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MLS -- 10/26 06:00 -- by Joe Lowery
It's Monday, another weekend of action is in the books, and it's time for the latest edition of ESPN's MLS Power Rankings.
1. Nashville SC Previous ranking: 1 Nashville officially claimed the 2026 Supporters' Shield on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Montreal. Just five points away from the single-season points record with three matches to go, more history is in sight for the best team in MLS.
2. Inter Miami CF Previous ranking: 2 Without Lionel Messi in the starting lineup, Miami looked lost in their 2-0 defeat to Red Bull New York. Despite dominating possession, they created little and left an open runway for their hosts to attack in the other direction. This Miami outfit is still wildly streaky.
3. St. Louis City SC Previous ranking: 3 Following their midweek U.S. Open Cup triumph, St. Louis understandably rotated their lineup for Saturday's clash against Salt Lake. Tomas Ostrak getting himself sent off in the first half hampered the visitor's chances of claiming a result in Utah, and a 3-0 defeat followed.
4. New England Revolution Previous ranking: 12 Up to second in the East after a 2-1 triumph over Philadelphia, that the Revolution continue to thrive in the absence of key starters Jack Harrison and Alhassan Yusuf is nothing short of impressive. Against the Union, Matt Turner 's standout showing helped them collect all three points.
5. Chicago Fire Previous ranking: 6 Chicago got off to a slow start in Atlanta, conceding inside of five minutes, but managing to score three unanswered en route to a 3-2 victory. However, it is a concern that Robert Lewandowski has gone scoreless in six straight starts.
6. Philadelphia Union Previous ranking: 4 The Union's unbeaten streak -- one that stretched all the way back to July -- was snapped after a 2-1 loss to New England. Missing Cavan Sullivan in the attack due to injury made life difficult for Philadelphia, as did a late penalty concession from teenage center back Neil Pierre .
7. Vancouver Whitecaps Previous ranking: 5 Vancouver didn't look like themselves in a 1-0 loss to Colorado, creating little in the first half before an only slightly more energetic second period. Thomas Muller 's injury, mixed with Sebastian Berhalter 's summer exit, seems to have forced the Whitecaps down a rung in the chance creation department.
8. LAFC Previous ranking: 8 It wasn't pretty, but LAFC came back from a two-goal deficit to earn a 2-2 draw with the Galaxy. There seemed to be a lack of tactical clarity from the team's attacking players, which isn't a surprise given interim manager Xavi Tamarit has only recently begun his tenure. Still, there's much polishing to be done with the playoffs right around the corner.
9. FC Dallas Previous ranking: 13 Rarely a team to control games with short passes, Dallas averaged more than 50% possession for only the second time all season in their 3-0 victory over San Jose. Forced to keep the ball for stretches by a defiant Earthquakes outfit, the hosts made the best of it.
10. Seattle Sounders Previous ranking: 10 The Sounders had a road win against San Diego nearly wrapped up, but a late penalty converted by Cedric Bakambu forced a draw. Though Saturday's finish was frustrating, it's a positive for the Sounders that they've lost just one of their last 12 games.
11. Orlando City Previous ranking: 9 A late, 100th-minute concession turned three points into one for Orlando, as their matchup with New York City finished in a 2-2 draw. Still, the Lions have gone four unbeaten and Martin Ojeda and Antoine Griezmann continued to shine. Both claimed a goal on Saturday.
12. Red Bull New York Previous ranking: 17 They had the benefit of playing Miami without Messi in the starting lineup, yes. But Red Bull New York looked dominant against their still-talented Eastern Conference foes in a 2-0 home win. With young midfielders Adri Mehmeti and Ronald Donkor showing out, the Red Bulls may yet hold onto the final wildcard spot out East.
13. Charlotte FC Previous ranking: 7 It's unlike Dean Smith's Charlotte team to be carved open with ease, but that's exactly what happened on the road in Portland. In a 3-2 loss, Charlotte allowed 27 shots, 20 of which came from inside their own box. The sooner Smith's side can forget Saturday, the better.
14. Colorado Rapids Previous ranking: 20 Already used in a host of roles since he arrived from Middlesbrough in the summer, Morgan Whittaker scored the lone goal in Colorado's 1-0 victory over Vancouver. The Englishman started up top, finished on the wing, and has even played in midfield. His varied employment helps make the Rapids hard to pin down.
