MLS Week 7 Power Rankings: Sounders make statement to secure spot

Seattle's win against Toronto FC solidified the Sounders spot on LAFC's trail in Goal's MLS Power Rankings

The Seattle Sounders faced their first truly tough test of the 2019 MLS season and passed it with flying colors.

The Sounders knocked Toronto FC from the ranks of the unbeatens after Saturday's 3-2 victory at CenturyLink Field. Making the victory even more impressive was the fact it came without Peruvian striker Raul Ruidiaz, with Will Bruin stepping up to pick up the scoring slack with a pair of goals.

Seattle's victory kept the Sounders undefeated, and on the trail of Los Angeles FC, which maintained its dominating ways with a comfortable 2-0 victory against FC Cincinnati. The LA Galaxy made it four straight wins by topping the Philadelphia Union.

The Houston Dynamo continued their winning ways by beating the San Jose Earthquakes, keeping Wilmer Cabrera's side among the league's unbeatens.

Here are Goal's MLS power rankings after week seven action:

1Portland Timbers (0-5-1)
Five straight losses have the Timbers in dead last in MLS, but the loss to FC Dallas felt a bit more encouraging. Of course, now the Timbers head to Colombus, where they'll face former coach Caleb Porter and the Crew in a rematch of the 2015 MLS Cup final, only with Porter now coaching the Crew.

2Vancouver Whitecaps (0-4-2)
Marc Dos Santos is still searching for his first win in charge of the Whitecaps, but you can argue his team is showing signs of turning things around. Vancouver has been in every game this season, but consistency has eluded the Whitecaps. A visit to Los Angeles FC on Wednesday isn't exactly the ideal slump-buster, but Vancouver's schedule gets easier after that.
3Colorado Rapids (0-5-2)
The Rapids continue to generate goals, but also bleed them, making Tim Howard's farewell tour a bit of a painful one. A road swing through Chicago and Atlanta could serve as Anthony Hudson's last stand, because if the Rapids find themselves winless heading into May, there'll be no real reason to keep him around.

