MLS Power Rankings: Lionel Messi's Inter Miami open big lead in Supporters' Shield race, LA teams falter, Portland Timbers stun

Sigh. Another week, another loss. B.J. Callaghan is putting his footprint down on the club, and that's about the only positive to take away at the moment.

This roster needs a massive overhaul come the winter.

Disaster. Nine goals conceded in their past two matches.

Laurent Courtois has to be feeling the heat. Nothing is going to plan.

The Quakes failed to secure a result in a rather winnable match against the Loons on their home ground over the weekend. They fell 2-1 and remain bottom of the West on just 17 points. Nothing went right for them on the night.

Pummeled by Inter Miami, the Fire played with a lack of confidence at the weekend. An own goal, missed marking in the box and lapses of communication haunted them.

Impressive performance against a very good Galaxy side. Scoring two goals on the road against a team of that caliber and securing all three points is a great result.

They're nine points out of a play-in spot for the postseason. It seems far-fetched, but let's see where this takes them.

Brilliant victory over Toronto. Three-different goal scorers, none of which were Christian Benteke, saw them take all three points in a big 3-1 win.

Just two points out of contention for a postseason spot at the moment.

It's Bongi's world, and we're just living it.

The Loons South African sensation, Bongokuhle Hlongwane, highlighted with a brace as Minnesota got back to their winning ways at the weekend. A 2-1 win over the Earthquakes at the weekend saw them pull the double on San Jose this season, and pull into a play-in spot at ninth in the West.

Did not play, so status quo.

This was a wakeup call for the Revs. They went from a dominant 5-0 victory over a very not-so-good CF MTL side to a 2-0 loss to a very good RSL side. There are levels to the league, and this was a true wake-up moment for them.

The playoffs aren't out of reach if they play their cards right.

Simply put, FCD lost to a better team at the weekend. The Rapids' resiliency proved to be too much to handle, and they fell 3-2 with minutes to spare.

Don't read into it a ton, though. Dallas are playing good soccer at the moment.

Atlanta United fans saw the Five Stripes earn just their fourth victory since the start of June, but it was worth the wait. A victory over your rivals is always a good feeling.

They pulled off a 1-0 victory over rivals Charlotte FC to keep themselves in the playoff hunt.

A midweek loss to the Crew saw them bounce-back and earn a brilliant victory over RBNY. Tai Baribo may be the most in-form player in the league at the moment, and if he continues to score like he is, Jim Curtin's club will have no worries about a spot in the postseason.

Inconsistency has been TFC's biggest issue this season, and they just continue to bewilder. They go from beating the Dynamo on the road in summer Texas heat to losing to DC United a week later in their home stadium.

John Herdman's team are just three points clear of safety at the moment. There is nothing comfortable about the way TFC is playing.

Josh Wolff is on the hot seat, and he knows it. A 1-0 loss to VWFC has Austin below the playoff line.

An situation eerily similar to Minnesota United's firing of Adrian Heath with just two games to spare in 2023 could be forming in Texas, and Wolff is walking a fine line.

A frustrating result for Charlotte, as they fell to rivals Atlanta United 1-0. Considering the Five Stripes' form of late has not been great, it was a poor result for Dean Smith's side.

A disappointing attacking showing from Seattle against the Sounders saw them fall to rivals Portland 1-0 at the weekend.

They're now tied with the Timbers at 40 points in the West, along with the Dynamo, and it will be a race to see who finishes above the other as the season closes out.

Really impressive performance against Nashville. Up to 7th in the West, and above the playoff line. Facundo Torres was at his best in the match, and if he can replicate that performance a few more times to close out the campaign, things are looking good for the Florida side.

Not sure where the Dynamo pulled this one out of, but what a result. A 2-0 win over LAFC, and a dominant one at that, has them as one of the top-performers from the weekend. They're just four points out of a home playoff game at the moment.

NYCFC are in a bit of a slump, though they remain a top competitive side. They collapsed late against MLS' reigning champions, Columbus, and conceded two stoppage-time goals to fall 4-2.

A harsh result for the performance they put in.

One to watch: NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freesem, who has arguably been the best at the position in the league this season, was subbed off with a non-contact injury.

The Red Bulls are at a plateau. They're not really playing inspired soccer, but their brilliant spring campaign has given them some cushion to falter a bit.

A 2-0 loss to the Union will have them re-thinking their fall plans after the end of the international break.

Vanni Sartini, coach of the year candidate?! He has to be on the ballot at least.

VWFC are the least talked about really good team in MLS and they continue to surprise. A 1-0 win over Austin FC has them cruising in the West, just three points out of hosting a home playoff game.

Mind you, VWFC also have three games in-hand. There's no saying what heights they could reach as the campaign closes out.

The Timbers claimed the Cascadia Cup at the weekend, defeating the Seattle Sounders 1-0 on their home turf. It was an impressive victory, and don't look now, but Portland are up to sixth in the Western Conference, just four points out of a home playoff game.

Evander notched his 16th assist of the season, too, as his MVP candidacy ramps up. Impressive.

Oh boy, did they ever need this.

A 2-0 win over the Revolution saw RSL return to their winning ways. Goals from Anderson Julio and Philip Quinton saw them take all three points, and a clean sheet against their Eastern Conference opposition.

With both LA-based teams losing, they're back in the mix at the top of the West, too. They're just five points out from first-place Galaxy with a game in-hand.

The Rapids continue to impress, surpassing every expectation. Chris Armas has them playing some sensational soccer at the moment.

A brilliant 3-2 victory over FC Dallas, including a stoppage-time winner, has them climbing the table in the West. One to watch, as they're now just three points out of second-place in the conference.

Forget the result, just watch this Luca Orrelano again and again.

My goodness, what a strike. Simply put, he is one of MLS' finest entertainers. A 4-1 victory over CF Montreal has the shield holders in fine spirits.

After LAFC's loss in the Leagues Cup final, they returned to the pitch twice in quick succession - first in the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, and again in MLS action on Saturday. They defeated the Sounders to advance to their second cup final of the year midweek, but fell to the Dynamo 2-0 at the weekend.

In terms of their loss to Houston, there is nothing whatsoever to read into. Three games in seven days is absurd.

Not great from the Galaxy. A 2-1 loss on the road to a rather poor St. Louis City SC side saw them hit a roadblock for the first time since early July.

On a positive note, Marco Reus made his full debut for the club, and Gabriel Pec scored again. He looks like a clear frontrunner for newcomer of the year.

The Crew avoided a Leagues Cup hangover with a midweek victory over the Philadelphia Union featuring much of their "B" team, and followed it up with an emphatic 4-2 victory over NYCFC at the weekend.

Two stoppage-time goals helped them secure the result, and their never-say-die mentality has them playing the best soccer in this league at the moment. With two games in hand and one match left on the calendar against Inter Miami, Wilfried Nancy's Crew could still make up the 10-point gap between the two clubs as the season closes out.

Luis Suarez is so, so lethal. His second-straight week with a brace has Miami flying atop the Supporters' Shield standings. The regular season title is theirs to lose.

Mind you, they're doing this without Lionel Messi - who injured his ankle in the Copa America final with Argentina. However, Miami's talisman will return in mid-September, manager Tata Martino has confirmed.