2011 MLS Power Rankings: Week 29

It is officially the month of October, and the MLS Cup Playoff picture is becoming clearer and clearer with each passing match. 

In this week's Major League Soccer Power Rankings on Bleacher Report, Los Angeles secure the top spot for another week as they close in on another successful Supporters Shield defense. 

Meanwhile, Vancouver opens up their new ground only to see their house get broken in, while a few other teams turn their attention to next season.

All this and more as Bleacher Report brings you this week's MLS Power Rankings.

18. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Well. That's a nice looking ground you got there, Tom Soehn. Too bad your Vancouver Whitecaps are not that good at defending it, as they fell to the Portland Timbers 1-0 at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia.

A silver lining I do want to point out: There is a trophy that Vancouver are in the running for. It's a spoon made of hardwood. Yes, you know what I'm talking about, readers.

"You come away frustrated and disappointed," Soehn told whitecapsfc.com's Simon Fudge. "I didn’t think we had the best of energy in the first half and it’s hard to explain when you look at this venue and the excitement. You don’t get too many opportunities to open up a new stadium of this quality, especially against a rival."

Up next for the Caps is a match with struggling Real Salt Lake at BC Place. Kickoff is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 6 at 6:30 p.m. PT/9:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Rogers SportsNet One.

17. New England Revolution

Steve Nicol's New England Revolution had a golden opportunity to restore some pride at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Alas, they could not hold on to a 1-0 lead and capitulated, 2-1, to the Seattle Sounders.

Diego Fagundez scored his second goal of the season in the 35th minute of play.

"It’s a matter in how we lose them," Nicol told reporters. "You’d always say it was rather good play on the opponents’ behalf. But when you make the mistakes we made for the two goals, it’s kind of hard to take. You see the effort the players put in tonight. They gave everything again, but we find a way to hamstring ourselves."

Up next for the Revolution is a pillow fight with the San Jose Earthquakes at Gillette Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Comcast SportsNet.

16. San Jose Earthquakes

What is going on with Frank Yallop's San Jose Earthquakes? It has been nothing short of depressing, as they drew 1-1 with Sporting Kansas City at Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, Calif.

Chris Wondolowski passes Landon Donovan for second on the team's all-time goalscorers list in the 85th minute, but the Quakes saw their lead evaporate quickly.

With the season just about a wash for San Jose, they will look to build on something for next season. Up next is a match with the New England Revolution. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 8 at 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the radio by KZSF 1370 AM and KDOW 1220 AM.

15. Toronto FC

The MLS Cup Playoff ambitions for Aron Winter's Toronto FC are done and dusted. Their only hope at salvaging some sort of pride is success in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Speaking of which, Toronto pulled off a surprise 1-1 draw with Pumas UNAM in Champions League play. Peri Marosevic scored in the 35th minute for the Reds.

However, they were unable to build on their result in MLS action, pulling off another 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls.

"Up until five minutes before the end of the game, I think that they played very well," Winter told TorontoFC.ca's Asif Hossain. "We did not give much away but at the end, we were winning one-nil, again, before the game ends, again with a corner, a set-piece we are not sharp enough. It’s a pity because we deserved more."

Toronto's next match is on Saturday, Oct. 15 against the Philadelphia Union. Kickoff at PPL Park in Chester, Pennsylvania is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET and will be televised by TSN.

14. Chivas USA

Robin Fraser's Chivas USA were spared some hard-earned blushes when Juan Pablo Angel delivered a 90th minute equalizer for Chivas USA in their 1-1 draw with the Philadelphia Union.

On Oct. 16, the Goats will continue their season when they face the Los Angeles Galaxy in the second leg of the Honda SuperClasico. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

13. Portland Timbers

John Spencer's Portland Timbers remained in the hunt for the postseason with a 1-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place Stadium on Saturday.

Kenny Cooper scored the first-ever league goal at BC Place Stadium in the 25th minute thanks to a Diego Chara delivery.

