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Ranking The Top 25 MLB Players Of The 21st Century
It's Monday, and another week of MLS action is in the books, which means it's time for ESPN's Power Rankings.
Our Power Rankings are derived from a combination of key season statistics (points per game, goal differential, expected goal differential), recent performance, the Opta computer ratings and the observations of our writers.
Who's climbing the table? Who's in free fall? We've ranked all 29 clubs in the league. Let's dive in.
1. Inter Miami CFPrevious ranking: 5
Wearing their retro-inspired Miami Dolphins-esque jerseys, Miami snagged a 2-1 win over Chicago on Saturday. Tata Martino's team is now the only team in MLS averaging over two points per game, which has given them a four-point lead in the Supporters' Shield race with nine games to play. The Leagues Cup break gives Miami the chance to nurse Leo Messi's ankle back to health and to get a new center-back in town.
2. Columbus CrewPrevious ranking: 1
We don't see the Crew just ... fold very often, do we? Poor defense against set pieces doomed Columbus against Atlanta as they conceded twice, with both goals coming off of nearly identical set-piece routines from the Five Stripes. I think I know what coach Wilfried Nancy will be drilling in training this week.
3. LAFCPrevious ranking: 2
Even without Tim Tillman and Kike Olivera, LAFC went up to Seattle and scored three goals, kept a clean sheet, and claimed all three points. The pain of that 5-1 loss against the Columbus Crew still lingers, but this team is both deep and talented. They're about to get stronger as the summer transfer window continues, too with Olivier Giroud coming to town.
4. LA GalaxyPrevious ranking: 7
Greg Vanney tried out Joseph Paintsil as his team's No. 9 this week, and it worked a treat. The Ghanaian DP had tons of success knifing in behind the Portland Timbers' back line, picking up a goal and a pair of assists in his team's 3-2 win.
5. FC CincinnatiPrevious ranking: 3
We've officially reached the point where FC Cincinnati's massive injury issues come back to bite it. Without any stability in the back, Pat Noonan has had to rely on makeshift center-back combinations, but Cincy couldn't hold strong against the Red Bulls, losing 3-1 to make it three straight defeats.
6. Real Salt LakePrevious ranking: 4
With Chicho Arango suspended, Real Salt Lake struggled to play through the Rapids' press and didn't pose a huge threat on the ball on Saturday, falling 3-2. Still, Arango will only miss one more game for RSL, and they're still so clearly one of the best six teams in the league when he is around.
7. New York Red BullsPrevious ranking: 6
There isn't a lot of satisfaction in hitting your foe while they're down, but there sure is satisfaction in collecting three points against a conference rival. That's exactly what the Red Bulls did in their 3-1 win over FC Cincinnati. They matched up with a broken Cincy team at just the right time.
8. Colorado RapidsPrevious ranking: 10
The Rapids aren't excellent at any one thing, but they sure are good at a lot of things. They had success pressing RSL, they had success constricting space in deeper areas, and they used the ball well in a narrow win over their rivals. Coach Chris Armas has a flexible unit on his hands.
9. Portland TimbersPrevious ranking: 9
Coach Phil Neville's early season in Portland was shaky to say the least, but Neville now has the team humming convincingly. Saturday's 3-0 win over RSL was their fifth win in the past six games, and comes against the fourth-placed team in the Supporters' Shield race: just the tonic for a Timbers team fighting to get into the playoff picture.
10. New York City FCPrevious ranking: 11
NYCFC found the better looks against Orlando City, but couldn't build quite enough attacking momentum within Nick Cushing's conservative lineup to secure all three points on the road in Florida and ultimately settled for a 1-1 draw.
11. Vancouver WhitecapsPrevious ranking: 13
Shipping four goals is never a good thing. But in truth, the Whitecaps were more unlucky than they were bad against Houston: the Dynamo scored four on just over a single expected goal. Their loss to Houston is just the latest chaotic episode in a chaotic season for Vanni Sartini & Co.
12. Charlotte FCPrevious ranking: 8
Karol Swiderski is back! Did Charlotte FC want him back after his loan spell in Italy? Not really, no. But were they happy to see the Poland international convert a penalty kick in a 2-2 draw with Austin FC? You bet.
