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MLS 2017 Power Rankings, Week 3: D.C. United hits bottom

It's not looking good for DC.

By Austin Fido
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Week 3 of MLS 2017 saw a lot of movement, but no change at the top. Portland still boasts maximum points and maximum power in MLS. Down the bottom, Minnesota bounces up a few places to give DCU a turn at propping up these Power Rankings.

1. Portland Timbers (no movement)

  • 9 points, 1st in Western Conference
  • 1st in Supporters' Shield race
  • Last result: Timbers 4-2 Houston
The early-season top-of-the-table clash between Portland and Houston went the way of the home team. The Timbers were 2-1 down at half-time, but the game tilted back the home team's way in the second half. Portland saw out Week 3 where it has more or less been since the start of the season: top of the league and these Power Rankings.

2. Atlanta United (up five places)

  • 6 points, 1st in Eastern Conference
  • 3rd in Shield race
  • Last result: Atlanta 4-0 Chicago
Week 2's 6-1 win over Minnesota United was followed by a 4-0 thrashing of Chicago in Atlanta. There is the suspicion Atanta United might simply be overpowering some weak or weakened teams (Chicago was down a man on the road from the 11th minute) - but the Power Rankings just see 10 goals scored in two weeks and get a little excited.

3. FC Dallas (up two places)

  • 7 points, 2nd in West
  • 2nd in Shield race
  • Last result: FCD 2-1 New England
Thanks to the international break and its decision to reshuffle its schedule to focus on CONCACAF Champions League, FCD won't play again until Week 6 of MLS 2017. But the defending Supporters' Shield holder signed off on MLS play until April 8 with a pleasing 2-1 win that maintained its unbeaten start to the new league campaign.

4. Toronto FC (seven places)

  • 5 points, 4th in East
  • 8th in Shield race
  • Last result: VWFC 0-2 TFC

Time to take notice of the fact TFC is unbeaten so far in MLS 2017, despite having played all three of its games to date on the road.

5. Houston Dynamo (down two places)

  • 6 points, 3rd in West
  • 5th in Shield race
  • Last result: Portland 4-2 Dynamo

The Dynamo is getting credit here for having the lead at half-time against league-leading Portland, before getting cut apart by the resurgent Timbers.

6. Orlando City (up four places)

  • 6 points, 2nd in East
  • 4th in Shield race
  • Last result: OCSC 2-1 Philadelphia

Two wins out of two, and held back only by the fact it has played fewer games than the league's other front-runners.

7. Sporting Kansas City (up six places)

  • 5 points, 5th in West
  • 9th in Shield race
  • Last result: SKC 2-1 San Jose

This feels very generous to a team that just won its first league game in 2017 at the third attempt, but it is also a team unbeaten in those three games.

8. Seattle Sounders (up five places)

  • 4 points, 6th in West
  • 11th in Shield race
  • Last result: Sounders 3-1 RBNY

Quite a boost for a team that just won its first league game of the season, but the Power Rankings are in generous mood toward this week's winners.

9. New York City FC (down one place)

  • 4 points, 5th in East
  • 10th in Shield race
  • Last result: NYCFC 1-1 Montreal
Not a great result for NYCFC, but not a massive loss of power either.

10. New York Red Bulls (down eight places)

  • 6 points, 3rd in East
  • 7th in Shield race
  • Last result: Seattle 3-1 RBNY
This week's Power Rankings is hard on the teams that lost. Down you go, RBNY.

11. San Jose Earthquakes (down seven places)

  • 6 points, 4th in West
  • 6th in Shield race
  • Last result: SKC 2-1 San Jose

Too hard a fall for a narrow loss on the road? Maybe. But remember SKC's prior results this season were 0-0 draws against DCU and FCD.

12. Colorado Rapids (down three places)

  • 4 points, 7th in West
  • 12th in Shield race
  • Last result: Rapids 2-2 Minnesota

After last week's loss to RBNY, the Power Rankings were hoping for a little more from Colorado than a 2-2 draw at home against what had been assumed to be the worst team in MLS.

13. Chicago Fire (down seven places)

  • 4 points, 7th in East
  • 14th in Shield race
  • Last result: Atlanta 4-0 Chicago
A poor outing for the Fire, exacerbated by the fact that the sudden drop in power this week coincided with a number of flagging teams finding form.

14. Columbus Crew (up four places)

  • 4 points, 6th in East
  • 13th in Shield race
  • Last result: DCU 0-2 Columbus

The Power Rankings might owe the Crew a little more credit for a win on the road, but it's Columbus' first league win of the season - and it was against lackluster DC. Still, the Crew is heading in the right direction after a slow start.

15. Philadelphia Union (down three places)

  • 2 points, 9th in East
  • 17th in Shield race
  • Last result: Orlando 2-1 Philadelphia
Still winless in MLS 2017 after three games - the Union needs to find some power soon.


16. Montreal Impact (no movement)

  • 2 points, 8th in East
  • 16th in Shield race
  • Last result: NYCFC 1-1 Montreal
A solid point on the road against a team that won its last home game 4-0, but nonetheless only a point. L'Impact need a win or two (and some more goals) to show compelling evidence of power.

17. LA Galaxy (up four places)

  • 3 points, 8th in West
  • 15th in Shield race
  • Last result: RSL 1-2 LA

Signs of life in LA, but beating RSL might not be that significant an achievement this year - even on the road. A little more information is needed before the Power Rankings can get too excited about the rebooting Galaxy.

18. Minnesota United (up four places)

  • 1 point, 11th in West
  • 21st in Shield race
  • Last result: Colorado 2-2 Minnesota

A point! On the road! Two goals scored! Moribund Minnesota might finally be waking up and joining the MLS party.

19. Vancouver Whitecaps (down four places)

  • 1 point, 9th in West
  • 18th in Shield race
  • Last result: VWFC 0-2 TFC
Toronto looks good and all but it's hard to find excuses for a team that has now been shut out twice at home by teams visiting from the East, and is yet to win in MLS 2017.

20. New England (no movement)

  • 0 points, 11th in East
  • 22nd in Shield race
  • Last result: FCD 2-1 Revs
Two games played in MLS 2017, two games lost. The Revs look bad, but are holding position this week because both losses have been on the road to (we think) strong teams in the West. And there is a lot of competition for worst-in-MLS right now. Narrow losses to good teams isn't going to get you the bottom of these Rankings quite yet, New England.

21. Real Salt Lake (down four places)

  • 1 point, 10th in West
  • 19th in Shield race
  • Last result: RSL 1-2 LA

RSL scored its first goal of the season this week, but also suffered its second consecutive loss. Still, a goal is sufficient to make struggling Salt Lake look a little better than DCU.

22. D.C. United (down three places)

  • 1 point, 10th in East
  • 20th in Shield race
  • Last result: DCU 0-2 Columbus

Three games played, one point, and no goals scored: that's not good, DC - especially when two of those three games have been at home.

In This Stream

OaM's MLS Power Rankings: 2017 Edition

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