MLS Power Rankings: Lionel Messi's Inter Miami shine while Minnesota United FC, San Diego FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps continue to make their case

Prior Ranking: 28

Result: Lost to Columbus Crew 2-1

Ramifications: CF MTL have still yet to appoint a permanent head coach after the firing of Laurent Courtois, but it's been evident since the start of the season that they're a club with little to no direction at the moment. The youngest team in the league, they have a lot of really talented pieces but are missing what links them and brings them together as one unit. Prince Owusu scored a nice goal for their lone effort against the Crew, but Montreal is missing enough talent to compete at the moment, and until they find that... these results will continue.

Prior Ranking: 26

Result: Lost to Real Salt Lake 2-0

Ramifications: The reigning champions are feeling it. Winless in seven matches with just two draws under their belt, they were battered by RSL on Saturday. The hosts completely controlled the match, and some incredibly poor defending from LA led to two goals scored. The lone positive to take away was winger Joseph Paintsil returned from injury, with the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs hero logging 59 minutes in his season debut after an injury sidelined him to begin the campaign.

LA faces an uphill battle to enter the fray of competition this season still.

Prior Ranking: 25

Result: Lost to FC Cincinnati 1-0

Ramifications: The Revs were blanked for the fourth time this season. They've scored just three goals all season now - with their attacking output leaving much to be desired. Manager Caleb Porter's clock is ticking, and if results don't start turning up soon, he could be the next manager to be out of a job.

Prior Ranking: 24

Result: Lost to San Jose Earthquakes 6-1

Ramifications: This was an embarrassing result for Troy Lesesne's team as D.C. was just outclassed on every level against a San Jose side that had not won a match since March 1. Christian Benteke scored, again, but at some point he needs help - and right now, he's not receiving it.

Prior Ranking: 27

Result: Drew Inter Miami 1-1

Ramifications: Federico Bernardeschi scored a Goal of the Month contender, while Lorenzo Insigne finally made an impact for the Canadian side in his third appearance this season. After early season unrest, where he was ousted from the squad after declining transfer opportunities away from the club, he recorded the assist that earned them a point Sunday evening for their second-straight draw.

Toronto still need to find a way to move on from the former Italy international, but if he can contribute while he's here, all the better for the club.

Prior Ranking: 21

Result: Lost to Sporting KC 2-0

Ramifications: Three-straight losses, three-straight goalless showings for CITY. Their attack is not doing enough at the moment and manager Olof Mellberg needs to figure it out fast - as they're falling behind the power curve in the Western Conference.

CITY don't have a single multi-goalscorer on the season yet. That's not good enough.

Prior Ranking: 30

Result: Defeated CITY 2-0

Ramifications: Sporting earned their first three points of the 2025 campaign - and in their first match without Peter Vermes on the touchline since 2009. A brace from $4M man Dejan Joveljic in the final 20 minutes secured the victory against their rivals, while offering a glimpse of what the rest of the campaign could look like. The Serbian DP is now up to four goals on the season.

Prior Ranking: 20

Result: Lost to San Diego FC 3-0

Ramifications: Seattle is winless in four MLS matches now. The club is down three starting attackers due to injury, but that excuse is growing old, fast. They Sounders conceded three first-half goals to SDFC on Saturday, crumbling under pressure. If there's one manager in MLS you'd trust to turn around this slump, though, it's Brian Schmetzer.

Prior Ranking: 29

Result: Defeated LAFC 1-0

Ramifications: Big, big result for Ben Olsen's squad. U.S. international Jack McGlynn bagged the lone effort on the evening, scoring from distance with a trademark shot of his.

It wasn't a fantastic performance by any means, but it was a showing where they were resilient defensively, and when opportunity arose on the attack, they capitalized on it to perfection.

Prior Ranking: 13

Result: Lost to Houston Dynamo 1-0

Ramifications: There's no covering it up - this was a bad result, and it's added to a worrying trend of their MLS form this season. That's now four losses in their last five MLS matches, and their second during that stretch where they were shutout.

It's become increasingly clear that Olivier Giroud is not a good fit for the club, and that they may need to start looking for a new striker option before the window closes.