“My hope is with each week to get better and with not many games left in the season, I hope I can put in a better performance each time. It feels good to get a goal," Cooper told the press. "It’s one of the best moments out there in the game. I’ve been on the right end of some really great service, so I have to credit my teammates.”

Currently, the Timbers are even on points with the New York Red Bulls, but are outside the playoff picture due to inferior goal differential. 

Up next for the Portland Timbers is a match with the Houston Dynamo on Friday, Oct. 14. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT and will be televised by ROOT SPORTS.

12. Red Bull New York

Hans Backe's New York Red Bulls continued to walk the tightrope as they took on Toronto FC at BMO Field.

Thierry Henry salvages a point for the Red Bulls in the 88th minute to give New York a 1-1 draw with the Reds.

“We had so many chances to come back into the game—we didn’t, but then we came back at the end. For us, it was an important point, chasing the playoffs,” Henry told MLSSoccer.com's Kristian Dyer. “For us, it was really important.”

New York will now have their biggest challenge on their hands...stopping the Los Angeles Galaxy at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. Kickoff is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. 

11. D.C. United

Ben Olsen's D.C. United had a tough week on their hands.

At PPL Park on Thursday, they were ambushed by the Philadelphia Union 3-2. Dwayne De Rosario scored his 14th goal of the season in the 21st minute, while Andy Najar recorded his fifth in the 30th minute of play. However, D.C. were unable to deliver the game-winner.

D.C. were hoping for redemption against the Columbus Crew, but were turned away 2-1. Daniel Woolard opened his scoring account in the 37th minute at Crew Stadium.

“The feeling’s not too much different than Thursday," Olsen remarked. "It’s not fun to lose these games. I thought overall it was a good effort, but we took those two plays off and you can’t do that down the stretch.”

United's next match is on Wednesday, Oct. 12, against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Kickoff at BC Place Stadium is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Comcast SportsNet.

10. FC Dallas

Also in a rut this past week were Schellas Hyndman's FC Dallas.

The Hoops were forced to play with nine men by the end of the match as they fell to Tauro FC 5-3. Jair Benitez scored an easly equalizer in the 23rd minute, while Ruben Luna recorded a brace in the 85th minute and second half stoppage time.

More of the pain was dished on Dallas as they were shut out and shut down by the Colorado Rapids 1-0 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado.

“It’s just a little bit frustrating, and now the confidence starts to wane a little bit and we really have to remember exactly what it is that got us where we’ve gotten,” goalkeeper Kevin Hartman told MLSSoccer.com's Robert Casner. “We need to stay united. We need to make sure we have one another’s back and that we continue to fight and do whatever it takes.”

Up next for Dallas is a match on Wednesday, Oct. 12 against the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Sports Southwest.

9. Columbus Crew

It was a hit-and-miss week for the Columbus Crew, who managed just three out of a possible six points.

On Wednesday, the Crew fell to Sporting Kansas City 2-1 at Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. Emilio Renteria scored in the 34th minute for the Crew, but Julius James' own goal in the 74th minute ended any hopes of a comeback.

On Sunday against D.C. United, it was a different story, as Columbus ended their winless streak with a 2-1 victory over D.C. United. 

Down a goal, Columbus rallied with responses in the form of an own goal from D.C.'s Daniel Woolard and Eddie Gaven at the hour mark.

“Even though I couldn’t play [before I got back to training], I could run to stay fit,” Gaven told thecrew.com's Craig Merz. “I knew I was able to come back soon. I didn’t know when. I kept trying to work hard to make sure I was fit when I came back. Tonight was my chance.”

Columbus' next contest is on Oct. 15 when they take on the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by ONN-TV.

8. Real Salt Lake

There was nothing but sheer and utter futility for Jason Kreis's Real Salt Lake. On Wednesday, Chicago sacked the Fortress that is Rio Tinto Stadium to the tune of a 3-0 defeat for RSL.

