{"id":13313,"date":"2012-07-04T14:26:14","date_gmt":"2012-07-04T18:26:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/?p=13313"},"modified":"2012-07-04T14:29:58","modified_gmt":"2012-07-04T18:29:58","slug":"mls-rankings-week-17-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/?p=13313","title":{"rendered":"MLS Rankings: Week 17"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every week the New England Soccer Today crew will look beyond the standings to rank each of the 19 Major League Soccer (MLS) teams. This week Sean Donahue and Brian O\u2019Connell contributed rankings. Comments are followed by the ranker\u2019s name and the rank they gave that team. <\/em> *Note: Games played on July 3rd were not included in these rankings.<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES<\/strong> (11-3-3, 36 points)
\nOutlasted L.A. in a wild, nationally-televised shootout that not only saw the Quakes win, but also bore witness to a David Beckham \u201cspecial\u201d right at Sam Cronin for a questionable injury. Classic game in every sense and who doesn\u2019t love it when Wondo scores? (Brian \u2013 1) \u2026 What a fantastic comeback by the \u2018Quakes. Not many teams can shoot themselves in the foot against a club like the Galaxy and still come back to win. Not many would\u2019ve predicted it to start the season, but San Jose is clearly ready to make another run at the Cup. (Sean \u2013 1)<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 D.C. UNITED<\/strong> \u00a0(10-5-3, 33 points)
\nBrought the Impact back down to earth in a 3-0 win at RFK and kept its hold on first place in East. Chris Pontius does a lot of scoring, and he struck again on Saturday. If he can continue bagging goals, D.C. could run away with the East before long. (Brian \u2013 2) \u2026 Recovered from their loss to New York with their sixth win in seven games. Remember this was a team that started the season winless in their first three games and looked headed for the cellar of the conference \u2013 what a turn around. (Sean \u2013 2)<\/p>\n

3.<\/strong> (-1) NEW YORK RED BULLS<\/strong> (9-4-4, 33 points)
\nWeak effort against Toronto yields a point in a 1-1 draw and keeps them out of the top spot. Is this another sign that the Red Bulls are just playing out the summer in the hopes of turning it on down the stretch? (Brian \u2013 3) \u2026 Sure Toronto\u2019s playing better as of late, but it was the all-around poor performance of New York that brings some questions. (Sean \u2013 3)<\/p>\n

T4.<\/strong> (+2)\u00a0 CHICAGO FIRE<\/strong> (8-5-3, 27 points)
\nWon its third straight with a 1-0 victory over a reeling Sporting K.C. I\u2019m still hesitant to call them a legit contender. Can\u2019t do it. Wouldn\u2019t be prudent. (Brian \u2013 4) \u2026 Grab a road win over a suddenly struggling Kansas City, but they were on the back foot the vast majority of the match. Still, the Fire keep finding ways to win lately. (Sean \u2013 5)<\/p>\n

T4. REAL SALT LAKE<\/strong> (10-6-2, 32 points)
\nHow..? Lose to the Crew in a storm-delayed game to make it three straight defeats. Meanwhile, there\u2019ll a bonafide you-know-what storm brewing within the Salt Lake camp if they don\u2019t start winning again. (Brian \u2013 5) \u2026 No Kyle Beckerman, no Jamison Olave and no Ned Grabavoy \u2013 still not a good enough excuse to lose to the Crew. Salt Lake NEEDS a result against Seattle to get back on track. (Sean \u2013 4)<\/p>\n

6.<\/strong>\u00a0 (-1) SPORTING KANSAS CITY<\/strong> (9-5-2, 29 points)
\nDespite looking like the better club against el Fuego, K.C. does everything but score in a 1-0 loss to a Fire side that was happy to take the points. Two games against Houston in the next week and a half could be a barometer of where this team is going with the summer months upon us. (Brian \u2013 6) \u2026 Once the hottest team in the league, Kansas City has really cooled off.\u00a0 Sill, once the offense starts putting a few in again, expect Sporting to get right back on track. (Sean \u2013 6)<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 COLUMBUS CREW<\/strong> (6-5-4, 22 points)
\nSend Salt Lake to its third straight loss with a 2-0 win at stormy Crew Stadium. Like Chicago, it\u2019s tough for me to fathom that the Crew can sustain its success past Labor Day. (Brian \u2013 7) \u2026 I\u2019m hesitant to give Columbus too much credit \u2013 they faced Salt Lake with a decimated midfield, missing its top defender, in a midst of its worst stretch of the season. Still, the victory, and the manner in which it came, was impressive. (Sean \u2013 7)<\/p>\n

8.<\/strong> (-1) VANCOUVER WHITECAPS <\/strong>(7-4-5, 26 points) \u2013 Depth will be tested with a pair of roads games in four days with a trip to Colorado and L.A. for the Rapids and Chivas USA, respectively. The goals will need to come in order for this team to prove that they belong in the playoff picture. (Brian \u2013 8) \u2026 Had some extra time off to recover from the thrashing Los Angeles gave them. Will it help? (Sean \u2013 8)<\/p>\n

9.<\/strong>\u00a0 (+1)\u00a0 HOUSTON DYNAMO<\/strong> (6-5-5, 23 points) \u2013
\nBrian Ching plays the hero by slotting home the game-winner via penalty. But can they continue to squeeze out points against terrible teams like Philly and have the rest of the league take them seriously? (Brian \u2013 9) \u2026 Is the formation shift a key to Houston\u2019s revival or did they just take advantage of a poor opponent? (Sean \u2013 9)<\/p>\n

10.<\/strong> (-1) LOS ANGELES GALAXY<\/strong> (6-9-2, 20 points)
\nBlew a two-goal lead late in the first half and eventually succumbed to the Quakes in a shoot first, ask questions later kind of game. Meanwhile, guess who\u2019ll be back very soon? Yup.\u00a0 Omar Gonzalez. (Brian \u2013 10) \u2026 Couldn\u2019t hold a lead against the best team in the league, but Gonzalez is back in training and Beckham isn\u2019t headed to the Olympics. Too pieces of great news for Los Angeles. (Sean \u2013 10)<\/p>\n

T11.<\/strong> (+1) NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION<\/strong> (5-7-4, 19 points)
\nAnother 94th minute equalizer saves the day for the Revs, but they could\u2019ve easily won against a tired Seattle side had they converted some golden chances.\u00a0 We\u2019ll see if the funky formation returns on Sunday against The Best Team Named After An Energy Drink. (Brian \u2013 11) \u2026 Another impressive last second equalizer, but the defensive miscues in back-to-back games are very concerning.\u00a0 They can\u2019t afford to keep dropping points in winnable games against exhausted opponents. (Sean \u2013 12)<\/p>\n

T11.\u00a0 SEATTLE SOUNDERS<\/strong> (7-5-5, 26 points)
\nAnd the winless streak goes to eight (0-4-4) after the Revs get a 94th minute equalizer. Recent history hasn\u2019t been good, but the team\u2019s official site is quick to point out that the Sounders have the league\u2019s best record from July 1-onward in the last three years. (Brian \u2013 12) \u2026 Rough patch continues for the Sounders. Sure, the first goal by the Revs was offside, but no excuse for giving up a last second equalizer. (Sean \u2013 11)<\/p>\n

13.<\/strong> (+1) COLORADO RAPIDS<\/strong> (7-8-1, 22 points)
\nPummeled Portland 3-0 in a no doubt display of the fireworks they\u2019re capable of shooting off. Meanwhile \u2013 why do the Rapids always get a July 4th game? Shouldn\u2019t a team like \u2013 say \u2013 THE REVOLUTION play every year on Independence Day? Seriously, which executive\u2019s grandkid did the scheduling this year? (Brian \u2013 13) \u2026 Big win over Portland reasserts Colorado\u2019s dominance at home and puts them right back in the playoff hunt. (Sean \u2013 13)<\/p>\n