Prior Ranking: 17

Result: Lost to MNUFC 2-1

Ramifications: They conceded inside 90 seconds to the Loons, and then fell victim to a set-piece goal midway through the first half. Although they recovered well in the second half, including a late goal from Keaton Parks, NYCFC had no answers for MNUFC's press or their counter during the first half.

Since the departure of Santi Rodriguez, they've been missing a link in the final third, and that was put on full display Sunday. They're now without a win in three matches as well, as a dip in form has hit them hard.

Prior Ranking: 18

Result: Drew Atlanta United 1-1

Ramifications: A second-half strike from Petar Musa leveled the match after an early penalty from Miguel Almiron, and they shared the spoils with the hosts. On the road in one of the hardest venues to find a result in, in MLS, FCD will absolutely be content with a point.

Their Croatian striker, meanwhile, is now up to six goal contributions this season through seven games as Musa looks to help lead his club toward the top of the West.

Prior Ranking: 16

Result: Drew FC Dallas 1-1

Ramifications: A Miguel Almiron penalty proved to be the only attacking output Atlanta could manage at home against an FC Dallas side that was in good form heading into the match. However, it's another disappointing result for a team with immense expectations this season. Through seven matches, they have just two wins under their belt - while Saturday marked their third draw of the season.

Ronny Deila will expect more from his team, while their front office will expect more from the manager himself.

Prior Ranking: 23

Result: Defeated D.C. United 6-1

Ramifications: Whew - what a result. Josef Martinez scored his seventh career MLS hat trick - furthering his all-time lead in that category in league history, while Bruce Arena crafted the perfect tactics to put on a dominant performance. Although D.C. is nowhere near the best team in MLS, it was a fantastic showing for the hosts. If they can come anywhere near replicating this attacking output throughout the season on a consistent basis, they'll be in a good situation.

Prior Ranking: 22

Result: Defeated LA Galaxy 2-0

Ramifications: It's Diego Luna's world and we are just living in it. The U.S. international bagged a brace and led RSL to a much-needed win in an important Western Conference match. Although RSL didn't impress entirely throughout the match, they kept a clean sheet and earned three points after two-straight losses on Matchdays 5 and 6.

They're now up to 10th in the West on nine points, level with LAFC, as they hunt to return to the top eight.

Prior Ranking: 8

Result: Lost to Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0

Ramifications: Handily beaten on the road, Colorado had zero answers in the final third, or defensively. They've been shut out twice in two of their last three games now - and manager Chris Armas will likely need to evaluate a new approach to his attack as a result.

Prior Ranking: 10

Result: Lost 2-1 to RBNY

Ramifications: Jonathan Bamba scored a nice goal, but their attack couldn't get enough going otherwise. It was their first loss since opening day to the Crew - ending a stellar run of form for Gregg Berhalter's side. There's not a lot to look into here - they fell on the road against a good RBNY side, and they'll look to bounce back next weekend.

Prior Ranking:

Result: Drew Austin FC 0-0

Ramifications: Phil Neville's side will be content with a point on the road. The manager himself won't be thrilled with his attack not being able to find the target, but a clean sheet away from home is always welcomed. The Timbers are now four matches unbeaten with results against Western Conference playoff contenders. Don't look now, but they're starting to find their place in the conference.

Now, if they can get their front four to be more consistent, then this team can start making noise as a potential contender

Prior Ranking: 14

Result: Lost to Charlotte FC 2-1

Ramifications: Undone late, Nashville conceded two goals in the final five minutes of action against Charlotte to leave the match with nothing. Late in the contest, defender Walker Zimmerman was stretchered off the pitch after receiving a bicycle kick attempt to his face - though Nashville announced he has since left the hospital and is recovering.

Manager B.J. Callaghan won't be thrilled with the result, but Nashville's start to 2025 has still been bright. They'll bounce back.

Prior Ranking: 15

Result: Defeated the Chicago Fire 2-1

Ramifications: RBNY earned a much-needed win. The Eastern Conference side and 2024 MLS Cup finalists have just one loss in their last six matches now, and two wins in their last three. Meanwhile, striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has scored in two-straight games and three of their last four.

Prior Ranking: 5

Result: Drew the Portland Timbers 0-0

Ramifications: Austin's winning streak was snapped, but they're still unbeaten over their last four matches. In a contest against a Western Conference foe like Portland, which was also in good form heading into the match, manager Nico Estevez will happily take a point - even if it was a home match.

