Power Rankings: Orlando City, Vancouver Whitecaps continue ascent | OneFootball

By J. Sam Jones

What a week in MLS

Atlanta United struggled at the start of the second half, Jeppe Tverskov put on a show for San Diego and Minnesota won a game without scoring from open play. It was truly a week unlike any other.

As always: The Power Rankings are voted on by, give or take, 15 people associated with MLSsoccer.com. The author does get a little rush out of moving your team down a few spots, though.

1. Philadelphia Union · +2▲

A 3-1 win over the Rapids have Philadelphia back on top of the Shield standings. They’re the only side in the league averaging 2.00 points per game and they’re on track to beat out the 2022 side as the highest point-earner in club history. They won’t match that group’s absurd +46 goal differential, but they may have a claim as the club’s best-ever side when all is said and done.

How Mikael Uhre helped Philadelphia move atop Supporters' Shield race

Previous: 3-1 win vs. COL | Next: 8/9 vs. TOR

2. Inter Miami CF · -1▼

The Herons couldn’t find a breakthrough in attack against FC Cincinnati. A 0-0 draw isn’t the worst outcome, though. They still have the time, talent and games in hand to make a real run at a second straight Supporters' Shield.

Oh, and Rodrigo De Paul is here now. That should help.

FC Cincinnati or Inter Miami: Who should be happier with draw?

Previous: 0-0 draw vs. CIN | Next: 8/10 at ORL

3. San Diego FC · +1▲

San Diego were in control for the majority of their 1-0 win over Nashville. They’re still on top of the West and just 12 points away from matching 2018 LAFC for the most points in an expansion season. We’re running out of superlatives for this side.

Contenders or pretenders: Who will win EPIC Supporters' Shield race?

Previous: 1-0 win vs. NSH | Next: 8/9 at SKC

4. Nashville SC · -2▼

A cross-country trip to San Diego is about as difficult as it gets these days. No one is going to blame them for a 1-0 loss. They’re still within touching distance of the top of the Shield standings.

Previous: 1-0 loss at SD | Next: 8/9 at STL

5. FC Cincinnati

Regardless of who was or wasn’t available for Inter Miami, Cincy earned an excellent road point against one of their primary challengers for the Supporters’ Shield in a 0-0 draw. With nine games left to play, they’re sitting one point behind first-place Philadelphia.

In the short term though, they’ve got to worry about a Leagues Cup grouping that includes matches against CF Monterrey and Chivas.

Previous: 0-0 draw at MIA | Next: 8/10 vs. CLT

6. Vancouver Whitecaps FC · +1▲

Vancouver’s depth is being tested right now, but they didn’t need much to blow past Sporting KC in a 3-0 win. They’re one point behind San Diego for the top spot in the West, they have a game in hand and maybe, just maybe, Thomas Müller is on the way to help out.

Injuries, departures and fatigue may not let them reach the highs they reached at the start of the year, but this group can still be dangerous.

Previous: 3-0 win vs. SKC | Next: 8/9 at SJ

7. Columbus Crew · -1▼

The Crew are in danger of missing out on a home playoff spot this year. Orlando City took off on them late in a 3-1 loss and now Columbus are just three points ahead of the sixth-place Lions. As great as Wilfried Nancy and the rest of this group are, they've yet to find consistent answers in attack. Maybe new DP signing Wessam Abou Ali will help there.

Previous: 3-1 loss vs. ORL | Next: 8/9 at NYC

8. Orlando City · +3▲

The Lions put three goals on the Crew after the 75th minute on their way to a stunning 3-1 win. Ramiro Enrique led the way with a brace, scoring both goals in three minutes. Orlando are still a little ways off the top four, but they keep showing the traits of a contender. Don’t count them out come playoff time.

Previous: 3-1 win at CLB | Next: 8/10 vs. MIA

9. Minnesota United FC · +1▲

The Loons earned two late penalties to find their way past 10-man St. Louis in a 2-1 win. That’s…far from their most inspiring performance of the year, but it got the job done.

And that’s enough to keep them just two points out of first place in the West and six points out of the top spot in the Shield race. Minnesota are a genuine contender that consistently earn three points in the league’s most creative ways.

Previous: 2-1 win at STL | Next: 8/10 vs. COL

10. Seattle Sounders FC · -1▼

Osaze De Rosario (yes, Dwayne’s son) put Seattle up late on Atlanta, but the Sounders couldn’t keep the Five Stripes from equalizing with the last kick of the game. It really should have been three points. Instead, they’re now just one point ahead of fifth-place Portland, and they missed out on a chance to gain three points on sixth-place LAFC.

Previous: 2-2 draw at ATL | Next: 8/10 at LA

11. Los Angeles Football Club · -3▼

A 1-0 loss to Portland has them sixth with at least two or three games in hand on everyone they’re chasing. They’ll probably be fine, but injuries at center back and a congested schedule have to make you wonder about how many playoff games they’ll be able to host.

Utilizing their two open DP spots as soon as they can could certainly help with that. Rumor is Tottenham’s Son Heung-min might be occupying one of those soon.