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4New England Revolution (1-5-1)
The Revs are a mess, and they offered little in the way of real resistance against Atlanta United despite playing at home. They mustered just one shot on goal against the MLS Cup champions, and things aren't going to get any easier with the New York Red Bulls coming to town, even with New York's recent struggles.
5San Jose Earthquakes (1-5-0)
So much for a magical turnaround for the Earthquakes. It was more of the same against Houston, with San Jose having few answers offensively, and showing vulnerability defensively. Matias Almeyda continues to leave Nick Lima on the bench while his fullbacks failed to perform. Miguel Lopez's red card should give Lima a chance to make his case to be a starter again, but that alone won't solve San Jose's defensive issues.
6New York City FC (0-1-5)
Dome Torrent probably wasn't expecting to see his normally reliable goalkeeper let in a blunder of a goal as bad as the one Sean Johnson surrendered, but there were still some positives for NYCFC after Saturday's draw in Minnesota. Ismael Tajouri-Shradi was outstanding, while Valentin Castellanos delivered his best match in an NYCFC uniform. They will both need to deliver more of that when NYCFC visits D.C. United on Sunday.
7New York Red Bulls (1-3-2)
The Red Bulls nearly recorded a crucial road win against a top opponent, but had to settle for a draw at Sporting KC and also watched one of their star players be ejected (and likely suspended for multiple matches). Kaku's inexcusable transgression will likely leave the Red Bulls without their star playmaker for a while, making it that much tougher to break out of their four-match winless slump. A road trip to New England isn't the worst assignment in the world though.
8Chicago Fire (1-2-3)
Veljko Paunovic should feel disappointed to see his Fire drop points in a match they so clearly outplayed the Whitecaps. The 1-1 draw may have extended the Fire's unbeaten run to three matches, but those dropped points could prove costly down the road. Anything less than three points against winless Colorado on Saturday should set off some alarm bells in Chicago.
9Real Salt Lake (2-4-1)
Demir Kreilach's return from suspension gave RSL the boost it needed, but Sam Johnson netting his first goal for the club may have been the best news of the week for Mike Petke's side. RSL will look to register its first road win of the season when it visits Cincinnati on Friday.
10Atlanta United (1-2-2)
It may have taken Ezequiel Barco coming off the bench in the 15th minute, but Atlanta United put together its best performance of the season on Saturday. Barco was excellent, but so was the defense, led by Leandro Gonzalez Pirez as well as a good effort from Brek Shea at left back. FC Dallas visits Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday and will provide a tricky challenge for Frank de Boer's men.
11FC Cincinnati (2-3-2)
Though the score was close for the 90 minutes of regulation before Carlos Vela's late insurance goal, FC Cincinnati never mounted much of a threat against LAFC. The FCC midfield was outworked by a considerable margin, providing a clear sign of just how far Alan Koch's group has to go. A home match against Real Salt Lake should offer Cincinnati a chance to rebound.
12Orlando City (2-3-2)
The Lions had the edge in possession and total shots, but still couldn't come away with any points from their trip to face Real Salt Lake. Nani continued his strong start to the season, but the rest of the Orlando City attack failed to register much. A home match against winless Vancouver is a good recipe for a bounce-back performance.
13Minnesota United (3-2-1)
The first match at Allianz Field was everything the Loons could have hoped for, except for the win. Minnesota United scored goals and played some good soccer at times, but their defense showed some of the vulnerability of years past. That's not what you want to see when you have a stretch of brutal matches coming up, with Toronto FC, the LA Galaxy, D.C. United and Seattle up next.
14Philadelphia Union (3-3-1)
Jim Curtin won't be too hard on his team for struggling to deal with Zlatan ibrahimovic. The real question is how the Union will respond. A return home to take on the Montreal Impact is the type of match the Union need to win if they're going to make a push into the top five in the East.
15Montreal Impact (3-2-2)
Two shutouts and four points made for a good week for an Impact side that has suddenly put together a three-match unbeaten run despite playing without star winger Ignacio Piatti. Saturday's visit to take on the Philadelphia Union should tell us whether Remi Garde's squad is to be taken seriously or not.
16FC Dallas (4-2-1)
Luchi Gonzalez gave young forward Jesus Ferreira another start and Ferreira responded with another goal. The Dallas defense was solid in Saturday's win against Portland, with Ryan Hollingshead continuing to improve at left back. A difficult road trip to Atlanta to take on the reigning champions will be a good chance for youngsters like Paxton Pomykal and Ferreira to show what they can do against some of the league's best.
17Columbus Crew (4-2-1)
After some low-scoring victories, the Crew attack finally paid the price for failing to generate scoring chances in bunches. The Montreal defense limited the Crew's effectiveness in midfield, and it was an uncharacteristic defensive mistake that resulted in a loss for Columbus. A home date against struggling Portland seems like a good spot to rebound, and it's a safe bet Caleb Porter will have the Crew up to face his former team.
18Sporting Kansas City (2-1-3)
SKC did well to regroup from the disappointing CCL loss to Monterrey to earn a point against the New York Red Bulls. Dropped points at home is never satisfying, but Peter Vermes knows what matters is moving on from the CCL and getting his first team into a rhythm. Gianluca Busio continues to impress, making you wonder how he'll fit in now that Sporting KC will be back to just one competition.
19D.C. United (4-1-2)
It was a challenging week for D.C. but four points from two matches is a solid return. Chris Durkin's impressive showing in his first start of the season was encouraging, as was the debut of rookie Donovan Pines. Up next is a home match against a winless but dangerous New York City FC.
20Toronto FC (3-1-1)
The good news for TFC is the Jozy Altidore-Alejandro Pozuelo connection is looking sharp. The bad news is the defense looked shaky once again in Saturday's 3-2 loss to Seattle. Five goals allowed in its past two matches is worrisome, but Greg Vanney's side will look to tighten things up when Minnesota United visits on Friday.
21Houston Dynamo (4-0-1)
Alberth Elis continued his Best XI-caliber campaign with another standout showing to lead the Dynamo over San Jose. The Dynamo have feasted on a schedule loaded with weaker competition, but they will face their toughest test to date on Friday when they visit the LA Galaxy.
22LA Galaxy (5-1-0)
The Zlatan Ibrahimovic show turned in another memorable outing, with the Swedish star delivering two goals in a 2-0 victory against the Philadelphia Union. The Galaxy defense recorded a second straight shutout, which should have Guillermo Barros Schelotto happy, especially with Giancarlo Gonzalez on his way. The Houston Dynamo will look to halt the Galaxy's winning streak on Friday.
23Seattle Sounders (5-0-1)
Will Bruin donned the hero cape on Saturday, scoring two goals playing in place of injured Raul Ruidiaz to help the Sounders top Toronto FC. Cristian Roldan turned in a strong outing in a battle of top MLS midfielders. The Sounders defense had its struggles dealing with Jozy Altidore though, and will face an even tougher test on Sunday in Carlos Vela and Los Angeles FC.
24Los Angeles FC (6-0-1)
It may not have been a blowout, but LAFC's 2-0 win versus FC Cincinnati was another comfortable domination by Bob Bradley's men. Carlos Vela continues his MVP chase while Mark-Anthony Kaye continues to develop into one of the league's most underrated midfielders. A challenging week lies ahead, with a Wednesday road trip to Vancouver followed by a showdown at home against a rested Seattle in a clash of the league's top two teams.

1Portland Timbers (0-5-1)

2Vancouver Whitecaps (0-4-2)

3Colorado Rapids (0-5-2)

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4New England Revolution (1-5-1)

5San Jose Earthquakes (1-5-0)

6New York City FC (0-1-5)

7New York Red Bulls (1-3-2)

8Chicago Fire (1-2-3)

9Real Salt Lake (2-4-1)

10Atlanta United (1-2-2)

11FC Cincinnati (2-3-2)

12Orlando City (2-3-2)

13Minnesota United (3-2-1)

14Philadelphia Union (3-3-1)

15Montreal Impact (3-2-2)

16FC Dallas (4-2-1)

17Columbus Crew (4-2-1)

18Sporting Kansas City (2-1-3)

19D.C. United (4-1-2)

20Toronto FC (3-1-1)

21Houston Dynamo (4-0-1)

22LA Galaxy (5-1-0)

23Seattle Sounders (5-0-1)

24Los Angeles FC (6-0-1)