{"id":13872,"date":"2012-07-17T21:55:06","date_gmt":"2012-07-18T01:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/?p=13872"},"modified":"2012-07-17T22:26:51","modified_gmt":"2012-07-18T02:26:51","slug":"mls-rankings-week-19-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/?p=13872","title":{"rendered":"MLS Rankings: Week 19"},"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 Julian Cardillo contributed rankings. Comments are followed by the ranker\u2019s name and the rank they gave that team.<\/em><\/p>\n

1. San Jose Earthquakes<\/strong> (12-4-4, 40 points)
\nAfter throttling Salt Lake, who\u2019d bet against the \u2018Quakes? Chris Wondolowski is ready to break some records. (Sean \u2013 1) \u2026 A 5-0 thumping of Real Salt Lake shows that this team has come a long way. Easy pickings for the best team in MLS. (Julian \u2013 1)<\/p>\n

2.<\/strong> (+1) Sporting Kansas City<\/strong> (11-5-3, 36 points)
\nOn a modest three game unbeaten streak and into the U.S. Open Cup Final. Sporting seems to be rounding back into their early season form. (Sean \u2013 2) … Beating Columbus may not be that glamorous, but Kansas City looked dominant in the game. After struggling for a little bit, they look like they\u2019re back on course. (Julian \u2013 2)<\/p>\n

3.<\/strong> (-1) D.C. United<\/strong> (10-6-3, 33 points)
\nWhen your starting goalkeeper gets ejected 17 minutes into a road match against a decent Dynamo squad, it\u2019s never going to be easy. Chalk this big loss up as an anomaly. (Sean \u2013 3) \u2026 A 4-0 loss to Houston is certainly surprising, but then again almost every team gets manhandled at least once a year. (Julian \u2013 5)<\/p>\n

T4.<\/strong> (+4) Seattle Sounders FC<\/strong> (8-5-7, 31 points)
\nBack to another U.S. Open Cup Final and on a four game unbeaten run (albeit with three ties), but more importantly Fredy Montero seems to have come to life. If Montero and Eddie Johnson can continue to build their partnership, the rest of the league better watch out. (Sean – 7) … They\u2019re on a four game unbeaten streak. That\u2019s definitely something. They\u2019re a talented side that just needs to put in more complete performances. (Julian \u2013 3)<\/p>\n

T4.<\/strong> (+3) \u00a0New York Red Bulls<\/strong> (9-5-5, 32 points)
\nSebastien Le Toux should be a good pick-up, but can the Red Bulls successfully find a way to keep Kenny Cooper, Thierry Henry and Le Toux all starting? Decent draw against Seattle, but Red Bulls need wins at home. (Sean \u2013 6) \u2026 Le Toux should only bolster their attack, as he proved in the 2-2 Seattle draw. But their defense needs to come together in the wake of all these injuries. (Julian \u2013 4)<\/p>\n

T4.<\/strong> (-1) Real Salt Lake<\/strong> (11-7-3, 36 points)
\nModest recovery comes to a screeching halt and Beckerman red card\/suspension just compounds the problem. But, with a home game against Colorado on tap, expect Salt Lake to return to their winning ways. \u00a0(Sean – 4) \u2026 Truly in lackluster form and a 5-0 loss to San Jose proves it. They certainly don\u2019t belong second in the west right now. (Julian \u2013 6)<\/p>\n

7.<\/strong> (-1) Chicago Fire<\/strong> (9-6-4, 19 points)
\nThey certainly aren\u2019t playing pretty soccer, but the Fire are finding ways to win, even while dealing with adversity. (Sean \u2013 5) \u2026 Beating Vancouver was huge. With another win, they could solidify a playoff place cushion. (Julian \u2013 7)<\/p>\n

8.<\/strong> (+3) Los Angeles Galaxy<\/strong> (8-10-2, 26 points)
\nTwo big wins in a row as the three DPs really step it up. If the \u201clittle snag\u201d in Omar Gonzalez\u2019s recovery, really is \u201clittle\u201d, expect the Galaxy to continue to move up the table. (Sean \u2013 9) \u2026 In really stunning form thanks to the reawakening of the DPs, specifically Landon Donovan and David Beckham. It doesn\u2019t look like this LA train will be stopped. (Julian \u2013 8)<\/p>\n

9. <\/strong>(+1) Houston Dynamo<\/strong> (7-5-7, 28 points)
\nThe Dynamo are four games unbeaten and three straight shutouts. If the offense can use their explosion against the Galaxy to give them confidence going forward, the Dynamo could be ready to make another run. (Sean \u2013 8) \u2026 A 4-0 thumping of DC definitely means that these guys are headed in the right direction. Whether they can keep their place in playoff territory remains to be seen. (Julian \u2013 10)<\/p>\n

