MLS Power Rankings: Top three clubs maintain position
By Matt Coles
MLS Power Rankings: 15. Montreal Impact (-1)
Dropping one place on the Power Rankings this week, despite grabbing a victory at the weekend, are Montreal Impact, as their up-and-down form continues. They now have two wins, two defeats, and a draw in their last five regular-season matches.
They lost 3-2 against New England on Wednesday evening, with goals from Amar Sejdic and Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla only consolations on the night. They bounced back with a 2-1 win against Inter Miami CF on Saturday evening, thanks to strikes from Bojan and Maxi Urruti.
The Canadian side will face New York City FC on Saturday evening in a crunch Eastern Conference clash, with both sides currently occupying playoff berths, A win for Montreal would put them within a point of the Sky Blues, and they could move into 7th spot in the Conference. A defeat, though, could see them teetering on the edge of the playoff line.
This Week’s Fixtures: @ New York City FC (Sat 24, 7:30 pm ET)
MLS Power Rankings: 14. San Jose Earthquakes (+1)
Two games, two clean sheets. It has been a good week for San Jose Earthquakes, considering they have the worst defensive record in the league so far in 2020, having let in 43 goals to this point.
This week, though, they took four points from their two matches, starting with a convincing 4-0 win over LA Galaxy in the ‘Californian Clasico’. A Nick Lima double, along with goals from Andres Rios and Tommy Thompson saw them win on the road, before playing out a 0-0 draw at home against reigning MLS Cup champions Seattle Sounders.
For the first time in a while, the ‘Quakes occupy a playoff spot in the Western Conference, and another win this weekend could see them go as high as 4th. They face Vancouver, who sit a place behind them in the standings.
This Week’s Fixtures: @ Vancouver Whitecaps (Sat 24, 9 pm ET)
MLS Power Rankings: 13. New York Red Bulls (-1)
Two matches, two 1-1 draws for New York Red Bulls this week, as they inched their way towards another post-season berth, as they aim to continue their ten-year run of making it into the playoffs alive.
They needed late equalisers in both matches to take a point away from each this week, with Caden Clark scoring a 77th-minute goal against Toronto before Brian White leveled things against Orlando City in the 95th minute.
The Bulls are now 7th in the Eastern Conference, and still have a six-point buffer on the teams outside the red line. A victory over Chicago Fire would certainly see them improve that gap to the playoff line, and that is what they will be after on Saturday evening.
This Week’s Fixtures: @ Chicago Fire (Sat 24, 7:30 pm ET)