MLS Week 17 Power Ratings
It's been a month since I've done one of these, so it feels good to be back. Here are the MLS power ratings as I see them
1. DC United (last week - 1) - They got lucky in Chicago as the Fire were the better team, but they still came home with a share of the points. To me, if you are out played and still get a tie, you are a good team.
2. FC Dallas (3) - Injuries are everywhere in Dallas, but so are late goals. Abe Thompson's strike in stoppage time to win it should be seen as a warning to all; against FCD, the game is not over till that whistle blows.
3. Houston Dynamo (2) - A solid defense kept New England from having a single shot on goal, but one bad bounce in the form of an own goal almost sunk them. Still, they recovered well, but with all their chances, they really should have got at least one more goal.
4. Colorado Rapids (5) - Outplayed in just about every way you can measure a game but they still kept getting goals. I don't know how they do it with all the holes in their midfield, but they keep finding ways of getting points.
5. Los Angeles Galaxy (4) - Yallop has LA chugging along just fine so how could they not get more past the Crew's ever changing goalkeeper? A point is better then nothing, but LA is far better then they played in the second half.
6. Chivas USA (7) - Chivas is finally showing they are a good team in the MLS, but they have yet to figure out how to keep leads. If you go up a goal in stoppage time, there is no reason to not win the game. All the ball control in the world means little if you can't keep the ball out of your net.
7. New England Revolution (6) - No shots on goal is a bad sign for this uneven club. Their offense was sad, their midfield was wasted and their defense got lucky. Other then that, they are the team to beat.
8. Chicago Fire (8) - Chicago outplayed DC all over the pitch for about 70-minutes, but then they dropped it. Logan Pause was stupid to get tossed, but the Fire were managing without him for 20-minutes, but, again, they could not finish. Collapsing in the final 20-minutes is quickly becoming Chicago's motto.
9. New York Red Bull (11) - What can a week change? For New York the answer is just about everything. Two wins in four days moves them from the basement to mid-table. Even better, their victories are due to a midfield establishing itself and feeding good balls to the forwards. If their defense can show more resolve, third place might just be a realistic finish.
10. Columbus Crew (9) - They were managing the ball so well in the final 15-minutes, but they really didn't threaten. The Crew need to learn a lesson from the US men in Germany, if you don't take smart shots, you don't score.
11. Real Salt Lake (10) - How can you play even with one of the best teams in MLS only to let it all go in the final couple minutes of the game? I asked it of Chicago and I ask it again of Real. They had their elements working for the full 90, but then a late one stuns them again.
12. Kansas City Wizards (12) - Maybe KC's luck has all gone to DC as they just could not buy a break against New York. Having a late ball beat the keeper only to see it cleared off the line by the Bull's Todd Dunivant must have crushed every Wizard's fan out there. Times are bad in KC, but the good news, even after losing 7 in a row, they are only 1 point out of the playoff hunt and five points out of second place. The East sure is crazy this year.
1. DC United (last week - 1) - They got lucky in Chicago as the Fire were the better team, but they still came home with a share of the points. To me, if you are out played and still get a tie, you are a good team.
2. FC Dallas (3) - Injuries are everywhere in Dallas, but so are late goals. Abe Thompson's strike in stoppage time to win it should be seen as a warning to all; against FCD, the game is not over till that whistle blows.
3. Houston Dynamo (2) - A solid defense kept New England from having a single shot on goal, but one bad bounce in the form of an own goal almost sunk them. Still, they recovered well, but with all their chances, they really should have got at least one more goal.
4. Colorado Rapids (5) - Outplayed in just about every way you can measure a game but they still kept getting goals. I don't know how they do it with all the holes in their midfield, but they keep finding ways of getting points.
5. Los Angeles Galaxy (4) - Yallop has LA chugging along just fine so how could they not get more past the Crew's ever changing goalkeeper? A point is better then nothing, but LA is far better then they played in the second half.
6. Chivas USA (7) - Chivas is finally showing they are a good team in the MLS, but they have yet to figure out how to keep leads. If you go up a goal in stoppage time, there is no reason to not win the game. All the ball control in the world means little if you can't keep the ball out of your net.
7. New England Revolution (6) - No shots on goal is a bad sign for this uneven club. Their offense was sad, their midfield was wasted and their defense got lucky. Other then that, they are the team to beat. 
8. Chicago Fire (8) - Chicago outplayed DC all over the pitch for about 70-minutes, but then they dropped it. Logan Pause was stupid to get tossed, but the Fire were managing without him for 20-minutes, but, again, they could not finish. Collapsing in the final 20-minutes is quickly becoming Chicago's motto.
9. New York Red Bull (11) - What can a week change? For New York the answer is just about everything. Two wins in four days moves them from the basement to mid-table. Even better, their victories are due to a midfield establishing itself and feeding good balls to the forwards. If their defense can show more resolve, third place might just be a realistic finish.
10. Columbus Crew (9) - They were managing the ball so well in the final 15-minutes, but they really didn't threaten. The Crew need to learn a lesson from the US men in Germany, if you don't take smart shots, you don't score.
11. Real Salt Lake (10) - How can you play even with one of the best teams in MLS only to let it all go in the final couple minutes of the game? I asked it of Chicago and I ask it again of Real. They had their elements working for the full 90, but then a late one stuns them again.
12. Kansas City Wizards (12) - Maybe KC's luck has all gone to DC as they just could not buy a break against New York. Having a late ball beat the keeper only to see it cleared off the line by the Bull's Todd Dunivant must have crushed every Wizard's fan out there. Times are bad in KC, but the good news, even after losing 7 in a row, they are only 1 point out of the playoff hunt and five points out of second place. The East sure is crazy this year.
posted by Mike H at 12:55 PM
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