MLS power rankings asks awkward questions of Messi and Miami while Phil Neville entertains

There’s less than a month remaining in the 2024 MLS regular season and a slight dip in Inter Miami’s previously imperious form might have left the door ever so slightly ajar for the chasing pack in the race for the Supporters’ Shield

But as the play-offs loom and with Lionel Messi back in the fold after three months out with an ankle injury, the David Beckham-backed Floridians remain top of the F365 MLS Power Rankings.

There’s been plenty of shuffling behind them, though, with several sides catching form just in time for the post-season, while one of the expected contenders can’t seem to get out of their own way.

10) Portland Timbers (last rank: 9)
We hailed Phil Neville’s Portland Timbers as the most entertaining side in MLS in our last rankings. And although they have slipped a spot in this update, their status as the league’s most thrilling outfit is firmly intact.

Only Inter Miami (68) have scored more goals than the Timbers this season. And no team inside the Western Conference’s top 11 places has conceded more than the 53 they’ve shipped.

With just two wins in their last six, they’re currently seventh in the West, occupying a wildcard berth for the post-season. But their two most recent defeats have come against top contenders – LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake – and by one-goal margins; the former has since been avenged by a 4-2 victory, too.

Plus, Evander, their Brazilian playmaker, is ace. And he’s only getting acer. With a staggering 16 goal involvements in his last 11 games, the 26-year-old is up to 15 goals and 14 assists for the season – at an average of one direct goal contribution, as creator or scorer, every 75.58 minutes. He might be the best player in the league.

9) Seattle Sounders (new entry)
A new arrival in our prestigious list are the Seattle Sounders, who are sixth in the West and only three points outside the top three.

A month-long, eight-game unbeaten streak straddling June and July shot the previously under-performing Sounders up the standings. And a narrow 1-0 reverse to Pip Nev’s Timbers is their only MLS loss in their last five games.

A 4-0 thumping of Columbus in early September showed Seattle can outpunch the big boys on their day, while striker Jordan Morris has looked good of late, scoring four times and assisting three in his last five outings.

8) Houston Dynamo (new entry)
They are joined by Houston Dynamo, defeated only once in their last nine MLS fixtures and becoming masters of edging tight encounters.

Of all 14 Western Conference teams, only Austin (11th – 32) and San Jose (14th – 37) have scored fewer goals than the Dynamos’ 43. Houston’s highest scorer this season is Nigerian winger Ibrahim Aliyu, with a modest return of six.

But they have the second-best defensive record in all of MLS, with only Columbus (31) having conceded fewer goals than their 33.

Of the 14 games Ben Olsen’s side have won so far this term, only four have been by a margin greater than a single goal. That’s been good enough for fifth place in the West and an entry into the F365 Power Rankings.

7) Los Angeles FC (4)
After finishing as beaten finalists in last year’s MLS Cup and the losing out in the Leagues Cup final this season, LAFC have at last overcome their unfortunate runners-up streak by beating Sporting KC 3-1 after extra time in the US Open Cup final this week.

That victory should act as a catalyst to build some momentum heading into the play-offs for Steve Cherundolo’s side, because their MLS form prior to that triumph had been atrocious.

Winless in their last five league games and with just one victory in their last eight, the 2022 MLS Cup champions have slipped to fourth in the West and are in danger of falling out of the automatic play-off places.

The return this week of club legend and former MLS MVP Carlos Vela, who’d been unattached since his LAFC contract expired at the end of last season, could be a timely boon.

6) Real Salt Lake (6)
Real Salt Lake are still ahead of Colorado in the table, but they have fallen behind the Rapids in our rankings due to their stuttering recent form.

The early Western Conference pace-setters have won just two of their last eight MLS games, a stretch that includes reverses against the Galaxy, the Rapids, Seattle Sounders and Phil Neville’s Portland Timbers.

The loss of electric Colombian winger Andres Gomez, who signed for Rennes for $11million in August, is a blow from which RSL have not yet recovered. And the slumping form of top scorer and talisman Chicho Arango is a concern. The former LAFC striker is still the second-highest scorer in the league, but he has found the net just once in his last nine appearances.

5) Colorado Rapids (7)
Colorado Rapids were something of a surprise package when we compiled our last Power Rankings, and Chris Armas’ side have only risen further since.

One of the most in-form teams in MLS, the Rapids have won nine of their last 13 games, rising to third place in the West, jumping over early-season title contenders LAFC in the process.

A 4-1 defeat at the hands of Sporting Kansas City last week offered a reality check for the side from Commerce City, but they bounced back three days later, beating Toronto 2-0 with star No.10 Djordje Mihailovic once again the standout performer.

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4) Los Angeles Galaxy (5)
It’s been a bizarre couple of weeks for LA Galaxy, a period in which they’ve played three times, with each game ending 4-2.

First, they beat cross-Tinsel Town rivals Los Angeles FC 4-2. Then they lost by the same scoreline to Phil Neville’s Portland Timbers (we always like to address the Oregon side by their full name here at F365). And then last time out they were on the right side of the result against Vancouver Whitecaps.

The five-time MLS champions are currently second in the Shield race, six points behind Inter Miami. But, with 31 games under their belt, they’ve played at least one more fixture than everyone else in the running for the regular-season title.

Despite losing twice in September, the Galaxy are in decent fettle, having won five of their last seven games. And in January signing Gabriel Pec, who has scored 13 goals and provided 11 assists this season, they have one of the most consistently productive attackers in the league.

3) FC Cincinnati (3)
Last year’s Shield winners have failed to fully capitalise on Inter Miami’s recent blip as their grip on their regular-season crown looks to be slipping.

Cincinnati are still second in the East, but a 2-2 draw with Nashville last time out was a missed opportunity. A win there would have seen Pat Noonen’s side close to within six points of the Eastern summit, making for an interesting final four games of the campaign.

But as long as star playmaker Luciano Acosta, the reigning MVP and current assists leader, is fit and available, Cincy will be among the post-season contenders. Plus, the uber-exciting wing-back Luca Orellano is in the form of his career, with four goals and an assist in his last four outings.

And Cincinnati remain the last team to have beaten the table-toppers in MLS, thumping a Messi-less Miami 6-1 back in July.

2) Columbus Crew (2)
Columbus Crew are third in the East at the moment, level on points with Cincinnati although they hold a game in hand over their Ohio rivals. Win that spare fixture and they’ll become Miami’s closest challengers, five points behind Tata Martino’s league leaders and leapfrogging Los Angeles Galaxy into second place in the Shield standings.

Edging out Orlando City in a 4-3 thriller last week, the Crew’s star striker and MVP candidate Cucho Hernandez crucially rubber-stamped his return to form, scoring and assisting for the second match in a row after a four-game drought.

Last year’s MLS Cup champions are the only side in the league with a better goal difference (+27) than Miami (+25).

1) Inter Miami (1)
There is a feeling among some sections of the Inter Miami support, believe it or not, that Lionel Messi is holding the team back at present.

The Argentinian magician scored twice and registered an assist in a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union in mid-September, his first outing since the Copa American final.

But it is fair to suggest the 37-year-old hasn’t quite looked himself since his return. Back-to-back draws against Atlanta United and New York City FC have seen Inter’s lead at the top of the Eastern Conference standings slip to eight points with four games to go.

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