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Week 19 SBNhanced MLS Power Rankings

Team Total vote count First Tier votes Last week's Tier
Tier 1 - Teams Contending For Cups
Real Salt Lake 21 7 1
Columbus Crew 21 7 1
LA Galaxy 20 6 1
Tier 2 - Teams Likely in the Playoffs
FC Dallas 17 2 2
NY Red Bulls 15 2 2
Seattle Sounders 15 1 2
Toronto FC 14 0 3
Tier 3 - Teams On the Outside Looking In
Colorado Rapids 11 0 3
Chicago Fire 9 0 2
SJ Earthquakes 6 0 3
KC Wizards 6 0 3
Tier 4 - Teams Competing for #3 Draft Pick
Chivas USA 2 0 3
Houston Dynamo 2 0 4
NE Revolution 1 0 4
Philadelphia Union 0 0 4
DC United 0 0 4

Some of the SB Nation soccer writers are growing tired of seeing the same damn three teams at the top of the power rankings every week. And I'm one of them. That's why you're seeing FC Dallas getting some top tier votes. You're seeing the New York Red Bulls inexplicably getting some top tier votes. You're even seeing LA getting one less vote.

For weeks on end, there were many of us who were voting the Los Angeles Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, and Columbus Crew as the top three teams. Every week. I took a step out and became the first writer this season to vote five teams for the top tier. Yeah it pained me to do it, but the Seattle Sounders have now gone eight games unbeaten in all competitions, and are looking to make a move up in the Western Conference. And voting Dallas to the top tier is a no brainer at this point. They've only lost one game since April, and that was to the first place Galaxy.

But I'll leave you with this little bit of proof that I don't understand some people at all: Why would New York move up in the rankings and the Chicago Fire move down in the rankings when the two teams played to a scoreless draw?

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I knew the Sounders could count on you to do the right thing.

;)

It actually kind of depends on how you look at Power Rankings. If you take them as a snapshot of the moment, no question Seattle is in the top tier. It’s just a fact that no other team has been able to match their results over the last month or so. If you take this as an exercise in where everyone will be at the end of the season, or when the playoffs roll around or whatever, then it gets more foggy. And either way, FCD probably belongs in the top tier. I’m sure all 10 of their fans are very happy with their season so far.

by Nevtelen on Aug 11, 2025 9:46 PM EDT reply actions  

You're absolutely right

Some take the tiers quite literally and vote where they think the teams will finish the season, while others (like me) see it as more of a snapshot of current shape.

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

by Martin Shatzer on Aug 11, 2025 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions  

Shatz/Chest, in his first few days before Hamid realizes “a pro athlete responding to and following every single one of his twitter followers is not always a great idea,” you should get him to do an interview.

A Capital Wasteland - art & hockey from Washington, D.C.

by Jake Shapiro on Aug 12, 2025 3:38 PM EDT reply actions  

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