Soccer <\/p>\n
Carles Gil<\/a> scored a late goal for New England<\/a>, Lionel Messi<\/a> set an MLS record and\u00a0Sporting Kansas City<\/a> struggled to defend. It was truly a week unlike any other.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n As always: The Power Rankings are voted on by, give or take, 15 people associated with MLSsoccer.com. The author does not decide the rankings, but he does get a little rush out of moving your team in particular down a few spots when he can.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Missing DP winger Timo Werner<\/a> and No. 10 Niko Tsakiris<\/a> to injury didn\u2019t stop the\u00a0Earthquakes<\/a> from earning a 1-1 draw against the Whitecaps<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n In a matchup between the league\u2019s top teams, San Jose got on the board almost immediately thanks to Preston Judd<\/a>‘s eighth goal of the year. They were second-best the rest of the way, though they still took a point and stayed on top of the Supporters\u2019 Shield standings.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n It took a while, but Sebastian Berhalter<\/a> eventually found the breakthrough goal that powered Vancouver to a 1-1 draw with San Jose (which could easily have turned into a comeback win). Per FotMob, Vancouver had a 2.23 to 0.65 expected goals advantage after the opening goal.<\/p>\n The underlying numbers still tilt heavily toward Vancouver in their battle with San Jose for the league\u2019s best team.<\/p>\n Also, good news: Thomas M\u00fcller<\/a> is back from illness.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n So happy you are feeling better @esmuellert_<\/a> \u2600\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/fnVNFv0Zed<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) May 11, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Despite multiple key injuries, Nashville<\/a> put up a valiant effort against Tigres in the Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a> semifinals. But they came up short, 2-0 on aggregate, in their quest for a CCC final berth.<\/p>\n They followed that up with an (oddly?) impressive comeback draw with\u00a0D.C. United<\/a> over the weekend. Nashville went down 2-0 before scrapping back late via a Warren Madrigal<\/a> brace.\u00a0<\/p>\n Outside of the results, Nashville received some rough injury news. Midfielder Patrick Yazbek<\/a> picked up a quad injury in warm-ups before the Tigres match. He\u2019ll be out for a while. Nashville were already dealing with injuries to DP striker Sam Surridge<\/a> and midfielder Eddi Tagseth<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Back-to-back 1-1 draws against Sporting KC (15th place in the West) and San Diego<\/a> (13th place in the West) aren’t what you\u2019d expect from this side. It\u2019s hard to worry about Seattle<\/a> too much, though. They\u2019ve still racked up 21 points over 10 games. That\u2019s the fourth-best points-per-game mark (2.1) in the league.<\/p>\n All that is largely thanks to a league-best defense that\u2019s only allowed six goals. But it\u2019s also fair to be a little concerned about an attack that\u2019s only scored 14 goals. Who will they turn to when they need a match-winning moment?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The underlying numbers still aren\u2019t great, and their schedule hasn’t been the toughest, but when you have Matt Turner<\/a> and Carles Gil as match-winners, you can find ways to stuff some nerds into lockers.<\/p>\n With a 2-1 win over the Union<\/a>, the Revs extended their unbeaten streak to seven games and stayed in second place in the East. They’re off to the club’s best-ever start at home, too.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll see if a regression to the mean comes for them. In the meantime, let’s sit back and appreciate that winning without great underlying numbers means you get moments like this:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n LUCA LANGONI CURLS IT THROUGH THE WINDOW AND TO THE FAR POST \ud83e\udd2f@NERevolution<\/a> level the game in style! pic.twitter.com\/me3vZUCKIb<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 10, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Maybe they just needed a vacation?<\/p>\n After last week\u2019s\u00a0rough<\/em> loss against Orlando City<\/a>, Inter Miami<\/a> regrouped for their trip to Toronto<\/a> and delivered a 4-2 win where Lionel Messi became the league’s fastest player to 100 goal contributions<\/a>. They were up 4-0 before Toronto snagged a couple of late goals.<\/p>\n They’ll stay on the road for a midweek matchup with Cincy<\/a>, but will have to come home eventually. If they can\u2019t earn their first home win against either Portland<\/a> on Sunday or Philly the week after, Nu Stadium may really be cursed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n One of one. \ud83d\udc10 pic.twitter.com\/GF7Y8P9o8t<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 9, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n LAFC<\/a>\u2019s semifinal trip to Toluca went\u2026 about how trips to Toluca tend to go. They\u2019re out of the Concacaf Champions Cup hunt, and can start to regroup and recover.