MLS is Back Power Rankings: Sounders among the favorites to win tournament

FC Dallas would have been a team to follow closely in Orlando, but the club announced on Monday that it will not partake in the tournament as a result of a series of positive coronavirus tests. 

What that means for the regular season remains to be seen, and its unfortunate news for the likes of Reggie Cannon and Paxton Pomykal, who would have hoped to attack European suitors this summer. 

They may not have gotten the results they've wanted, but you can't fault what Nashville has done so far.

After falling 2-1 to Atlanta in the opener, Nashville settled for a 1-0 defeat against the Timbers in their second-ever MLS match. Two tough losses against two tough, playoff-experienced teams? That's nothing to be ashamed of.

The issue is that this club is very much in need of a No. 9. Hany Mukhtar and Randall Leal should create chances and, at the moment, it looks like it will be up to Daniel Rios to be the one to finish them. The 25-year-old shined at the USL level, but has never banged in goals in a league this good. If he somehow can, then Nashville have the spine to compete. If he doesn't, it could be a frustrating tournament. 

The Whitecaps would not have fallen all the way down here if it weren't for a number of key absences.

On Tuesday, the Whitecaps announced that Lucas Cavallini, Fredy Montero, Georges Mukumbilwa, Tosaint Ricketts and Andy Rose will not be participating in the tournament. That takes an already-weak roster into bottom-of-the-league-level bad territory. 

Those losses will likely be a bit too many for this team to overcome, especially those in the attacking third of the field. 

At this point, the Fire have basically built an entirely new team and, when you build an entirely new team, things take time.

The Fire brought in a new head coach in Raphael Wicky and new big-money signings Robert Beric, Alvaro Medran, Gaston Gimenez and Ignacio Aliseda as the club moved on with a new logo and a new stadium situation. The issue is that no one really knows how this will all work out, as the Fire are starting essentially from scratch at a number of key positions.

Could this be the foundation that brings the Fire back towards the top of MLS? Possibly. Will that happen in Orlando? Most likely not. 

Conceding seven goals in your first two matches is very, very bad. That's exactly what the Quakes did to start the season, settling for a 2-2 draw with Toronto FC before allowing Minnesota to fire five past them in an embarrassing loss.

They've had several months to stew over that loss to the Loons and even more time to digest and improve Matias Almeyda's unique man-marking system. It is a system that can surprise teams that aren't used to it, and Almeyda has used that surprise element to guide his teams to tournament results before.

The issue here is that the Quakes are mistake-prone and a bit bare in the attack, which means they'll need a lot to go right to compete in Orlando. 

Will this be the year Orlando City finally push towards a postseason place? Probably not. Is this a team filled with question marks? Absolutely.

Orlando will host this tournament, but are nowhere near the favorites to make a run as the club continues to build some sort of winner. Former FC Dallas boss Oscar Pareja has been brought in, bringing a history of maximizing resources and, more importantly, winning with him. The Lions have Nani, who is still very good, but there are plenty of other pieces that will need to do more.

Dom Dwyer is chief among them. Brought in for a massive fee from Sporting KC, Dwyer has never quite found his scoring touch in Orlando. In what could be his last real chance to shine, Dwyer will need to step up. If Dwyer, Sebastian Mendez and Chris Mueller can all take things up a notch, Orlando can maybe put something together. But those are big ifs. 

Real Salt Lake appear to be a team in transition. Nick Rimando is gone and Jefferson Savarino was sold this summer. Kyle Beckerman, at age 38, only has so much time left on this team.

That transition will be a difficult one, and it already appears that this season will be a bit of a rebuilding year. The club brought in Jeizon Ramirez as a 19-year-old Designated Player, but he's only played two minutes across the two opening matches. In those matches, RSL earned a 1-1 and 0-0 draw. Not exactly sexy.

With that in mind, this tournament could be a chance for RSL to try things out and find a new identity as the club continues to reshuffle.

