MLS 2017 Power Rankings, Week 10: Toronto FC takes top spot

The top-five gets a shake-up after a double-game week for several of the league's front-runners revealed a little about which teams have stamina and strength in depth, as well as power.

1. Toronto FC (up four places)

19 points, 1st in Eastern Conference
1st in Supporters' Shield race
Last results: TFC 2-1 Orlando (May 3); Seattle 0-1 TFC

Two wins in Week 10 gives Toronto the longest-active winning streak in MLS 2017. It has now won four in a row. It also knocked over last week's Power Rankings' favorite, Orlando, and then sent a weakened team to Seattle and came away with a clean sheet and three points. TFC has power and depth, which is a concerning combination for the rest of the league.

2. FC Dallas (up one place)

18 points, 1st in Western Conference
3rd in Shield race
Last result: RSL 0-3 FCD

Still unbeaten in MLS 2017 after eight games, and if you think beating even a struggling team in the league in its own stadium is easy - kindly have a look at RBNY's latest result. This week's 3-0 result was also FCD's biggest win of the season to date.

3. New York City FC (up four places)

16 points, 3rd in East
6th in Shield race
Last result: NYCFC 3-1 Atlanta United

Back-to-back wins now for NYCFC and the team has won three of its last four. Its next four games are on the road, which will bring an interesting test of the side's resilience.

4. Vancouver Whitecaps (up nine places)

13 points, 6th in West
11th in Shield race
Last result: Colorado 0-1 VWFC

Welcome to the top five, Vancouver. The Caps are the first team this season to string together back-to-back wins on the road. If they can find a way to win in Houston next week - for a third-straight victory away from home - they'll have a case for being top of this list.

5. San Jose Earthquakes (up nine places)

15 points, 5th in West
10th in Shield race
Last result: SJ 3-0 Portland

Last week's win in Minnesota looks even better this week, and beating once-hot Portland by three goals is its own statement. After a six-game slump, the Quakes look hot again.

6. Sporting Kansas City (down five places)

18 points, 2nd in West
4th in Shield race
Last results: SKC 2-0 RBNY (May 3); Minnesota 2-0 SKC (May 6)

The double-game week was a little too much for KC, who followed a routine home win over a second-string RBNY with a routine road loss in Minnesota.

7. Orlando City (down six places)

18 points, 2nd in East
2nd in Shield race
Last results: TFC 2-1 OCSC; Houston 4-0 OCSC

A somewhat spiteful drop down the list for a team that was first just last week, but Orlando didn't just lose two games in Week 10 - it lost two road games. And the suspicion about Orlando's hot start is that it has more to do with a glut of early-season home games than a lasting claim to be among the league's elite. Unfortunately for OCSC, this week's results were the excuse the Rankings had been waiting for: time to re-set the perception of the Lions' power.

8. Portland Timbers (down four places)

17 points, 3rd in West
5th in Shield race
Last result: San Jose 3-0 Portland

The Power Rankings are not supposed to be too mindful of league position - otherwise they'd just be a league table. They are perhaps guilty of showing too much respect to Portland's place in the standings this week: the Timbers have now won just one of their last four games.

9. Houston Dynamo (up two places)

16 points, 4th in West
7th in Shield race
Last result: Dynamo 4-0 OCSC

Yes, Orlando was on short rest and on the road, but Houston took full advantage, not just winning at home but winning big.

10. Chicago Fire (no movement)

12 points, 6th in East
12th in Shield race
Last result: LA 2-2 Fire

The Fire had lost two in a row on the road heading into this week, but gave the Galaxy in LA before succumbing to the home team's fight-back and being forced to settle for a point. Still, not being a complete pushover on the road is worth something to these Rankings - so Chicago gets another week in the top 10.

11. Columbus Crew (up one place)

16 points, 4th in East
8th in Shield race
Last result: Crew 2-0 Revs

Solid result in Week 10 for a team that had been slipping recently.

12. New York Red Bulls (down six places)

16 points, 5th in East
9th in Shield race
Last results: SKC 2-0 RBNY (May 3); Philadelphia 3-0 RBNY (May 6)

A double-game week that really couldn't have gone much worse for RBNY: the team sent a second-string to KC in the name of staying fresh for a weekend visit to Philadelphia Union. The B-team lost 2-0 in Kansas City, and the rested first-choice side took a 3-0 beating from the abject Union.

13. D.C. United (down five places)

11 points, 8th in East
14th in Shield race
Last result: DC 0-1 Montreal

After an impressive away win in Atlanta, DC followed up with an equally unimpressive home loss to Montreal this week, even allowing L'Impact its first clean sheet of MLS 2017.

14. Atlanta United (down five places)

11 points, 7th in East
13th in Shield race
Last result: NYCFC 3-1 Atlanta

Atlanta is now a team that has one win in its last six games and has lost three of its last four, including the last two.

15. Montreal Impact (up three places)

10 points, 10th in East
18th in Shield race
Last result: DCU 0-1 Montreal

Big jump for a team that has only won twice so far in MLS 2017, but away wins count for a lot at the moment in the league.

16. Minnesota United (up one place)

11 points, 7th in West
15th in Shield race
Last result: Minnesota 2-0 SKC

Despite last week's loss to San Jose at home, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that the team is getting better. This week's win was its second in its last three games (all at home) and its second clean sheet of the season.

17. Philadelphia Union (up four places)

7 points, 11th in East
21st in Shield race
Last result: Union 3-0 RBNY

This week brought the Union its first win of MLS 2017. More significantly for the Power Rankings, the team is now unbeaten in its last three games with six goals scored and two consecutive clean sheets in that stretch.

18. New England Revolution (down two places)

10 points, 9th in East
17th in Shield race
Last result: Columbus 2-0 Revs

Five games without a win now for the Revs.

19. Seattle Sounders (down four places)

10 points, 8th in West
16th in Shield race
Last result: Seattle 0-1 TFC

Had to fight back from three goals down to get a draw at home last week, and couldn't beat a short-rested and shorthanded TFC at home this week: the Sounders are floundering.

20. LA Galaxy (up one place)

8 points, 9th in West
19th in Shield race
Last result: LA 2-2 Chicago

The two-goal turnaround that saw the Galaxy prevent a loss to Chicago was greeted as a sign of improvement by LA - which is a sign of just how bad things are for the team at the moment. It has just completed a three-game home stand with only two points to show for it. Still, LA is on the rise in these Rankings because it has managed to go two games since its last loss and that is better than can be said for RSL or Colorado.

21: Real Salt Lake (down two places)

8 points, 10th in West
20th in Shield race
Last result: RSL 0-3 FCD

RSL has now lost three in a row and conceded three goals in each of those games. At what point do we need to worry about Mike Petke's job security?

22. Colorado Rapids (no movement)

4 points, 11th in West
22nd in Shield race
Last result: Colorado 0-1 Vancouver

That sound you hear is the Rapids spiraling: five straight losses, three straight games without a goal, and the most recent of those at home to a team - Vancouver - that has had its own issues this season. Colorado is not good, and does not appear to be getting better.