MLS Power Rankings: LAFC Are Practically Perfect

The Major League Soccer season resumes this Monday, and ESPN is ready with its latest Power Rankings.

Who appears most formidable? Who might be facing a challenging season? Our analysts have evaluated performances from the sixth matchday to establish this week’s team hierarchy. Let’s delve into the standings.

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Prior position: 2

Son Heung-Min delivered four assists in the opening half (nearly equaling Lionel Messi’s single-half assist record) during a resounding 6-0 triumph over Orlando. Denis Bouanga was the recipient of three of these assists, recording his fifth MLS hat trick in an overwhelming victory for the sole club that has not allowed a goal this entire season.

Prior position: 1

Nashville demonstrated vulnerability during a blustery match in Chicago, suffering a 1-0 defeat to the Fire. Following an early goal conceded in the opening minute, the team failed to penetrate Chicago’s defensive line, which was fortified by four crucial saves from Chris Brady. Nashville now has a brief period to recuperate before their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal fixture against Club América on Tuesday.

Prior position: 3

Vancouver established an initial advantage against Portland, subsequently surrendering two goals and finding themselves behind until the 91st minute. However, successful teams often persevere; Thomas Müller successfully converted a penalty kick in the late stages, and then Sebastian Berhalter was instrumental in netting his own game-winning goal in the 95th minute, securing a dramatic 3-2 home victory. Following prior defeats to San Jose and Seattle (in the Champions Cup) before the break, these three points hold significant importance.

Prior position: 6

This season, the sole impediment to San Jose’s progress seems to be an ephemeral pitch sprinkler malfunction, yet even that failed to halt the Earthquakes in their 3-0 conquest of San Diego. Niko Tsakiris bagged two goals (one of which was a superb left-footed effort from an unlikely angle to open the scoring) as San Jose registered 10 shots on target to San Diego’s 1, benefiting from a numerical advantage after the 32nd minute.

Prior position: 4

A sixth-minute header from Guilherme Biro denied Miami the initial lead at their newly inaugurated Nu Stadium, though Messi swiftly responded with an equalizer in the 10th minute. The visiting side presented a formidable challenge, reclaiming the lead through a counter-attack, but Luis Suárez (whose continued mobility, let alone scoring ability, remains remarkable) secured a draw just eight minutes after his introduction. With this 2-2 result, Miami has now recorded ties in four of its last five matches across all competitions.

Prior position: 7

Seattle is not known for high scoring (their six total goals rank them second-lowest among playoff-contending teams, including wild card spots), but they also rarely allow opponents to score. Despite facing more shots on target, Andy Thomas produced three saves, guaranteeing the Sounders’ fifth shutout. Offensively, leading scorer Paul Rothrock registered his third goal of the regular season, clinching a 1-0 victory in Houston. Their next challenge takes them to Monterrey for the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals.

Prior position: 5

San Diego was already behind against the Quakes when Manu Duah received a red card in the 32nd minute for a severe foul preventing a scoring chance. Following two additional goals and a temporary sprinkler issue, SDFC recorded its third defeat of the season and now confronts demanding upcoming fixtures. San Diego must rebound in matches against Minnesota and RSL.

Prior position: 10

Do not underestimate Dallas. After an impressive 4-0 victory over D.C., only Vancouver has accumulated more goals this season. Petar Musa’s seventh goal, scored in the 91st minute, places him level with Nashville’s Sam Surridge at the top of the league’s scoring charts.

Prior position: 8

Following their 3-1 win against SKC, RSL has now achieved four victories within an undefeated stretch of five matches. Diego Luna, making his first start of 2026 after recovering from a knee injury, scored just four minutes in. However, the burgeoning young talent proved to be the deciding factor: 19-year-old Zavier Gozo provided the assist for Sergi Solans’ 55th-minute goal before netting the crucial final strike himself.

Prior position: 9

The 1-1 draw on Saturday feels like a defeat for the Pigeons, who seemed poised for a home victory, having outshot St. Louis 7-3 on target. Nevertheless, Roman Bürki’s six saves and a 95th-minute leveling goal from New Jersey’s Brendan McSorley ensured that points were split.

Prior position: 11

James Rodríguez, despite returning from the international break sidelined due to an unspecified “illness,” saw the Loons secure a 2-1 victory over the Galaxy without the Colombian international, highlighted by a decisive goal from Kelvin Yeboah. A new coach and a new season bring a familiar Minnesota approach: they often prevail without dominating possession or creating a multitude of chances.

Prior position: 13

The Red Bulls secured their initial victory since February 28 (following two losses and a tie), triumphing over Cincinnati 4-2 on home turf. Julian Hall, an 18-year-old and the team’s leading scorer, scored the first of their four goals, marking his fifth of the season. Emil Forsberg contributed a spectacular first goal of his season with a free kick in the 48th minute.

Prior position: 15

Chicago handed Nashville their inaugural defeat of the season with a convincing 1-0 victory at home. Propelled by Philip Zinckernagel’s first-minute goal (the club’s quickest ever at 17 seconds), the Fire successfully repelled Nashville’s subsequent attacks, aided by four crucial saves from Chris Brady, including at least one truly spectacular stop.

Prior position: 16

Charlotte defeated a struggling Philadelphia squad 2-1 at home, extending their unbeaten streak to four matches (comprising three victories and one draw). A goal in the 78th minute denied Charlotte what would have been their second shutout, yet Wilfried Zaha quickly retaliated just minutes later, securing the three points with his second goal of the current season.