And then it got worse for the incumbent CONCACAF Champions League runners-up. On Saturday, in spite of a 45th minute goal from Fabian Espindola, they succumbed to an own goal from Nat Borchers to fall 2-1 to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

“Obviously, we didn’t lose by three or four goals," Kreis told the press. "I wanted improvement, I wanted a collective team effort and I wanted a team that showed a little bit more discipline, more difficult to break down than we have been in the last two games and we got all that. 

"We didn’t get the result that I had hoped for, but we got a lot of hard work from the guys and we got a lot of sense of improvement.”

With their Supporters Shield quest done and dusted, the focus for Real Salt Lake is a return to their winning ways. Up next for RSL is a Thursday night match against the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT/9:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by KMYU 2.2, Comcast SportsNet and Dish Network 12.

7. Chicago Fire

Frank Klopas's Chicago Fire were on the brink as far as their MLS Cup Playoff hopes were concerned, managing just four out of a possible six points.

On Wednesday, a hat trick from Marco Pappa in the ninth, 36th and 75th minutes gave Chicago a 3-0 victory over Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.

The heroics were harder to come by against the Houston Dynamo, as Dominic Oduro's 43rd minute strike salvaged a 1-1 draw at Robertson Stadium in Houston, Tex.

“I don’t think it felt any different than from any of the other goals I’ve scored,” Oduro told MLSSoccer.com's Sam Stejskal. “Just because it was in Houston, it doesn’t make any difference. I was hoping we could get three points, but like I said, anybody could’ve scored that goal. 

"I don’t want to compliment myself on it because I didn’t have to do too much work. I was just at the end of it.”

Up next for Chicago is the U.S. Open Cup Final with the Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash. Kickoff is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 9 p.m. CT/10 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel.

Chicago's next league game is the second leg of the Brimstone Cup against FC Dallas on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at Toyota Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Comcast SportsNet.

6. Colorado Rapids

Gary Smith's Colorado Rapids had a solid week of action. In CONCACAF Champions League play, they put a hurting on Isidro Metapan to the tune of 3-1.

Eddie Ababio opened the scoring in the 31st minute, Quincy Amarikwa made it 2-1 in the 49th minute, and Omar Cummings put the game out of reach in the 77th minute of play.

Colorado built on that result with a 1-0 victory against FC Dallas. Drew Moor was the hero, recording his fourth goal of the season in the 25th minute.

"We’ve been without a [league] win for a while now, and I think finishing off the way we did against San Jose, and not being able to get that second goal, left us a bit empty," said Rapids captain/midfielder Pablo Mastroeni. "The guys going away midweek and really performing in what I think is the most difficult environment that we’ve played in all year, and coming out with that positive energy coming back to the club, it just lifted all of us playing in this game today. 

"It’s a team effort, and we’re going to need everyone."

Up next for the Rapids is a a Rocky Mountain Cup tie with Real Salt Lake at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Kickoff is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 14 at 8:30 p.m. MT/10:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN and ESPN2.

5. Houston Dynamo

Dominic Kinnear's Houston Dynamo managed just a 1-1 draw with the Colorado Rapids at Robertson Stadium. Colin Clark scored his fourth goal of the season in the 33rd minute of play.

“I think at times, we lacked a little bit of movement off the ball and became a little bit predictable,” Houston's Brian Ching told MLSSoccer.com's Darrell Lovell. “We did a little bit better in the second half, especially at the end of the game when we were pushing for the points. Unfortunately, we didn’t play well enough in the final pass, the final shot, today.”

Still, in spite of the result, Houston remain in the hunt for theplayoffs, sitting in the third wild card spot at 43 points.

Up next for the Dynamo is a match with the Portland Timbers at Jeld-Wen Field on Friday, Oct. 14. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CT/10:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by KHOU 11., Fox Sports Houston Plus and TV Azteca 51.

