SA's MLS Power Rankings: Los Angeles teams claim top spots

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Apr 29, 2019

MLS Week 9, Results:

Wednesday, April 24
NYCFC 1 Chicago 0
Columbus 0 D.C. United 1
New England 0 Montreal 3
Minn. United 0 LA Galaxy 0
Seattle 2 San Jose 2
Saturday, April 27
NYCFC 1 Orlando City 1
Toronto FC 1 Portland 2
FC Dallas 0 San Jose 0
Vancouver 1 Philadelphia 1
Atlanta United 1 Colorado 0
NY Red Bulls 1 FC Cincinnati 0
Houston 2 Columbus 0
Sporting KC 4 New England 4
Sunday, April 28
Montreal 1 Chicago 0
Minnesota United 1 D.C. United 0
Seattle 1 LAFC 1
LA Galaxy 2 Real Salt Lake 1

√ The MLS scoring pace slowed down considerably in Week 9. If you throw out the 4-4 tie between New England and Sporting KC, the other 16 games produced only 27 goals, an average of only 1.69 goals per game. Chicago and Columbus played twice and suffered shutout losses in both games.

√ The LA Galaxy's seven-game unbeaten streak is the longest active streak in MLS. It has won all six games at home in 2019. The only other teams that are unbeaten and untied at home are LAFC (5-0-0) and Montreal (2-0-0). (Portland won't play its first game at Providence Park until June 1.)

√ Since dropping a 7-1 decision at Sporting KC, Montreal has played six games and allowed only three goals, earning shutouts in five of them.

RANK (PREVIOUS) TEAM (W-L-T)
1. (1) LAFC (7-1-2)
2. (3) LA Galaxy (7-1-1)
3. (4) Houston (5-1-1)
4. (2) Seattle (5-1-3)
5. (6) FC Dallas (5-2-2)
6. (7) Philadelphia (4-3-1)
7. (14) Montreal (5-3-2)
8. (5) Toronto FC (4-2-1)
9. (11) NYCFC (2-1-6)
10. (13) Minn. United (4-3-2)
11. (9) D.C. United (5-3-2)
12. (10) Sporting KC (2-2-4)
13. (15) Atlanta United (2-3-2)
14. (17) Orlando City (3-3-3)
15. (22) Portland (2-5-1)
16. (8) Columbus (4-5-1)
17. (20) San Jose (2-5-2)
18. (12) Chicago (2-4-3)
19. (16) Real Salt Lake (3-5-1)
20. (23) NY Red Bulls (2-4-2)
21. (21) Vancouver (1-5-3)
22. (18) FC Cincinnati (2-5-2)
23. (19) New England (2-6-2)
24. (24) Colorado (0-7-2)
Note: Only MLS results are counted in the Power Rankings.

MLS Week 10, Schedule:

Wednesday, May  1
Philadelphia vs. FC Cincinnati 7:30 pm.
Friday, May 3
Colorado vs. Vancouver 9 pm.
Saturday, May 4
NY Red Bulls vs. LA Galaxy 2 pm.
Houston vs. FC Dallas 4 pm.
Orlando City vs. Toronto FC 4 pm.
Montreal vs. NYCFC 5 pm.
Philadelphia vs. New England  7:30 pm.
D.C. United vs. Columbus  8 pm.
Minnesota United vs. Seattle 8 pm.
Real Salt Lake vs. Portland 9 pm.
San Jose vs. FC Cincinnati 10 pm.
LAFC vs. Chicago 10:30 pm.
Sunday, May  5
Sporting KC vs. Atlanta United 9 pm.
Note: All times ET.

√ Houston hosts FC Dallas in the first meeting of 2019 in the Texas Derby. They will enter the game with a combined record of 10-3-3.

√ Minnesota United plays Seattle for the first time since longtime Sounders captain Osvaldo Alonso left as a free agent to join the Loons.

Photo: Charis Wilson/Sounders FC Communications, Columbus Crew SC Communications