T14. <\/strong>(-1) MONTREAL IMPACT<\/strong> (5-10-3, 18 points)
\nThey better sign Alessandro Nesta quick after getting outscored 6-0 in their last two games. Meanwhile, are the Impact jerseys not one of the sweetest jerseys in MLS? There\u2019s something about royal blue that\u2019s just 1000 times cooler than drab and gloomy navy blue. (Brian \u2013 14) \u2026 So much for the turnaround. Two huge losses in a row remind us that Montreal is very much an expansion team. (Sean \u2013 15)<\/p>\n

T14.<\/strong>\u00a0 (+2) CHIVAS USA<\/strong> (5-7-4, 19 points)
\nBye week saw them beat Charlotte 2-1 in USOC quarterfinals, but a must-win over Portland on Sunday, as well as an interesting USOC game against Seattle next week, awaits. \u00a0(Brian \u2013 15) \u2026 Quick\u2026 when\u2019s the last time Chivas were in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals? Nev..oh, wait, 2010. Well, that year the Goats finished 15th out of 16 in MLS. Still, Chivas is 2-0-1 in their last three games through all competitions and with Juan Pablo Angel, Alejandro Moreno and Juan Agudelo all looking like dangerous attacking options again, the league\u2019s worst attack may finally be turning a corner. (Sean \u2013 14)<\/p>\n

16.<\/strong> (-1) PORTLAND TIMBERS<\/strong> (4-7-4, 16 points)
\nRemain winless (0-5-2) on the road after a 3-0 loss to Colorado. The offense is killing them. Games against San Jose, Salt Lake and L.A. may send them six feet under. (Brian \u2013 16) \u2026 After a big win against Seattle, Portland collapses against Colorado \u2013 worse yet, they may have helped revived a rival for the final playoff spot. (Sean \u2013 16)<\/p>\n

17.<\/strong> \u00a0(+1) FC DALLAS<\/strong> (3-9-5, 14 points)
\nNo disappointment in the Big D thanks to\u2026well\u2026the bye week. On a brighter note, David Ferreira may return on Wednesday, and with a new jersey sponsor, we\u2019ll see if Dallas can turn it around in time for the summer. (Brian \u2013 17) \u2026 A week off should help an injury-plagued Dallas squad. No suspensions should help too.\u00a0 Can an experienced Dallas team get it together for the second half? (Sean \u2013 17)<\/p>\n

18.<\/strong> (-1) PHILADELPHIA UNION<\/strong> (3-9-2, 11 points)
\nFound another way to blow a result after Brian Ching scores the game-winner for Houston via penalty late. The addition of Bakary Soumare should help, but it\u2019s almost definitely too late to salvage the season. Then again, this is MLS, where every team is still eligible on Columbus Day. (Brian \u2013 18) \u2026 The Union prove their big win over Kansas City was just a fluke. With more of the club\u2019s staff being dismissed, there\u2019s always next year. (Sean \u2013 18)<\/p>\n

19.\u00a0 TORONTO FC<\/strong> (2-10-3, 9 points)
\nLet it be known that the Reds won their second game of the season on Jun. 27 in a 3-0 victory over Montreal. All hope isn\u2019t lost\u2026especially with a mid-week match against Dallas, which could either turn out to be the ugliest game on the league fixture list – or the most beautiful. (Brian \u2013 19) \u2026 Big second win of the season and now Toronto is four games unbeaten despite a very busy schedule. Still, ties aren\u2019t good enough if Toronto want to keep things interesting heading into the second half of he season. (Sean \u2013 19)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

San Jose remain kings after stunning come back against the Galaxy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":12002,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[9],"tags":[72,69,66,65,5,62,46,61,1278,119,70,67,74,64,1274,76,63,68,71,75],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nesoccertoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/earthquakesfeature.jpg?fit=490%2C240&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13313"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13313"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13313\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13317,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13313\/revisions\/13317"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}