Tuesday, August 30, 2016

FC Dallas No. 1; Red Bulls boot NYCFC from top three in MLS Power Rankings

A clutch 3-1 road win against the Houston Dynamo and several losses by top-five teams have FC Dallas back on top of our Major League Soccer Power Rankings.
1. FC Dallas (+3)
FCD bounced back from their loss to Real Salt Lake with a resounding 3-1 win on the road in Houston. Midfielder Michael Barrios provided danger from the wing and produced a two-goal performance in Fabian Castillo's absence.
2. Toronto FC (-1)
Just as quickly as they charged into the top spot, the Reds have dropped out thanks to a goalless showing at home against the Montreal Impact. The end of a seven-game unbeaten run was also the first time TFC failed to score since May 28.
3. New York Red Bulls (+2)
Bradley Wright-Phillips' 16th goal of the year against the New England Revolution was a game winner and gives him a very real shot at becoming the first player in MLS history to score 20 goals in two different seasons.
4. New York City FC (-2)
David Villa couldn't save NYCFC in their 2-1 loss vs. Orlando City SC, but no matter the subplots, they still have a grasp on second place in the Eastern Conference and look primed to grab a playoff spot.
5. Colorado Rapids (-2)
The Rapids fell in the Rocky Mountain Cup clash in Utah, but Tim Howard showed once again why the club spent big money to bring him home from England. His penalty save on Javier Morales was fantastic.
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6. Real Salt Lake (+3)
Yura Movsisyan powered RSL to a big win in the Rocky Mountain Cup. Not only does the club get the trophy, the win draws them level on points with the Rapids at 43 in the Western Conference standings.
7. Philadelphia Union (+3)
Roland Alberg's goal off the bench in the 2-0 win over Sporting Kansas City deserves plenty of praise, as does the Union's attack in general. No team in MLS has scored more than Philadelphia in 2016 (47).
8. Sporting Kansas City (-2)
A pair of red cards killed any chance Sporting had of mounting a comeback in their road loss to Philadelphia, and now -- barring a reversal -- they'll have to host Houston in a must-win game without Roger Espinoza and Jimmy Medranda.
9. Portland Timbers (+5)
The reigning MLS Cup champions were rampant over a 30-minute span in the first half against the Sounders, scoring four goals and showing all of the facets of their game en route to a 4-2 victory. Unfortunately, they haven't been consistent enough (yet) to ensure they'll get a shot at a title defense.
10. Orlando City SC (+1)
Jason Kreis got some measure of revenge in his side's win over NYCFC, but more importantly, Orlando did what teams chasing playoff spots need to do: win at home.
Ignacio Piatti claimed his 14th goal of the season, which proved to be the game winner against their Canadian rivals Toronto FC.
11. Montreal Impact (+2)
Ignacio Piatti's MVP credentials may come up short against the likes of Sebastian Giovinco's and Sacha Kljestan's, but he proved he's the most important player in the Impact lineup again by scoring the winner in Toronto.
12. LA Galaxy (-5)
Injuries and a failure to take advantage of a huge edge in possession marked LA's 0-0 outing against Vancouver on Saturday. Bruce Arena's team simply has to be more aggressive.
13. Seattle Sounders (-5)
With their unbeaten run and and back-to-back weekends facing the Timbers out of the way, the Sounders can now focus on how to replace Clint Dempsey, who is out for the foreseeable future because of concerns over an irregular heartbeat.
14. D.C. United (+2)
United's turn to Patrick Mullins up top over a cadre of more experienced options may finally give the two-time Hermann Trophy winner a chance to prove he can be a reliable MLS goal scorer.
15. San Jose Earthquakes (-3)
Injuries to David Bingham and Victor Bernardez -- both came off early in the 2-0 defeat to the Columbus Crew -- only compound San Jose's problems. The Quakes have now slipped three points behind the Timbers in the chase for sixth in the West.
16. Columbus Crew SC (+2)
Columbus grabbed a much-needed win (thanks in large part to Justin Meram, who scored in the 84th minute), but the loss of Wil Trapp to another concussion is troubling for both the team and the talented young midfielder.
17. Houston Dynamo (-2)
The Dynamo managed to secure El Capitan, the cannon that serves as their rivalry trophy, despite losing to FC Dallas 3-1 at home. It's a small consolation after they gave up a 1-0 lead with 30 minutes to go.
18. Vancouver Whitecaps (+2)
At least they didn't lose this time. The Whitecaps' toothless attack did them no good in a 0-0 draw with the Galaxy, but the point did break a run of four losses in a row.
19. Chicago Fire (-2)
The Fire finally broke their road losing streak against Montreal on Aug. 20, only to return to form with a huge loss in D.C. At least coach Veljko Paunovic still has enthusiasm for the club's long-term prospects.
20. New England Revolution (-1)
The Revs' goalless run is now at 362 minutes, and they haven't won a game in over a month. If that isn't rock bottom, it's only because New England is clinging to eighth place.
Jason Davis covers Major League Soccer and the United States national team for ESPN FC. Twitter: @davisjsn.

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