4. Philadelphia Union

Peter Nowak's Philadelphia Union had a strong week of action, earning four out of a possible six points.

On Thursday, the Union hosted D.C. United at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. and prevailed, 3-2.

Sebastien Le Toux pulled off a brace to go with a poorly-executed Tina Turner impersonation in the fourth and 15th minuites. Michael Farfan, however, was the hero, with a scorching volley in the 57th minute of play.

Sunday wasn't as friendly to Philadelphia. After bursting out to a 1-0 lead over Chivas USA thanks to Justin Mapp in the 59th minute, the Union were unable to hold on and had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

"Regardless if we got the win or not [against Chivas], I think the last six games were very good,” Nowak told MLSSoccer.com's Dave Zeitlin. “And we’re still in a position to control our own destiny with three games to go.”

The Union continue their race for the postseason when they take on the Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 8 at 10:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by The Comcast Network.

3. Sporting Kansas City

Peter Vermes' Sporting Kansas City check in at No. 3 on our power rankings after securing another four points.

On Wednesday, Sporting silenced the Columbus Crew 2-1 at Livestrong Sporting Park. Kei Kamara converted a penalty in the 15th minute of play, but Sporting earned the three points thanks to an own goal by Julius James in the 74th minute of play.

On Saturday, Sporting earned a 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes thanks to Teal Bunbury in the 86th minute of play.

“[The Bunbury goal] was tremendous,” Vermes told SportingKC.com's Andrew Wiebe. “The reaction was huge. To come back right away and score a goal, especially away from home, was big time. We’ve been on the end of that a couple times this year.”

Up next for Sporting is a match with the New York Red Bulls at Livestrong. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 15 at 3 p.m. CT/4 p.m. ET and will be televised by KSMO-TV and Telefutura.

Before that, Sporting will host Chivas de Guadalajara for an international friendly. Kickoff is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. ET.

2. Seattle Sounders FC

Sigi Schmid's Seattle Sounders had a harrowing night against C.S.D. Comunicaciones at Estadio Cementos Progreso in Guatemala City, Guatemala. However, they were able to secure a spot in the knockout rounds of the CONCACAF Champions League thanks to a 2-2 draw.

Osvaldo Alonso was the hero for Seattle, delivering a brace in the 44th and 89th minutes of play.

Saturday was a differently story for the men in Rave Green, as they defeated the New England Revolution 2-1. This time, it was Fredy Montero to deliver a brace, with goals in the 36th and 48th minutes of play.

"The team has a lot of character, and sometimes it seems that after the opponent scores we wake up and play a little bit better.  In the first half, we were a little bit sluggish and we were lucky that we made them pay for their mistake," Schmid told SoundersFC.com's Matt Gaschk.

Seattle have a chance to make it a dynasty as far as the U.S. Open Cup is concerned. In their way stand the Chicago Fire. Kickoff at CenturyLink Field is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel.

The Sounders remain home on Saturday, Oct. 8 when they face the Philadelphia Union. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET and will be televised by KING 5.

1. Los Angeles Galaxy

Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy had a perfect week, scoring big victories in CONCACAF Champions League and MLS action.

On Wednesday, they got some payback against Monarcas Morelia, with goals from Mike Magee in the 25th minute and Juninho in the first minute of second half stoppage time to silence Monarcas 2-1.

More payback came for Los Angeles, who benefited from an own goal by Nat Borchers in the 72nd minute to give the Galaxy a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake. Chad Barrett sparked the comeback in the 59th minute with a goal that never even touched the nylon but did cross the endline.

The victory put the Galaxy within touching distance of the MLS Supporters' Shield. A victory on Tuesday over the New York Red Bulls will all but secure a successful defense.

“It would have been nice to [claim the Shield on Saturday],” said the Galaxy's Landon Donovan to MLSSoccer.com's Luis Bueno. “If we win in New York, we’re there...We’re close, but we’re not there yet.”

Kickoff between the Galaxy and the Red Bulls is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.