MLS: Week 10 Power Rankings – Houston Dynamo on the rise

Week 10 of the 2019 Major League Soccer season has come and gone. And with it, some major teams made major moves. Here are the Week 10 MLS Power Rankings, with the Houston Dynamo very much on the rise.

Ten weeks into the 2019 Major League Soccer season seems like a good stage to draw some rather meaningful conclusions about these teams. Past seasons are becoming increasingly less significant, and the results of the teams this year carry a greater influence on assessing their actual qualities.

MLS is as competitive as ever, and despite some sleeping giants hinting at a resurgence during the second half of the season, it is some of the smaller guys that are flourishing, no less than the Houston Dynamo who are right in the race for the top spot in the West.

Here are the Week 10 MLS Power Rankings.

What in the world is going on?

24. Colorado Rapids – Conor Casey sent out a mixed-up squad and got mixed-up results. It was not an impressive coaching display in the 3-2 loss to Vancouver, although the performance was encouraging. Well, except for Diego Rubio. His lashing out earned him a suspension and cost Colorado a point. In a season that cannot get much worse, the Rapids brought in young USMNT project Jonathan Lewis from NYCFC to push for immediate playing time.

23. New England Revolution – The Revs had a plan, a prospect, and the Kraft-backed principle notes to pay up. However, RTL Sport news reports are saying Paul-JoseM’Poku, 27, did not favor a move to New England, even for $14 million. Perhaps M’Poku watched the 6-1 drubbing the Revs suffered against Philadelphia. One player cannot fix all the issues in the team. Perhaps, M’Poku noticed Brad Freidel’s dourly stubborn habits, especially with attacking players on substantial wages. Or maybe it was the playing surface surrounded by empty seats. Whatever it was, he paid more attention to the Revs that week than the Kraft ownership did.

22. FC Cincinnati – Alan Koch got to live through all the best moments of FC Cincinnati’s inaugural season. Koch’s name will be next to many of the team’s ‘first’ historical records. First to lead the team to a playoff appearance, though, will not be one. The official club statement was not too kind, practically stating the players did not believe Koch could lead them. Kenny Saief was already on record, basically saying he’d be on the first available flight out of town if changes were not made. Firing Koch was the only move that could be made, save for the team’s best player obeying drunk driving laws.

21. Vancouver Whitecaps – Marc dos Santos got his first MLS road win from the chaos in Colorado. Vancouver controlled the first half but gave away a 38th-minute penalty which Kei Kamara converted. Vancouver allowed Kamara another penalty in the 53rd minute, making it 2-2. A late Rapids red card and lax defending gifted the three points to the Whitecaps. The first road win is a milestone but is little else considering the competition. Vancouver needs a bit more maturity to win these types of games comfortably.

20. Real Salt Lake – Albert Rusnak’s low penalty kick was not placed quite far enough away from Steve Clark’s hands. The lack of urgency and focus on the penalty rubbed off on the rest of the Real Salt Lake players, apparently. A Sam Johnson goal made the scoreline respectable, but he could still do more. The rest of Mike Petke’s team was lethargic in trying to recover, always seemingly a step behind. That’s the way the season is shaping up as well.

19. San Jose EarthQuakes – Matias Almeyda might have the right ideas yet. All of that early defensive work paid off in the second half of the Quakes’ 1-0 win over Cincinnati. Playing with ten men will test a team’s cardio and defensive discipline. Nick Lima shined, earning MLS Team of the Week honors. However, the 1-0 win was not exactly decisive, against a team in turmoil, hours away from firing the coach. On the other hand, the more Almeyda features Jackson Yueill, the more he impresses.

18. Sporting KC – Earlier this season, any panic was met with ‘In Vermes We Trust’ styled replies. As long as Peter Vermes could field a team, Sporting KC would have a chance. Well, Sporting KC is a few injuries away from not fielding a team at all. Seriously, they only had half a bench available to play in the 3-0 loss versus Atlanta. The CONCACAF Champions League jinx can be overcome, but even Vermes knows the Supporters’ Shield is out of reach. That’s actually a decent admission, as the team can focus on the U.S. Open Cup and making the playoffs, hoping that they reach peak form in November.

17. Chicago Fire – Chicago is built from Bastian forward, with plenty of attacking talent in the front six. Trading for Fransicso Calvo gives the Fire another defensive-minded MLS level starter. A complete team focus on defense earned Chicago a scoreless draw against LAFC. Chicago looks like it can handle the climb up the ladder, but only if they find sure hands at the back. The signing of Kenneth Kronholm makes the Fire depth chart five deep at goalkeeper. Surely one of them will prove sufficient, right? Only Chicago Bears kickers have caused more short bursts of panic and rage in the Windy City. As is the case with the Bears, that one crucial weakness has kept the rest of the team from achieving its true potential.