The club is, however, still waiting to see the best from attacker Myrto Uzuni, whom they brought in for a club-record fee of $12M this offseason. The Albania international is still sitting on just one goal and zero assists this season in five appearances.

Prior Ranking: 12

Result: Drew Philadelphia 0-0

Ramifications: Orlando will be thrilled with a point on the road against a team as good as Philadelphia is this season. Sure, three points would have been nice, but they're content with one. The hosts had the attacking advantage all evening, and Orlando struggled on attack, running into a few walls in the final third. With just six total chances, compared to Philadelphia's 20 on the day, it's a good result.

Prior Ranking: 11

Result: Defeated Nashville SC 2-1

Ramifications: A big, big result for Charlotte. Two goals in the final five minutes saw them come back from a deficit to secure all three points at home - while Wilfried Zaha scored his second goal of the season, striking from the penalty spot.

A stoppage-time winner from 20-year-old Idan Toklomati secured them the victory, with a late surge of confidence and direction steering them to their third victory in their last four matches.

Prior Ranking: 9

Result: Defeated New England Revolution 1-0

Ramifications: Cincy were rescued by substitute and MLS veteran Sergio Santos, who arrived off the bench to score the lone goal in their victory at home against a struggling Revolution side. However, it was a resilient performance from the hosts, who were without six first-team players including defenders Matt Miazga and Miles Robinson as well as star midfielder Evander due to injury.

Manager Pat Noonan should be thrilled, as that's now two-straight wins and their third match unbeaten in a row.

Prior Ranking: 2

Result: Drew Orlando City 0-0

Ramifications: Orlando is very good - as is Philadelphia - and in an early season meeting, this is a fair result. Perhaps Philly would have liked a bit more from their attack, especially considering they boasted an xG (expected goals) of 1.6 during the match, but they'll take a point.

Teenage prodigy Cavan Sullivan notched another 10 minutes under his belt, too, as the 15-year-old continues to break barriers in MLS.

Prior Ranking: 7

Result: Beat NYCFC 2-1

Ramifications: Tani Oluwaseyi is having one hell of a season for the Loons. He scored his fifth goal of the season on Sunday, as the Loons went on the road to New York and had a home run of a performance at Yankee Stadium. Since losing its season opener to LAFC on the road, Minnesota has gone six matches unbeaten, with three shutouts, and it is now tied for second in the Western Conference.

Prior Ranking: 6

Result: Defeated Seattle 3-0

Ramifications:Chucky Lozano scored his first MLS goal as SDFC smacked Seattle at home. It was a truly dominant performance, and manager Mikey Varas deserves a lot of praise for the work he is doing with the expansion franchise. Anders Dreyer, meanwhile, is now up to five goal contributions this season as he emerges as a frontrunner for Newcomer of the Year.

Prior Ranking: 3

Result: Defeated CF Montreal 2-0

Ramifications: The Crew remain undefeated through seven games this season — and frankly, it’s not getting the attention it deserves. Wilfried Nancy’s squad has been outstanding, even after the departure of Cucho Hernández. In their weekend win over Canadian opposition, the Crew got a surprise goal from Aziel Jackson — a former MLS NEXT Pro standout with Minnesota United who had a stint at St. Louis CITY before arriving in Columbus last year. If he can truly find his form in 2025, he could become a key contributor. The second goal came from Canadian international Jacen Russell-Rowe, who now has three goals on the season.

Prior Ranking: 4

Result: Defeated the Colorado Rapids 2-0

Ramifications: They're atop the Supporters' Shield and the Western Conference after yet another brilliant performance at the weekend. U.S. international Brian White scored yet again for the Canadian side, bringing his season tally to two goals in six appearances - while he has three in CONCACAF Champions Cup play. Meanwhile, the Whitecaps as a whole are excelling in MLS play - three of their five wins this season have been shutouts.

Prior Ranking: 1

Result: Drew Toronto FC 1-1

Ramifications: Not a terrific result for Miami by any means, but there should also be little to no worry at all, either. Messi was utterly brilliant once again, scoring twice - though his first was called back due to a foul in the buildup. They might not be atop the league after the draw, but they're still the gold standard in MLS at the moment.

They do, however, need to get Luis Suarez more involved in front of net. The Uruguayan has just one goal in six games, though he has recorded four assists.