MLS Power Rankings: Seattle Sounders and Montreal Impact Surge
The MLS playoffs are underway and there's already been some incredible matches.
The Portland Timbers' win after an 11-round penalty shootout against Sporting Kansas City is the first moment that stands out. Juan Agudelo's bicycle kick will also live with MLS fans for many years.
Now that the playoff field has been trimmed down, it's time to rank all 12 teams that made the postseason. Every side will be graded on the following criteria:
- Quality of opponent and performance.
- Recent form beyond the previous match.
- Key absences.
Here are the latest MLS power rankings.
12. Toronto FC (Previous: 10)
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Toronto FC suffered the most lopsided loss in the playoffs. The Reds fell 3-0 to the Montreal Impact in the knockout round.
Once again, the franchise is set for another self-evaluation this offseason. President Bill Manning has given head coach Greg Vanney a vote of confidence and wants TFC to reduce the number of goals allowed, per the Toronto Sun's Kurtis Larson.
In order for Vanney to meet this target, he has to identify who his best four defenders are early in the season. He was still rotating defenders in September to see who works well together. This cannot happen if TFC have high aspirations.
The loss against Montreal showed that the midfield is not balanced and the defense needs an upgrade. Adding a defensive midfielder and dropping deeper at the back can solve these issues.
TFC can drastically improve if they build around their three designated players. Whether the current squad fits in with that plan remains to be seen.
11. LA Galaxy (Previous: 11)
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The LA Galaxy's season came to a screeching halt after a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Seattle Sounders in the knockout round.
LA has dominated MLS since 2011. Head coach Bruce Arena transformed the Galaxy into a dynasty and did so by meshing his squad players with the big names. However, he appears to have a dilemma with his newest crop of stars.
Steven Gerrard's defensive qualities are nonexistent and Juninho looked ragged in Seattle as a result of having so much responsibility. More significantly, Gerrard and Giovani dos Santos haven't settled yet.
A report from Simon Hughes of the Independent has now emerged stating that Gerrard is set to return to Liverpool. This has only added more intrigue to the Englishman's current situation in LA.
However, it wasn't just Gerrard and Dos Santos who underwhelmed. Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts was also a disaster, making several costly errors versus the Sounders. Kevin Baxter of the LA Times claims that the Galaxy will try to find a replacement.
LA will still be a contender next year if it changes goalkeepers and has all three designated players fully integrated. For these reasons, the Galaxy stay at No. 11 in the power rankings.
10. New England Revolution (Previous: 9)
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The New England Revolution lost 2-1 against D.C. United in the opening round of the playoffs.
The Revolution finished the game with 10 men after Jermaine Jones was sent off for confronting referee Mark Geiger. Jones was livid after Geiger waved off calls for a handball in the box late in the second half.
Jones will likely be handed a lengthy suspension for his actions. However, his contract will expire at the end of the year, and he has received offers from abroad, per Fox Soccer's Kyle McCarthy.
New England's squad is already balanced. Jones injected confidence in the team but this is still a strong squad, and the Revs will be able to replace him. That is why they finish their 2015 campaign at No. 10 in the power rankings.
9. Sporting Kansas City (Previous: 7)
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Sporting Kansas City produced one of the strongest road performances of the playoffs so far. However, Sporting still lost 7-6 to the Portland Timbers in an 11-round penalty shootout.
The match was incredibly dramatic: Kevin Ellis equalized late in the second half, then Krisztian Nemeth gave SKC their first advantage on 96 minutes with this nifty finish. Maxi Urruti gave Sporting a taste of their own medicine just before the two-hour mark.
SKC goalkeeper Jon Kempin made three saves in the shootout. He didn't even start the match, as he replaced the injured Tim Melia in the second half of regulation. However, the homegrown shot-stopper performed brilliantly.
Sporting fans will be disappointed after another late decline in the regular season. On the other hand, SKC were so close to making the Western Conference semifinals. That's why they're still in the top 10 of the power rankings despite the elimination.
8. D.C. United (Previous: 12)
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D.C. United recorded another comeback win after defeating the New England Revolution 2-1 in the knockout round of the MLS playoffs.
Juan Agudelo's majestic bicycle kick left the whole stadium in shock. Credit D.C., though, as the players' heads didn't drop. In fact, the hosts had several chances to score and finally equalized through Chris Pontius just before halftime.
United were also awarded a penalty on 74 minutes, but Chris Rolfe was denied by the post. The D.C. forward made amends shortly thereafter and bagged the winning goal.
D.C. followed up its dramatic win with a disappointing 1-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls in the first leg of its Eastern Conference semifinal. United will feel hard done by after Ronald Zubar avoided a red card after this vicious tackle.
Now United have to face the Red Bulls on the road with a 1-0 deficit. The injury to New York center back Damien Perrinelle gives D.C. a boost since Zubar is significantly slower.
D.C.'s solid performance against the Revs moves the former into the No. 8 spot this week. If it achieves another upset victory, United will rise even higher in the rankings.
7. Columbus Crew SC (Previous: 3)
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The Columbus Crew lost 2-1 to the Montreal Impact in the first leg of their Eastern Conference semifinal.
It isn't a terrible road result, but the Crew were flaccid. Their goal was gifted to them after Didier Drogba headed the ball right onto the foot of a wide-open Federico Higuain. Columbus also could've conceded more than twice.
An individual mistake by Michael Parkhurst led to Montreal's winner. Each side essentially awarded the opposition a goal, but it was the nonexistent attack that should worry the Crew.
