Skip to content

MLS Power Rankings - Week 11: Atlanta stays top as Toronto plummets

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to the 2018 MLS Power Rankings, where theScore ranks each team after each week with consideration to form, latest results, stats, and other intangibles to craft an idea of how things stand in one single table.

Here's how each team ranks after Week 11:

1. Atlanta United (–)

  • Last Week: 2-0 loss vs. Sporting KC, 2-1 win at Orlando City
  • Next Match: May 21 vs. New York Red Bulls
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
8-2-1 25 13

A club-record fourth away win on the spin will help Tite and Co. get over the 10-man defeat to Sporting Kansas City at Mercedes Benz Stadium as Atlanta United maintains top spot in the Eastern Conference by beating Orlando. Ezequiel Barco continues to look the part just weeks after his 19th birthday.

2. Los Angeles FC (–)

  • Last Week: 2-0 win vs. Minnesota, 2-2 draw vs. New York City FC
  • Next Match: May 19 at Portland Timbers
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
6-2-2 22 16

That's now six unbeaten for Bob Bradley's lot, as Eduard Atuesta and Canadian international Mark Anthony-Kaye both opened their MLS accounts in a victory over the Loons. Kaye was particularly impressive in a central midfield role in both the win against Minnesota and the draw with NYCFC.

3. Sporting Kansas City ▲

  • Last Week: 2-0 win vs. Atlanta United
  • Next Match: May 20 at Minnesota United
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
7-2-2 23 12

Thanks to Brad Guzan's lapse in judgment and in-form Daniel Salloi's crafty curler, Sporting KC won the battle of first-placed sides in Atlanta with a third clean sheet in four matches. Tim Melia continues to be one of the league's elite shot-stoppers.

4. Columbus Crew SC ▲

  • Last Week: 1-0 win vs. Philadelphia, 3-0 win vs. Chicago Fire
  • Next Match: May 20 at New England Revolution
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
6-2-3 21 16

Two wins, four goals, none conceded for a Columbus side that has now gone five unbeaten to snatch second place in the Eastern Conference. Gyasi Zardes' eight goals are as many as he scored in the last two seasons combined with the Galaxy.

5. New York Red Bulls ▲

  • Last Week: 2-1 win vs. Colorado Rapids
  • Next Match: May 21 at Atlanta United
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
6-3-0 23 11

Fresh off a statement derby win over New York City FC, Red Bulls notched a quality result against the Colorado Rapids courtesy of goals from Daniel Royer and Derrick Etienne. That's now three wins on the bounce, with the latest coming on the road at altitude.

6. Orlando City ▼

  • Last Week: 2-1 loss vs. Atlanta United
  • Next Match: May 19 at Toronto FC
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
6-3-1 20 16

Orlando City's six-match winning streak was snapped at home to Atlanta on Sunday in a frenetic affair where Justin Meram bagged his first goal in purple. Next up: Jason Kreis' troops visit a Toronto side without Jozy Altidore (foot) and Sebastian Giovinco (suspension).

7. FC Dallas ▲

  • Last Week: 3-2 win vs. Los Angeles Galaxy
  • Next Match: May 19 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
4-1-4 14 9

Mauro Diaz was at his playmaking best against a sputtering LA Galaxy, assisting on all three goals as 10-man FC Dallas remains unbeaten at home and boasts the fewest goals conceded in the league.

8. New York City FC ▼

  • Last Week: 2-2 draw at Los Angeles FC
  • Next Match: May 19 vs. Colorado Rapids

No shame in sharing the spoils with LAFC at its new Banc of California fortress in a breathless 2-2 draw that had a bit of everything. Substitute Ismael Tajouri-Shradi's 75th-minute acute-angle finish secured a pivotal point more than a week after the shocking one-sided derby defeat to the Red Bulls.

Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
6-3-3 17 10

9. Portland Timbers ▲

  • Last Week: 1-0 win vs. Seattle Sounders
  • Next Match: May 19 vs. Los Angeles FC
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
4-3-2 14 14

The 100th edition of the heated regional derby went to Portland thanks to Sebastian Blanco's late winner in a cagey affair that had scoreless draw written all over it. While Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang collects superhero masks, Blanco prefers to scare the crap out of kids.

10. New England Revolution ▲

  • Last Week: 3-2 win vs. Toronto FC
  • Next Match: May 20 vs. Columbus Crew
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
5-3-2 18 14

The Revolution took advantage of a threadbare Toronto FC side to bounce back from a drab defeat at the Montreal Impact courtesy of a Cristian Penilla brace inside seven minutes and some calamitous play from the MLS Cup holders.

11. Vancouver Whitecaps ▲

  • Last Week: 2-2 draw vs. Houston Dynamo
  • Next Match: May 17 vs. San Jose Earthquakes
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
4-5-2 12 20

Man of the Match center-half Waston was the hero, assisting on Jose Aja's equalizer before snatching a point for Vancouver with a last-second leveler that sees Carl Robinson's charges maintain a tenuous grasp on a playoff spot. A minus-8 goal differential continues to loom large.

