Only MLS league games will be reflected in the rankings. Rankings are voted on by MLSsoccer.com editorial staff; words by Jonathan Sigal.
BIGGEST MOVERS: NSH +3; ATL -5
1
PREVIOUS: 1
HIGH: 1 | LOW: 9
Columbus hold steady in the top spot, despite a 2-2 draw against Chicago. It was a point that showed the mettle of this team: They came back from a 2-0 deficit on the road without two of their best players in Darlington Nagbe and Lucas Zelarayan.
Previous: 2-2 draw at CHI | Next: vs. NSH on 9/19
2
PREVIOUS: 2
HIGH: 2 | LOW: 11
With four wins in their last five, the Union are quietly one of the most in-form teams across MLS. Rumor has it that Anthony Fontana’s late game-winner is still blasting through the net, too. What a strike it was from the homegrown player.
Previous: 2-1 win vs. NE | Next: at MTL on 9/20
3
PREVIOUS: 5
HIGH: 1 | LOW: 8
The Sounders putting seven goals past San Jose last Thursday is absolutely ridiculous in the best way possible. That broke all sorts of club and league records, as the likes of Jordan Morris and Raul Ruidiaz spearheaded an explosive offense.
Previous: 7-1 win vs. SJ | Next: vs. LAFC on 9/18
4
PREVIOUS: 3
HIGH: 1 | LOW: 6
Jozy Altidore is off the mark in 2020, and Toronto are firmly in one of the Eastern Conference’s top spots. Their finishing could certainly be sharper, as Greg Vanney’s bunch is creating enough chances to win every game.
Previous: 2-1 win at MTL | Next: at DC on 9/19
5
PREVIOUS: 6
HIGH: 5 | LOW: 23
When Orlando’s attack is firing on all cylinders, it’s truly enjoyable to watch. They’re unbeaten in five games, all as Oscar Pareja continues to leave his stamp on a club that's looking to make the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time.
Previous: 2-1 win vs. MIA | Next: vs. CHI on 9/19
6
PREVIOUS: 7
HIGH: 6 | LOW: 24
The Galaxy are six games unbeaten, but likely will be disappointed not to have gained three points vs. San Jose in last Sunday’s California Clasico. Then again, Cristian Pavon and Sebastian Lletget are in fine form and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez is back in the mix, so there’s plenty to feel good about.
Previous: 0-0 draw at SJ | Next: vs. COL on 9/19
7
PREVIOUS: 4
HIGH: 2 | LOW: 14
Portland laid an egg in their first game without star attacker Sebastian Blanco (torn ACL), continuing their hot-and-cold form since winning the MLS is Back Tournament. What’s most concerning, however, is the Timbers are allowing three goals per game during that five-game stretch.
Previous: 4-2 loss at LAFC | Next: at SJ on 9/16; at SJ on 9/19
8
PREVIOUS: 9
HIGH: 3 | LOW: 13
The Cityzens are 4W-0L-1D in their last five games, and they’ve climbed the Eastern Conference standings in style. It still feels like NYCFC have another gear or two to hit, but it might need to come without playmaker Maxi Moralez after he suffered a knee injury last weekend.
Previous: 2-1 win vs. CIN | Next: at NE on 9/19
9
PREVIOUS: 11
HIGH: 6 | LOW: 18
Sporting moved back atop the Western Conference standings with last weekend’s 1-0 win over Minnesota, which ended a four-game winless streak. Their injury list is quite lengthy, but Johnny Russell is again in the goalscorer’s column after a mini-drought.
Previous: 1-0 win vs. MIN | Next: vs. DAL on 9/19
10
PREVIOUS: 12
HIGH: 1 | LOW: 12
LAFC earned a bounce-back result, yet the underlying stats tell a greater story. They have a league-high 25 goals scored and 24 goals against (second worst). Diego Rossi leads the league with 10 goals and they'll need to continue outscoring other teams until they can stop them defensively.
Previous: 4-2 win vs. POR | Next: at SEA on 9/18
11
PREVIOUS: 10
HIGH: 4 | LOW: 11
Injuries are piling up for the 3rd-place Loons and they've gone 2W-4L-0D in their first six matches after the Orlando bubble. There appears to be some special chemistry between Robin Lod, Kevin Molino and Emanuel “Bebelo” Reynoso, so perhaps that trio can carry Minnesota far.
Previous: 1-0 loss at SKC | Next: at HOU on 9/19
12
PREVIOUS: 8
HIGH: 8 | LOW: 25
Houston’s six-game unbeaten streak is over, and reports have surfaced that Honduran winger Alberth Elis could soon join Reggie Cannon as a Boavista signing. This team’s potential remains high and it will be interesting to see how quickly head coach Tab Ramos can get his team to rebound.
Previous: 2-1 loss at DAL | Next: vs. MIN on 9/19
13
PREVIOUS: 14
HIGH: 7 | LOW: 16
Welcome to MLS, Andres Ricaurte. The Colombian midfielder scored an absolute golazo in his first start for FC Dallas (check it out if you haven’t), helping Luchi Gonzalez’s group move closer towards maintaining El Capitan for the third year running.
