Week 11 SBNhanced MLS Power Rankings

by Martin Shatzer on Jun 8, 2025 10:39 PM EDT in SBNhanced MLS Power Rankings

Team	Total vote count	First Tier votes	Last week's Tier
Tier 1 - Teams Contending For Cups
LA Galaxy	21	7	1
Real Salt Lake	20	6	1
Columbus Crew	19	5	1
Tier 2 - Teams Likely in the Playoffs
Colorado Rapids	16	2	2
Toronto FC	14	0	2
SJ Earthquakes	14	0	2
NY Red Bulls	13	2	3
Tier 3 - Teams On the Outside Looking In
FC Dallas	10	0	3
Seattle Sounders	10	0	3
Chicago Fire	8	0	3
Houston Dynamo	8	0	2
NE Revolution	4	0	3
Tier 4 - Teams Competing for #3 Draft Pick
KC Wizards	2	0	4
DC United	1	0	4
Philadelphia Union	0	0	4
Chivas USA	0	0	4

This week we had some movement within the tiers, but once again very little movement between the tiers.

Since the Once A Metro blog is in a transitionary period, we had a different voter from the New York area this week, which could have contributed to the sudden increase in Red Bull favoritism. Consecutive wins against the struggling Dynamo and Chivas after four straight league losses doesn't justify a second tier appearance and two first tier votes in my book, but that's why I don't just do this by myself I guess.

The more predictable result is the downfall of the Houston Dynamo after their total collapse. Three straight losses, including one to the awful Union, rightfully knocks the Dynamo down a couple pegs.

As for DCU, they've finally earned a single third tier vote for the first time since week one! Now I wonder who might have given them that vote? Hell, if the New York fans can be biased, so can I!

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The team rivalry continues on SBnation I see!

Yes, I did give the Red Bulls a top vote. Reason for it is that they have regained control on top of the East after Columbus dropped a game this past week. They also avenged a heartbreaking loss against Chivas earlier in the season. Going forward, my rankings will be based on long term potential instead of weekly improvements.

I will have my thoughts on the rankings up on onceametro shortly. Stop by and feel free to comment on how a no good Red Bulls supporter is wrong in his rankings!

Follow me on twitter @thisredengine

Also please check out SBnation's Red Bulls blog @ www.onceametro.com

by Matthew Roth on Jun 8, 2025 11:21 PM EDT reply actions

Nice to see DCU off the bottom of the list for the first time ever!

"My face is my mask."

by Jake Shapiro on Jun 8, 2025 11:37 PM EDT reply actions

My thoughts, bottom to top

Tier 4: Chivas deserves last, but KC should be just barely ahead of them in 15th. They’ve been awful. That opening day 4-0 win over us appears to be more an indicator of just how bad we were than anything else. Philly, based on beating us and their recent results, probably should has the big gripe. I’d arrange this group Chivas, KC, United, and Philly.

Tier 3: Actually, the Revs belong in Tier 4 at this point. Either that, or you should remove their name and just list Shalrie Joseph instead, because there’s no other good reason to place them that high. Houston and Chicago are dead on, and I’d edge Seattle ahead of Dallas based on the Sounders being able to prove they can defend without Hurtado.

Tier 2: No real disputes here. I’d probably list Colorado, Toronto, and San Jose in a dead heat, but the Rapids were the only winner this weekend out of that trio.

Tier 1: These are the 3 best teams in MLS. I still think Columbus would beat RSL, but I can see how the Crew slipped even though RSL only managed a fortunate 0-0 draw against a team near the bottom. Is there a way for you guys to give LA more points? Or maybe create 5 tiers, where LA gets Tier 1 to themselves?

Black and Red United

by ChestRockwell on Jun 9, 2025 12:23 AM EDT reply actions

Reflexive grammar correction

“probably should has” = “probably should have”. I changed tenses while writing that paragraph but didn’t fix the whole thing. Feeling shame.

Black and Red United

by ChestRockwell on Jun 9, 2025 12:24 AM EDT up reply actions

Steve Davis actually had LA in Tier 1 all by themselves this week.

Interesting concept… I agree that they’re far and away the best team in the league, but being alone in the first tier would mean that there are NO other teams capable of winning the title. I’m not sure that’s true.

Managing Editor for BlackAndRedUnited.com. Weekend Writer for SBNation DC.

by Martin Shatzer on Jun 9, 2025 6:17 AM EDT up reply actions

Over the long term, no. Right now, though, LA’s in a class by itself.

Tonight’s game between LA and RSL would be a nice test, but with LA deprived of Donovan and Buddle and RSL coming off of 2 games in an East Coast sauna and featuring a banged up team, I’m afraid it’ll be more about guts than anything else. If RSL gets a draw or win, it’ll say more about their fortitude than it will LA’s qualities.

Black and Red United

by ChestRockwell on Jun 9, 2025 7:04 AM EDT up reply actions

Homer's

What a bunch of Homers you guys are, and yes I am fine with it, just wanted to rub it in a bit. Heck I moved RSL down in my rankings and got grief from their media people at practice about it. I take a bit of exception to the Columbus could beat RSL, did you see the match in Columbus? RSL outplayed them for the entire match, Columbus was gifted a PK, a similar play against RSL resulted in no call, and then a goal was pulled off the scoreboard. Sorry that match still is the one from this year that sticks out as a horrid officiating that directly impacted the end result.

I didn’t move DC up in my rankings, I was tempted but then I remembered that their wins over KC (who suck) and Chivas (who also suck) where both at home. Philly, or maybe my love of the underdog, beat DC (you still suck, but less now) and then went to Houston and beat them (something only LA has done this year). Get a result against Seattle and I will move you up in my rankings.

by denz on Jun 9, 2025 9:50 AM EDT reply actions

I can see you making an argument for Philly and KC, but Chivas? They’ve lost 5 straight matches, and we beat them head-to-head just 2 weeks ago.

I don’t put much emphasis on what happened the first two weeks of the season when I’m preparing my rankings. United was a much different team then.

Managing Editor for BlackAndRedUnited.com. Weekend Writer for SBNation DC.

by Martin Shatzer on Jun 9, 2025 12:12 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Columbus still won that game, regardless of talk of refs. You guys did get jobbed, but that’s life in MLS. We missed the playoffs last year on goal differential, and had 7 points lost due to referee decisions that US Soccer even said were wrong. RSL still had 90 minutes of dominance to put that game away. I sympathize, but ultimately Columbus got the W. I hope you get revenge, because Columbus plays ugly soccer and I’ve always had a dislike for them.

I’m not saying the Chivas win should send us flying up the charts. However, given Chivas and KC’s terrible form and our recent wins over them, I think it’s reasonable to say that we’re better than them at the moment and in the short-term future. I also don’t see how Philly ended up behind us, since they beat us and also recently won at Houston the week after we lost there. I think our spot is correct, but the teams around us should be shuffled. I probably added to the confusion by listing my Tier 4 order bottom-to-top and not saying as such.

I guess the thing that leaves me most confused is that 2 people gave votes to KC. I mean, Jimmy Conrad’s pretty cool, but they’re useless at the moment and have been since Auvray went out and teams figured out how to cope with Ryan Smith (side note: Peter Vermes is now 5-11-6 as an MLS head coach, good enough for 21 points in 22 games. Maybe he should fire himself?).

Black and Red United

by ChestRockwell on Jun 10, 2025 2:28 AM EDT up reply actions