12. Real Salt Lake ▲

  • Last Week: 3-2 win vs. D.C. United
  • Next Match: May 20 at Philadelphia
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
4-5-1 13 21

Nothing like a visit from last-placed D.C. United to cure the ails of a two-match losing streak, and thanks to Joseph Mora's red card in the 22nd minute, Mike Petke and Co. picked up the three points, with Corey Baird and Albert Rusnak sandwiching the sending off with goals in quick succession.

13. Houston Dynamo ▼

  • Last Week: 2-2 draw at Vancouver Whitecaps
  • Next Match: May 20 at Chicago Fire
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
3-3-3 20 15

Mauro Manotas and Kendall Waston traded injury-time goals in Houston's 2-2 stalemate with Vancouver, and with 15 goals conceded in nine matches including the Whitecaps' last-second equalizer, questions remain concerning the Dynamo's defense.

14. Chicago Fire ▼

  • Last Week: 1-0 win vs. Montreal, 3-0 loss at Columbus
  • Next Match: May 20 vs. Houston Dynamo
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
3-5-2 13 17

Mixed bag for the Chicago Fire last week, pairing a narrow victory over Montreal with a three-goal defeat at Columbus that could have been worse had the Crew been more clinical in the opening stanza.

15. Philadelphia Union ▲

  • Last Week: 1-0 loss at Columbus, 2-0 win at Montreal
  • Next Match: May 20 vs. Real Salt Lake
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
3-5-2 8 14

The Union were on the wrong side of a narrow loss in Columbus before jetting off to Montreal for a first away win of the season in an eventful match that saw both sides finish with 10 men. Cory Burke ended Philly's 241-minute goalless drought. Captivating stuff.

16. Minnesota United ▼

  • Last Week: 2-0 loss at Los Angeles FC, 3-1 loss vs. San Jose
  • Next Match: May 20 vs. Sporting KC
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
4-7-0 13 21

A tough stretch for the Loons saw Adrian Heath's lot lose at the Banc of California Stadium before a horrid defeat to lowly San Jose days later as Minnesota falls out of the Western Conference playoff picture with seven losses in 11 tries.

17. LA Galaxy ▼

  • Last Week: 3-2 loss at FC Dallas
  • Next Match: May 21 at Montreal Impact
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
3-6-1 13 21

That's now three 3-2 defeats on the trot for the reeling Galaxy after slumping to a loss at 10-man Dallas, and if Sigi Schmid hasn't been down to the local Kinko's to print up some resumes, there's no time like the present for the embattled manager.

19. Seattle Sounders ▲

  • Last Week: 2-1 win at Toronto, 1-0 loss vs. Portland
  • Next Match: May 26 vs. Real Salt Lake
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
2-5-2 7 11

Notoriously slow out of the blocks, Seattle got some MLS Cup Final revenge on TFC for a second win on the campaign before narrowly losing the derby against Portland. The Sounders sit last in the West, with a scant seven goals scored in nine matches.

19. Toronto FC ▼

  • Last Week: 2-1 loss vs. Seattle, 3-2 loss at New England
  • Next Match: May 19 vs. Orlando City
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
2-6-1 12 18

Another rubbish week for MLS Cup holder Toronto witnessed a loss to Seattle at BMO Field and a dismal defeat against the Revs that saw Giovinco sent off for squeezing Wilfried Zahibo's cheeks, ruling the Italian out for a weekend visit from Orlando. Alex Bono, what gives, pal?

20. Montreal Impact ▼

  • Last Week: 1-0 loss at Chicago Fire, 2-0 loss vs. Philadelphia Union
  • Next Match: May 21 at LA Galaxy
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
3-8-0 14 23

Another side hampered by two matches in a four-day span, Montreal lost in Chicago courtesy Kevin Ellis' late goal before slumping to an MLS-worst eighth defeat to a Union side that endured a 241-minute goalless drought before Burke's opener.

21. Colorado Rapids ▼

  • Last Week: 2-1 loss vs. New York Red Bulls
  • Next Match: May 19 at New York City FC
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
2-5-2 11 13

That's now four losses on the bounce for Colorado after suffering defeat at home to the Red Bulls, and matters are going to get worse before they get better with a trip to Yankees' Stadium and a then visit from in-form Portland next on the docket.

22. San Jose Earthquakes ▲

  • Last Week: 3-1 win at Minnesota United
  • Next Match: May 17 at Vancouver
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
2-5-2 15 17

San Jose vaults out of both last place in the West and the bottom of these rankings thanks to a first away win of the season at Minnesota. Chris Wondolowski was the hero with a goal and an assist in a 35-minute substitute's bow. He's now just 10 back of Landon Donovan's league-record 145.

23. D.C. United ▼

  • Last Week: 3-2 loss at Real Salt Lake
  • Next Match: May 20 at San Jose Earthquakes
Record (W-L-D) Goals For Goals Against
1-5-2 10 16

D.C. United supporters looking for a silver lining amid a disastrous one-win campaign can relish the fact that the Eastern Conference's bottom side has played only two of its opening eight matches at home.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox