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Goal.com MLS Rankings: Chivas Remain On Top
In the latest Goal.com MLS Rankings, Kyle McCarthy keeps his top three the same.
May 4, 2009 3:38:30 PM
1. Chivas USA – Defend, possess and counterattack. It's not a difficult concept, but the Goats have turned it into a science. (1)
2. Chicago – The Fire were better than Seattle on Saturday night, but they just can't seem to finish out games. That little fact associates them with most of the other teams in these rankings. Those who think Chicago deserves to be dropped should look at that zero in the loss column. Draws might not be wins, but they aren't losses either. (2)
3. Seattle – Gutsy effort from Sounders FC after Montero's deserved dismissal. Sigi Schmid's squad isn't a flash in the pan. (3)
4. D.C. United – No, a 2-1 win over FC Dallas doesn't merit a four-place bump. But I had United a slot or two too low last week, so we'll compensate this week ahead of a difficult trip to Kansas City on Wednesday night. (8)
5. Toronto FC – It's safe to say that Stefan Frei is a considerable upgrade from the motley cast of characters TFC had in its nets prior to this season. (5)
6. Kansas City – Rest up, Jack Jewsbury. The Wizards need you healthy for D.C. United's visit to CAB on Wednesday night. (6)
7. Colorado – “We still remember not making the playoffs because of them,” defender Ugo Ihemelu said after the Rapids beat Real Salt Lake 2-0 at the Dick on Saturday night. “We wanted to come out and really take it to them, especially at home. With them scoring six goals in their last game, we knew it was going to be a challenge. We were up for it.” (9)
8. Real Salt Lake – RSL stays out of the top five until they score a goal on the road. Good teams get results on their travels. Or at least the occasional goal. (4)
9. Houston – Good wing play from Brian Mullan and Brad Davis really spurs the Dynamo attack. Davis sent in a majestic corner kick for Brian Ching's killer second in Sunday's 2-0 win over New England. (10)
10. New England – Injuries have decimated the Revolution's squad. Now they need to find a way to grind out results like they did earlier in the season. Not an easy task after conceding eight goals in the past two matches and struggling to possess the ball for any length of time during either of those contests. (7)
11. Columbus – Time for a win. These moral victories don't translate into additional points. (13)
12. San Jose – The Earthquakes need some luck. Perhaps a confidence boost would help, too. (11)
13. New York – Might as well send Juan Pablo Angel on a vacation to a deserted island. He could sip from drinks with tiny little umbrellas in them instead of watching his teammates flail around him and fail to provide him with consistent service. (12)
14. Los Angeles – The good news: the Galaxy notched its first win of the season. The bad news: they still aren't playing particularly well. (15)
15. FC Dallas – Start scouring the free transfer market for a central defender or two, FCD. It's time to make drastic and permanent defensive changes. (14)
Kyle McCarthy writes the Monday MLS Breakdown and frequently writes opinion pieces during the week for Goal.com. He also covers the New England Revolution for the Boston Herald and MLSnet.com. Contact him with your questions or comments at kyle.mccarthy@goal.com and follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
2. Chicago – The Fire were better than Seattle on Saturday night, but they just can't seem to finish out games. That little fact associates them with most of the other teams in these rankings. Those who think Chicago deserves to be dropped should look at that zero in the loss column. Draws might not be wins, but they aren't losses either. (2)
3. Seattle – Gutsy effort from Sounders FC after Montero's deserved dismissal. Sigi Schmid's squad isn't a flash in the pan. (3)
4. D.C. United – No, a 2-1 win over FC Dallas doesn't merit a four-place bump. But I had United a slot or two too low last week, so we'll compensate this week ahead of a difficult trip to Kansas City on Wednesday night. (8)
5. Toronto FC – It's safe to say that Stefan Frei is a considerable upgrade from the motley cast of characters TFC had in its nets prior to this season. (5)
6. Kansas City – Rest up, Jack Jewsbury. The Wizards need you healthy for D.C. United's visit to CAB on Wednesday night. (6)
7. Colorado – “We still remember not making the playoffs because of them,” defender Ugo Ihemelu said after the Rapids beat Real Salt Lake 2-0 at the Dick on Saturday night. “We wanted to come out and really take it to them, especially at home. With them scoring six goals in their last game, we knew it was going to be a challenge. We were up for it.” (9)
8. Real Salt Lake – RSL stays out of the top five until they score a goal on the road. Good teams get results on their travels. Or at least the occasional goal. (4)
9. Houston – Good wing play from Brian Mullan and Brad Davis really spurs the Dynamo attack. Davis sent in a majestic corner kick for Brian Ching's killer second in Sunday's 2-0 win over New England. (10)
10. New England – Injuries have decimated the Revolution's squad. Now they need to find a way to grind out results like they did earlier in the season. Not an easy task after conceding eight goals in the past two matches and struggling to possess the ball for any length of time during either of those contests. (7)
11. Columbus – Time for a win. These moral victories don't translate into additional points. (13)
12. San Jose – The Earthquakes need some luck. Perhaps a confidence boost would help, too. (11)
13. New York – Might as well send Juan Pablo Angel on a vacation to a deserted island. He could sip from drinks with tiny little umbrellas in them instead of watching his teammates flail around him and fail to provide him with consistent service. (12)
14. Los Angeles – The good news: the Galaxy notched its first win of the season. The bad news: they still aren't playing particularly well. (15)
15. FC Dallas – Start scouring the free transfer market for a central defender or two, FCD. It's time to make drastic and permanent defensive changes. (14)
Kyle McCarthy writes the Monday MLS Breakdown and frequently writes opinion pieces during the week for Goal.com. He also covers the New England Revolution for the Boston Herald and MLSnet.com. Contact him with your questions or comments at kyle.mccarthy@goal.com and follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
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