MLS power rankings: Hollywood heavyweights trending in opposite directions
Welcome back to the Guardian’s MLS Power Rankings, where I have a problem with your specific team and your specific team alone. I’m sure something similar applies to CF Montréal owner Joey Saputo, who clearly has a problem with his own team given his near-total disdain for his squad.
As a reminder, these aren’t your typical, run-of-the-mill power rankings. We’re still ranking teams from worst to first. But in addition to the rankings, we’re also taking a deep dive into a handful of teams from the league that are doing particularly interesting things.
A painful memory
29. Earthquakes in San Jose
28. Sports in Kansas City
27. New English Revolution
26. CF Montreal
25. Fire in Chicago
24. Austin FC
For years, MLS has been criticized for its lack of roster transparency. The league’s many complex rules often make it difficult to have meaningful discussions about what teams can do to, for example, expand their rosters during the transfer window. When teams couldn’t even be counted on to update their own roster pages on their own websitesit was virtually impossible to have such discussions.
“We have to appeal to a broader audience, and the way we’re going to do that in mainstream America is by giving everyone information,” said Garth Lagerwey, president of Atlanta United. said earlier this year. “There have been very few people who have been GM, but they all assume they can do the job better than Lagerwey or [Tim] Bezbatchenko or [John] Thorrington or whoever,” he added.
To the league’s credit, they are working toward that goal of transparency. Earlier this week, MLS released its second set of “grid profiles” for all 29 teams, providing information on which players hold Designated Player and U22 Initiative spots, contract years and more. There is more to be done, but these profiles are like liquid gold to a long-suffering MLS fan.
Unless you’re a die-hard CF Montréal fan, in which case you might cry when you look at your team’s selection.
Montreal fans already knew that there was only one (of a possible three) DP on their team. Still, it hurts to see it so clearly. That one DP is Victor Wanyama, who has a total of 406 minutes to his name in the regular season. His contract expires at the end of 2024. Montreal owner Joey Saputo is reportedly Wilfried Nancy, perhaps the best coach MLS has ever seen, has been fired, has disregarded his team and has sidelined his club.
Sign some good players, CF Montréal. Please.
Longevity and golden boots
23. City of St. Louis
22. FC Dallas
21. Nashville SC
20. DC United
19.Toronto FC
18. Philadelphia Union
Christian Benteke needs more love. Okay, fine, I don’t really know. He’s probably doing fine, emotionally. But judging by the way he’s being talked about among the other real superstars in MLS this year, Benteke needs more love.
It’s not Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Chicho Arango or Denis Bouanga who have the best chance of winning the Golden Boot this year. No, it’s the Belgian giant of DC United. Benteke, who leads MLS with 19 goals, shows no signs of leaving his pole position. He’s edging towards the Golden Boot – and could be in contention for the title again in 2025.
Benteke’s long track record is crucial for DC United. After years of mediocrity, DC finally overhauled its front office this past winter. They also replaced head coaches. But it’s a lot quicker to replace the front office and coaching staff than it is to rebuild a roster, which is the task DC United currently faces. With their Designated Player spots and some sweet contracts off the books for next year, we’ll see the next step in DC’s rebuild come the winter transfer window.
But one of the first (and most crucial) moves this team has already made? They’ve given Benteke a contract extension through 2025 with an option for 2026. At 33, Benteke is aging with remarkable grace. His game is built on strength and clever positioning rather than speed, meaning his best skills will fade much more slowly than those of others in his generation.
There is still much more to do for DC, but keeping Benteke is progress. Now he has a Golden Boot to win.
Pick up the phone, Poch
17. Charlotte FC
16. Atlanta United
15. New York Red Bulls
14.Minnesota United
13. New York City FC
12. Portland wood
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there’s a new manager taking over the U.S. Men’s National Team. His name is Mauricio Pochettino, and he may need a new goalie.
With Matt Turner sitting on the bench in the Premier League and none of the reserve goalkeepers who made the squad for the last World Cup showing much, it’s time for the US to get creative in goal. Patrick Schulte, who shone for the Columbus Crew this year, earned a starting spot for the USMNT earlier this month before Pochettino was announced. For the next round of games in October, it’s time to pick up the phone and call New York City FC’s Matt Freese.
