Vancouver Whitecaps FC made the biggest noise in Week 24, going to Portland and snapping the Timbers 15-game unbeaten streak and the Caps are also our biggest movers in the Pro Soccer USA Power Rankings after Week 24.
The New England Revolution, conversely, have dropped the most for a second straight week, falling three spots after a 3-2 home loss to the Philadelphia Union that extended a winless streak to six games.
The Major League Soccer Power Rankings are created by averaging the rankings submitted by a committee of Pro Soccer USA’s editor and writers.
(1) Atlanta United (14-4-6, 48 points): Atlanta United has a slim lead atop the Supporters’ Shield race, with the New York Red Bulls and NYCFC hot on their tails. After a bye in Week 24, they meet a dangerous Crew SC side at home Saturday. (2) New York Red Bulls (15-6-2, 47 points): It wasn’t pretty, but the Red Bulls beat the Fire for their fifth win in their last six games with Bradley Wright-Phillips becoming the first player in league history to score at least 15 goals in five consecutive seasons. (4) New York City FC (14-5-5, 47 points): David Villa returned and scored a goal and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi bagged a brace as NYCFC defeated Toronto FC, sweeping their rivals to the north this season. (3) Portland Timbers (10-4-7, 37 points): Diego Valeri scored from the penalty spot, but the Timbers couldn’t overcome an early 2-0 deficit and fell at home to the Whitecaps to snap a 15-match unbeaten streak. (5) FC Dallas (12-5-6, 42 points): It’s probably too early to push the panic button, but FC Dallas has dropped consecutive games for the first time this season following a 2-1 defeat at Seattle Sunday. (7) Columbus Crew SC (11-7-6, 39 points): Don’t look now, but the Crew appear to be making an August move. They won their third straight game Saturday, beating slumping Houston, 1-0, on a stoppage time goal by Gyasi Zardes. An even bigger statement can be made at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this week. (6) Los Angeles Football Club (10-7-6, 36 points): Without an injured Adama Diomande, LAFC fell to Sporting Kansas City, 2-0, at home — their first loss at Banc of California Stadium. The winless streak is now five straight league games. (9) Sporting Kansas City (11-6-6, 39 points): For the first time since early May, Sporting has put together back-to-back wins, beating LAFC, 2-0, on Saturday. Gerso Fernandes and Ilie Sanchez scored in each half for SKC, who host the Timbers Saturday night. (10) Seattle Sounders FC (9-9-5, 32 points): Once left for dead in the West, the Sounders are three points below the playoff line following a 2-1 win over FC Dallas Saturday, their fifth straight victory and eighth game in a row without defeat. (8) LA Galaxy (10-8-6, 36 points): The Galaxy squandered a pair of leads, rued a non-call that could have resulted in a penalty kick and suddenly have injury concerns to Romain Alessandrini and Giovani dos Santos following a 2-2 home draw against Minnesota United (11) Houston Dynamo (7-10-6, 27 points): The Dynamo dropped their fourth straight game and are winless in their last six league games following a 1-0 loss at Columbus. La Naranja host Real Salt Lake in a massive six-pointer Saturday. (12) Montreal Impact (9-13-3, 30 points): After going 21 weeks without a draw, the Impact have three in their last four games after tying Real Salt Lake, 1-1. Jukka Raitala lashed home the equalizer in the 55th minute for a big road point. Chicago comes to Stade Saputo Saturday. (15) Vancouver Whitecaps FC (9-9-6, 33 points): The biggest noise in Week 24 was made by the Whitecaps, who went to Providence Park and handed the Timbers their first loss since April. Kei Kamara and Cristian Techera scored in each half for the Caps, who are just two points below the playoff line in the West. (13) Toronto FC (6-12-5, 23 points): After a red card to Jozy Altidore in the 11th minute, Toronto FC rallied twice to equalize on goals by Sebastian Giovinco and Victor Vazquez, but conceded the decisive goal by Ismael Tajouri-Shradi two minutes from full time. (16) Philadelphia Union (9-11-3, 30 points): Central defender Jack Elliott struck for an unlikely brace and Fafa Picault netted the winner from the penalty spot in the 76th minute as the Union knocked off New England, 3-2, to move above the Revs in the East standings. NYCFC comes to Talen Energy Stadium Saturday. (17) Real Salt Lake (10-9-5, 35 points): RSL stretched an unbeaten streak to four games — though did so with their third time in that span — following a 1-1 home draw against Montreal. Joao Plata scored the loan goal for the Claret and Cobalt, who have two huge games against LAFC and Houston on the horizon this week. (14) New England Revolution (7-8-8, 29 points): It’s now six games without a win and four losses in their last five games for the Revs, who fell to the Union, 3-2, at home Saturday. That dropped them below the playoff line in the East with critical road games against D.C. United and Philadelphia coming up. (18) Minnesota United FC (9-13-2, 29 points): After back-to-back losses, Minnesota rallied twice to gut out a 2-2 road draw against the LA Galaxy. Romario Ibarra scored his first MLS goal in the 84th minute for the Loons, who head to FC Dallas Saturday. (19) D.C. United (5-9-6, 21 points): Luciano Acosta netted a hat trick, Wayne Rooney had a pair of assists, including a perfectly weighted ball on Acosta’s stoppage-time winner after making a game-saving tackle in a 3-2 win over Orlando. The Timbers come to Audi Field Wednesday night. (20) Colorado Rapids (6-12-5, 23 points): For the second straight game, the Rapids left it late, but they won back-to-back games for only the second time this season, beating San Jose, 2-1, at home Saturday. Nana Boateng bagged the stoppage time winner for the Rapids, who try to beat the Galaxy for the second time in 10 days Wednesday in Carson. (21) Orlando City SC (7-15-2, 23 points): The Lions clawed back twice to level, only to concede the winning goal in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time in a 3-2 loss at D.C. United, their 13th defeat in the last 15 games. They have some time to lick their wounds before Atlanta comes to town August 24. (22) San Jose Earthquakes (3-13-7, 16 points): Magnus Eriksson leveled in the 58th minute after the Quakes fell behind in the 24th minute on a Tommy Smith goal, but any hopes of a third straight game without defeat went out the window thanks to Nana Boateng’s stoppage time winner. San Jose is home for a desperate Toronto FC side Saturday night. (23) Chicago Fire (6-14-5, 23 points): The battle level was evident for the Fire, who scratched, clawed and made things difficult for the New York Red Bulls, but Bradley Wright-Phillips’ 15th goal of the season in the 55th minute was the decisive moment as Chicago dropped a seventh straight league contest.Pro Soccer USA writers Dylan Butler, Julian Cardillo and Emily Olsen contributed to this report.
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Original author: Dylan Butler, Pro Soccer USA
