| POS | TEAM | PLD | PTS |
| 1 | LA | 15 | 36 |
| 2 | RSL | 14 | 27 |
| 3 | CLB | 13 | 27 |
| 4 | NYRB | 13 | 24 |
| 5 | COL | 13 | 22 |
| 6 | FCD | 13 | 21 |
| 7 | TFC | 13 | 19 |
| 8 | SJ | 13 | 19 |
| 9 | HOU | 15 | 18 |
| 10 | CHI | 13 | 17 |
| 11 | SEA | 15 | 15 |
| 12 | KC | 13 | 12 |
| 13 | PHI | 12 | 11 |
| 14 | CHV | 14 | 11 |
| 15 | NE | 14 | 11 |
| 16 | DC | 14 | 11 |
We aren’t at the All-Star Break, but we are at an all-star break, so this seems as good a time as any to take a look at the rankings. There are rumors of RSL being in first place and frankly, I’m not convinced they’re the best soccer team in half of Utah, much less half of the nation.
United finally climbs out of the cellar, but which is the real D.C.? Is it the team that lost six out of seven in April and May? Is it the team that hasn’t lost in four matches since, with three of those matches against current top five teams? In my experience, when you can’t tell what a team’s true identity, it means that you’re dealing with a team that doesn’t have a true identity, one that will go run hot and cold in equal measure and finish the season at .500.
Chicago still sets the pace in the league, but a disappointing home loss to a maudlin United team closes the gap with the rest of the pack. Meanwhile, Dallas is still unable to accomplish anything while and points on the road pop up in the most unlikely of places.
At this point, I’m tempted to start leaving the #2 rank empty and pushing everybody else down to spots #3 through #15. That’s how freakishly Chicago is lapping the field right now.
Despite losing at home, Chicago retains the top spot in the league on the strength of their previous performances. The gap between #1 and #2 is drastically narrowed, however. The Fire get a quick opportunity to prove that this past weekend was a one-time slip up, as they face a Red Bull side that is within breathing distance of third in the rankings.
The only road teams to lose last week were those in the Western Conference. The only Eastern team to lose was the one facing an Easter Conference opponent. In the traditional standings, first place in the West is good enough for next-to-last in the East. The power rankings indicate that we can’t yet say that there’s a disparity, but there darn sure isn’t any parity to be found.
When the season started, the Power Rankings staff had the Dynamo and Chivas in the top two spots. I’m not going to say that the mighty have fallen, but I can’t deny that the mighty-appearing have nosedived straight to the bottom. Nosedove, nosediven? Whatev, Houston sucks and I’ve got the numbers to prove it.
The Rankomatic 130 has arrived and we are shifting over to a more quant-based methodology. The Rankomatic has instructed me to make some drastic changes to last week’s rankings, far more drastic than any movements we’ve had up to this point. Of course, the Rankomatic is also instructing me to make the rivers run red with the blood of the insolent, so I’m not totally sold yet on the work of the fine folks at USFBOR (United States Federal Bureau of Rankomaticking).
Having done this for less than a month, I hardly feel like I have enough cred to start getting cocky. Eight of eleven pundits put City at #1, but after 1 point in two home games I’m feeling that my mid-table placement of the Wizards was and remains correct. I put RSL on my watch list to beat United, and even called out Kovalenko as the likely difference-maker.
After a week of heavy reshuffling, this weekend was much kinder to the Power Rankings staff. The higher ranked teams beat the lower ranked teams and in most cases, the greater the difference in rank, the greater the difference in scoreline. As a result, very little needed to change for week 2.
Volume Fourteen
John has extra motivation; ratings, etc.
Here are the final #s.
It’s World Cup Tuesday, and all is well in FC Dallas land
Dallas beats Kansas City, 1-0
Big game against the Wizzz…..
Classy video from Nike.
On the opening day of 1860 training camp.
Cruz Azul has pulled out of the event.
El gato is cool like that.
FC Dallas doubles up Chivas USA, 2-1.
The MLS disciplinary report came out today and Arnaud’s on it.
So with the USA out, who will you be cheering for?
vs Cruz Azul on July 7th
… and we are back.
Here’s the audio from the interview.