{"id":6056,"date":"2011-08-25T23:09:56","date_gmt":"2011-08-26T03:09:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/?p=6056"},"modified":"2011-08-26T12:24:05","modified_gmt":"2011-08-26T16:24:05","slug":"mls-rankings-week-23","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/?p=6056","title":{"rendered":"MLS Rankings: Week 23"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every week the New England Soccer Today crew will look beyond the standings to rank each of the 18 Major League Soccer (MLS) teams. This week Brian O\u2019Connell and Sean Donahue contributed rankings. Comments are followed by the ranker\u2019s name and the rank they gave that team.<\/em><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 LOS ANGELES GALAXY<\/strong> (14-3-9, 51 points)<\/p>\n

Robbie Keane makes an unforgettable first impression, scoring in his debut as the Galaxy beat San Jose and show no signs of slowing down as the postseason approaches. (Brian \u2013 1) \u2026 Keane makes an already strong Galaxy team clear favorites to win the Cup. (Sean \u2013 1)<\/p>\n

2. <\/strong>(+1) SEATTLE SOUNDERS<\/strong> (12-5-9, 45 points)<\/p>\n

CCL win over Comunicaciones along with a 1-0 win over Dallas has the Sounders streaking down the homestretch. If they keep it up, they may provide the Galaxy a formidable challenge should they meet in the postseason. (Brian \u2013 2) \u2026 1-0 road win over Dallas and cruising in CCL play makes the Sounders an easy choice at #2. (Seam \u2013 2)<\/p>\n

3. <\/strong>(-1) FC DALLAS<\/strong> (12-7-7, 43 points)<\/p>\n

One win in their last five, Dallas has to find a way to reclaim their earlier season form if they don\u2019t want to burn out down the stretch. (Brian \u2013 3) \u2026 Loss to Seattle hurts, but CCL results show Dallas is still on the right track. (Sean \u2013 3)<\/p>\n

4. COLORADO RAPIDS<\/strong> (10-6-11, 41 points)<\/p>\n

Discouraging 2-2 draw to Chivas deflates some of the momentum the Rapids recently picked up. Luckily, they have an easy match against Chicago on tap to help them get back on track. (Brian \u2013 4) \u2026 Disappointing tie at home vs. Chivas followed by a disappointing road draw at Real Espa\u00f1a in Honduras after giving up a late equalizer means the Rapids could really use a big win over a struggling Chicago this weekend. (Sean \u2013 4)<\/p>\n

5. COLUMBUS CREW <\/strong>(11-7-7, 40 points)<\/p>\n

Beat Philly 2-1 to finally show that there\u2019s life in the Eastern Conference. Unless Philly or K.C. go on a late run, it\u2019s the Crew\u2019s conference to lose. (Brian \u2013 5) \u2026 The Crew made the East firmly theirs with a win over Philly, but they can\u2019t rest on their laurels because of the great form of\u2026<\/p>\n

6. <\/strong>(+1) SPORTING KANSAS CITY<\/strong> (9-7-9, 36 points)<\/p>\n

Edged DC 1-0 thanks to Kei Kamara\u2019s bullet from outside of the box. Let\u2019s see if they can keep winning against Dallas. (Brian \u2013 6) \u2026 Already looking like a potential dark horse going into the playoffs, KC is hot and could still catch the Crew. (Sean \u2013 6)<\/p>\n

7. <\/strong>(+1) REAL SALT LAKE<\/strong> (10-7-6, 36 points)<\/p>\n

Last minute 3-2 loss to Houston makes it official: Salt Lake is slumping. With a road game at Chivas this weekend, it\u2019ll take a renewed effort to get back in the win column. (Brian \u2013 7) \u2026 Coach Kreis is starting to call out his team for their recent poor performances. Will it have an effect? (Sean \u2013 7)<\/p>\n

8. <\/strong>(+3) HOUSTON DYNAMO<\/strong> (8-6-10, 34 points)<\/p>\n

Rally back to beat Salt Lake 3-2 and get some measure of success in the waning weeks of the regular season. With the Whitecaps up next, Houston\u2019s march to the playoffs should continue. (Brian \u2013 8 ) \u2026 Excellent 8-3-3 home record is carrying the team, but being winless on the road doesn\u2019t give much hope for the playoffs. (Sean \u2013 8 )<\/p>\n

T9. <\/strong>(+1) CHIVAS USA<\/strong> (7-9-10, 31 points)\u2013 Go punch for punch with Colorado and get an impressive draw, but fall 1-0 to Portland to end their five-game road trip (Really, MLS schedule makers? Really?) (Brian \u2013 9) \u2026 Home draw with the Rapids was nice, but if they are going to go anywhere, they need to be able to beat expansion teams like Portland on the road. (Sean \u2013 10)<\/p>\n

