This week saw one of the more dramatic shakeups the SB Nation Soccer MLS Power rankings have ever seen. None of the moves were all that surprising, but we saw Sporting KC move to the top, the Galaxy drop five spots, the Earthquakes move up four and the Red Bulls move up five.
MLS Power Rankings, Week 5: Sporting KC Surges To The Top
There was lots of movement in this week’s power rankings as the Earthquakes and Red Bulls both saw huge gains.
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All of it just highlighted what an unpredictable season this has been.
This week’s power rankings are being themed by “The Who.”
1. Sporting Kansas City (Average ranking: 1.48; Last week: 2): It's not just that they are perfect through five matches, it's how they've gotten here. Their suffocating defense has allowed just one goal and Jimmy Nielsen is in danger of getting bored.
2. Real Salt Lake (1.62; 1): That random loss to Chivas USA aside, they have looked absolutely dominant all season.
3. Seattle Sounders (4.29; 3): Injuries have definitely taken their toll on the Sounders, but they've managed to get results and their defense continues to out perform expectations.
4. San Jose Earthquakes (4.43; 8): Hot striker? Check. Solid defense? Check. Late-game mettle? Check. There's simply no deny this team is every bit as much of a contender as anyone else at this point.
5. New York Red Bulls (5.33; 10): There are still questions about their defense, but the Red Bulls are currently one of the hottest scoring teams in MLS history and are showing no signs of slowing down.
6. Houston Dynamo (6.48; 5): They were off last week, but the injuries and absences will test their depth.
7. Colorado Rapids (6.95; 7): Hard to deny this team is improved from a aesthetic standpoint, but there are still growing pains with Oscar Pareja's 4-3-3/4-5-1 hybrid.
8. FC Dallas (8.33; 7): Hardly looked impressive in their win at home over the Revolution, but did bounce back from their ugly loss of a week ago.
9. Vancouver Whitecaps (8.90; 9): After setting the MLS record for most consecutive shutout minutes to open a season, they promptly fell apart. That offense is going to need to start producing.
10. LA Galaxy (10.24; 5): Another week, another disappointing result. It's maybe not time to panic, but it is time to worry.
11. D.C. United (11.67; 14): They followed up their thrashing of Dallas by failing to score at home against the Sounders. Still haven't won consecutive games since 2009.
12. Chicago Fire (11.81; 12): Still not nearly enough data to make any kind of conclusive argument them.
13. Columbus Crew (13.10; 13): Were absolutely thrashed by the Red Bulls. Just seem out of their league whenever they play elite competition.
14. Chivas USA (13.57; 18): Went to Portland and picked up another surprising road victory. Now, they need to win some games they are expected to.
15. Portland Timbers (13.62; 11): Off to a worse start than during the expansion season. Maybe remaking the defense wasn't such a hot idea after all.
16. New England Revolution (14.29; 15): Hung tough with Dallas, but dropped a heart-breaker at the death. Positive sign, but hardly proof of anything.
17. Montreal Impact (17.38; 19): Finally got their first win. Of course, it was against TFC.
18. Philadelphia Union (18.00; 17): They were off this week, but couldn’t halt their slide toward the bottom.
19. Toronto FC (18.48; 16): They lost to the Impact and are now winless through four matches. How can you put them anywhere else?
How the poll works: Each voter ranks the teams from 1-19. The teams are then ordered by average, with the lowest average going first and so on. The editor then splits the rankings into five tiers, looking for natural breaks in the averages.
Who participated: Jeremiah Oshan (SB Nation, soccer); Aaron Campeau (SB Nation, soccer); Ryan Rosenblatt (SB Nation, soccer); Drew Epperley (SB Nation, soccer); Jason Anderson (SB Nation, soccer); Martin Shatzer (Black and Red United); Scott Kessler (Brotherly Game); Denzel Eslinger (RSL Soapbox); Robert Jonas (Quake, Rattle and Goal); Daniel Robertson (Big D Soccer); Dave Clark and Josh Yockey (Sounder at Heart); Duncan Fletcher (Waking the Red), Steve Stoehr (The Bent Musket); Ben Schneider (Once a Metro); Alicia Ratterree (The Goat Parade); Brenton Walters (The Vancouver Whitecaps Offside); Geoff Gibson (Stumptown Footy); Sofiane Benzaza (Mount Royal Soccer); Alex Englen (The Daily Wiz); Tweed Thornton and Ryan Sealock (Hot Time In Old Town).
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