MLS Power Rankings: Crew SC's Berhalter Brigade goes top
- by Ridge Mahoney @ridgemax, Mar 6, 2018
The top three teams in Soccer America's Preseason Power Rankings all lost, so teams jumped up and dropped down the ladder in the first weekend of MLS play.
Previous No. 1 Toronto FC and Seattle (No. 3) both lost at home, and ex-No. 2 Atlanta was pummeled, 4-0, at Houston.
Debuting head coaches Brad Friedel (New England), Remi Garde (Montreal) and Giovanni Savarese (Portland) went down to defeat but Mikael Stahre (San Jose) started off with a victory.
Uruguayan forward Diego Rossi scored in his first MLS game -- the game-winner for LAFC -- one day before his 20th birthday.
Week 1 Results:
March 3
Toronto FC 0, Columbus 2. Highlights
Houston 4, Atlanta United 0. Highlights
Philadelphia 2, New England 0. Highlights
Orlando City 1, D.C, United 1. Highlights
FC Dallas 1, Real Salt Lake 1. Highlights
San Jose 3, Minnesota United 2. Highlights
March 4
Seattle 0, Los Angeles FC 1. Highlights
Vancouver 2, Montreal 1. Highlights
Sporting KC 0, New York City FC 2. Highlights
L.A. Galaxy 2, Portland 1. Highlights
Only MLS results are counted in the Power Rankings, which this week include the team’s record and its placing in the preseason rankings.
1. COLUMBUS (1-0-0), 9. Berhalter Brigade turned tables on TFC after narrow 1-0 aggregate loss in last year’s playoffs.
2. HOUSTON (1-0-0), 8. Dished out payback for 4-1 beatdown at Bobby Dowd Stadium last year.
3. NEW YORK CITY FC (1-0-0), 6. Scored two fine goals yet might have more impressive during long stretches of intelligent interchange and movement.
4. NY RED BULLS (0-0-0), 4. Sat out opening weekend, plays at Tijuana and opens league play at home against Portland.
5. LOS ANGELES FC (1-0-0), 14. Great result in tough venue for team, big night for ex-Sounders keeper Tyler Miller and Rossi.
--------------------------------------------
6. VANCOUVER (1-0-0), 11. Record home-opener crowd (27,837) rewarded by first ‘Caps goal from Kei Kamara and first pro goal for Alphonso Davies.
7. CHICAGO (0-0-0), 7. Kicks off season Saturday at home against SKC.
8. PHILADELPHIA (1-0-0), 13. Young debutants Auston Trusty and Anthony Fontana (goal) enabled Union in must-win opener.
9. LA GALAXY (1-0-0), 16. Start of second season under Sigi Schmid off to good start yet much work on the defensive side is pending.
10. SAN JOSE (1-0-0), 15. Vako (goal, two assists) and Danny Hoesen (two goals) took pressure off Chris Wondolowski, though defense crumbled late.
--------------------------------------------
11. REAL SALT LAKE (0-0-1), 10. Won a lot of 50-50 balls, unlucky not to win the game. TAM signing Damir Kreilach will bear watching.
12. ORLANDO CITY (0-0-1), 17. Equalizing 10-against-11, even at home, is not a bad start to a new season.
13. PORTLAND (0-1-0), 5. Timbers stunned by two quick goals and never got the defense right despite late rally.
14. TORONTO FC (0-1-0), 1. Hit woodwork three times but Crew SC consistently pierced TFC defensive third.
15. ATLANTA UNITED (0-1-0), 2. Defensive linchpin Leanrdo Gonzalez Pirez gets schooled on first goal and is injured and substituted in rout.
--------------------------------------------
16. SEATTLE (0-1-0), 3. Sounders were maybe looking forward to CCL clash, still outshot LAFC, 22-5.
17. D.C. UNITED (0-0-1), 22. No surprise: Yamil Asad is a great addition. Disappointing ending but encouraging team performance.
18. FC DALLAS (0-0-1), 19. Late own goal rescued a point after FCD reeled off a fair number of shots.
19. SPORTING KC (0-1-0), 12. Diego Rubio struggled and SKC seldom looked like the home team. Daniel Salloi helped his cause.
20. MONTREAL (0-1-0), 18. Decidely second best in first all-Canadian clash of the season.
--------------------------------------------
21. MINNESOTA UNITED (0-1-0), 21. Kevin Molino Show landed in San Jose too late to bail out Loons.
22. NEW ENGLAND (0-1-0), 20. Head coach Brad Friedel opted for four new faces and lost two defensive returnees to red cards. Who does he start this week?