T9. <\/strong>(-3) PHILADELPHIA UNION<\/strong> (8-6-10, 34 points) \u2013 Slumping down the stretch, Philly needs to resuscitate its playoff hopes as they\u2019re form has slipped since their 3-0 over New England on July 17. Luckily, they\u2019ll face New England again this weekend. (editor\u2019s note: game has been postponed to Sept. 7th) (Brian \u2013 10) \u2026 Cold as ice, but with a game in hand on the Crew, the East hasn\u2019t fallen out of reach quite yet. (Sean \u2013 9)<\/p>\n

11. <\/strong>(-2) D.C.UNITED<\/strong> (7-7-10, 31 points)<\/p>\n

Drop a disheartening 1-0 loss to K.C. and are on the outside looking in at the playoff picture. It\u2019s going to take some much needed consistency to pull themselves back in. (Brian \u2013 11) \u2026 Bizarrely rested some players in K.C. and paid for it. Hard to justify resting players regardless of the schedule when points are at such a premium. (Sean \u2013 11)<\/p>\n

12.<\/strong> (+1) PORTLAND TIMBERS <\/strong>(9-12-5, 32 points)<\/p>\n

Get the expected three points from Vancouver, but their loss to K.C. only goes to show that although they\u2019re right on the cusp of a playoff berth, they may not be a legitimate postseason club. (Brian \u2013 12) \u2026 Good home form can only get you so far. Portland still needs to find a way to get results on the road or it will be a tough path to the playoffs. (Sean \u2013 12)<\/p>\n

13.<\/strong> (-1) NEW YORK RED BULLS<\/strong> (6-6-14, 32 points)<\/p>\n

Came back from a 2-goal deficit to earn another draw, this time against the Revs. Even so, New York cannot keep picking up a point here and a point there to stay in the playoff hunt. (Brian \u2013 13) \u2026 They talked about needing three points from New England in the lead up to the match, but they didn\u2019t get them. Can\u2019t afford to keep dropping points. (Sean – 13)<\/p>\n

T14. <\/strong>(+3) CHICAGO FIRE<\/strong> (3-7-15, 24 points)<\/p>\n

In a battle of two of the worst sides in the league, Chicago gets a 2-0 win over Toronto and escape the Eastern Conference basement with the Revs\u2019 2-2 draw. (Brian \u2013 14) \u2026 Finally a victory, but even a dying ember flickers every once in a while. (Sean \u2013 15)<\/p>\n

T14. <\/strong>(+2) NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION<\/strong> (4-11-11, 23 points)<\/p>\n

Even with a 2-goal lead, the Revs can\u2019t close it out, as they draw 2-2 to New York. With the playoffs all but out of the picture, the Revs need to focus on improving their form and, perhaps, playing spoiler against a few contenders. (Brian \u2013 15) \u2026 Head coach Steve Nicol didn\u2019t think a sub would\u2019ve helped late in the game when the team was clearly gassed. If that\u2019s a statement on the depth of the team, it\u2019s going to take one hell of a rebuilding process to get this team to the playoffs next season. (Sean \u2013 14)<\/p>\n

T16. <\/strong>(-1) SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES<\/strong> (5-10-10, 25 points)<\/p>\n

2-0 loss to L.A. extends their free fall to 12-straight without a win. Think Frank Yallop\u2019s on the hot seat? (Brian \u2013 17) \u2026 Time to call it on their playoff hopes. What happened? (Sean -16)<\/p>\n

T16. <\/strong>(-2) TORONTO FC<\/strong> (4-12-11, 23 points)<\/p>\n

If only Toronto could convert its CCL form to league play. Fall 2-0 to the hapless Fire, and all but roll over into last place as a result. (Brian \u2013 16) \u2026 New additions looked good on paper, but Toronto still can\u2019t get its act together. (Sean \u2013 17)<\/p>\n

18.\u00a0 VANCOUVER WHITECAPS<\/strong> (3-13-9, 18 points)<\/p>\n

2-1 loss to rival Portland, along with Eric Hassli\u2019s antics, just goes to show that the front office has a lot of work to do this winter. (Brian \u2013 18) \u2026 Shame Hassli\u2019s talent gets overshadowed by his attitude at times. Expect more from a DP. Disappointing game for Vancouver. (Sean \u2013 18)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Will anyone catch the Galaxy?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4829,"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\/2011\/06\/galaxylogofeature.jpg?fit=490%2C225&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6056"}],"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=6056"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6056\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6059,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6056\/revisions\/6059"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6056"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}