FC Cincinnati certainly disappointed last season, but there's plenty of reason for optimism heading into this tournament.

First of all, there's a new head coach, Jaap Stam. The former Manchester United and AC Milan defender brings a big name and big pedigree to this evolving club, one that is still reeling from two coaching changes in less than a year. The hope is that Stam can steady the ship and bring some kind, any kind, of identity to a group that's only overarching theme was losing last season.

The other good news? Jurgen Locadia is here to stay, at least for a while. With Locadia leading the attack alongside Siem de Jong and with the ever-evolving Frankie Amaya in the midfield, you can see things starting to take shape for this team. Stam will need time and being thrown right into a tournament is a big ask for any coach, but this team does appear to be heading in a better direction. 

So far, Inter Miami has looked a lot like an expansion team which makes sense because they are, in fact, an expansion team. Their star players haven't looked like stars while some of their international imports haven't quite looked like the game-changers they're expected to be.

That said, it's been two games and you can only learn so much from two games. One of the things we did learn was that Robbie Robinson may be a pretty good striker, but he won't be involved in this tournament. That puts the pressure on Julian Carranza to shine, and the young forward will be the key to Miami's hopes in this tournament. If Carranza shines and Rodolfo Pizarro plays like the player that has been dominant in Liga MX, this team isn't bad.

With several more weeks of analyzing and fine-tuning, Diego Alonso may have also figured out some new answers and, for a coach with the tournament history like the Uruguayan's, that could lead to Miami causing a few surprises. 

For several seasons, the Dynamo have been a team that could score four during any given match. In Darwin Quintero, Mauro Manotas and Alberth Elis, the Dynamo have one of the more explosive attacks in the league, with players like Tomas Martinez and Christian Ramirez also players that can fire in the goals.

The issue is that for the first two weeks of the season, the Dynamo hardly looked like a team that could score two during any given match. Meanwhile, this is still a team with lots of issues in defence, and those issues came to light in a 4-0 battering at the hands of Sporting KC.

For the neutral, the Dynamo may just be the team to watch but, if they want to actually do something during this tournament, that attack will have to absolutely come alive. 

Heading into the season, most of the talk about D.C. United centered around who isn't here. Wayne Rooney is back in England and Paul Arriola is sidelined due to injury and those two losses are enough to change any team.

D.C. still do have hope, though. The attack should be good with Edison Flores, Ola Kamara and Yamil Asad leading the way, while the addition of Julian Gressel gives D.C. a player that might just be the most versatile in MLS. The defense was one of other best in MLS last season, and they're all back too.

But D.C. still needs to prove it has that it-factor, that game-changing moment. We know Rooney would have made magic in a tournament like this. Can any of D.C.'s talented attacker say the same? 

The Thierry Henry era has started better than expected, but we still need to see more out of the Impact to confirm the club has made a real leap.

Under Henry, the Impact have played in a back five that has worked both in MLS and in the CONCACAF Champions League and, with Victor Wanyama now in the fold, there's reason to think this team can get better. They toppled the New England Revolution before drawing a tough FC Dallas team to start the MLS campaign. So far so good.

There are still questions in the attacking end, and either Bojan or Maxi Urruti will need to do something special for the Impact to go deep in this tournament. Regardless, this is another great opportunity for Henry to refine and tweak this team as he looks to build some sort of identity going forward. 

When the Rapids take the field, you likely won't see anything pretty. Still, pretty doesn't always win tournaments.

The Rapids have an identity based around set-pieces and counters and, to start 2020, they took that identity to two wins. 

Younes Namli offers the Rapids that extra bit of playmaking in the attacking third but, by and large, you know what this team is: they're going to beat you on restarts and counters, which may even be more effective than usual in this quirky little tournament. 

If there's one team that will be impacted by the five substitutions rule, it will be the New York Red Bulls.