10.<\/strong> (-6) Vancouver Whitecaps FC <\/strong>(8-6-6, 30 points)
\nTwo losses in a row and some interesting trades and additions by the Whitecaps. Dane Richards pace could prove a nice addition, but can the \u2018Caps make a new team work midseason? (Sean \u2013 10) .. Lots of question marks have arisen over the departures of LeToux and Chiumiento, plus whether or not their newest acquisitions will help. It may be a long summer for the Whitecaps. (Julian \u2013 9)<\/p>\n

11.<\/strong> (-2) New England Revolution<\/strong> (6-8-4. 22 points)
\nToronto found the perfect formula to beat the Revs \u2013 force them to win on set pieces. The \u201chack-a-Rev\u201d strategy follows the same basic premise of the \u201chack-a-Shaq\u201d like Shaq\u2019s dismal record at the free throw line, the Revs aren\u2019t going to beat anyone \u2013 and seem to get increasingly more frustrated \u2013 if forced to rely on the dead ball. Oh, and finishing from the run of play has to improve. (Sean \u2013 11) \u2026 The loss to Toronto was certainly a kick in the teeth. Terrible first half play handed them that loss. That, and benching Shalrie Joseph and losing Stephen McCarthy early. The team is certainly capable of beating anyone, but with three straight road games against Montreal, Kansas City, and Philadelphia, don\u2019t expect a fantastic record. (Julian \u2013 11)<\/p>\n

T12. Columbus Crew<\/strong> (6-7-4, 22 points)
\nStill can\u2019t score. Emilio Renteria\u2019s suspension could be a blessing in disguise as he clearly hasn\u2019t been getting the job done and someone else needs to step up. I hear Jeff Cunningham might be available<\/a>? (Sean \u2013 13) \u2026 By far, the least interesting team to watch. The Crew have lots to do in regards to scoring. They have the league\u2019s worst offensive record. (Julian \u2013 16)<\/p>\n

T12.<\/strong> (+3) Philadelphia Union<\/strong> (6-9-2, 20 points)
\nAnother win for Philly and that\u2019s three in a row and four of five. Now if they can get a result against a tired New York team on Saturday, that\u2019ll be a real shocker. (Sean \u2013 12) \u2026 A new beginning may make them better, but this season will be lost if they don\u2019t find an identity soon. (Julian \u2013 17)<\/p>\n

T12.<\/strong> (+4) Toronto FC<\/strong> (4-11-4, 16 points)
\nToronto has had no problem scoring goals and now the defense is stepping up. That they\u2019ve done so well with nine games in 28 games makes it even more impressive. But, can they survive the loss of Danny Koevermans? (Sean \u2013 14) \u2026 The advent of Paul Mariner has been nothing but positive so far. The only issue is whether or not Danny Koevermans will be out long term. (Julian \u2013 15)<\/p>\n

T15.<\/strong> (+4) FC Dallas<\/strong> (4-9-7, 19 points)
\nFinally a win, albeit against a struggling Rapids. Don\u2019t expect them to turn it into a streak with San Jose up on Wednesday. (Sean \u2013 18) \u2026 At least they won their last game. Julian DeGuzman should help them out in midfield. (Julian \u2013 12)<\/p>\n

T15.<\/strong> (-2) Montreal Impact<\/strong> (6-12-3, 21 points)
\nAfter finally picking up another win, Montreal quickly goes back to their losing ways against Philly. The struggles of an expansion team\u2026 (Sean \u2013 17) \u2026 When this team is clicking, they are very, very good. They may just need one game to jumpstart. That game could be Wednesday against New England. (Julian – 13)<\/p>\n

T15.<\/strong> (+1) Chivas USA<\/strong> (5-7-5, 20 points)
\nRest may have helped Chivas as they look to get their strike force healthy and in form to make a run. (Sean \u2013 16) \u2026 They have been lackluster all season but they\u2019ve had a positive record in their last five games. Only two wins from playoff territory. (Julian -14)<\/p>\n

18.<\/strong> (-4) Colorado Rapids<\/strong> (7-11-1, 22 points)
\nThree losses in a row \u2013 most recently to a terrible Dallas \u2013 and now Pablo Mastroeni was moved to the disabled list? Things don\u2019t look good for the Rapids. (Sean \u2013 15) \u2026 Really struggling in midfield due to injuries and the results just haven\u2019t been there due to lack of 90 minute performances. (Julian \u2013 19)<\/p>\n

19.<\/strong> (-3) Portland Timbers<\/strong> (5-9-4, 19 points)
\nTwo early to question the coaching change? Two things seem pretty obvious: Don\u2019t give David Beckham acres of space and don\u2019t foul the Galaxy near the box. Portland didn\u2019t remember either. (Sean \u2013 19) \u2026 The Galaxy game showed that they have character. Whether or not they can stay competitive and get some wins remains to be seen. (Julian \u2013 18)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

San Jose reaffirms their position at the top, but there’s some debate below them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"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":[],"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\/13872"}],"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\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13872"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13872\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13881,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13872\/revisions\/13881"}],"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=13872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13872"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}