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MLS 2017 Power Rankings, Week 14: New York City FC on the rise

NYCFC is starting to show signs of a challenge to the Rankings' breakaway top two.

Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

No change at the top, but the rest of the table is churning...

1. Toronto FC (no movement)

  • 29 points, 1st in Eastern Conference
  • 1st in Supporters' Shield race
  • Last result: New England 3-0 TFC
TFC picked a good week to lose: its closest challengers in the Power Rankings didn't really do enough to justify taking over top spot. The seven-wins-in-eight-games stretch preceding this week's loss to the Revs is sufficient to keep TFC at the top of this list for another week, at least.

2. Chicago Fire (no movement)
  • 25 points, 2nd in East
  • 3rd in Shield race
  • Last result: Orlando 0-0 Chicago
A scoreless draw traditionally isn't enough to rise in the Rankings, but a clean sheet on the road and a six-game unbeaten streak is also no reason to fall. The Fire holds steady.

3. New York City FC (up two places)
  • 24 points, 3rd in East
  • 4th in Shield race
  • Last results: NYCFC 2-2 Revs (May 31); NYCFC 2-1 Union (June 3)
The 2-2 tie against the Revs looked a little better after New England trampled Toronto, and there is still credit to be gained for beating Philadelphia - one of the hotter teams in MLS as recently as two weeks ago.

4. LA Galaxy (down one place)
  • 18 points, 8th in Western Conference
  • 16th in Shield race
  • Last result: DCU 0-0 LA
The Galaxy's league position is modest, but the team is now unbeaten in six games.

5. Vancouver Whitecaps (up one place)
  • 19 points, 5th in West
  • 12th in Shield race
  • Last result: VWFC 3-1 Atlanta
Last week, the Caps suffered a scandalous loss to DC courtesy of a blatant dive; this week, they took their frustrations out on Atlanta.

6. FC Dallas (up one place)
  • 23 points, 3rd in West
  • 7th in Shield race
  • Last result: FCD 6-2 RSL
A big home win over a weak opponent isn't sufficient to persuade the Rankings that FCD has put its recent slump in form behind it for good, but it does suggest the team is on the rise again.

7. New England Revolution (up four places)
  • 20 points, 7th in East
  • 11th in Shield race
  • Last results: NYCFC 2-2 Revs (May 31); Revs 3-0 TFC (June 3)
Four points from a double-game week that required going up against two of the better teams in the league is comfortably sufficient for the Revs to step back into the top 10 on this list.

8. Sporting Kansas City (up one place)
  • 25 points, 1st in West
  • 2nd in Shield race
  • Last result: KC 3-0 Minnesota
KC had been slipping of late, but a return home brought a return to winning ways in Week 14.

9. Seattle Sounders (up one place)
  • 19 points, 7th in West
  • 14th in Shield race
  • Last results: Columbus 3-0 Seattle (May 31); Seattle 1-0 Houston (June 4)
An up-and-down week for Seattle, but the Sounders did enough to stay ahead of on-the-rise again Houston.

10. Atlanta United (down two places)
  • 18 points, 8th in East
  • 15th in Shield race
  • Last result: VWFC 3-1 Atlanta
A string of good results was brought to end in Vancouver. Atlanta looks a little over-valued as a top-10 team on this list, but gets another week to make its case.


11. Houston Dynamo (up one place)
  • 23 points, 2nd in West
  • 6th in Shield race
  • Last results: Houston 5-1 RSL; Seattle 1-0 Houston
The loss to Seattle prevents the Dynamo from rising back into the top 10, but the big win over RSL is good for at least a nudge up the Rankings.

12. Philadelphia Union (down eight places)
  • 16 points, 9th in East
  • 17th in Shield race
  • Last result: NYCFC 2-1 Philadelphia
Back-to-back losses now for Philadelphia, and the Rankings start to worry that the team is heading back into the sort of form that saw it start the season with an eight-game winless streak. Fortunately for the Union, its next match is at home against RBNY (on June 17) - and it was a home match against the Red Bulls that saw it out its last slump.

13. Montreal Impact (up two places)
  • 16 points, 10 in East
  • 18th in Shield race
  • Last result: IMFC 1-0 RBNY
Second consecutive win for Montreal and third in its last four league games: L'Impact might have turned a corner.

14. Orlando City (up six places)
  • 24 points, 4th in East
  • 5th in Shield race
  • Last results: OCSC 2-0 DCU (May 31); OCSC 0-0 Chicago
Orlando restored the Rankings' faith in its ability this week with back-to-back shutouts and four points from two games.

15. Colorado Rapids (up four places)
  • 13 points, 11th in West
  • 22nd in Shield race
  • Last result: Rapids 2-1 Columbus
Signs of life in Colorado, where the Rapids have now won two straight games.


16. Columbus Crew (up one place)
  • 22 points, 5th in East
  • 8th in Shield race
  • Last results: Columbus 3-0 Seattle (May 31); Colorado 2-1 Columbus (June 3)
Might have hoped for a better result in Colorado, but Columbus at least got three points out of Week 14 thanks to a home win over Seattle.

17. Portland Timbers (up three places)
  • 21 points, 4th in West
  • 9th in Shield race
  • Last result: Timbers 2-0 San Jose
Portland's first win since late April finds the Rankings in a generous mood.

18. Minnesota United (down five places)
  • 14 points, 9th in West
  • 20th in Shield race
  • Last result: KC 3-0 Minnesota
The Rankings have a very fragile confidence in Minnesota and this week's lost brings a significant re-calibration to the team's position on this list.

19. New York Red Bulls (down five places)
  • 20 points, 6th in East
  • 10th in Shield race
  • Last result: IMFC 1-0 RBNY
The Red Bulls are terrible on the road, as demonstrated by this week's result: the team's sixth consecutive road loss and the fourth straight away game in which it has failed to score.

20. San Jose Earthquakes (down four places)
  • 19 points, 6th in West
  • 13th in Shield race
  • Last result: Portland 2-0 SJ
San Jose's league position is healthy, but it has now lost two straight games and won only one of its last five.

21. Real Salt Lake (down three places)
  • 14 points, 10th in West
  • 21st in Shield race
  • Last results: Houston 5-1 RSL (May 31); Dallas 6-2 RSL (June 3)
Yes, RSL had to play two road games in one week, but losing both by a combined score of 11-3 is not a good sign at all.

22. D.C. United (no movement)
  • 15 points, 11th in East
  • 19th in Shield race
  • Last results: Orlando 2-0 DCU (May 31); DCU 0-0 LA (June 3)
However bad RSL might be, the Rankings can't overlook the fact that DC has scored one goal in its last six games - and that was a penalty won by a dive.