MLS Power Rankings - Week 15: Sizzling FC Dallas challenges for top billing

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 15:

1. Atlanta United (–)

• Last Week: 1-1 draw at New York City FC
• Next MLS Match: June 13 at Columbus Crew

A tussle between two Eastern Conference titans ended in a draw at Yankee Stadium, but Atlanta United should count itself lucky after being shelled with 25 shots. The excellent Josef Martinez gave Atlanta the lead with a finely dispatched diving header.

2. FC Dallas ▲

• Last Week: 2-0 win vs. Montreal Impact
• Next MLS Match: June 23 at New York Red Bulls

FC Dallas recorded its fifth victory in a row across all competitions with a straight-forwarded dismissal of the Montreal Impact. The first goal was fortuitous - a free-kick that bounced off two Montreal players before finding the mesh - before Mauro Diaz netted from the penalty spot on 18 minutes to effectively end the game.

3. Sporting Kansas City ▼

• Last Week: 0-0 draw at Portland Timbers
• Next MLS Match: June 23 vs. Houston Dynamo

Sporting Kansas City must be taken seriously. Only FC Dallas has lost fewer games than Peter Vermes' throng, and no team has a better defensive record. Unfortunately, the weekend's meeting with the Portland Timbers wasn't a classic, with a few Tim Melia saves the only real takeaway from Providence Park.

4. Columbus Crew SC ▼

• Last Week: 1-1 draw vs. New York Red Bulls
• Next MLS Match: June 13 vs. Atlanta United

The Columbus Crew's comeback from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with Toronto FC the previous weekend elicited jubilation from the Mapfre Stadium faithful. The overriding mood following Saturday's 1-1 tie with the New York Red Bulls was frustration after the Crew failed to capitalize on their dominance and let their opponents into a game that should have been over at half-time.

5. Portland Timbers (–)

• Last Week: 0-0 vs. Sporting Kansas City
• Next MLS Match: June 24 at Atlanta United

Since overcoming an awful start to the season, the Timbers are establishing themselves as one of the favorites for MLS Cup glory. That's why Saturday's goalless home draw with Sporting KC must be seen as a disappointment, with 13 shots unable to breach a well-organized pack.

6. New York City FC (–)

• Last Week: 1-1 draw vs. Atlanta United
• Next MLS Match: June 24 vs. Toronto FC

New York City FC was left to rue a host of chances that passed it by against Atlanta United on Saturday, and eventually relied on a late Alexander Callens effort to salvage a draw on home turf. It wasn't the greatest response following a humiliating 4-0 U.S. Open Cup defeat at the Red Bulls, nor the best way to bid farewell to Patrick Vieira, who left for Nice and was promptly replaced by Domenec Torrent.

7. Los Angeles FC ▲

• Last Week: 4-3 win at San Jose Earthquakes
• Next MLS Match: June 23 vs. Columbus Crew

A poor league run ended in sensational fashion when Joao Moutinho scored a 97th-minute winner at the hapless San Jose Earthquakes. Los Angeles FC takes on the Sacramento Republic in the U.S. Open Cup in midweek before a homestand against the Crew and Philadelphia Union toward the end of June.

8. Vancouver Whitecaps ▲

• Last Week: 5-2 win vs. Orlando City
• Next MLS Match: June 23 at Philadelphia Union

Alphonso Davies was on fire when the Vancouver Whitecaps hosted Orlando City on Saturday, setting up three and scoring one himself in a 5-2 victory. His assist for the opener in the sixth match of Vancouver's unbeaten streak was the best, gobbling up half a pitch with a rampant run before picking out Kei Kamara.

9. New York Red Bulls ▼

• Last Week: 1-1 draw at Columbus Crew
• Next MLS Match: June 13 vs. Seattle Sounders

The Red Bulls have the woodwork, goalkeeper Luis Robles, and goalscorer Alex Muyl to thank for an undeserved point at the Crew. Jesse Marsch needs to get his team on crossing practice after just two of his team's 20 deliveries from out wide found a red shirt in the swirling Midwest wind.

10. Real Salt Lake ▼

• Last Week: 3-0 loss at LA Galaxy
• Next MLS Match: June 23 vs. San Jose Earthquakes

When Real Salt Lake loses, it really loses. A triple punch from the LA Galaxy in 16 second-half minutes means Salt Lake's goal difference is the same as the cellar-dwelling Colorado Rapids, but the Utah club should find relief next time out against San Jose.

11. New England Revolution (–)

• Last Week: 1-1 draw at Chicago Fire
• Next MLS Match: June 13 at San Jose Earthquakes

The New England Revolution relied on a late Teal Bunbury equalizer to take a point at the Chicago Fire, but the stats indicate Brad Friedel's side could have taken more from Illinois. New England outshot the hosts 18-11 but perhaps lacked some bite in its challenges.

