MLS Power Rankings: No change in top five

The Galaxy held second by rallying to tie the Red Bulls at home. Ordinarily, a fourth straight victory would lift a team more than two places, but Toronto FC’s pair of wins wasn’t quite enough to move into the first quintet.

A big win for Seattle in Orlando lifted the Sounders further from the bottom.

Week 23 Results
Aug. 3
Toronto FC 1, Real Salt Lake 0. Highlights
Aug. 5
San Jose 0, New York City FC 0. Highlights
Aug. 6
Toronto FC 4, New England 1.  Highlights
Montreal 1, Houston 0.  Highlights
D.C. United 2, Philadelphia 2.  Highlights
Colorado 2, Vancouver 0.  Highlights
Real Salt Lake 3, Chicago 1.  Highlights
Aug. 7
Portland 3, Sporting KC 0.  Highlights
Orlando City 1, Seattle 3.  Highlights
LA Galaxy 2, NY Red Bulls 2.  Highlights
 
Only MLS result are factored into the Power Rankings, which include a team’s record in parentheses (W-L-T) and rank last week.
 
1. FC DALLAS (13-6-5), 1. FCD used a rare weekend off to recover from a 2-1 CCL victory over Real Esteli on Thursday. It plays the Galaxy Wednesday in the U.S. Open Cup and hosts SKC Saturday, having won five of its last seven league games. This week will provide some clues as to what will happen in the era post-Fabian Castillo, and what former Timbers centerback Norberto Paparrato, acquired and signed in a trade last week, can provide.

2. LA GALAXY (10-3-8), 2. A seven-game unbeaten streak looked doomed as late as the 80th minute but as keeper Brian Rowe fended off several attacks, Mike Magee tapped home a Steven Gerrard knockdown and Ashley Cole drilled home a low shot from a tight angle. The back line sprang too many leaks yet still the Galaxy scraped out a point.

3. NEW YORK CITY FC (10-7-7), 3. The team’s success has papered over a few rough outings for keeper Josh Saunders, but with a couple of excellent kick saves and generally solid play he bagged his sixth shutout on a rare off-night for the attackers. In his first start for NYCFC, centerback Maxime Chanot snuffed a close-range attempt to help post the zero.

4. NY RED BULLS (9-9-6), 4. Great finishes by Gonzalo Veron (a chip over the onrushing keeper) and Sean Davis (a sweet curler for his first MLS goal) staked the Red Bulls to a 2-0 lead they squandered. Two PK appeals were rebuffed, and head coach Jesse Marsch’s fierce protests earned him a dismissal, but blown chances -- not just blown calls -- cost the Red Bulls a precious victory. And a whiffed clearance by Mike Grella set up Magee’s goal.

5. COLORADO (11-3-8), 5. The scoring machine that is Marlon Hairston – recently anyway – tallied his third goal in the last four games and assisted on a clincher by Dominique Badji as the Rapids piled up a 23-7 advantage in shots. Centerback Bobby Burling returned to the lineup after an absence of more than two months and backstopped the team’s second shutout with Tim Howard in the nets.

6. MONTREAL (8-5-9), 6. Loanee Matteo Mancosu stepped in for the suspended Didier Drogba, and chested down a Marco Donadel cross to score his second MLS goal and first game-winner. Several big saves by Evan Bush earned the Impact a victory its sputtering play didn’t really deserve and only Montreal’s second in the last seven games.

7. TORONTO FC (10-7-6), 8. Scheduled a four-game homestand to establish its credentials, TFC has done just that by winning the first three. It nudged aside RSL, 1-0, with the first MLS goal by Tosaint Ricketts, then trampled the Revs under the feet of a Sebastian Giovinco hat trick. Jozy Altidore contributed to the RSL goal with a clever flick and rounded off the Revs’ rout by latching onto a free kick taken quickly by Michael Bradley to score number four.

8. PORTLAND (8-8-8), 9. The Timbers rode out the ejection of Diego Chara until a second red card evened the numbers, then rolled over SKC with three second-half goals. A spectacular volley by Diego Valeri opened the scoring and a mesmerizing dribble by Darlington Nagbe enabled Jack Jewsbury to arrow a shot high into the net.