The Impact managed to shut down the Crew's leading scorer Kei Kamara and leader in assists Ethan Finlay. There was little space for either player to run into, something head coach Gregg Berhalter must fix in the second leg.
Playing at home might lead to an improved performance up front. However, the Crew's flat performance has led to a demotion to No. 7 in the power rankings.
6. Portland Timbers (Previous: 5)
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The Portland Timbers battled to a 0-0 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps in the first leg of their Western Conference semifinal.
That match was preceded by the Timbers' triumph over Sporting Kansas City in the knockout stage. From start to finish, this was an incredible game. It began with a high tempo and ended with an 11-round penalty shootout, which Portland won 7-6.
However, unlike in the SKC game, Portland couldn't find a goal against Vancouver. Whether it was goalkeeper David Ousted making highlight-reel saves or wasteful finishing, the Timbers were left frustrated.
Portland has been held scoreless in four of its last five home games. It's the polar opposite on the road. The last time the Timbers were shutout away from Providence Park was on August 2 in a 0-0 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes.
The Timbers will be a threat in Vancouver with the wider pitch. However, Portland slips one spot due to its misfiring attack at home as of late.
5. Vancouver Whitecaps (Previous: 4)
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The Vancouver Whitecaps settled for a 0-0 draw on the road against the Portland Timbers in their Western Conference semifinal.
The Whitecaps were bailed out on a few occasions by goalkeeper David Ousted and center back Kendall Waston. However, Vancouver had a few scoring chances in the first half.
Mauro Rosales, Nicolas Mezquida and Pedro Morales are almost fit enough to start. Head coach Carl Robinson is even "very tempted" to slot Morales into the lineup for the second leg, per Whitecaps club reporter Farhan Devji.
If one of Morales, Rosales or Mezquida can start, then it will allow Gershon Koffie to drop into a deeper role. Koffie is better at breaking up onrushing attacks and moving the ball forward. He's not decisive enough in the final third to be a No. 10.
The Whitecaps have slipped one spot to make room for the Seattle Sounders and Montreal Impact in the power rankings. However, Vancouver is still a major threat heading into the second leg against Portland.
4. FC Dallas (Previous: 1)
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FC Dallas' first-half performance against the Seattle Sounders on the road was perfect. The visitors defended well, closed down space for the Sounders forwards and quickly broke out to score the opening goal.
The second half was a huge letdown in comparison. Dallas was stretched wider, which allowed the Sounders to score twice to pick up a vital 2-1 win in the first leg of their Western Conference semifinal.
Clint Dempsey's wonderful free kick was the difference, so Dallas deserves a slight break. Nonetheless, Seattle was weakened without Osvaldo Alonso in the center of midfield. The Hoops had the speed to expose the Sounders on several occasions.
A 2-1 deficit heading back to Texas is not daunting, so Dallas still has a great chance of progressing. However, the defeat and the Sounders' two victories within the same week has demoted the Texan side to No. 4.
3. Seattle Sounders (Previous: 8)
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The Seattle Sounders have begun the playoffs with two consecutive wins. Seattle opened with an entertaining 3-2 victory over the LA Galaxy before edging FC Dallas 2-1 in its Western Conference semifinal.
The knockout-round game against LA was wild. Both teams exchanged goals in the opening 22 minutes. Erik Friberg capitalized on sloppy Galaxy defending in the second half to score the winner.
Seattle had just four days to recover for the first leg of their conference semifinal against Dallas. The Sounders trailed 1-0 but mounted a second-half comeback to win the match. Clint Dempsey's fantastic free kick clinched the victory.
Osvaldo Alonso didn't even play in either match, and Brad Evans missed the Dallas game due to injury, too. Alonso has since returned to training, with Evans still questionable, per Matt Pentz of the Seattle Times.
For now, the Sounders are third in the power rankings after an emphatic week. If Alonso returns for the second leg, then the Sounders will be almost impossible to defeat.
2. Montreal Impact (Previous: 6)
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The Montreal Impact's domination continued with two straight playoff wins. The Impact crushed Toronto FC 3-0 before beating the Columbus Crew 2-1 just three days later.
Didier Drogba, Patrice Bernier and Ignacio Piatti were the standout performers against Toronto. They tore apart TFC's defense on the counter. The Reds barely tested goalkeeper Evan Bush and Montreal's defense successfully shut down Sebastian Giovinco.
The Impact followed up that performance by silencing Kei Kamara and Ethan Finlay, two of MLS' most dangerous forwards. Didier Drogba gifted Federico Higuain with a goal after his poor clearance, but the defense was rock solid afterwards.
Drogba didn't score against Columbus, but Bernier and Johan Venegas picked up the slack. Laurent Ciman had another impressive game and contributed to the defense conceding just six shots.
Montreal is arguably the most complete team in MLS and has the results to prove it. That is why the Impact are now No. 2 in the power rankings.
1. New York Red Bulls (Previous: 1)
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The New York Red Bulls began their postseason with a 1-0 win over D.C. United in the first leg of their Eastern Conference semifinal.
Dax McCarty, who has been incredible all season long, scored the decisive goal off a free kick in the second half. However, the win came at a costly price.
Center back Damien Perrinelle was forced to leave the match with a knee injury. He will miss the rest of the playoffs, according to the Red Bulls' senior director of communications Jason Baum.
Ronald Zubar replaced him and probably should've been sent off for this challenge. McCarty scored just minutes later.
Nonetheless, the Red Bulls won the match and are still the deserved No. 1 team. However, it will be interesting to see how they cope without Perrinelle in the second leg.