12. Houston Dynamo ▲

• Last Week: 2-0 win vs. Colorado Rapids
• Next MLS Match: June 23 at Sporting Kansas City

There were no great concerns for the Houston Dynamo when the Rapids came to town, with Tomas Martinez and Mauro Manotas putting them two goals ahead after 36 minutes before the visitors went down to 10 men just before the break. It was a fine win following back-to-back defeats and keeps Houston in the thick of an enticing Western Conference playoff squabble.

13. LA Galaxy ▲

• Last Week: 3-0 win vs. Real Salt Lake
• Next MLS Match: June 30 at San Jose Earthquakes

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was at his imperious best against Real Salt Lake, scoring twice and making the most of his physicality as the focal point in attack. Following Friday's U.S. Open Cup clash with the Timbers, the Galaxy have over two weeks to kick their feet up before returning to MLS action.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

14. Philadelphia Union ▼

• Last Week: 2-0 loss vs. Toronto FC
• Next MLS Match: June 23 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps

The Philadelphia Union fall after defeat at home to Toronto FC, allowing the reigning MLS Cup champion to begin to reel them in the race for a postseason berth. The experience of Alejandro Bedoya and Haris Medunjanin was sorely missed in Philadelphia.

15. Orlando City ▼

• Last Week: 5-2 loss at Vancouver Whitecaps
• Next MLS Match: June 13 at Montreal Impact

Five defeats on the bounce have left Orlando City on the brink of falling out of the Eastern Conference's playoff places. Vancouver's Davies, 17, tormented the Lions at BC Place, and they could suffer a fifth straight defeat on Canadian soil at the Montreal Impact on Wednesday.

16. Minnesota United ▼

• Last Week: Bye week
• Next MLS Match: June 23 at Colorado Rapids

Minnesota United was well into a 20-day break from league play when the weekend fixtures were underway, but is between two stages of U.S. Open Cup action. It edged FC Cincinnati on penalties in the fourth round and faces a trip to the Dynamo in the round of 16 next Monday.

17. Toronto FC ▲

• Last Week: 2-0 win at Philadelphia Union
• Next MLS Match: June 13 vs. D.C. United

This was needed. Toronto FC was shell-shocked after giving up a three-goal lead to draw the Crew the previous week, but won with relative ease against the Union in Friday evening's game. Local lad Jonathan Osorio grabbed a brace in the affair.

18. Chicago Fire ▼

• Last Week: 1-1 draw vs. New England Revolution
• Next MLS Match: June 13 at Colorado Rapids

The Fire were nearing a win until Bunbury's leveler, and are now one point adrift of the Eastern Conference's playoff positions. It could be a tight battle to get into the postseason, with Orlando, Chicago, and Philadelphia all within a point of each other, and Toronto gradually gaining ground behind.

19. Seattle Sounders ▲

• Last Week: 2-1 win vs. D.C. United
• Next MLS Match: June 13 at New York Red Bulls

The Seattle Sounders shook off a three-match MLS losing streak thanks to a late header from Magnus Wolff Eikrem. It's been a poor season thus far, but Seattle has games in hand to help close the gap between 10th place and the playoff spots.

20. D.C. United ▼

• Last Week: 2-1 loss at Seattle Sounders
• Next MLS Match: June 13 at Toronto FC

D.C. United stays rooted to the bottom of the Eastern Conference after a painful defeat to the Sounders. It will take a lot more than Wayne Rooney to fix this side.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

21. Montreal Impact ▼

• Last Week: 2-0 loss at FC Dallas
• Next MLS Match: June 13 vs. Orlando City

The previous weekend's 1-0 victory over the Dynamo was a one-off. The Impact haven't won on the road in six attempts and have worryingly scored just once in their last six outings. Defeat in Wednesday's visit from Orlando would present an uncomfortable 10-day break for Remi Garde's side.

22. San Jose Earthquakes ▼

• Last Week: 4-3 loss vs. Los Angeles FC
• Next MLS Match: June 13 vs. New England Revolution

A fifth straight defeat kept the Earthquakes second-from-bottom in the Western Conference, but they were close to all three points until late goals from Los Angeles FC's Adama Diomande and Moutinho left them empty-handed. The Quakes haven't won at home since the first game of the season.

23. Colorado Rapids (–)

• Last Week: 2-0 loss at Houston Dynamo
• Next MLS Match: June 13 vs. Chicago Fire

If the Dynamo's two first-half goals weren't enough, Saturday's contest was well and truly over when Yannick Boli was shown red for putting his hands to the face of Leonardo near the end of the opening stanza. That's eight defeats in a row for the tepid Rapids.