Over the past several years, the Red Bulls have built a system designed to smother you via endless pressing. Eventually, the opponent tires out or makes a mistake, and that's when they pounce. To facilitate that system, the Red Bulls keep getting younger and younger, with legends Luis Robles and Bradley Wright-Phillips departing this winter.

Now, with extra subs in play, there are two ways this could go. It could allow the Red Bulls to add even fresher legs to the mix to keep the press going longer and more intensely. Or it could give teams the chance to rotate in fresh legs themselves to beat that press. Depending on which way that goes, the Red Bulls could either be contenders or flops. 

Given what we saw in those first two weeks, the Galaxy probably shouldn't be this high. The transition from Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez has looked anything but seamless, and the Galaxy sputtered to one point in two matches.

But this is the Galaxy we're talking about. Chicharito will no doubt come good because he's just too good not to. Cristian Pavon and Sebastian Lletget will learn to play with him at some point and, when they do, the Galaxy will have the makings of a very good attack. Jonathan dos Santos' absence may be a backbreaker for this team, but this team is just too talented to completely stink.

It may not all come together in Orlando, but the Galaxy will hope the last few months off will have provided some idea on how to make this all work. 

Did the Timbers look absolutely awful against Minnesota? Yes! Did they also barely squeak by an expansion team in Nashville SC?! Also yes! Are those reasons to be concerned? Most certainly!

But this team has earned a bit of trust in recent years. Diego Valeri, Diego Chara and Sebastian Blanco are still there. Colombian star Yimmi Chara is just getting going. Led by goalkeeper Steve Clarke, the backline has several veteran faces that know what they're doing in this league.

At some point, the stars above will be toppled by time as the Timbers' big building blocks are all a bit older. But, until that day, there's plenty of reason to trust in this team to figure it out in crunch time.

The Crew are of the league's more dynamic attacking teams, and a one-off tournament with little time to prepare could be perfect for them to shine.

By and large, you know what you're getting from this team: overlapping fullbacks, attacking wingers and Gyasi Zardes tapping the ball into the net. It's a system that works and it's a system that is ingrained in the head of most of these players.

Darlington Nagbe, one key offseason signing, adds the ability to keep possession when needed while Lucas Zelarayan, the other big addition, will be tasked with being the game-changing No.10 that replaced Federico Higuain.

How those two fit remains to be seen, but the roles seem tailor-made for them. In a tournament where attacking play may be rewarded against untested backlinks, the Crew could just push their way to a deep run. 

Down the stretch last season, there may not have been a better team than the Revs. Under Bruce Arena, the Revs lost just three of their final 22 games after dropping eight of their first 12. This team is a changed team, and they entered 2020 expecting to continue on that run.

The Revs started 2020 with a resounding "Meh", earning one point from two opening matches, but the signs were there. Carles Gil will be healthy, Gustavo Bou and Adam Buksa should provide goals and youngsters Tajon Buchannon and Henry Kessler looked solid to start the season.

Are the Revs in the elite tier? Not yet, but with Arena at the helm, they seem on their way. 

This spot may end up being far too high or far too low for the Loons, who now enter the tournament with one major question mark.

Last year's Defender of the Year, Ike Opara, will be among those sitting out, robbing Minnesota of what may just be the most important player for any team in the league. Sporting KC's collapse last season showed Opara's impact, as did the Loons' surge and, without him, Minnesota are a very different group

Still, you do have to give them credit for how they started the season. Minnesota trounced a perennial playoff contender in the Portland Timbers before firing five past the San Jose Earthquakes during Week 2. Is that sustainable? Probably not, but if Kevin Molino and Ethan Finlay stay healthy and in form, maybe they can pull something off. 

The loss of Josef Martinez cannot be understated. The Venezuelan is the league's best striker, and there are no ifs, ands or buts about it.

