MLS Power Rankings, 1-30 | Matchday 31

MLS didn't go quite as sicko mode as this week of college football, but still, almost everybody in the league dropped points this week. Some were kind of expected (the Quakes played two games at altitude and then came home to face No. 1 Nashville, and got three draws out of it), while some were... not (St. Louis, what happened, man?).

That's what you get at this time of the season. Everybody's both worn out and desperate at the same time, and you add in the three-game week, and you've got yourself a stew going. A dropped points stew. Delicious.

Ok, I'm gonna stop with the stew thing (I'm hungry) and just start Ranking Power. In we go:

1. Nashville SC (-): Crushed Sporting and took a good point from San Jose. It's just a race to history now.
2. Philadelphia Union (+1): The defense has looked more vulnerable, but this team's still creating a ton of chances against virtually everyone.
3. St. Louis City (-1): The drop in intensity is something Yoann Damet has been focused on, and it finally came back to bite them. Perhaps it was the warning they needed ahead of the Open Cup final.
4. Vancouver Whitecaps (-): Still not back to their best, but that scoreless midweek draw at St. Louis impressed me.
5. Inter Miami (+1): Only team in the league to win all three games last week, and now up to third in the Shield standings. They're back.
6. San Jose Earthquakes (+1): Brutally tough week – playing at altitude twice is never fun – capped off by a "leave it all out on the field" second half vs. Nashville. Fact that they went unbeaten says a lot about their mentality, but the fact that scored just three goals says a bit about their attack at the moment.
7. New England Revolution (+1): Arguably were outplayed against both Cincy and Chicago, but came away with six points anyway and are now virtually guaranteed to finish top four in the East.
8. Chicago Fire (-3): Up and down, up and down. No rhythm to this team, no rhythm to this season.
9. FC Dallas (-): Daniel Job looked fantastic, at least, and Dallas are in good shape. But they really haven't evolved beyond what they were last year.
10. BCG Charlotte (-): Same.
11. Seattle Sounders (-): Feels like they let the chance to push up into the top four slip away.
12. Houston Dynamo (-): One win in two months.
13. LAFC (-): Got the job done midweek vs. Austin, and a point on the road is, by definition, a good result. But man, they did not show much.
14. Orlando City (-): Just a spectacular attacking team when they can play on the front foot. But they are still on course to have one of the worst defenses in league history.
15. LA Galaxy (+2): While everybody else has fallen apart, the Galaxy have gone 3W-1L-1D in their past five. João Klauss's return has been huge.
16. Colorado Rapids (-1): Real questions about how this roster's being used. This team was better in the first half of the season, by quite a bit.
17. Columbus Crew (+1): They've gone 5W-1L-0D since I wrote that they wouldn't trick me again. Okey doke.
18. Toronto FC (+7): Put together a seven-point week capped off by an impressive and necessary win in Harrison – a true six-pointer – and have all three DPs back now. No excuses.
19. RBNY (-3): Could've ended two seasons this week, but somehow managed to lose to both D.C. and TFC. Brutal.
20. FC Cincinnati (-1): Only one win in their past nine since mid-August. It looks like they're circling the drain.
21. San Diego FC (-1): Also circling the drain. So incredibly vulnerable any time they don't have the ball.
22. Real Salt Lake (+7): The newly constructed defense has been an improvement the past couple of games, and they've got a puncher's chance.
23. NYCFC (-2): There is just no life or juice in this team despite all the talent.
24. Austin FC (-2): The results are finally matching the performances.
25. Portland Timbers (-2): If they were going to make a run, this was the week to do it.
26. D.C. United (-): I just can't believe they haven't been put out of their mercy, but the fact is if they win their game in hand against Cincy they're truly in the play-in hunt.
27. Minnesota United (+3): I was happy for those fans.
28. Atlanta United (-1): I was sad for those fans.
29. Montréal Impact (-1): Most years this is a Wooden Spoon team.
30. Sporting KC (-6): Not this year, though! Turns out that good stretch in September was a blip and Sporting have completely fallen apart in October.