MLS Power Rankings: Lionel Messi's Inter Miami fail to impress, reigning champs LA Galaxy fall, while Columbus Crew, FC Cincinnati and Atlanta United flourish

Phil Neville has to really hate Vancouver. In their last two meetings, they've been outscored 9-1 by the Canadian side, and that speaks volumes.

The Timbers' Achilles heel in 2024 was their defense, and not much changed with their backline heading into 2025, which is not particularly ideal.

If changes aren't made quickly, it could be a long season for Portland.

RSL just need to forget Saturday's match and put it in the back of their mind. They conceded four to San Jose, and were completely outclassed in every aspect of the match.

If they can get Diego Luna on the ball more, and bring in a high-profile striker for the season, they will likely be fine and competing for a playoff spot. However, they will be heavily dependent on both of those things coming true.

Houston, we have a problem.

The Dynamo were upset by cross-state rivals FC Dallas 2-1 in their home stadium on opening day. That one has to hurt.

The good news? Jack McGlynn looks like a perfect fit in their midfield, and he even hit the post with a long-range effort.

There's promise with their roster, it just remains to see if it clicks.

Sporting struggled on opening day, falling to Austin FC 1-0. However, it was quickly evident based on their XI that manager Peter Vermes was prioritizing their CONCACAF Champions Cup series vs. Inter Miami.

Dejan Joveljic did not start the match but got his first MLS minutes for the club off the bench. A big season rests ahead for the 2024 MLS Cup-winning striker in the Midwest, while Week 2 will offer a better glance at how they shape up as a club in 2025.

B.J. Callaghhan's first full season in charge of the club started with a point against the Revolution in a 0-0 draw. The club can feel a bit annoyed that they didn't leave with three points, as they rocked an xG of 1.1 on the day, but overall, it was a rather positive showing for the club.

They'll need more from their attacking tandem of Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar as the season goes on, though.

The Revs began things with a 0-0 draw in 2025 against Nashville. Their attack left a lot to be desired, but their defense was sound and composed. Onto Week 2 for Caleb Porter and Co.

Lorenzo Insigne is officially on the outs at TFC, and didn't travel for opening day.

They drew D.C. 2-2, and frankly, that's a good result for a team that still has a lot of work to do to become competitive in 2025.

Same story, new year.

The good news for D.C. is Christian Benteke opened his 2024 account, as the reigning Golden Boot winner looks to begin 2025 on a high note.

The bad news is they conceded two rather poor goals against a rather poor Toronto FC side in a 2-2 draw.

CITY drew the Rapids 0-0, but outshot them 18-2, outpossessed them and sported an xG of 1.8 on the day to Colorado's .3

Somehow, they didn't score.

They lacked any sort of clinical finish in the final third, and essentially, 90 minutes of drive.

If new MLS coach Olof Mellberg can figure out how to make things click on the attacking end, they could re-emerge as a Western Conference contender in 2025.

Orlando started things really well on Saturday, leading eight minutes in through new star winger Marco Pasalic. Then, they somehow capitulated over the final 45 minutes, conceding three unanswered to fall 4-2 to the Union.

If they can replicate their first half showing on a consistent basis in 2025, they'll be fine, but that second half was bleak and concerning. Manager Oscar Pareja cannot let it become a trend.

Brian Gutierrez is very good at soccer, and Jonathan Bamba looks like the perfect signing to play off of him in a wide role for new manager Gregg Berhalter in 2025. But, the Fire's defense is not very good.

That pretty much summed up matchday one for the club; they fell to the Crew 4-2 despite going ahead twice in the match. Their defense imploded, with costly errors proving to be their downfall against a very good Columbus side.

However, there were far too many positives from the squad to throw them lower down the list. It's a big year ahead for the club as they look to bounce back to the top.

After a midweek clash in the CONCACAF Champions Cup with LAFC, the Rapids bounced back to draw CITY 0-0 on opening day. It was a rather bland showing from both sides, but it became quickly evident manager Chris Armas was content with the point, with priority going to continental competition.

Week 2 will serve as a better judgment of the club.

FC Dallas pulled out an impressive road victory against cross-state rivals Houston Dynamo on opening day, spearheaded by goals from Petar Musa and newcomer Anderson Julio in a come-from-behind 2-1 victory.

It was a promising final 45 minutes from the club after a bleak first half. MLS star Lucho Acosta didn't quite stand out in his competitive debut for FCD, but as he acclimates to the club, expectations for him will grow.

CF MTL took a talented Atlanta United side to the wire, but they fell just short, 3-2.

Canada's Young Men's Player of the Year Nathan Saliba banked his first goal of the season, while veteran Prince Owusu opened his 2025 account as well. Going forward, there will be a bit more expected from the likes of Caden Clark and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty in wide roles, but it was a damn good first showing for the Canadian side to start the campaign.

If they find consistency and shore up their defense a bit more, there are a lot of positives within the team.

The Loons impressed against LAFC on Saturday, despite falling 1-0. Both Kelvin Yeboah and Tani Oluwaseyi hit the frame of the net in the final third, and showed some potential in attack.

Second-year coach Eric Ramsay deployed a back-five formation with attacking-minded wingbacks, and they nearly pulled out a remarkable away result.

No shame in a 1-0 defeat to a talented Black and Gold side.

The Pigeons drew Inter Miami 2-2, but arguably should have had three points. They can rightfully feel a bit aggrieved about it, too. 11 minutes of stoppage time were added, which felt excessive beyond comprehension, and the South Beach club equalized in the 100th minute.

During regulation, though, they played a brilliant game. Alonso Martinez stood out once again, and with the recent blockbuster sale of Santiago Rodriguez to Botafogo, they have a DP spot and a large sum of cash to play with to bolster their roster.

