2008 MLS Power Ratings - Week 5 and Columbus rules

Is the West even worth talking about? Of course they are, but the way they are playing at the moment, it doesn’t look good. The fact that all five bottom spots are held by Western teams is a bad omen for things to come.

That said, this upcoming weekend should see some movement in both conferences as there is only one match between the two.

So here are the ratings:

1. Columbus Crew (Last week 3) - The Crew are on top! The Crew are on top! They managed to eek out a victory even though they gave Houston lots of time to take it away. Smart play if they could pull their midfield together a bit more, they might be able to hold this spot for a little while. Congrats to Sigi on his 100th MLS win.

2. Chicago Fire (4) - The problem is still the same, they need to find more goal scorers but with a defense that is near the top in the league, they are a contender.

3. New England Revolution (5) - Way to match into Texas and take what you want. They still lack power in the final third and their defense makes Reis work for it, but still looking good.

4. Toronto FC (7) - Another game where they let the other side control large parts of the game, which is bad, yet they still came out a winner. It is a dangerous style but the Leafs seem to make it work.

5. FC Dallas (1) - Just when FCD started to have me convince that they we solid in all areas, they play like they did Thursday night. Nothing on offense, confusion in the middle and mismatch in the back. The good news? That still might be enough to win the West this year.

6. Kansas City Wizards (2) - In many ways the better team against Toronto but not on the scoreboard. The fact that they could not finish anything might just be a horrible sign of things to come.

7. New York Red Bull (8) - How could it take them so long to put away San Jose. Jozy again saved the Bulls but even few teams with give them so much time to make it happen.

8. Colorado Rapids (6) - It took going down a goal to get this team going, yet they still couldn't keep Mapp under control. Biggest worry, where are the goals going to come from. They are the only team in the league without a two or more goal scorer so far this season.

9. DC United (14) - Got a small gift against Real but over all it didn't matter. The team was finally hitting the feet with their passes and creating mischief in front of goal.

10. Los Angeles Galaxy (11) - Finally Donovan is playing like everyone wants and expects him to. This gives them an option up top, even when Beckham shuts down for large stretches of the match. Still, any decent offense would have converted three more goals from all the galactic defensive errors.

11. Real Salt Lake (9) - They got cheated on one of the penalty calls, but there is still no reason for the beating they took in DC. They lost their patience and their game fell apart.

12. Chivas USA (10) - What was that? Giving away balls, letting Donovan have space and failing to convert all but one of the many defensive mistakes LA gave them. Even with Razov back in the lineup, the goats looked mighty weak.

13. San Jose Earthquakes (12) - The good news is they held off a better New York team for most of the match. The bad news is if Ronnie O'Brien is having an off night, San Jose has no offense.

14. Houston Dynamo (13) - They had their best game of the season and still came up short. They created plenty of, as DeRo called it, 'half-chances', but without an added threat up top, it was not enough. Good news is their defense only made one major mistake on the night. Bad news, it cost them a goal.

And that's the week as I knew it.

2008 MLS Power Ratings - Week 4

Four weeks in and the East dominates the ratings, however it is a team from the West that holds the top spot. Will this continue? Week 5 gives us 5 games between the conferences, which will either solidify these numbers or throw everything out of whack. Anyway, here are the ratings as I see them:

1. FC Dallas - The fact that they are the only undefeated team in the league is not the main reason they top the list for me, instead it has to do with their defense. What, FCD has defense? That's a new tradition. Anyway, the team has only given up four goals from 4 matches. Since 3 came against Houston, that means Dallas is doing something special most of the time. Then again, this might just be another quick start only to see it all turn to dust come August.

2. Kansas City Wizards - They ate up the stink that was Chicago over the weekend, but they really should have found a way to get another goal, which seems to be a common issue. It only takes one to win, but it sure makes it stressful.

3. Columbus Crew - Much like Dallas, the defense in Columbus is proving to be a pleasant surprise. This combined with their solid work up top could make them something to watch. Now fans just need to show up to watch them.

4. Chicago Fire - It is almost like 2007 in review. With the big win against the Revs the exception, 1-goal games are their trademark. That means some strong defense but it is at the cost of creativity in the attack. The Fire have yet to show who will save the team when Blanco is off.

5. New England Revolution - Fighting back against the Bulls a man down is an impressive show, but they still look out of sink. The midfield is missing firing in a way I haven't seen in a number of years.

6. Colorado Rapids - One weak something to watch, the next garbage. If they repeat their 'style' from Saturday night again, look for Fernando Clavijo to finally go.

7. Toronto FC - Two wins in a row give them something big, but they collapsed in the second half against Real and their offense still needs help.

8. New York Red Bull - The Jozy goal is one for the ages but the other 89 minutes were worth forgetting. Okay, that is not a true statement, but New York again found a way to give away points. With little attack coming out of the midfield, the Bulls are hurting up top.

9. Real Salt Lake - They should have walked out of Canada with a point as they owned the second half. Still, their play is looking positive and they are creating chances, now if they could just finish a few more of them.

10. Chivas USA - Defensive mistakes are killing this club and making Brad Guzan's life hell. Maybe if the injury bug stays away for a bit, things will improve, but right now the golden goats look made of tin.

11. Los Angeles Galaxy - The Beckham-Donovan teaming is paying off but their defense is shoddy and they have no options off the bench. They might make for some fun games, but they are far from the top of MLS.

12. San Jose Earthquakes - If have been impressed with this expansion side as they have been the better side for the last two games thanks in large part to Ronnie O'Brien and Ryan Cochrane. If these two stay healthy, the 'Quakes might not end up the worst team in the league.

13. Houston Dynamo - Last year's defensive giant looks mighty small these days. Not holding a lead is very bad. We all focused so much on the Dynamo's offensive hurt during the off-season, maybe we missed what was going on in back. If there is something good for the team, they have only played one of their four games so far at home.

14. DC United - They might just have the best technical skills in the league, but they are disorganized in the final third of attack. Their final third of defense isn't that wonderful either. But much like last season, only an idiot would count United out at this point.

And that's the week as I knew it.