13. Houston DynamoPrevious ranking: 15
New DP striker Ezequiel Ponce had a quiet debut for Houston, though the Dynamo's win over the Whitecaps was anything but quiet. They came out on the right side of a 4-3 thriller in Vancouver, with Griffin Dorsey scoring twice.
14. Orlando CityPrevious ranking: 14
With Duncan McGuire in France with the U.S. men's Olympic squad, Ramiro Enrique picked a great time to go on a scoring streak. The 23-year-old has scored in four straight games, snagging Orlando's only goal in their 1-1 draw with NYCFC.
15. Atlanta United FCPrevious ranking: 23
Even with Atlanta playing at home, I sure didn't have "a team with zero attacking DPs beats the scariest foe in MLS" on my bucket list. But, hey, Stian Gregersen went to town on set pieces, scoring twice, and Atlanta United got the job done against Columbus.
16. Minnesota UnitedPrevious ranking: 16
Beating the Quakes isn't a real statement these days, but it was nice to see Minnesota break its nine-game winless streak. Minnesota United wasn't flawless defensively, but the Loons had more attacking firepower and enough solidity to earn a straightforward 2-0 win.
17. Seattle SoundersPrevious ranking: 12
Brian Schmetzer swung and missed with his lineup against LAFC, again using Pedro de la Vega as a half-space player rather than as a pure wide threat. The Sounders created oh-so-little for long stretches and couldn't keep things locked down at the back, losing 3-0.
18. Toronto FCPrevious ranking: 18
John Herdman must be thrilled to have his players back from Canada's Copa America squad. Richie Laryea, who helped Jesse Marsch's squad to the semis, started and score the eventual game winner for Toronto against CF Montreal.
19. Philadelphia UnionPrevious ranking: 26
There's nothing quite like smashing a couple of bad teams to get your confidence back. The Union scored eight goals across their wins over New England (on Wednesday) and Nashville (on Saturday). Tai Baribo and Daniel Gazdag are finding the net, and homegrown talents are in the spotlight.
20. Nashville SCPrevious ranking: 17
Nashville wasn't getting any real production from its wingers to begin with. Now Tyler Boyd is out for the year. And on Saturday, they were played off the field by the Union in a 3-0 defeat. Things are bleak, to say the least.
21. FC DallasPrevious ranking: 20
It wasn't pretty, but a Paul Arriola's penalty kick in second-half stoppage time secured FC Dallas a point on the road against the Revs. Peter Luccin has pushed a handful of the right buttons in Frisco -- Arriola has a future as a right wing-back.
22. D.C. UnitedPrevious ranking: 22
DC United spent their bye week getting blasted 4-0 by Celtic in a friendly. So, uh, that's cool I guess?
23. Austin FCPrevious ranking: 21
Osman Bukari made his debut for Austin, bringing one-on-one threat to Josh Wolff's squad. Bukari didn't contribute to the box score, but it's easy to see him becoming a key piece of this team after this 2-2 draw with Charlotte.
24. Chicago FirePrevious ranking: 25
The Fire couldn't hang with Inter Miami. There's no shame in that fact, but it does speak to the reality that Chicago are several rungs behind the best that their conference has to offer these days.
25. CF MontréalPrevious ranking: 19
The reality for Montreal is painful, but consistent: their floor is low, and their ceiling is low. They dropped all three points to Toronto FC this weekend and didn't have enough juice to even get on the scoreboard.
26. Sporting Kansas CityPrevious ranking: 24
Willy Agada is a game-changer, people. The 24-year-old striker scored his team's only goal in its 1-1 draw with St. Louis and adds elite speed and off-ball movement to Peter Vermes' attack. He's a must-start.
27. St. Louis City SCPrevious ranking: 27
New signing Cedric Teuchert made his debut for St. Louis in his team's 1-1 draw with SKC on Saturday. The former 2. Bundesliga goal scorer wasn't all that involved, but he served as the first sign of change for a club that desperately needs it.
28. New England RevolutionPrevious ranking: 28
It was a delight to see 17-year-old left back Peyton Miller get his first start for the Revs against Dallas, but dropping points at home was somewhat less of a delight for coach Caleb Porter.
29. San Jose EarthquakesPrevious ranking: 29
The Quakes started a backup center-back, a teenager and a winger in their back line against Minnesota United. They lost, predictably. Things are horrible in San Jose.
