MLS Power Rankings: Sporting Kansas City rolls on, Eastern teams stay close
- by Ridge Mahoney @ridgemax, Jun 5, 2018
SKC maintained its hold at the top and Atlanta United moved into second place as the Red Bulls tumbled to defeat at New England. Portland stayed third, one place ahead of Columbus, after both teams tied in very different manners. FCD leaped over both New York teams into fifth place, and RSL jumped from 14th just into the top tier at No. 11.
MLS's U.S. teams will play in the Open Cup this week. After league games this weekend and another busy midweek slate, MLS takes a 10-day break (June 14-22) during the start of the World Cup.
Results Week 14
May 30
New England 1, Atlanta United 1. Highlights
Philadelphia 3, Chicago 1. Highlights
Real Salt Lake 2, Houston 1. Highlights
L.A. Galaxy 2, FC Dallas 3. Highlights
June 1
Colorado 1, Vancouver 2. Highlights
June 2
Portland 1, L.A. Galaxy 1. Highlights
Atlanta United 3, Philadelphia 1. Highlights
Montreal 1, Houston 0. Highlights
New England 2, New York Red Bulls 1. Highlights
New York City FC 3, Orlando City 0. Highlights
Columbus 3, Toronto FC 3. Highlights
FC Dallas 2, Los Angeles FC 1. Highlights
Chicago 2, San Jose 1. Highlights
Real Salt Lake 2, Seattle 0. Highlights
June 3
Sporting Kansas City 4, Minnesota United 1. Highlights
Only league results are factored into the Power Rankings, which include a team’s record in parentheses and rank last week.
1. SPORTING KC (8-2-4), 1. Homegrown teenager Wan Kuzain scored the winner and his first pro goal just 17 minutes into his second MLS appearance. Another HG product, Daniel Salloi, bagged the first goal as the SKC attack -- missing the injured Felipe Gutierrez -- outshot the Loons, 25-7.
2. ATLANTA UNITED (9-3-2), 4. He’s the spearhead of an attacking juggernaut, surely, and finished off his three goals against Philly’s nine men, yet Josef Martinez has already tied the league all-time record for hat tricks with five. In 34 games. He also scored against the Revs and leads MLS with 12 goals.
3. PORTLAND (6-2-4), 3. A six-game winning streak ended but a penalty kick by Diego Valeri salvaged a point on the day Diego Chara set a club record with his 215th appearance that includes its time in the NASL and USL.
4. COLUMBUS (7-3-5), 6. A barnstorm rally wiped out a 3-0 deficit that ran Crew SC’s unbeaten streak to eight games. Gyasi Zardes scored to start the comeback and drew the penalty-kick foul converted by Federico Higuain for the equalizer. Zardes, USA recall, perhaps?
5. FC DALLAS (7-1-5), 9. FCD is spreading the wealth to good effect. Against the Galaxy, Ryan Hollingshead scored his first goal in nearly two years and assisted on one by Cristian Colman. Hollingshead also assisted on Roland Lamah’s winner in the LAFC game. Reto Ziegler had opened the scoring with his first MLS goal. FCD has won three in a row and four of its last six.
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6. NEW YORK RED BULLS (7-4-1), 2. An early road goal -- Bradley Wright-Phillips in the eighth minute -- didn’t stand up. Red Bulls had won three straight away from home.
7. NEW YORK CITY FC (8-3-3), 8. NYCFC tightened up defensively – it had conceded at least two goals in five of its last seven games – and tamed the Lions with two goals by Ismael Tajouri-Shradi. It is a perfect six-for-six this season in Yankee Stadium.
8. NEW ENGLAND (6-4-4), 10. A Diego Fagundez equalizer in first-half stoppage time set the table for the Revs to down New York in the second half, which they did with a Teal Bunbury goal. Bunbury also notched a late penalty kick to snag a point off Atlanta.
9. LOS ANGELES FC (6-4-3), 7. A goal by Adama Diomande off the bench reduced a 2-0 deficit yet LAFC is winless in its last four games, during which it has conceded seven goals.
10. HOUSTON (6-4-3), 5. The Dynamo fell twice on the road. It didn’t generate much energy in Montreal after conceding a late winner to RSL just seven minutes after Alberth Elis had equalized.
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11. REAL SALT LAKE (7-6-1), 14. The characteristics instilled during a strong finish to the 2017 season – holding firm late in the game, taking advantage of opponent’s weaknesses – enabled RSL to notch six points. Youngster Corey Baird bagged another big goal against Seattle; veteran Kyle Beckerman came off the bench to sting Houston with the winning strike.
12. VANCOUVER (5-5-5), 12. Strong starts to the game by Cristian Techera and Yordy Reyna earned a lead the ‘Caps managed to preserve. Reyna set up the first goal for Techera and bagged the second himself in an impressive display.
13. PHILADELPHIA (5-5-4), 11. Two red cards in quick succession doomed the Union down south but a vital victory against a mid-table rival is the type of success this team desperately needs. It came courtesy of Borek Dockal, who assisted on the first two goals and converted from the penalty spot to clinch it.
14. L.A. GALAXY (5-7-2), 13. The Galaxy bounced back from a dispiriting home loss to earn a point in Portland. Chris Pontius scored in the 20th minute and L.A. needed a few of David Bingham’s nine saves down the stretch after conceding an equalizer early in the second half. Zlatan Ibrahimovic came off the bench Saturday; his two goals against FCD were too late.
15. CHICAGO (5-7-2), 15. Another of his former teams fell victim to the Alan Gordon Show of Success 2018. He actually scored in both games last week and in less than 500 minutes of action has tallied four. So, too, has Aleksandar Katai, who got the winner against the Quakes.
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16. TORONTO FC (3-7-2), 17. A point away against a conference rival is a good point unless a win in the bag escaped. Another free-kick masterpiece by Sebastian Giovinco in the 57th minute should have sealed victory but a bad half-hour from Michael Bradley and his defensive mates coughed it up.
17. ORLANDO CITY (6-6-1), 16. The month of May is best forgotten yet June started poorly as well with a thumping administered by head coach Jason Kreis’ former employer.
18. D.C. UNITED (2-5-3), 18. Another weekend on the sidelines at least rested up United for a flurry of games prior to the World Cup break: Tuesday against North Carolina in the Open Cup, then back-to-back road trips to 2017 MLS Cup finalists Seattle (Saturday) and Toronto FC (a week from Wednesday).
19. MINNESOTA UNITED (5-8-1), 19. The Loons are still learning and the lesson Sunday came in the form of a confident opponent that kept right on rolling despite conceding an equalizer (by Tyrone Mears) shortly after it had taken the lead. After all, keeper Bobby Shuttleworth is only human.
20. SEATTLE (2-7-2), 20. Blanked for the seventh time in 2018 the Sounders are rapidly approaching a point in which the magic of 2016 is needed to save the season. Victor Rodriguez came off the bench for his first appearance of the season; maybe he can be the catalyst that has been missing.
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21. MONTREAL (4-10-0), 23. A beautiful shot off the foot of Jeisson Vargas into the top corner and an improved defensive display ended the Impact’s four-game losing streak.
22. COLORADO (2-8-2), 21. The major point of debate so far for the Rapids is whether Edgar Castillo is one of the few bright spots for the team this season, or the only bright spot. His spectacular first goal for the club came shortly before halftime but after Colorado conceded two, and in a tepid second half it did little to deserve even a point.
23. SAN JOSE (2-8-3), 22. A good season for Danny Hoesen isn’t carrying over to his team. His seventh goal of the season padded his team lead -- no one else has more than three -- but the Quakes were behind when he scored in the 74th minute and stayed there.