A solid start to 2025.

Austin secured all three points on opening day courtesy of a 67th-minute winner from winger Osman Bukari. It wasn't a flashy performance by any means, but three points is three points.

Come Matchday 2, more will be expected from them with the amount of money they spent this offseason.

Bradley Carnell's Union were one of the biggest surprises on opening day, with Philly stuffing Orlando City's squad inside a cheesesteak and taking a big bite out of it. They stomped the 2024 MLS Eastern Conference playoff finalists 4-2, with Tai Baribo banking a brace en route to three points.

There are still a lot of questions surrounding the squad and Carnell himself, but this was a impressive showing.

The Red Bulls made their way to TQL Stadium and put forth a valiant performance, but fell to FC Cincinnati 1-0. Their attack stagnated a bit throughout the match, but Cincy's defense was terrific on the day.

Sandro Schwarz will hope that in week two, he sees more buildup play into the final-third, where they can try and unleash the goal-scoring prowess of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.

Inter Miami are concerning, to say the least. Their roster lacks MLS experience beyond returning players, and Javier Mascherano is essentially a rookie head coach.They opened the season with a 2-2 draw against NYCFC, salvaging a point thanks to two magical Lionel Messi assists.

Tomas Aviles was sent off in the 23rd minute, and Marcelo Weigandt exited at halftime with an apparent injury. Aviles will miss next weekend’s match, while Weigandt’s status remains unclear.

After the match, Messi was seen arguing with the referee, earning a yellow card, while Mascherano pointed to the team’s CONCACAF Champions Cup schedule as an excuse.

Welcome to the big leagues, Javier - save those comments for the locker room. A long season awaits.

Hello, San Diego. Where did that come from?

A stunning and composed midfield performance, SDFC stormed Dignity Health Sports Park and took down the reigning champs LA Galaxy 2-0. Designated Player Anders Dreyer scored twice, both of which were remarkable goals, and they took all three points.

There's not much else to say beyond, bravo Mikey Varas. Bravo.

Oh, Bruce Arena… why does anyone ever doubt you?

Four goals against Real Salt Lake and a shutout -- that’s ridiculously impressive. But even more so when considering neither Chicho Arango nor Josef Martínez found the net.

If opening day is any indication, the Quakes are back. They dominated in every aspect, and this feels like just the beginning.

Jayden Nelson, welcome to Vancouver.

Brought over from Toronto FC this offseason, Nelson recorded a gentleman's hat-trick with three assists, and scored a goal himself, as the Whitecaps thrashed the Portland Timbers 4-1.

It was an incredibly attacking performance from the Canadian side, and if this was a glimpse at all into what the 22-year-old Canada international can do in a club that trusts him -- look out, MLS.

Charlotte was incredibly resilient in their first match of the season, fighting until the end to earn a point against the Sounders in a 2-2 draw. A 93rd-minute own-goal from Yeimar gifted them the draw, but it was far from undeserved. Their attack was lacking a bit, but with star offseason signing Wilfried Zaha missing the match due to his wife expecting the birth of their child, it was expected.

Week 2 will be a better chance to observe them with the Ivorian in the lineup, but from a glance, manager Dean Smith looks set to lead them to a promising campaign.

The reigning champions were stunned by newcomers San Diego FC. There's no other way top say it beyond the fact that their reworked XI didn't look ready to play together. Only six members of their MLS Cup-winning team returned to the pitch, and with both Joseph Paintsil and Riqui Puig injured, it looked like an entirely different team.

Still, though, they are the reigning champions. You can't write them off after one game.

Georgi Minoungou is a problem. However, he's a fun problem that will only lead to excitement in 2025.

The Ivorian winger debuted for the club in 2024 and is now poised for a breakout 2025 after banking his first assist of the season in a 2-2 draw with Charlotte FC on Saturday.

U.S. international Jordan Morris scored twice, too, as Seattle impressed. They conceded a late equalizer, but it doesn't overshadow their overall performance vs. a strong CLT FC side.

It was far from convincing, but the Black and Gold earned three points on opening day with a 1-0 victory over Minnesota United. It took them 78 minutes to break down the Loons to find a winner, but offseason addition Jeremy Ebobisse banked his first for the club as the reigning Western Conference regular season champions began things on a positive note.

It remains to be seen what Olivier Giroud's role is this year, and a lot will depend on his scoring if they want to stay at the top of the conference.

Atlanta's new striker and MLS' record-signing Emmanuel Latte Lath looks to absolutely be the real deal. The Ivorian forward bagged twice, and nearly had a hat-trick, as the Five Stripes defeated CF Montreal 3-2 in a thrilling Opening Day match.

An 85th-minute belter of an effort from Edwin Mosquera, off a Miguel Almiron assist, secured all three points -- but the big story with Atlanta is both of their marquee offseason acquisitions made it on the scoresheet to secure three points. Bang.

FCC's blockbuster winter signing Kevin Denkey earned them all three points in a 1-0 victory over RBNY, with the Belgian's header defeating the 2024 MLS Cup finalists. It was a valiant and hard-fought victory for Pat Noonan's men in front of their own fans.

Denkey looks to be the real deal, while $12M midfielder Evander looks to be the perfect fit underneath him.

Wilfried Nancy's side put four goals past the Chicago Fire in a heated 4-2 victory over Gregg Berhalter's men. With no Cucho Hernandez, Canada international Jacen Russell-Rowe was handed the reigns to the striker position, and he opened his account with his first of the year, while Diego Rossi added a brace.

Three key members of their excellent 2024 roster departed this offseason, but they're still the formidable foe they were last campaign. They made a splash on opening day.