If you’re unfamiliar with Freese, he’s in the midst of his first full season as an MLS starter. The 26-year-old Pennsylvania native served as a reserve for the Union before being traded to NYCFC. Freese won the starting goalie position last fall and starred in his 10 starts, making him the clear No. 1 prospect for 2024.
This early in his career as a starter, he still has the occasional bad away game — Wednesday’s loss to the Union was one of them. Still, Freese has shown himself to be one of the absolute best shot-stoppers in the entire league — to the point where he’s the primary reason for New York City’s success. Sure, Santiago Rodríguez is the big forward and Maxi Moralez is the wise, creative midfielder. But it’s Freese’s underrated work that paints NYCFC as even a minor playoff threat.
According to FBref, Freese has conceded 6.2 more goals than expected this year, which is number one in MLS among players under 30. He has prevented nearly a quarter of a goal by finding the net every gameJust call him, Mauricio.
A Scottish Reunion
11. Real salt lake
10. Colorado Rapids
9. Seattle Sounders
8. Vancouver Whiteheads
7. Orlando City
6.Houston Dynamo
The list of things MLS needs to do to become a more popular league in the crowded global soccer and American sports landscape is long. Attracting and signing better players would help. The current playoff format, where 62% of the league makes the playoffs, devalues the regular season tremendously. Soccer-specific stadiums need to be built.
But one specific thing that should be high on the list is the simplest of all: MLS needs more great stories. As sports fans, we love stories. Stories, memories, personal touches. Those things are all huge parts of what makes sports so special.
The Vancouver Whitecaps currently have such a story.
In desperate need of a third Designated Player to close the gap between themselves and the best in the West, the Caps signed Scottish midfielder Stuart Armstrong. Sure, the former Southampton stalwart is a valuable addition to Vancouver, giving them another weapon in the play-off race. But he’s also a pleasure addition. Ten years ago Armstrong and fellow countryman Ryan Gauld were teammates at Dundee United.
This sport has brought them back together, and their chemistry is already paying off:
Will Armstrong become a top-tier DP? I’m skeptical. But he brings quality and a charming storyline to Vancouver. The Caps became more likable when Armstrong and Gauld reunited – and that’s progress.
Hollywood slapstick
5. LAFC
4. LA Galaxy
3. FC Cincinnati
2. Columbus crew
1.Inter-Miami
LAFC is an incredibly talented team with a sky-high ceiling and more legitimate trophy aspirations than almost any other MLS team. But they certainly have a weakness that they need to address before the playoffs begin.
Namely, they’ve struggled on defense too often in 2024. The first big warning sign – one so big it caught the attention of drivers on both sides of the freeway – was LAFC’s 5-1 home loss to Columbus Crew in July, with Steve Cherundolo’s team being picked apart by a much better unit. LAFC’s lack of defensive focus came back to bite them in the Leagues Cup final, again against the Crew, where poor defending reared its ugly head. And then there was that 2-0 home loss to Houston, where the Dynamo cut through their press like a hot knife through already slightly melted butter.
And then there was El Tráfico on Saturday, where LAFC blew a 2-0 lead, conceded four goals and left Carson empty-handed.
Under Cherundolo, LAFC have settled for playing in transition. They have the third-fastest direct attack speed in MLS, according to Opta, and want Denis Bouanga to ride back-pedaling defenders to create their best chances. Rightly so. Defensively, however, their love of playing in the break requires a strong foundation. If you want to give the opposition more of the ball than all but five teams in MLS, you better be good at limiting their chances.
There, folks, lies the season-defining problem for LAFC. They’ve been way, way too leaky. There are a half-dozen damning clips I could post here, including one from their disappointing 1-1 home draw against Austin on Wednesday, but this one against the Galaxy feels the most revealing:
LAFC’s defense on Galaxy’s decisive goal in El Trafico was *shocking*.
You can’t go into the second half with 33% possession and then make a series of mistakes like that.
Weak tackle in midfield. Poor rotations. Not enough midfield coverage.
Slapstick-like stuff. photo.twitter.com/YD24egoc2o
— Joseph Lowery (@joeclowery) September 15, 2024
Slapstick is truly the word that defines the way LAFC plays without the ball, and that needs to change before they can feel good about winning in 2024.