MLS Power Rankings: Philadelphia Union soar after huge win
By Matt Coles
MLS Power Rankings: 15. Vancouver Whitecaps (+4)
On the other side of that game in Portland were the Vancouver Whitecaps, who thanks to the victory against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, have moved up four places on our Power Rankings this week.
They fell behind to a Carlos Fierro goal in the first half but came out firing after the break, with strikes from Ali Adnan and Tosaint Ricketts coming before the hour mark. They held on for a 2-1 victory, which saw them move ahead of the Quakes in the standings.
The Canadian side now occupies 7th spot in the Western Conference, ahead of San Jose on the number of wins they have this season. It gets tough this week though, as they face two of the top three, and both Cascadian rivals, in Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers.
This Week’s Fixtures: vs. Seattle Sounders (Tue 27, 9 pm ET), @ Portland Timbers (Sun 1, 10 pm ET)
MLS Power Rankings: 14. Nashville SC (+2)
One of just two teams to play twice this week, expansion side Nashville SC made the most of that extra time on the field, recording a win and a draw as they continued to stake their claim for a playoff spot in their first season in the league.
They faced FC Dallas in the third of those games required to catch up after both sides missed the MLS is Back tournament earlier in the season. Goals from Randall Leal, Jhonder Cadiz, and Daniel Armando Rios gave them a comfortable 3-0 win. They then played out a 1-1 draw with New England Revolution, with Walker Zimmerman on the scoresheet for the hosts on Saturday.
The side from Tennessee now sits in 8th spot in the Eastern Conference, and they have a four-point buffer over the red line, along with having a game in hand on the teams around them. They face Montreal and Chicago this week, knowing that two wins would all but seal their place in the post-season.
This Week’s Fixtures: @ Montreal Impact (Tue 27, 6 pm ET), vs. Chicago Fire (Sat 31, 7:30 pm ET)
MLS Power Rankings: 13. New York Red Bulls (=)
Holding on to the final spot in the top half of our Power Rankings this week are the New York Red Bulls, whose only regular-season fixture came against Chicago Fire, a game which finished 2-2 at Soldier Field.
The Bulls took a first-half lead through Kyle Duncan but saw themselves go behind in the second half after the Fire scored twice to claim the lead. It looked like the side from the ‘Big Apple’ would fall to defeat, but a Brian White equaliser in the 92nd minute saved a point.
They face New England on Wednesday evening before the final installment of the Hudson River Derby in 2020 comes on Sunday evening against NYCFC. The Bulls currently occupy 7th in the East, with the two sides they face this week in the two spots above them. Two wins could see them move as high as 5th in the standings.
This Week’s Fixtures: vs. New England Revolution (Wed 28, 6 pm ET), @ New York City FC (Sun 1, 7 pm ET)