15. San Jose Earthquakes Previous ranking: 15 Without Niko Tsakiris in the starting lineup, San Jose simply isn't a major threat. The star playmaker managed a late substitute appearance on his way back from injury in the Earthquakes' 3-0 loss to Dallas, but it wasn't enough to save the side from a poor result.
16. Houston Dynamo Previous ranking: 11 Acutely missing Jack McGlynn following his summer exit, the Dynamo created very little in a 0-0 draw with Minnesota. Once a team that looked poised to claim a home playoff spot in the West, Houston have now fallen out of the top four.
17. FC Cincinnati Previous ranking: 14 Evander is an undoubtedly polarizing figure in Cincinnati, but the Brazilian attacking midfielder scored a wonder-goal and collected a lovely assist in his team's 2-0 road win over D.C. United. On his day, few players in MLS are more likely to brute-force a victory than Evander.
18. Real Salt Lake Previous ranking: 23 Helped by a first-half sending off that reduced St. Louis to just 10 men, Salt Lake put together a dominant 3-0 victory to keep their playoff hopes alive. Even before their opponents saw their numbers decreased, RSL looked something like their early season selves. Currently 10th in the West, hope is still alive.
19. LA Galaxy Previous ranking: 18 Despite holding a 2-0 lead over bitter rivals LAFC in Sunday's lone MLS fixture, the Galaxy folded in the second half to end the evening with a 2-2 draw. Surrounded in the table by fellow playoff hopefuls who have a game in hand, questions abound in Carson.
20. Columbus Crew Previous ranking: 21 Though the disappointment of falling in the midweek U.S. Open Cup final remains, Columbus bounced back with a 4-2 victory over Toronto. Currently just one spot below the East's playoff line, a postseason berth may yet await the Crew after a brutal start to the year.
21. New York City FC Previous ranking: 16 New York City's playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, so that Jonny Shore managed a 100th minute equalizer to rescue a 2-2 draw in Orlando was crucial. Still, things aren't going right for NYCFC: big-money summer signing Benie Traore has started just two of the club's last seven games.
22. Portland Timbers Previous ranking: 25 The Timbers topped Charlotte by a 3-2 scoreline, helped by homegrown signing Eric Izoita 's pair of assists. The 19-year-old signed a first team contract last month and is already a key part of manager Marti Cifuentes' plans.
23. Minnesota United Previous ranking: 19 Far too often in 2026, Minnesota's attack has looked listless. That was the case in a 0-0 draw with Houston, one made even more difficult for the Loons due to Joaquin Pereyra 's continued absence from the starting lineup as he recovers from a quad injury.
24. Austin FC Previous ranking: 26 Though they conceded chances along the way, Austin earned a 2-1 victory over Kansas City thanks to a brace from Myrto Uzuni . Even with bright young midfielder Ervin Torres ' first-half injury exit, the Texan side is still building nicely towards 2027.
25. Toronto FC Previous ranking: 22 Toronto couldn't have had a worse start to a must-win game in their 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Crew, conceding four straight goals before answering back. The road to the playoffs for Robin Fraser's team got far bumpier this weekend.
26. San Diego FC Previous ranking: 24 San Diego drew 2-2 with Seattle, extending their streak of games where they've allowed at least two goals to eight in a row. The sophomore side can't keep the ball out of their own net and their postseason hopes look dim as a result.
27. D.C. United Previous ranking: 27 D.C. managed only three shots inside Cincinnati's box in a 2-0 home defeat on Saturday. They simply lacked the firepower to go toe-to-toe with Cincinnati and now look destined to miss the postseason.
28. Sporting Kansas City Previous ranking: 29 Now one goal shy of tying MLS's all-time record for goals conceded in a single season (one set by San Jose in 2024 with 78 allowed), Kansas City fell 2-1 to Austin. Sloppy box defending dashed any chance the home side had of earning a result.
29. Atlanta United Previous ranking: 28 Outside of Breel Embolo 's performance, there was precious little for Atlanta to write home about in their 3-2 loss to Chicago. This team needs a hard offseason reset.
30. CF Montreal Previous ranking: 30 Just days after losing the Canadian Championship in embarrassing fashion to Forge FC, Montreal fell 2-0 to Nashville. Officially eliminated from playoff contention, it was another bleak year for Montreal.
Read on the web: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/50285261/mls-power-rankings-revs-jump-eight-places-playoffs-loom
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