After a month off for Leagues Cup, the MLS regular season started back up this weekend. As is tradition, I’m firing up the power rankings again, because apparently I can’t get enough of being screamed at online.
A point of clarification: these rankings account for MLS results only. Concacaf Champions League, US Open Cup and Leagues Cup do not affect the rankings. Miami are still in last place, but will jump up quickly if their Lionel Messi-inspired form continues.
- Points per game – 30%
- Goal difference – 15%
- Form in last five games – 15%
- Expected goal difference – 12.5%
- Strength of schedule – 12.5%
- Home and away form – 12.5%
- Goals added – 2.5%
Matchday 27 Power Rankings
| RANK | TEAM | SCORE | RANK CHANGE | SCORE CHANGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ST. Louis CITY SC | 27.94 | +1 | +2.06 |
| 2 | FC Cincinnati | 27.35 | -1 | -2.44 |
| 3 | Columbus Crew | 26.30 | +2 | +3.16 |
| 4 | LAFC | 24.37 | -1 | — |
| 5 | Philadelphia Union | 23.57 | -1 | — |
| 6 | New England Revolution | 23.07 | — | — |
| 7 | Nashville SC | 21.62 | +1 | — |
| 8 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 20.26 | +1 | -0.17 |
| 9 | Seattle Sounders | 20.24 | -2 | -1.40 |
| 10 | Orlando City SC | 19.70 | — | +2.17 |
| 11 | Atlanta United | 18.02 | — | +2.10 |
| 12 | New York Red Bulls | 15.68 | — | +1.44 |
| 13 | Minnesota United | 14.19 | +2 | +1.29 |
| 14 | Real Salt Lake | 13.40 | — | — |
| 15 | DC United | 12.24 | -2 | -1.21 |
| 16 | Houston Dynamo | 11.12 | +5 | +4.56 |
| 17 | FC Dallas | 10.29 | — | — |
| 18 | Austin FC | 9.76 | -2 | -1.41 |
| 19 | San Jose Earthquakes | 9.05 | — | +0.62 |
| 20 | New York City FC | 7.84 | — | -0.47 |
| 21 | Chicago Fire | 6.94 | -3 | -1.89 |
| 22 | CF Montréal | 4.74 | +3 | +1.54 |
| 23 | Sporting KC | 4.55 | — | — |
| 24 | LA Galaxy | 3.48 | — | — |
| 25 | Portland Timbers | 0.69 | -3 | -3.93 |
| 26 | Colorado Rapids | -0.21 | — | — |
| 27 | Charlotte FC | -1.55 | — | -0.14 |
| 28 | Toronto FC | -4.23 | — | -1.17 |
| 29 | Inter Miami CF | -5.66 | — | — |
The OPI model must really like Vancouver Whitecaps. They have one win in nine road matches, and just lost at home to San Jose Earthquakes. Their score dropped, though, and they only move up due to teams around them falling. Their underlying metrics have propped them up for a while, but I expect them to start dropping here.
Similarly, Seattle Sounders cling to a spot in the top 10 after a hearty 2-0 thumping at home by Atlanta United. They’re still in 11th in the Supporters’ Shield standings, but looked inept for a while before Leagues Cup kicked off. They have some serious roster issues to address this winter.
Columbus Crew smashed FC Cincinnati 3-0 at Lower.com Field, continuing their form from before the break. They’ve been one of the most dynamic teams in MLS this season and their summer transfer window additions make them even scarier. The loss drops Cincinnati down to second place, despite their hefty lead in the Supporters’ Shield race.
St. Louis City take the top spot after a 6-3 demolition of Austin FC. They continue to defy expectations, holding a seven point lead over LAFC in the Western Conference and playing like team that has been around for years.
At the other end of the table, Toronto FC and Portland Timbers continue to look completely dysfunctional. Toronto are all but officially eliminated from the playoffs, and Portland won’t be far behind with more performances like their 5-0 embarrassment against Houston Dynamo.
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