<\/p>\n Since the CCC quarterfinals began, LAFC have won one of six regular-season games. That includes a 4-1 loss to Houston<\/a> last weekend. They have three matches remaining before what will be a very welcome FIFA World Cup<\/a> break.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n FC Dallas<\/a> only held 32.2% possession against RSL<\/a>, but they still created the best chances. They looked very comfortable letting RSL stay on the ball and waiting for opportunities to hit in transition at speed.<\/p>\n The result? A huge 3-1 win that featured Santiago Moreno<\/a>\u2019s first goal since arriving in early April, and an epic insurance goal celebration from Sam Sarver<\/a>.<\/p>\n If Moreno gets going and\u00a0Petar Musa<\/a> continues to be a menace up top, this team will keep doing damage.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Insane run by Sam Sarver to make it 3-1 Dallas! \ud83d\ude31 pic.twitter.com\/Lt4sBsjZKP<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 10, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n All indications right now are that James Rodr\u00edguez<\/a> isn\u2019t coming back to Minnesota<\/a> after the World Cup, but he\u2019s still making an impact while he\u2019s here. He delivered two assists in a 30-minute substitute appearance that briefly pushed Minnesota ahead of Austin<\/a> in what ended as a 2-2 draw.\u00a0<\/p>\n With the draw, the Loons are equal on points with LAFC and Seattle. That\u2019s nothing to dismiss.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Another James Rodriguez assist! This time it’s Joaqu\u00edn Pereyra who puts it in the back of the net! pic.twitter.com\/4vGuwS3Hy6<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 11, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n It\u2019s tough to defend when you\u2019re missing several key starters due to injury. It\u2019s also tough to build effectively out of the back. Those absences aren\u2019t the only reason RSL fell 3-1 to\u00a0FC Dallas despite having nearly 68% possession, but they certainly didn\u2019t help.<\/p>\n They\u2019ll need to figure out some answers for a double-game week that starts with a visit from Houston and ends with the first Rocky Mountain Cup matchup of the season.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Houston delivered a total beatdown of a sort-of-rotated-and-definitely-exhausted LAFC side.<\/p>\n The huge 4-1 win came in part due to Jack McGlynn<\/a> doing this:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Take a bow, Jack \ud83d\udc4f pic.twitter.com\/JcNr3pxAFM<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) May 11, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n The Dynamo have now won four of their last five since getting shellacked in a 6-2 loss to\u00a0Colorado<\/a>.<\/p>\n They\u2019ll look to carry that momentum into one of the toughest double-game weeks you\u2019ll see this year in MLS. They\u2019ll visit RSL on Wednesday and host Vancouver on Saturday.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Make it back-to-back matches where Chicago<\/a> have allowed three goals. For context:\u00a0They allowed just five goals in their first seven matches of the season.<\/p>\n Suddenly, it seems like the Fire have some real concerns about keeping the ball out of the back of the net.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Things were looking just fine for FC Cincinnati after Evander<\/a> did this:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 10, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n But the wheels came off in two minutes at the start of the second half. Cincy conceded twice against Charlotte<\/a>, and what could have been three points turned into a 2-2 road draw. This year\u2019s Cincy side never quite feels in control.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Marco Reus<\/a> changed the match for the Galaxy<\/a>. Before he subbed on at Atlanta<\/a>, LA weren’t generating much. After he arrived (and Atlanta subsequently went up 1-0), LA took control.<\/p>\n The final result? A 2-1 comeback win that saw Gabriel Pec<\/a> score twice and make it a solid 11 points over six matches.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Gabriel Pec with his second on the rebound after the dish from Marco Reus \ud83d\udca5@LAGalaxy<\/a> taking the road lead \ud83d\ude24 pic.twitter.com\/HpJcUrzIzA<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 10, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n D.C. looked primed to win at Nashville after taking a 2-0 lead.\u00a0<\/p>\n But Silvan Hefti<\/a> got a red card, they allowed two goals after the 75th minute and they had to settle for a 2-2 draw.<\/p>\n Despite that setback, this is all going much better than anyone expected. And club-record signing Louis Munteanu<\/a> is starting to find his footing. After a handful of substitute appearances, he\u2019s scored four goals in his first three MLS starts.