MLS Power Rankings: Week 16
We have a new champion. After another impressive showing, this time against an Eastern Conference contender that wilted in the Texas heat, FC Dallas have jumped the LA Galaxy to take the top spot in the Power Rankings. How will the Galaxy react this week against Chicago, and can Seattle gain some ground with a win over Portland? Stay tuned.
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All match times for this week's games are ET; only MLS regular-season games reflected on schedule.
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A sellout, a convincing win over the surging Crew, and an endless supply of fleet-footed, goal-hungry attackers. Who needs a pure forward when you have Marvin Chávez, Break Shea, Eric Alexander et al? Right now, FCD are the only team in the league to have won more than half their games.
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We at the Power Rankings Committee have said all year that the Galaxy would remain on top of the standings as long as they had just one forward who could finish consistently. Turns out, they don’t. They’ve been shut out three times in five games, and their forwards have scored just twice since May. |
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If Fredy Montero were still on his game, they’d be closer to the pace set by FCD and would have picked up a win at LA on Monday night. As it is, they may have the best defense in the league and an attack that generates plenty of chances. Finding someone to finish them is the next order of business… |
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Peter Nowak’s left brain wants the Union to be a pragmatic, shut-it-down, 1-0 win-every-week kind of team. His right brain is still looking for playmakers, tinkering with adding more attackers, and trying to get four forwards on the field at once. If he can balance the two, the Union will win the East.
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Obviously a bad red card to Nat Borchers, obviously a promising fight-back to get the point. But just as obvious is that this team has lost its edge over the past couple of months and are prone to mental errors that must be driving Jason Kreis nuts.
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In the “excitement” rankings, RBNY are near the top. You can guarantee a few spectacular highlights, some temper-tantrums, comebacks, blown leads and more every game. What you can’t guarantee is solid goalkeeping or 11 guys who look like they want to play together.
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A 2-0 loss at FC Dallas is nothing to hang your head about, but losing defensive midfielder Rich Balchan is a huge blow. He’s quietly been the Rookie of the Year and was a major catalyst for the Crew’s June surge when he switched to d-mid from left back.
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If you go by “points per game,” then SKC are still lagging. But if you go by current form and potential for a second-half run, there’s nobody in a better spot. They’re even managing to go on the road and collect points these days, and are a good bet to challenge in the East.
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The Quakes blew it against New York on the weekend, no way of getting around that. The question now is how Frank Yallop is going to work Chris Wondolowski back into the lineup, as shuffling him to the right flank didn’t play out as well as it had in 2010.
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The defense looked like it was back to being fully functional against the Dynamo, which is a step in the right direction. And when the Conor Casey/Omar Cummings tandem finally gets back on the field at the same time, it’s a safe bet the offense will come around as well.
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Two good trades during the week should give the young DC side more balance and more veteran leadership. Given some time, Brandon McDonald should help solidify the backline and Dwayne De Rosario should provide a consistent attacking spark. How fast that happens will tell the story of their 2011.
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The Dynamo’s central defense has zero ability to distribute, which makes it easy to force them into aimless longballs. Add in the lack of speed in the attack and they’re a very, very predictable team. Tally Hall can stand on his head every now and then for a point, but that’s not how this team will get it done in the end.
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The Fire aren’t losing much, but they’re not winning at all. Frank Klopas has shored up the defense, but the offense is still out to sea, directionless and unable to catch a break. Even when one of their forwards does score — as Dominic Oduro did — he leaves a half-dozen other chances at the gate. |
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There should be an award for “Most Underrated Player” given out every year. If it existed, 1) It would have to be named after Brian Carroll, and 2) Nick LaBrocca would be the midseason leader. LaBrocca’s golazo will open eyes, but it’s his play all year that should have been attracting attention.
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Sure, the Reds got their results against woeful Vancouver. But you can’t argue with wins — especially during a season in which everyone else is drawing. In Torsten Frings and Danny Koevermans, the cavalry is on the way, and with the confidence of the NCC title, TFC may just be going places.
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These are the midseason doldrums that any expansion club should expect. It looked, with their hot home start, as if Portland would skirt that hazard, but it’s simply not to be. Now John Spencer has to rally the troops, fix the central midfield and get the Timbers’ heads up. |
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Normally a 3-3 draw at Real Salt Lake is something to hang your hat on, but the Revs were gifted a man advantage and a lead from the third minute. Benny Feilhaber makes a major difference offensively, but on defense there’s no leader and no cohesion. |
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The ‘Caps have sunk to the bottom on the backs of a porous defense and a misfiring offense. They squandered a lead in the NCC final and hardly tested TFC during their midweek match. Tom Soehn has his work cut out keeping his team motivated for the rest of the year.
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