With one month left in the regular season, the time for flippant openings and contrived wordplay is over. There’s enough drama on the field to provide the entertainment value - value that transfers over to SB Nation’s Enhanced MLS Power Rankings.
Major League Soccer Rankings: Columbus’s Fall Narrows Top Tier To Three
The top tier is back down to three teams, all from the Western Conference. The West’s strength is only augmented by Colorado and Seattle’s combined 7-0 scoreline on Saturday.
The lopsided effect will be sorted-out come playoff time, when the Western Conference teams will have to pick each other off. If the playoffs started today, our top two teams would meet in the conference semifinals, with the sometimes stoic Galaxy defense tasked with containing Omar Cummings.
But until the, our rankings:
| The Cup Contenders | ||
|---|---|---|
 | Real Salt Lake |  100% (30 out of 30 points) |
 | FC Dallas | 100% (30 out of 30 points) |
 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 96% (29 out of 30 points) |
The elite level is back to three teams, but for the first time since we started publishing power rankings at the soccer hub, the Supporters’ Shield holders are not part of the elite. Real Salt Lake is the class of the league, with 14-matches unbeaten Dallas earning the same, perfect rating.
| Postseason, But Little More | ||
|---|---|---|
 | Columbus Crew | 83% (25 out of 30 points) |
 | New York Red Bulls | 80% (24 out of 30 points) |
 | Seattle Sounders | 66% (20 out of 30 points) |
 | Colorado Rapids | 66% (20 out of 30 points) |
 | San Jose Earthquakes | 66% (20 out of 30 points) |
In fairness to Columbus, 25 points is about as borderline first-tier as you can be. Of the ten voters who take part in the weekly survey, Columbus was seen as first tier by five, though we might ask why. It’s difficult to imagine a truly elite-level team putting up a 1-7 over the course of two matches. Robert Warzycha’s team is derailed.
| "Playoffs? Playoffs?" | ||
|---|---|---|
 | Kansas City Wizards | 33% (10 out of 30 points) |
 | Toronto FC | 30% (9 out of 30 points) |
 | Chicago Fire | 16% (5 out of 30 points) |
Kansas City may be the last of the playoff contenders, having two games in hand on Seattle and San Jose. Each voter saw them as third tier. Toronto is still viable, the majority says, while Chicago’s viability is almost revoked.
| And with the third pick in the 2011 MLS Superdraft ... | ||
|---|---|---|
 | Philadelphia Union | 6% (2 out of 30 points) |
 | New England Revolution | 3% (1 out of 30 points) |
 | Chivas USA | 3% (1 out of 30 points) |
 | Houston Dynamo | 0% (0 out of 30 points) |
 | DC United | 0% (0 out of 30 points) |
Heartbeats of support distinguish Philadelphia, New England and Chivas from Houston and DC United, but none of these teams are threatening the third tier. Despite pushing L.A. this weekend, DC United is cruising to the league’s worst record. Just their luck, they’ll finish last in the year where two expansion teams are coming in.
How It Works: Each of the ten participants puts Major League Soccer’s clubs into one of the four tiers. Teams in the top tier get three points. Next tier, two points, then one, then zilch. Voters can put as many teams into each tier as they would like. Though the vote total orders the teams, the clubs are intended to be grouped, not sorted.
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