MLS Power Rankings, Week 16: Fire surge as D.C. spirals ever downward

Welcome to the 2017 MLS Power Rankings, where we rank each team after each week with consideration to form, latest results, stats, and some other intangibles to try to craft an idea of how things stand in one single table.

Here's how each team ranks after Week 16 of the 2017 season:

1. Toronto FC

• Last Week: 2-0 win vs. D.C. United
• Next MLS Match: June 23 vs. New England (8:00 p.m. ET)

Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco have formed the best one-two punch in MLS, and Toronto FC is riding it to the top. Can anyone stop the red-hot Reds?

2. Chicago Fire

• Last Week: 2-1 win vs. New England Revolution
• Next MLS Match: June 24 vs. Orlando (8:30 p.m. ET)

Between Nemanja Nikolic scoring freely and Bastian Schweinsteiger pulling the strings from midfield, there's no stopping the Chicago Fire these days.

3. Sporting Kansas City

• Last Week: 0-0 draw vs. San Jose Earthquakes
• Next MLS Match: June 24 at LA Galaxy (10:30 p.m. ET)

Sporting KC had the bulk of the chances in this week's stalemate, and was denied all three points by way of David Bingham's big save on Graham Zusi.

4. New York City FC

• Last Week: 2-1 win vs. Seattle Sounders
• Next MLS Match: June 24 at NY Red Bulls (1:30 p.m. ET)

David Villa is a goal-scoring force in MLS, made evident with his 50th and 51st league efforts burying Seattle and giving New York City FC all three points.

5. Houston Dynamo

• Last Week: 2-2 draw vs. LA Galaxy
• Next MLS Match: June 23 vs. Dallas (9:00 p.m. ET)

A 94th-minute concession blew a win for the Houston Dynamo, and Wilmer Cabrera's side remains without an away victory this season.

6. FC Dallas

• Last Week: 1-1 draw vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
• Next MLS Match: June 23 at Houston (9:00 p.m. ET)

Blew a lead and settled for a draw, and that's just about how it goes for FC Dallas as of late; a touch more ruthlessness is needed.

7. Orlando City

• Last Week: 3-3 draw vs. Montreal Impact
• Next MLS Match: June 21 at Seattle (10:30 p.m. ET)

It took a stoppage time equalizer for Orlando City to snatch a point from Montreal, with Jonathan Spector notching his first Lions goal in the 94th minute.

8. New York Red Bulls

• Last Week: 2-0 win vs. Philadelphia Union
• Next MLS Match: June 24 vs. NYCFC (1:30 p.m. ET)

Bradley Wright-Phillips makes scoring seem so simple, especially of late, as the mercurial attacker put the New York Red Bulls on his back again this week.

9. Atlanta United

• Last Week: 3-1 win vs. Columbus Crew
• Next MLS Match: June 21 at D.C. United (7:30 p.m. ET)

Force those turnovers, finish with flair. That's the Atlanta United way, and it worked a treat this weekend as Tata Martino's side celebrated another big win.

10. Portland Timbers

• Last Week: 2-1 loss vs. Colorado Rapids
• Next MLS Match: June 21 at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. ET)

It's been an up-and-down season for the Portland Timbers, who came off a pair of league wins only to lose to the Rapids with a last-gasp concession.

11. Seattle Sounders

• Last Week: 2-1 loss vs. New York City FC
• Next MLS Match: June 21 vs. Orlando (10:30 p.m. ET)

There's not much the Seattle Sounders could do to stop red-hot David Villa, but more worrying is that the team has lost its last four matches away from home.

12. Vancouver Whitecaps

• Last Week: 1-1 draw vs. FC Dallas
• Next MLS Match: June 24 at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. ET)

The Vancouver Whitecaps did well to claw back for a draw against tough Western Conference opposition. They've broken even. Now it's time to thrive.

13. LA Galaxy

• Last Week: 2-2 draw vs. Houston Dynamo
• Next MLS Match: June 21 at Colorado (9:00 p.m. ET)

Where would the LA Galaxy be without Romain Alessandrini? Nowhere good, that's for certain. The French winger played hero once again this week.

14. Columbus Crew

• Last Week: 3-1 loss vs. Atlanta United
• Next MLS Match: June 24 vs. Montreal (7:30 p.m. ET)

The Columbus Crew were walloped by Atlanta's attack and had their defensive deficiencies exposed once more. Gregg Berhalter needs to tighten things up.

15. San Jose Earthquakes

• Last Week: 0-0 draw vs. Sporting Kansas City
• Next MLS Match: June 24 vs. Real Salt Lake (10:30 p.m. ET)

Talk about a rescue mission; the San Jose Earthquakes were outshot and overrun by Sporting KC but managed to remain strong to hold out for a point.

16. New England Revolution

• Last Week: 2-1 loss vs. Chicago Fire
• Next MLS Match: June 23 at Toronto FC (8:00 p.m. ET)

The New England Revolution suffered a first home loss of 2017 at the hands of Chicago. Link-up between Kei Kamara and his teammates remains suspect.

17. Montreal Impact

• Last Week: 3-3 draw vs. Orlando City
• Next MLS Match: June 21 at Seattle (10:30 p.m. ET)

Blerim Dzemaili has come into Montreal and made an immediate impact, with he and Ignacio Piatti bossing Orlando. Their efforts deserved all three points.

18. Minnesota United

• Last Week: 1-0 loss vs. Real Salt Lake
• Next MLS Match: June 21 vs. Portland (8:00 p.m. ET)

Minnesota United isn't entirely out of its depth in MLS as once thought, but finding success is still a tough task for Adrian Heath's expansion side.

19. Philadelphia Union

• Last Week: 2-0 loss vs. New York Red Bulls
• Next MLS Match: June 24 vs. D.C. United (7:00 p.m. ET)

One goal in three games is a symptom of a bit of a scoring slump for the Philadelphia Union, one that Jim Curtin needs to solve post-haste.

20. Real Salt Lake

• Last Week: 1-0 win vs. Minnesota United
• Next MLS Match: June 24 at San Jose (10:30 p.m. ET)

Yura Movsisyan was clearly upset with his bench role and took it out on the Loons as he scored the only goal to give Real Salt Lake a much-needed win.

21. D.C. United

• Last Week: 2-0 loss vs. Toronto FC
• Next MLS Match: June 24 at Philadelphia (7:00 p.m. ET)

D.C. United barely mustered a chance against Toronto and while the Reds are certainly a tough opponent, Ben Olsen will want a bit more fight from his side.

22. Colorado Rapids

• Last Week: 2-1 win vs. Portland Timbers
• Next MLS Match: June 21 vs. LA Galaxy (9:00 p.m. ET)

It's Goonie time in Colorado as Alan Gordon once again rescued a result with a late goal for the Colorado Rapids to plunge the slumping Timbers to a loss.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)