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Hannes Wolf<\/a> netted a hat trick to take full advantage of a disorganized Columbus Crew<\/a> side as New York City FC<\/a> cruised to an easy 3-0 win.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n It had been seven MLS games since their last win. And that performance comes just in time to set NYCFC up for a big week, which ends at Red Bull New York<\/a> for Walmart Saturday Showdown.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Austin couldn\u2019t hold onto a late lead against Minnesota, but they did find a 79th-minute equalizer to earn a point. They\u2019ve picked up a respectable eight points in their last five MLS games.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Charlotte fought back from a 2-0 deficit to pull out a 2-2 draw against FC Cincinnati. Idan Toklamati<\/a> and Pep Biel<\/a> scored in the 51st and 52nd minutes, respectively, to earn a point.<\/p>\n That stopped the bleeding for a moment, ending Charlotte’s four-match losing streak across all competitions.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Michael Bradley seemed to take a less aggressive approach against Chicago, and it paid off in a 3-1 road win. Robert Voloder<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Tim Parker<\/a> started in a more traditional center-back pairing, and the Red Bulls were a little more measured.<\/p>\n They came into the match with 27 goals allowed on the year and a very relevant five-match winless streak. Now, they may have found some answers in a big win.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll find out soon enough. RBNY welcome Columbus midweek before hosting a Hudson River Derby meeting with NYCFC on Saturday.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The Rapids couldn\u2019t get anything going in attack, even before a controversial Rob Holding<\/a> red card in the 51st minute sent them down to 10 men.<\/p>\n Colorado are now on a five-match winless streak.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Maybe they can face Sporting KC every week?<\/p>\n Portland cruised to a 6-0 win last Saturday that was never in doubt, led by 2g\/2a from striker Kevin Kelsy<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Make it nine points in their last five games. The Timbers haven\u2019t exactly turned a corner, but they’re definitely in the West hunt.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Toronto have the lengthiest injury list in the league, and their place in the standings is starting to reflect that. They were overpowered by Inter Miami last weekend and were bounced by CPL side Atl\u00e9tico Ottawa in the Canadian Championship midweek. They\u2019re winless now in their last seven matches in all competitions.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Montr\u00e9al<\/a> have consistently put in decent performances this year. And in the 2026 edition of the Eastern Conference, that means you\u2019ll find some wins here and there.<\/p>\n Case in point: Last weekend’s 2-0 win over Orlando, even if it took a bit to find the goals.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n San Diego can feel a little better about their performances over the last couple of weeks. Draws against LAFC and Seattle are solid results. That’s not to suggest they\u2019ve found their 2025 form, but those results hint at them coming out of their post-Concacaf Champions Cup funk.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Columbus were well off the pace in a 3-0 loss at NYCFC.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve now lost six times in 12 matches this season. They lost eight times in the 2025 season, six times in the 2024 season and nine times in the 2023 season. The post-Wilfried Nancy era has not been kind so far.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n St. Louis<\/a> only put one shot on target in their 1-0 win over Colorado, but that one shot went in!\u00a0 It\u2019s just their second win of the year.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Atlanta were about 20 minutes away from their first four-game winning streak (all competitions) in what is presumably a long, long time. But they squandered a stellar opening goal from Jay Fortune<\/a> and conceded twice to LA in a 2-1 defeat.<\/p>\n Sigh.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Hopes of carrying momentum from their miraculous 4-3 win over Inter Miami went out with a whimper. The Lions held on for dear life at Montr\u00e9al until the dam broke in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time. The 2-0 loss marked their eighth of the season and pushed their goal differential to -18.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Philly’s 2-1 loss at the Revs left them with five matches without a win. They\u2019re the only Eastern Conference team with a single-digit point total.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
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