9. REAL SALT LAKE (10-7-7), 10. RSL bounced back from a loss north of the border to snuff the Fire and present Nick Rimando with his league record 181st victory, breaking the mark held by Kevin Hartman. After setting up the first goal for Olmes Garcia, Javier Morales converted a penalty kick and iced just a second victory in the last nine games with a swerving shot.

10. SPORTING KC (10-11-4), 7. A man advantage for 27 minutes failed to produce a goal in Portland and going 10-v-10 wasn’t the answer, either. Still, the game was at 1-0 until the 87^th minute. SKC won the shot battle, 11-8, and took 13 corner kicks without reward.

11. SAN JOSE (6-6-10), 12. The Quakes squelched the potent NYCFC attack but failed to convert several excellent chances -- Chris Wondolowski hit the post, Anibal Godoy flubbed a point-blank opportunity –-- as they tied their third straight game and sixth in the last 10. Newcomer Darwin Ceren played the last 15 minutes in his club debut.

12. VANCOUVER (8-10-6), 11. The ‘Caps, playing their third road match in seven days, managed just two shots on goal as they were shut out in league play for the fourth straight time away from home. Both goals resulted from low centering balls that ‘Caps were unable to intercept or clear. Five more saves by David Ousted -- who leads the league with 86 -- didn’t impact the outcome.

13. PHILADELPHIA (8-8-7), 13. The return of Chris Pontius to RFK netted him a goal that would have been the winner, but the Union conceded well into stoppage time to end up tied. A superb free kick by Tranquillo Barnetta pushed the Union in front after it had fallen behind but again its defensive woes proved costly. The attack should be fearsome once Alejandro Bedoya and Charlie Davies are folded into the mix; can the defense step it up as well?

14. SEATTLE (7-12-3), 19. The Clint Dempsey Hat Trick Show, ably supported by the Two Assist Duo of Jordan Morris and Nicolas Lodeiro, powered the Sounders to their first road win since June 1 (2-0 at RFK). If they are to make a real run at the playoffs, opportunity awaits: Starting Saturday they play four games (two against Portland) in 15 days prior to the FIFA break. Lodeiro will be a key figure and so too might be defender Roman Torres, who resumed full training last week.

15. ORLANDO CITY SC (5-6-11), 14. The Lions scored first through Seb Hines yet seldom looked capable of extending their 17-game home unbeaten streak. Matias Perez Garcia added some energy off the bench in his OCSC debut and when another sub, Julio Baptista, headed a Kaka free kick against the crossbar Hines couldn’t put away the rebound.

16. NEW ENGLAND (6-8-9), 15. The Revs couldn’t keep pace in Toronto with Diego Fagundez, Gershon Koffie, and Darrius Barnes all back in the starting lineup after long absences. Teal Bunbury cashed in a cross from Kelyn Rowe, one of several Revs to complain about rough play that wasn’t punished.

17. D.C. UNITED (5-8-9), 18. The grimness continues. Defender Taylor Kemp supplied an early goal but after conceding twice only a last-second strike by Steve Birnbaum -- about 10 minutes after the ejection of head coach Ben Olsen for disputing refereeing decisions -- salvaged D.C. a home point. For the second straight week, D.C. tied a home game after scoring the first goal, and that can’t continue when Portland and the Red Bulls come calling in the next two weeks.

18. HOUSTON (4-10-8), 16. For the fourth time in the last five games -- none of them victories -- the Dynamo failed to score, though several strong shots were repelled. The result dropped the road record to 0-9-3; in away games Houston has scored nine goals and conceded 19. Interim head coach Wade Barrett is getting good effort out of his players but not many points.

19. CHICAGO (4-11-6), 17. Hope of a result after Arturo Alvarez’s goal cut a deficit to 2-1 lasted about six minutes and the Fire lost for the fourth time in the last six games. Former Rapid Luis Solignac played the full 90 and took one shot. Matt Lampson got the start in goal instead of Sean Johnson. They’ve split the time almost evenly this season, so who starts against the Revs Tuesday in the Open Cup?

20. COLUMBUS (3-8-10), 20. Crew SC took the week off burdened by a nine-game winless streak, the second-longest in team history. Defender Nicolai Naess, keeper Zach Steffen, and forward Adam Jahn have joined the team within the past few weeks and what they can bring to the table isn’t likely to boost the chances of postseason play.