23. COLORADO (0-0-0), 23. Rapids get their show on the road this week in Gillette Stadium.
Previous No. 1 Toronto FC and Seattle (No. 3) both lost at home, and ex-No. 2 Atlanta was pummeled, 4-0, at Houston.
Debuting head coaches Brad Friedel (New England), Remi Garde (Montreal) and Giovanni Savarese (Portland) went down to defeat but Mikael Stahre (San Jose) started off with a victory.
Uruguayan forward Diego Rossi scored in his first MLS game -- the game-winner for LAFC -- one day before his 20th birthday.
Week 1 Results:
March 3
Toronto FC 0, Columbus 2. Highlights
Houston 4, Atlanta United 0. Highlights
Philadelphia 2, New England 0. Highlights
Orlando City 1, D.C, United 1. Highlights
FC Dallas 1, Real Salt Lake 1. Highlights
San Jose 3, Minnesota United 2. Highlights
March 4
Seattle 0, Los Angeles FC 1. Highlights
Vancouver 2, Montreal 1. Highlights
Sporting KC 0, New York City FC 2. Highlights
L.A. Galaxy 2, Portland 1. Highlights
Only MLS results are counted in the Power Rankings, which this week include the team’s record and its placing in the preseason rankings.
1. COLUMBUS (1-0-0), 9. Berhalter Brigade turned tables on TFC after narrow 1-0 aggregate loss in last year’s playoffs.
2. HOUSTON (1-0-0), 8. Dished out payback for 4-1 beatdown at Bobby Dowd Stadium last year.
3. NEW YORK CITY FC (1-0-0), 6. Scored two fine goals yet might have more impressive during long stretches of intelligent interchange and movement.
4. NY RED BULLS (0-0-0), 4. Sat out opening weekend, plays at Tijuana and opens league play at home against Portland.
5. LOS ANGELES FC (1-0-0), 14. Great result in tough venue for team, big night for ex-Sounders keeper Tyler Miller and Rossi.
--------------------------------------------
6. VANCOUVER (1-0-0), 11. Record home-opener crowd (27,837) rewarded by first ‘Caps goal from Kei Kamara and first pro goal for Alphonso Davies.
7. CHICAGO (0-0-0), 7. Kicks off season Saturday at home against SKC.
8. PHILADELPHIA (1-0-0), 13. Young debutants Auston Trusty and Anthony Fontana (goal) enabled Union in must-win opener.
9. LA GALAXY (1-0-0), 16. Start of second season under Sigi Schmid off to good start yet much work on the defensive side is pending.
10. SAN JOSE (1-0-0), 15. Vako (goal, two assists) and Danny Hoesen (two goals) took pressure off Chris Wondolowski, though defense crumbled late.
--------------------------------------------
11. REAL SALT LAKE (0-0-1), 10. Won a lot of 50-50 balls, unlucky not to win the game. TAM signing Damir Kreilach will bear watching.
12. ORLANDO CITY (0-0-1), 17. Equalizing 10-against-11, even at home, is not a bad start to a new season.
13. PORTLAND (0-1-0), 5. Timbers stunned by two quick goals and never got the defense right despite late rally.
14. TORONTO FC (0-1-0), 1. Hit woodwork three times but Crew SC consistently pierced TFC defensive third.
15. ATLANTA UNITED (0-1-0), 2. Defensive linchpin Leanrdo Gonzalez Pirez gets schooled on first goal and is injured and substituted in rout.
--------------------------------------------
16. SEATTLE (0-1-0), 3. Sounders were maybe looking forward to CCL clash, still outshot LAFC, 22-5.
17. D.C. UNITED (0-0-1), 22. No surprise: Yamil Asad is a great addition. Disappointing ending but encouraging team performance.
18. FC DALLAS (0-0-1), 19. Late own goal rescued a point after FCD reeled off a fair number of shots.
19. SPORTING KC (0-1-0), 12. Diego Rubio struggled and SKC seldom looked like the home team. Daniel Salloi helped his cause.
20. MONTREAL (0-1-0), 18. Decidely second best in first all-Canadian clash of the season.
--------------------------------------------
21. MINNESOTA UNITED (0-1-0), 21. Kevin Molino Show landed in San Jose too late to bail out Loons.
22. NEW ENGLAND (0-1-0), 20. Head coach Brad Friedel opted for four new faces and lost two defensive returnees to red cards. Who does he start this week?
23. COLORADO (0-0-0), 23. Rapids get their show on the road this week in Gillette Stadium.
May I suggest to S.W. a weekly Power Ranking for MLS officials on the pitch. This would be a good barometer to measure MLS competence in its officiating "guyidelines".