Previous: 2-1 win vs. HOU | Next: vs COL on 9/16; at SKC on 9/19
14
PREVIOUS: 16
HIGH: 14 | LOW: 21
Montreal, 2019 Canadian Championship winners, are one match away from the chance to defend their title against this year’s Canadian Premier League winners. Now they just need a midweek win at Vancouver and some tiebreakers to go their way, and Sunday’s 4-2 victory at BC Place suggests it’s entirely possible.
Previous: 4-2 win at VAN | Next: at VAN on 9/16; vs. PHI on 9/20
15
PREVIOUS: 13
HIGH: 11 | LOW: 18
The Revs have only three wins on the year, and you’d expect greater production from Designated Players Adam Buksa and Gustavo Bou. Then again, New England were seconds away from drawing Philly over the weekend, a result that would’ve flipped the narrative somewhat.
Previous: 2-1 loss at PHI | Next: vs. NYC on 9/19
16
PREVIOUS: 19
HIGH: 16 | LOW: 26
Nashville are enjoying every moment of a four-game unbeaten streak, and DP forward Jhonder Cadiz is on his way. In the meantime, Dax McCarty powered a 4-2 win over Atlanta in the club’s biggest offensive outburst since joining MLS.
Previous: 4-2 win vs. ATL | Next: at CLB on 9/19
17
PREVIOUS: 15
HIGH: 11 | LOW: 17
RSL’s Rocky Mountain Cup dominance ended last weekend at home, as Colorado dropped five goals on Freddy Juarez’s bunch for RSL's worst home loss ever. It was their second lopsided defeat in as many weeks, although the other one came with a rotated lineup.
Previous: 5-0 loss vs. COL | Next: vs. VAN on 9/19
18
PREVIOUS: 20
HIGH: 12 | LOW: 20
RBNY have their first win under interim head coach Bradley Carnell, stabilizing the team after a few rocky weeks. They’re not out of the woods, but the three points against their rivals will prove massive in settling the overall mood.
Previous: 2-0 win at DC | Next: vs. CIN on 9/19
19
PREVIOUS: 21
HIGH: 7 | LOW: 21
Nearly three years later, Colorado are holding the Rocky Mountain Cup once more. Their 5-0 beatdown at rivals RSL saw Robin Fraser’s group end a seven-match winless streak behind a Diego Rubio brace.
Previous: 5-0 win at RSL | Next: at DAL on 9/16; at LA on 9/19
20
PREVIOUS: 18
HIGH: 10 | LOW: 23
The Earthquakes allowed a touchdown (and extra point) when facing Seattle last Thursday, then held a red-hot Galaxy team scoreless on the weekend. We’ll call it the Matias Almeyda experience, where San Jose’s commitment to a clear tactical identity can certainly produce highs and lows.
Previous: 0-0 draw vs. LA | Next: vs. POR on 9/16; vs. POR on 9/19
21
PREVIOUS: 22
HIGH: 19 | LOW: 26
Gonzalo Higuain seems to be on his way, so it looks like the newcomers will have two ex-Juventus players with the Argentine No. 9 and French World Cup-winning midfielder Blaise Matuidi. Now it’s time for this South Florida bunch to string together consistent results.
Previous: 2-1 loss at ORL | Next: at ATL on 9/19
22
PREVIOUS: 17
HIGH: 1 | LOW: 22
It’s not just that Atlanta are now winless in five matches, their longest single-season streak since joining MLS in 2017. It’s that they allowed four goals against Nashville, an expansion team that was struggling to score, and Dominique Badji’s goal came less than a minute into the match.
Previous: 4-2 loss at NSH | Next: vs. MIA on 9/19
23
PREVIOUS: 25
HIGH: 20 | LOW: 25
Until a second-half collapse, Chicago seemed poised for three points against the Supporters’ Shield-leading Crew. Then they folded defensively, though with a dose of bad luck, and settled for a 2-2 draw, pushing their winless streak to four.
Previous: 2-2 draw vs. CLB | Next: at ORL on 9/19
24
PREVIOUS: 24
HIGH: 19 | LOW: 26
The Whitecaps could’ve played Canadian Championship spoilers, to some degree, last weekend when hosting Montreal. They instead allowed four goals and saw star striker Lucas Cavallini sent off. Not a great night at the office. But they'll get another crack at it on Wednesday.
Previous: 4-2 loss vs. MTL | Next: vs. MTL on 9/16; at RSL on 9/19
25
PREVIOUS: 23
HIGH: 18 | LOW: 26
Brandon Vazquez broke Cincy’s 558-minute goalless streak, so that’s a positive. But the reality remains that they’re winless in six matches and their Designated Players aren’t producing.
Previous: 2-1 loss at NYC | Next: at RBNY on 9/19
26
PREVIOUS: 26
HIGH: 14 | LOW: 26
The Black-and-Red have one win in their last nine games and are still very much in the running for an Eastern Conference playoff spot. They had brighter attacking moments in last weekend’s loss against the Red Bulls, but remain unconvincing.
Previous: 2-0 loss vs. RBNY | Next: vs. TOR on 9/19
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