Power Rankings, 1-30 | Matchday 3
Fingers crossed for Ryan Gauld, Sounders' statement and more
I’m on vacation and thus outsourced my usual Sunday column to the magnificent Charlie Boehm, who might’ve Wally Pip’d me:
But here’s the good news about a west coast vacation and jet lag: I was able to get up at 5 am and read Charlie’s column, grind through some video, check out some boxscores and advanced data, and – of course – read all the hot takes in the Extratime group chat (which still lives).
So I feel qualified to vote on the Power Rankings, and in between palomas I’m writing this quick little blog for you all.
Inter Miami: If this team ever stops getting stupid red cards they could really be quite something.
Philadelphia Union: The one knock through the first two games was that they were giving up too many chances. Can’t knock ‘em for that anymore!
LAFC: Mostly giving them a mulligan, given how good they looked midweek in what was unquestionably the bigger game.
Seattle Sounders: Anyway, this is why I wasn’t worried about the Sounders. Though if Pedro de la Vega is out for an extended period, their margin for error shrinks.
Columbus Crew: Why haven’t they brought in another new attacker yet? They’re still a dynamic possession team, and excellent defensively. But the gulf in pure talent between them and LAFC was hard to miss. It’s on Issa Tall to get something done.
FC Cincinnati: Haven’t yet looked all that convincing, but have looked extremely talented – especially Kévin Denkey, a true match-winner. As they coalesce they should climb (and man, it’d be nice to see them get a statement win down in Monterrey).
Vancouver Whitecaps: Two years of mostly good injury luck have disappeared. Sam Adekugbe last week, Jayden Nelson midweek, then Ryan Gauld this week. Can’t afford an extended absence from any, but man, if Gauld’s out, this team is in real trouble.1
Minnesota United: A long throw last week. A set piece this week. It ain’t the beautiful game, but it’s working – as is the defense. That’s the biggest reason the Loons are climbing.
RBNY: A scoreless draw2 on the road is credible even if it wasn’t particularly convincing.
San Diego FC: Uhhh maybe they won’t miss Chucky as much as I’d thought. And man, what an extraordinarily well-structured defensive team they are.
Colorado Rapids: Zack Steffen is playing the best ball of his life3. And Chris Armas keeps finding answers down the roster as they weather the injury storm.
Charlotte FC: My criticism of them last year was that they were very limited if not playing on the break, and teams this year have not let them play on the break, and they look bleh. And honestly, that's on the coach. That's for him to solve.
Atlanta United: Is this too high? It feels like this is too high. I’m giving them another week.4
San Jose Earthquakes: They were going to lose sooner or later. Doing it in the way they did, there’s no shame. Some frustration, though, I’d imagine.
St. Louis City: That’s more like it.
NYCFC: Scored two but could – maybe should – have had more. Still need to see the U22 wingers get untracked.
Chicago Fire: Didn’t really create much going forward until the game entered the Tactics Free Zone™ late, but hey, that’s good enough. And worth mentioning that Chris Brady has been excellent in goal.
FC Dallas: Welp, that one had to hurt.
Orlando City: Another year, another slow start for the Lions. I think Oscar Pareja will eventually figure this out (he always does), but it’d help if they got him more central midfield depth and another starting CB.5
Austin FC: They’ve been unlucky in front of goal, but also, it turns out my preseason concern about a roster that lacks a true playmaker was not unfounded. There’s nobody out there who can unlock a set defense, and they’re facing a lot of set defenses now.
D.C. United: Hosei Kijima talking about how he posted his goalscoring philosophy on LinkedIn is such bad vibes, man. I mean, I’m happy for him, but LinkedIn is easily the most psychotic, MBA-brained platform out there. Get this young man some help.
Nashville SC: I need to see it happen twice in a row before I’m convinced. But that was fun. And that’s not a thing ‘Yotes fans get to have often.
Houston Dynamo: Still waiting on the Dynamo to make needed signings. In the meantime… Ezequiel Ponce has not scored this year, and has just 6g/1a in 1500 minutes (all competitions) since joining last summer. He does not look like a DP-caliber No. 9 to me.6
Real Salt Lake: Last week’s good vibes didn’t last long.
New England Revolution: 29 MLS teams have scored a goal.
Portland Timbers: Is the problem with the Timbers a lack of chemistry/cohesion, bad coaching, early season injuries, or something else? Yes.
Montreal Impact: It’s been a disaster.
LA Galaxy: It’s been, like, a really big disaster.
Sporting KC: The roster construction makes it necessary to play their best and most irreplaceable central midfielder at right back instead. And he’s still good there, but man do they suffer in the engine room without him. Anyway, it’s now 10 straight losses across all competitions. The record is 14, set by 2021-22 FC Cincy (who did it all in regular-season play).
Toronto FC: Nothing fun about this team. Wish they’d at least get some academy kids more time. Oh well.
This win will show up in textbooks under “Definition of a Pyrrhic Victory” if Gauld’s gone for long.
I’m starting to regret taking Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting in the Golden Boot Draft.
Still a small sample size, but between what he showed with the USMNT in January, and then across CCL and regular-season play, it’s starting to add up.
Emmanuel Latte Lath going into concussion protocol is obviously a concern.
I wrote last week that they should go after 19-year-old Uruguayan CB Juan Rodríguez, who’s a starter for Peñarol and has already made his full national team debut with Uruguay at age 19. This is the kind of talent the U22 Initiative is made for. They also have $735k GAM left to play with.
His movement is one-note and reactive.
Toronto giving academy kids more playing time? Then some of them might look good, and Toronto might flip some of the insane amount of local talent into wins, or, eventually, sales or trophies.
Look, times may be bad in Toronto but I'm not sure that they're ready to blow up their long history of not doing any of that quite yet.
After not having to worry about finding employment after a couple of decades working for the gov (and Apartheid Elmo-willing, at least a decade more), I've mostly avoided LinkedIn. Been on it more of late (for some reason), and the management-speak drivel that spews forth from very smart people I know in the real world always flabbergasts me.