Prior position: 18

After triumphing over Colorado 3-2 in a game marked by three red cards (two of which were issued to Colorado players), Toronto has now gone four matches without a loss (comprising three wins and one draw). For a club that managed only six victories in 2025, this represents excellent current form. Additional reasons for optimism include Josh Sargent, who, in his third appearance, second start, and first complete 90 minutes, netted the decisive goal and also set up Richie Laryea’s score.

Prior position: 12

Drake Callender’s seven saves were instrumental in restricting the opposition, yet the Galaxy displayed moments of brilliance, outshooting and maintaining more possession than Minnesota in a 2-1 home defeat. While they continue their journey in the Concacaf Champions Cup, LA has not secured a regular-season victory since February 28 (logging three losses and one draw since then).

Prior position: 14

Notably, Cincinnati’s 4-2 defeat to the Red Bulls on Saturday marks their third consecutive match with a red card. Although it occurred in the 95th minute, if the 2023 Supporters’ Shield champions aren’t leading the league in points, they certainly top the charts for total red cards, sharing that distinction with Houston. Another significant statistic: after allowing only two goals in their initial three games, Cincinnati has now surrendered 13 in their subsequent three outings.

Prior position: 187

Following a sequence of three consecutive losses, St. Louis has gained some momentum, securing a win and a draw in their last two matches, both times after falling behind initially. On Saturday against NYCFC, St. Louis managed to salvage a point at the very last moment thanks to Brendan McSorley’s equalizer in the 95th minute. Roman Bürki contributed significantly, guiding his team with six saves.

Prior position: 22

Austin has accumulated six points from their initial six matches of the season, following a 2-2 draw against Miami at the grand opening of Nu Stadium. Los Verdes displayed an assertive approach under the spotlight, taking the lead on two separate occasions before ultimately conceding goals to Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez. Brad Stuver’s six saves were as crucial as their attacking intensity.

Prior position: 19

Few teams have managed to score against Seattle this season — indeed, only RSL has done so in the MLS regular season — but the Dynamo found themselves disappointed in a 1-0 home defeat to the Sounders. Despite outshooting their visitors (both on and off target), they conceded a goal late in the match, leaving them without any points.

Prior position: 23

In his inaugural appearance of the season, following recovery from an ankle injury, Juan Mosquera underscored his crucial role. Despite playing only 45 minutes, he notched a magnificent goal to level the score for his side and then assisted the go-ahead goal. However, two goals conceded in stoppage time (including one from a handball penalty) meant the Timbers returned home empty-handed after a 3-2 loss, though there are encouraging signs for Portland.

Prior position: 20

The Rapids frequently engage in high-scoring contests, though the outcome is often unpredictable. In March, they secured a 4-1 win against the Galaxy, suffered a 3-1 loss to NYCFC, and then achieved another 4-1 victory over SKC. On Saturday in Toronto, Colorado concluded the match with nine players due to two red cards (while Toronto had 10), squandering a 2-0 advantage to suffer a 3-2 defeat. During the game, Zack Steffen committed several errors, including a widely circulated own-goal that equalized the score for Toronto in the 77th minute.

Prior position: 25

Finally, the Crew have registered their inaugural victory of the season. Wessam Abou Ali swiftly scored a brace within five minutes, and Max Arfsten (returning to the venue where the U.S. men’s national team previously endured consecutive friendly defeats) contributed the third goal, having assisted Ali’s initial strike, in a 3-1 win over Atlanta.

Prior position: 21

Sean Johnson achieved his second clean sheet of the season just before the international break. However, in the match against Dallas, he allowed four goals, effectively doubling United’s total goals conceded for the season in that single fixture.

Prior position: 24

The Revs commenced a three-match home stand with a decisive 3-0 victory over Montréal. Luca Langoni capitalized on a saved shot to establish an early lead, 18-year-old Peyton Miller added his second goal of the season, and Matt Turner executed four saves to preserve a shutout.

Prior position: 27

Following a 6-0 defeat to LAFC (where Hugo Lloris still managed six saves to prevent further goals), Orlando has now suffered three losses in their last four matches, each by a five- or six-goal difference. Having conceded 23 goals this season (the highest tally in MLS), the Lions appear to be on a path towards setting new unfortunate records.

Prior position: 26

Following a two-match unbeaten streak (a modest achievement, but one Atlanta will surely accept), the Five Stripes have returned to losing ways, suffering a 3-1 defeat to Columbus. The team’s leading goal scorer, Alexey Miranchuk, managed their only goal in a sparsely attended stadium. Head coach Tata Martino concluded the calamitous outing with a red card in stoppage time.

Prior position: 29

Striker Dejan Joveljic’s efforts alone can only go so far in securing points for the Western Conference’s lowest-ranked team. Nonetheless, he did register his fourth goal of the season, reducing RSL’s advantage, and almost added a second in the dying moments before it was disallowed for offside in their 3-1 loss.

Prior position: 28

After suffering a 2-1 defeat to Charlotte (where Philadelphia equalized in the 78th minute, only to allow Wilfried Zaha an unchallenged scoring opportunity two minutes later), the current Supporters’ Shield champions have now endured six consecutive losses to commence the season. The Union have unfortunately established a new record for the poorest start by a Supporters’ Shield winner, and the overall record for the worst start by any team in the league is now within their grasp.

Prior position: 30

Following a 3-0 loss to the Revs (during which the goalpost was as active as Matt Turner in thwarting several promising shots), Montréal concluded its initial six away games of the season with five defeats and a single victory. The good news: Montréal is set to host the winless Philadelphia team for their upcoming home opener.