MLS power rankings show no Messi, no problem for Inter Miami

There’s just a month and a half of the 2024 MLS regular season left, which by our reckoning puts us firmly in ‘business end’ territory.

Then it’ll be swiftly on to the play-offs – the business end of the business end – before the MLS Cup to crown this year’s champions in December.

So as the action hots up, we’ve ranked – powerfully, no less – the top 10 contenders, taking into consideration league position, form, fitness of key players and that crucial intangible: momentum.

10) New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are still – somehow – fourth in the East and thus in a strong position to book a place in the play-offs. But Sandro Schwarz’s side have won just twice in their last 11 league fixtures, a dismal run stretching back to the beginning of June.

An impressive 3-1 win over Cincinnati on July 21 ought to have been the catalyst for a turnaround in NYRB’s form, but they have followed that result with a draw away to Charlotte FC and a 2-0 loss at home to the Philadelphia Union.

9) Portland Timbers
Phil Neville’s Portland Timbers – to give them their full name – have been the most entertaining side in MLS this season.

They currently lie sixth in the West, level on points with the Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders behind them and one point behind Vancouver. So far, so unspectacular. But they are the second-highest scorers in the league, with their 55 goals trailing Messi and co. in Miami. They have also conceded more goals (46) than anyone outside the bottom three in the conference.

And in Brazilian No.10 Evander, they have a goals and assists machine – 12 of the former, 13 of the latter – who deserves to be in the MVP conversation.

8) Vancouver Whitecaps
It is emblematic of the Vancouver Whitecaps’ impressive form this season that star attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld has this month received a first call-up to the Scotland senior squad in 10 years.

The uncapped playmaker has consistently been among the best creative players in MLS since arriving Stateside from Portuguese side Farense in 2021. And this season has been no different, with the 28-year-old delivering nine goals and nine assists to power the Caps’ surge to fifth in the West.

Their 1-0 win over Austin this past weekend means the Canadians have now won five of their last seven games.

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7) Colorado Rapids
Rapid risers Colorado (sorry) have banished their patchy form over the first half of the season firmly to the past. After a thrilling, last-gasp 3-2 win over FC Dallas at the weekend – the third Rapids game in row that has ended with the same scoreline – they have now won six of their last 10 MLS games, beaten just twice over that period.

That’s taken former Manchester United assistant coach Chris Armas’ side up to fourth in the West. Powered by the brilliance of star attacking midfielder Djordje Mihailovic and the goals of striker Rafael Navarro, the Rapids are the third-highest scorers in MLS.

6) Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake snapped a four-game winless streak last weekend with a much-needed victory over the New England Revolution at America First Field.

The Utah side have been figuring in the upper echelons of the Western Conference all season and, despite their recent downturn, they remain third, level on points with LAFC.

The form of Chicho Arango will be a slight concern, though. The Colombian striker is the league’s joint-top scorer – level with DC United’s Christian Benteke on 17 goals – but he has scored just once in his last seven games.

5) Los Angeles Galaxy
Olivier Giroud wasn’t the only European star who rocked up to the City of Angels during the summer transfer window. The Galaxy added former Borussia Dortmund icon Marco Reus, who introduced himself in style with a goal and an assist in a 2-0 victory over Atlanta United in his debut.

The Galaxy’s form has been slightly patchy of late, with last weekend’s 2-1 loss to St. Louis City their third defeat in seven MLS games. But with the likes of Reus, Riqui Puig, Gabriel Pec, Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic, they have a talent-packed squad capable of adding to their record haul of five MLS Cups.

4) Los Angeles FC
LAFC are making an unfortunate habit of finishing second-best. They won the MLS Cup in 2022, but finished runners-up in the same showpiece showdown last term and this season they were beaten finalists in the Leagues Cup.

Steve Cherundolo’s side are currently second in the Western Conference standings, too. But they have three games in hand over cross-city rivals and current leaders Los Angeles Galaxy, over whom they have three games in hand.

And LAFC have recently added veteran target man Giroud to an already-fearsome attack that includes last season’s Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga, whose 16 goals this term put him right in the race to retain the gilded footwear.

3) FC Cincinnati
A 6-1 victory over Miami in July feels like an age ago for FC Cincinnati. In their five MLS fixtures since that seismic win over their fellow Eastern Conference contenders, they’ve lost four times.

But last season’s Supporters’ Shield winners still sit second in the East – albeit just two points ahead of Ohio rivals Columbus Crew, who’ve played two games fewer – and in Luciano Acosta they can claim the second-best diminutive Argentinian No.10 in the league.

A 4-1 win over CF Montreal last time out – a game in which star wing-back/winger/No.10 Luca Orellano scored a 70-yard free kick as part of a brace – has gotten Cincy back on track in their push to retain their regular-season crown.

2) Columbus Crew
Currently third in the East, the Columbus Crew are the only side in MLS who can claim to be in the same kind of form as Miami.

Last year’s MLS Cup winners have won seven of their last nine in league play, while also adding a Leagues Cup triumph last month, seeing off Los Angeles FC in the final.

No goals or assists in his last three games represents an alarming drought by his standards, but in former Watford striker Cucho Hernandez, the Crew have one of the most feared strikers in the league and a genuine MVP contender. The 25-year-old Colombian has 13 goals and six assists from 20 MLS outings this term.

1) Inter Miami
It’s been a case of no Messi, no problem for Inter Miami of late. Since losing their Argentinian superstar to international duty and then injury in early June, they’ve won eight of nine MLS fixtures.

Sitting eight points clear of second-placed Cincinnati atop the Eastern Conference standings, the club co-owned by David Beckham are surging towards the Supporters’ Shield and have the MLS regular-season points record in their sights.

And with four goals in his last two games, Luis Suarez is rounding into peak form just in time for the play-offs.

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