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MLS 2017 Power Rankings, Week 11: Toronto FC still flying high

TFC is the league's undisputed hottest team, still.

By Austin Fido
Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

No change in the top three this week. The top teams are starting to assert themselves, perhaps.

1. Toronto FC (no movement)

  • 25 points, 1st in Eastern Conference
  • 1st in Supporters' Shield race
  • Last results: Columbus 1-2 TFC (May 10); TFC 3-2 Minnesota (May 13)
No slowing down for TFC, which has now got through back-to-back double-game weeks without dropping a point. Toronto won just one of its first six league games, but it has since won six in a row. And to have done so in the context of a crowded schedule is an impressive show of power and depth.

2. FC Dallas (no movement)

  • 19 points, 2nd in Western Conference
  • 5th in Shield race
  • Last result: FCD 1-1 NYCFC
Despite dropping points at home this week, FCD holds position in the Rankings because it is yet to lose in MLS this season.

3. New York City FC (no movement)

  • 17 points, 4th in East
  • 8th in Shield race
  • Last result: FCD 1-1 NYCFC
The Rankings thought they might have over-rated NYCFC last week, but third-place in the table seems justified after a week in which the team went to Dallas and came back with a point.

4. Houston Dynamo (up five places)

  • 19 points, 1st in West
  • 2nd in Shield race
  • Last result: Dynamo 2-1 VWFC

The Dynamo is still very much a one-trick pony and the beneficiary of a lopsided early schedule: it now has six wins and a draw at home and three losses on the road. But Vancouver had looked to be heating up a bit with back-to-back wins away coming in to this week's match in Houston - and the Dynamo held firm.

5. Sporting Kansas City (up one place)

  • 19 points, 3rd in West
  • 6th in Shield race
  • Last result: Orlando 2-2 SKC

KC is getting credit this week for being the first team to take points off Orlando in Orlando this season.

6.  Vancouver Whitecaps (down two places)

  • 13 points, 6th in West
  • 12th in Shield race
  • Last result: Houston 2-1 Vancouver
A modest step down for the Caps, who had won their last two away-days and finished off a three-game road swing with a disappointing, but not at all embarrassing, 2-1 loss in Houston.

7. Orlando City (no movement)

  • 19 points, 3rd in East
  • 4th in Shield race
  • Last result: OCSC 2-2 SKC

OCSC was always likely to drop points at home some time this season and KC isn't a bad team. While it is hard to make a case for Orlando to move up this list, it seems harsh to force it any further down the Rankings, for now.

8. Chicago Fire (up two places)

  • 15 points, 6th in East
  • 10th in Shield race
  • Last result: Fire 4-1 Seattle

Chicago is flying high for a team that had been on a three-game winless streak until this week, but there is still some residual respect for the Seattle Sounders in these Rankings, and it was quite a big win for Chicago.

9. Columbus Crew (up two places)

  • 19 points, 2nd in East
  • 3rd in Shield race
  • Last results: Crew 1-2 TFC (May 10); Montreal 2-3 Crew (May 13)
Losing at home wasn't the best start to the week, but that loss was to Toronto and everyone in MLS loses to Toronto at the moment. An away win over Montreal restored the Rankings' confidence in the Crew this week.

10. Portland Timbers (down two places)

  • 18 points, 4th in West
  • 7th in Shield race
  • Last result: Timbers 1-1 Atlanta
The Rankings want to see a little more from Portland. The Timbers have won one of their last five games, and dropping points at home to a struggling Atlanta adds further to the impression Portland is losing momentum after a hot start to the season.

11. San Jose Earthquakes (down six places)

  • 15 points, 5th in West
  • 11th in Shield race
  • Last result: Colorado 3-0 SJ
The Rankings are not impressed by the Quakes handing Colorado its first league win since Week 1.

12. Philadelphia Union (up five places)

  • 10 points, 10th in East
  • 18th in Shield race
  • Last result: DCU 0-4 Union

Second consecutive win, second consecutive clean sheet, seven goals scored in two games: the Union looks to be heating up after eight-game winless start to MLS 2017.

13. New England Revolution (up five places)

  • 13 points, 7th in East
  • 13th in Shield race
  • Last result: Revs 4-0 RSL
Too much credit for a home win over one of the worst teams in the league? Perhaps. But the Revs have lost just once in their last five outings and the Rankings think they might be heating up.

14. Atlanta United (no movement)

  • 12 points, 8th in East
  • 14th in Shield race
  • Last result: Timbers 1-1 Atlanta
A point in Portland is no small achievement, but this week's result for Atlanta looked more like what happens when it runs into another struggling side than any evidence of increased power.

15. LA Galaxy (up five places)

  • 11 points, 7th in West
  • 15th in Shield race
  • Last result: RBNY 1-3 LA
The Galaxy can argue this ranking is too low: the first team to beat RBNY in the regular season in more than a year probably should be higher than 15th on a 22-team list.

16. Minnesota United (no movement)

  • 11 points, 8th in West
  • 17th in Shield race
  • Last result: TFC 3-2 Minnesota

A narrow loss to Toronto on the road doesn't seem like enough to drop Minnesota down the Rankings this week.

17. Montreal Impact (down two places)

  • 10 points, 11th in East
  • 20th in Shield race
  • Last result: Montreal 2-3 Columbus
Montreal might be the most confounding team in MLS at the moment. It has lost its last two home games, and picked up four points from its last two on the road.

18. Colorado Rapids (up four places)

  • 7 points, 11th in West
  • 22nd in Shield race
  • Last result: Rapids 3-0 SJ

Snapped their five-game losing streak, for which some credit is deserved.

19. New York Red Bulls (down seven places)

  • 16 points, 5th in East
  • 9th in Shield race
  • Last result: RBNY 1-3 LA

The Red Bulls had hoped their impressive home form would start to influence their poor form on the road. Instead, they brought their away-day struggles back to Red Bull Arena this week. And now they have lost three straight games.

20. D.C. United (down seven places)

  • 11 points, 9th in East
  • 16th in Shield race
  • Last result: DCU 0-4 Union

DC has now lost two in a row at home, and hasn't scored in either game.

21. Seattle Sounders (down one place)

  • 10 points, 9th in West
  • 19th in Shield race
  • Last result: Chicago 4-1 Seattle

Back-to-back losses now for Seattle in MLS 2017, and only one win in its last six league games.

22. Real Salt Lake (down one place)

  • 8 points, 10th in West
  • 21st in Shield race
  • Last result: Revs 4-0 RSL

Mike Petke's tenure at RSL will be brief if he can't at least halt his team's losing skid. RSL has now lost four games in a row: the team had three losses before Petke officially started coaching it, and just two when Jeff Cassar was fired.

In This Stream

OaM's MLS Power Rankings: 2017 Edition

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