It's Monday, another week of MLS action is in the books, which means it's time for ESPN's Power Rankings. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Our Power Rankings are derived from a combination of key season statistics (points per game, goal differential, expected goal (xG) differential), recent performance, the Opta computer ratings, and the observations of our writers. So, who's climbing the table? Who's in free fall? We've ranked all 29 clubs in the league after Matchday 4. Let's dive in.
2. Inter Miami CFPrevious ranking: 2 It's easy to say that Inter is Team Lionel Messi, and when the greatest player of all time is on the pitch Miami will rightly be Messi-centric, but they fared pretty well without him in the second half of last season. Their first match without their maestro this season went well too, as Luis Suárez scored twice to win 3-1, in D.C. There's more to this team than Messi, still. 4. Atlanta United FCPrevious ranking: 4 Everyone knows Giorgos Giakoumakis is a heck of a goal scorer, but he flashed his creativity with a great pass to set up Saba Lobjanidze's goal as Atlanta rolled to a 2-0 win over Orlando. 6. New York Red BullsPrevious ranking: 5 RBNY's typically excellent press was ripped apart by the Crew in a 3-0 loss. The Red Bulls have looked good this season, but there's still a gap between them and the league's top teams. 8. Minnesota UnitedPrevious ranking: 15 Eric Ramsey made a good first impression in Minnesota with a 2-0 win over LAFC. It's too early to get a read on the Loons' new boss, but he has so much talent at his disposal and Emanuel Reynoso made his return from injury over the weekend. With him in the fold, Minnesota has every reason to believe the MLS Cup could head north. 10. CF MontréalPrevious ranking: 12 Laurent Courtois will spend a lot of time in the video room figuring out how to tighten up the CFM defense, but there's nothing anyone could have done about the Fire's windswept 99th-minute winner that beat Montréal 4-3. 11. Houston DynamoPrevious ranking: 13 The Dynamo have needed to get more from their midfield and Ján Greguš delivered that in a 1-0 win over Portland. He was outstanding, and Houston finally have their first win of the campaign. 13. LAFCPrevious ranking: 6 Life without Carlos Vela has not been smooth as the Black and Gold continue to struggle in the final third. It doomed them in a 2-0 loss to Minnesota, and they now have a mere two goals through four matches. LAFC really need to fill in at least one of their two unfilled Designated Player slots. 15. Nashville SCPrevious ranking: 16 We know that if Nashville can get a lead, they are a menace to play against, but it was encouraging to see them prove that true even without the injured Walker Zimmerman in a 2-1 win over Charlotte. 16. Seattle SoundersPrevious ranking: 10 The Sounders looked well on their way to victory until Joshua Atencio was shown a red card, and everything came crashing down. They held on for a 1-1 draw with Colorado, but Seattle remain plagued by injuries and self-inflicted wounds. 18. Charlotte FCPrevious ranking: 17 Charlotte struggled to create much in a 2-1 loss to Nashville that served as a reminder that Dean Smith can continue to get things moving in the right direction, but they still need to upgrade their top-end talent. 19. Orlando CityPrevious ranking: 19 The Lions are still winless after a 2-0 loss in Atlanta, and they'll be hoping that going out of the Concacaf Champions Cup is just what they need to find their footing in the league. 21. St. Louis City SCPrevious ranking: 22 It's rare that your goalkeeper steals the spotlight in a 3-3 draw, but that's exactly what happened as Roman Bürki shone brightly in LA. 23. Chicago FirePrevious ranking: 26 Is Kellyn Acosta the god of wind? It sure looked like it with the way he summoned a hellacious gust to score in the 99th minute to beat Montreal, 4-3. 25. Colorado RapidsPrevious ranking: 25 The Rapids put a lot of eggs in the Djordje Mihailović basket and he got off to a slow start. He looked a little better in Seattle though, even if he had a penalty saved, and Colorado managed a 1-1 draw against a 10-man Sounders. 27. New England RevolutionPrevious ranking: 24 The Revs fell to Cincy, 2-1, to make it four losses from four games in the league. The international window will give them a much-needed break after eight matches in 26 days to start the season. 29. San Jose EarthquakesPrevious ranking: 29 The Quakes played alright in Kansas City, but that isn't going to make anyone feel better after losing 2-1 for their fourth loss in as many matches this season. Luchi Gonzalez may be the first MLS manager on the hot seat this season.
|