MLS Power Rankings: Matchday 7

Another week of MLS action meant more implosion from the Galaxy, a dominant performance from LAFC, and another scoreless draw from Nashville. We’ll keep things short this week, so let’s dive into the rankings.

As a refresher, here’s how the model works:

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  1. Points per game – 30%
  2. Goal difference – 15%
  3. Form in last five games – 15%
  4. Expected goal difference – 12.5%
  5. Strength of schedule – 12.5%
  6. Home and away form – 12.5%
  7. Goals added – 2.5%

Matchday 7 power rankings

Seattle Sounders got a really solid 3-0 win over St. Louis City FC, pushing them into the top spot in our rankings. LAFC’s score improved after their 3-0 win against Austin FC, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the Sounders and the two sides switch places.

Columbus Crew keep climbing, beating DC United 2-0 on the road. In their last three matches, they’ve scored 12 goals and conceded just one. Wilfried Nancy has more than hit the ground running with his new club, and they look like early contenders.

Speaking of contenders, New England Revolution thrashed Nancy’s former CF Montréal side 4-0. Maybe it’s dangerous to read too much into any win over Montréal, the worst side in MLS according to the model, but with Carles Gil back and in form, it’s hard not to like what’s happening in Foxborough.

Nashville SC drop two points after a scoreless draw against a meh Toronto FC team. Nashville’s defense is elite, conceding just two goals in their first seven games. It’s nearly impossible to keep up this defensive pace, but if they did, they’d concede just 10 goals all season. They can regress and still be well on track for the best single-season defensive record, but their continued lack of scoring options and over reliance on Hany Mukhtar is really lowering their ceiling.

Author: Ben Wrightis the Director of Soccer Content and a Senior MLS Contributor for Broadway Sports covering Nashville SC and the US National Team. Previously Ben was the editor and a founder of Speedway Soccer, where he has covered Nashville SC and their time in USL before journeying to Major League Soccer since 2018. Raised in Louisville, KY Ben grew up playing before a knee injury ended his competitive career. When he is not talking soccer he is probably producing music, drinking coffee or hanging out with his wife and kids. Mastodon

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