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.
Inter Miami Still Top Despite Messi's Slump
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.
Galaxy's Hydra-like Attack Scorches Opponents
The Galaxy spent the week showing exactly why they’re probably going to finish first in the West and why they still have real question marks heading into the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. They followed up their 4-2 win over LAFC last week with a 4-2 loss to Portland and a 4-2 win over Vancouver. The attack is as good as it gets in MLS. No other team has ever had four players score 10 or more goals in a season. The defending is still volatile. How much will that matter in the playoffs?
Columbus Crew Emerge as Potential Challengers
Despite a few brief lapses in focus against Orlando City in Saturday’s 4-3 win, the Crew put together a six-point week. They’re now equal with Cincinnati on points and eight points back of Inter Miami in the Supporters’ Shield race. It’s a long shot, but they have a game in hand and they get a home game against the Herons next week. No one is getting rich doubting the Crew, right?
FC Cincinnati's Stumble Gives Columbus Hope
A four-point week is far from a disaster, but Cincy really need all the points they can get right now to stay in front of Columbus. A draw with Nashville on Saturday isn’t going to help with that. Especially not with games against LAFC, NYCFC, Orlando and Philadelphia on the way to close out the season.
Colorado Rapids on the Rise
The Rapids played arguably their worst game of the season midweek, getting boat-raced by Sporting KC and missing a huge opportunity to take control of second place in the West. They bounced back in a straightforward win over Toronto, though. Reggie Cannon got on the board for the first time as a Rapid, and Colorado are still just one point behind RSL for second. They have the second-most wins in the West and are officially playoffs-bound.
Real Salt Lake Maintain Playoff Spot
RSL let two separate leads against Portland slip away. However, they got goals from U22 attacker Dominik Marczuk and DP No. 10 Diogo Gonçalves in the 3-3 draw. They also ended the week with four points and the second spot in the West. AND they get Austin, Minnesota, San Jose and Vancouver to close the year. That’s a handful of chances to keep getting new players comfortable and adding points. They may have locked up a home playoff spot this week.
LAFC Struggling to Find Form
Things are… not good. In a week where LAFC needed to bounce back from their nightmare second half against the Galaxy, they drew 1-1 at home against Austin and then went on the road and got thumped by FC Dallas. They’re winless in their last five. Nothing is clicking right now. Even with the added boost of bringing back Carlos Vela, the vibes are something close to terrible. A win in Wednesday's US Open Cup Final against Sporting KC felt like a given a few weeks ago. Now, it’s hard to be sure.
Houston Dynamo Surprise Package
Houston followed up a middling home draw against Vancouver with a big rivalry win at Austin over the weekend. Coco Carrasquilla hoped on his bike late in that one to deliver three points for Houston and a fatal blow to Austin. It’s the first time Houston have won in Austin. The Dynamo are now up to fifth in the West after the four-point week. They’re three points out of second place.
Seattle Sounders' Late-Season Stumble
Seattle are hellbent on not having fun this year. Jordan Morris’ brace put them up 2-0 in the first half against San Jose. Paul Marie’s 89th-minute equalizer took away two points. Dropping points late to the worst team in the league is no way to live. And now things are about to get a whole lot more difficult. It’s Houston, Vancouver, Colorado and Portland to close the year.
Portland Timbers Thriving on Chaos
It’s hard to really complain about a four-point week against the first-place and second-place teams in the West. The Timbers took down the Galaxy 4-2 on Wednesday and then somehow drew 3-3 at RSL. Those are great results, but it’s still fair to worry about this team defensively. They’re the first team in MLS history to have three players with 14 or more goals in a season… and yet they’re still stuck in eighth place because they’re out of control a little too often. Portland are going to be a nightmare for whoever they face in the playoffs. Their current place in the standings would give them a harder road to a trophy than any other team with a fighting chance. A win against Vancouver on Saturday would be huge for their chances to finish above a Wild Card spot, but even then it may not be enough.
Evander, the MLS Ace
Anyway, here's Evander:
The Bottom of the Table
It’s now two wins in 15 games for the Red Bulls after a midweek loss to Chicago and a 2-2 draw against Atlanta. Somehow, they’re still fourth in the East. The underlying numbers are much, much better than their record, but this team clearly needs a boost in attack. Emil Forsberg should be back soon. Maybe even in time for the Hudson River Derby on Saturday. Will he have enough time to get back in form? The Red Bulls' hopes of doing literally anything in the playoffs will hinge on him.
The Wild Card Race
The Loons have nestled themselves into the final Wild Card spot in the West, and even have a shot at jumping Portland for eighth place after Saturday’s win over Sporting KC. New DP Kelvin Yeboah has five goals in his first five games, leading the way during Minnesota’s late-season resurgence. They still aren’t as dangerous as the teams above them, but maybe they can keep heating up just in time for the Wild Card game. That’s a tough ask with games against Colorado, RSL and Vancouver on the way, but things are looking up for the first time since June.
The Rest of the League
Nashville aren’t going down quietly. A win over Chicago and an even more impressive 2-2 draw against Cincinnati have them right in the middle of the race for the last playoff spot in the East.
The Bottom Dwellers
That’s that for Chicago. Losses to Nashville and Montréal last week have practically ensured they’ll miss the playoffs for the seventh straight year. They’ve made it twice since the end of the 2009 season.
The Future of MLS
I’ll pass it off to Jeremy Ebobisse.
The Power Rankings are In
The Power Rankings are voted on by around 20 MLS writers, editors and personalities and are not solely the fault of the column’s author. The 2024 Power Rankings Committee regrets the errors and tried to rank your team higher. They promise.