If there is a "but", though, you'd say "but Atlanta have the firepower to make up for it". Gonzalo 'Pity' Martinez didn't quite get going last season, but he is still one of the best players in his hemisphere. Ezequiel Barco hasn't quite delivered on his potential, but he is still linked with top European teams for a reason.

The losses of Darlington Nagbe and Julian Gressell have taken key pieces from the midfield, but a defense led by Miles Robinson, last year's breakout star, should be enough to keep them in games.

Martinez's injury may end any hopes Atlanta has of contending for trophies once again but, then again, it may not. 

The young Union are now a year older. After pushing into a playoff place last season, the Union entered the 2020 season with hopes of taking another step forward led by the likes of Brendan Aaronson and Mark McKenzie. The Union are getting close to the list of contenders, although they aren't there yet.

However, in a format where anything can happen, the Union will feel good about their chances. They have a young core of stars, veteran leadership in Alejandro Bedoya and a game-changing supersub in Ilsinho that can create something out of less than nothing.

Winning a title in Orlando may be a step too far for this team, but it could also be a turning point for a club on the cusp.

If last year is any indication, Sporting KC doesn't deserve to be anywhere near this high. Taking into account history and the abbreviated start to the 2020 season, though, it's fair to assume that 2019 may have just been a blip.

Sporting KC bulldozed the Houston Dynamo and Vancouver Whitecaps by a combined 7-1 scoreline to start the season, helping erase some of the memories of last year's difficult campaign.

Despite the absence of Felipe Guttierez, Sporting KC looked every bit the contender in those first two weeks, even if it wasn't against elite competition. Winter signing Alan Pulido has hit the ground running, scoring twice while assisting another in those two games.

If Pulido can score goals, Sporting KC have their long-awaited No.9 and, if Sporting KC have their long-awaited No.9, they're among the favorites in any competition. 

We don't know too much about Ronny Deila's NYCFC just yet, although early returns haven't been positive. NYCFC has been shutout 1-0 in each of its first two matches, a concerning start for a would-be contender.

But what we do know about NYCFC is that this is a talented group, even without taking the coach into account. The transition to Deila from Dome Torrent wasn't seamless to start, but NYCFC brought back virtually every contributor from last season's playoff team.

We know Heber can score goals. We know Maxi Moralez can make plays. We know Nick Ring can boss a midfield. Will it all work under Deila, though? At some point, probably.

This is a proven group that has played together and, even after their rough start, that gives them a leg up in Orlando. 

With Carlos Vela, LAFC would be heading into this tournament as clear-cut favorites. Unfortunately for LAFC, they don't have Carlos Vela.

The Mexican star is set to miss out on the tournament to remain with his pregnant wife, leaving LAFC without arguably the league's best player. Diego Rossi and Brian Rodriguez will be the ones mainly tasked with picking up the slack, while Bradley Wright-Phillips and Adama Diomande give Bob Bradley plenty of attacking depth.

If Rodriguez can finally get going and if Rossi can continue to score as he has in his first two seasons in MLS, LAFC have a chance, but this tournament will be a major test of the club's non-Vela stars. 

The Sounders' MLS Cup nemesis for all these years, Toronto FC appears to be in a good place to contend once again as well.

The big question around TFC is always health, especially the health of Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore. Both are fit and available and, if history is indication, TFC are really, really good when those two are fit and available.

Alejandro Pozuelo and winter signing Pablo Piatti should also be good to go, giving Toronto FC one of the more dynamic attacks in MLS as the tournament gets under way.

If there's anything the Seattle Sounders have shown in recent years, it's that they know how to play in tournaments. The Sounders have reached three of the last four MLS Cups alongside Toronto FC, cruising to victory in last season's showcase.

The Sounders have started this season well enough, with a win and a draw in their opening two matches, and they did so without star midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro.

The Uruguayan is now fully fit, making the Sounders one of the teams to watch in Orlando and, if Lodeiro and Jordan Morris can carry over last season's form, they're likely the favorite to win it all.