy with the road shutout.
23. Minnesota United (-3): The good news: With 12 goals in their past three games they suddenly can’t stop scoring. The bad news: They can’t stop anybody, either, and have won just once in league play since early May.
24. Atlanta United (-): A resolute performance, and it’s good to see Breel Embolo immediately on the scoreboard.
25. LA Galaxy (+2): Great result, and now just one loss in four in league play. Season-defining stretch coming up over the next month now.
26. San Jose Earthquakes (-1): A road point is a road point, but the inability to see that one out is some nasty business. Still winless in the Clausura.
27. Real Salt Lake (-1): Maybe the home point stops the bleeding here?
28. D.C. United (-): Even when they actually play their game I don’t have much to say about this team.
29. Montréal Impact (-): Credit for fighting. If Prince Owusu converts that penalty maybe they get a point out of it. Que sera.
30. Sporting KC (-): The 2024 Quakes allowed a record 78 goals in 34 games. Sporting are ahead of that pace, having conceded 58 in 23. The backline’s been entirely rebuilt, by the way.