Previous: 1-0 loss vs. POR | Next: 8/9 at CHI

12. Charlotte FC · +1▲

Idan Toklomati and Kerwin Vargas found the net in a straightforward 2-0 win over Toronto. Toklomati, just 20 years old and in his first MLS season, is up to six goals and two assists in 1,004 minutes this year. He seems set to play a huge role as seventh-place Charlotte looks to climb a few more spots down the stretch.

WATCH: Red-hot Charlotte FC roll on vs. Toronto FC

Previous: 2-0 win vs. TOR | Next: 8/10 at CIN

13. New York City FC · -1▼

Alonso Martínez’s hat trick guided NYCFC to a 4-3 win at Dallas. But while Martínez stole the show, new DP Nicolás Fernández Mercau grabbed plenty of attention, too, with a 29-minute cameo that featured a few outstanding passes. If he’s an immediate fit (and he looked the part on Friday), then this side will look a whole lot more dangerous heading into the playoffs.

Alonso Martínez leads the line for New York City FC

Previous: 4-3 win at DAL | Next: 8/9 vs. CLB

14. Chicago Fire FC

Hugo Cuypers converted a penalty just before the break and that’s all Chicago needed to pick up all three points in something close to a six-pointer against RBNY. They’re up to ninth in the East now and the underlying numbers (and, personally, the eye test) like their chances to get this over the finish line and break a playoffless streak that goes back to 2017.

Previous: 1-0 win vs. RBNY | Next: 8/9 vs. LAFC

15. Portland Timbers

The Timbers ended a three-game winless streak with a huge 1-0 win over LAFC. Those three points put them back ahead of LAFC in the standings and gained them two points on fourth-place Seattle. They aren’t in the driver’s seat for a home playoff spot but they needed that win after what might have been their worst stretch of the season, especially considering they’ll face six teams currently in the top four of their conference over their final 10 games.

Previous: 1-0 win at LAFC | Next: 8/9 at DAL

16. Real Salt Lake · +3▲

Real Salt Lake have quietly snuck back into a playoff spot again. A 2-1 win over San Jose on Saturday moved them into eighth in the West with a game in hand on the two closest teams chasing them.

Previous: 2-1 win vs. SJ | Next: 8/10 at RBNY

17. Austin FC · +3▲

Austin FC's attack sprang to life in the nation's capital, as they steamrolled D.C. United, 4-2, led by Owen Wolff and Osman Bukari, who each recorded 1g/1a.

The win bumped them up to seventh in the West. Importantly, they have at least a game in hand on everyone in the West but LAFC and seem set to find their way into the playoffs.

WATCH: Fireworks! Austin FC beat DC United in six-goal thriller

Previous: 4-2 win at DC | Next: 8/9 vs. HOU

18. Colorado Rapids · -1▼

They’re still in ninth after a 3-1 loss to the Union. Still that’s just two wins since the end of May. This group hasn’t found a way to build on last year’s seventh-place finish and isn’t cracking the contender tier in the West anytime soon.

Previous: 3-1 loss at PHI | Next: 8/10 at MIN

19. New York Red Bulls · -3▼

The Red Bulls dropped to 10th in the East after a 1-0 loss to the Fire and it’s officially time to start worrying about the league’s longest playoff streak. Eighth-place NYCFC just added a DP, ninth-place Chicago have looked strong and both have a game in hand on New York. The Red Bulls always seem to find a way, but things are getting dicey.

Previous: 1-0 loss at CHI | Next: 8/10 vs. RSL

20. San Jose Earthquakes · -2▼

Man, they really didn’t need to miss the mark against RSL this weekend, but here we are. The Quakes are fading down the stretch—it seems to happen even when they play pretty respectable ball for most of the season—and it’s suddenly getting late earlier than expected.

The underlyings like them a lot more than their record, but that doesn’t change the fact they’ve gone winless in six and are in real danger of missing out on the playoffs.

Previous: 2-1 loss at RSL | Next: 8/9 vs. VAN

21. Houston Dynamo FC

Houston’s matchup with LA got postponed. They’re 11th in the West with a game in hand on the two sides in front of them.

Previous: PPD vs. LA | Next: 8/9 at ATX

22. LA Galaxy · +1▲

Their match with Houston got postponed. They’re still last on points per game in MLS.

Previous: PPD at HOU | Next: 8/10 vs. SEA

23. FC Dallas · -1▼

They allowed four to NYCFC in a 4-3 loss. They’re five points back from ninth now. Consistency just isn’t coming for this group, especially defensively. Only the Galaxy, CF Montréal and D.C. United have allowed more goals.

Previous: 4-3 loss vs. NYC | Next: 8/9 vs. POR

24. Sporting Kansas City

SKC were never in the game against Vancouver. A long-shot playoff appearance could still be in the cards, but it’s a long shot for a reason.

Previous: 3-0 loss at VAN | Next: 8/9 vs. SD

25. Toronto FC · +1▲

Charlotte got the better of them in a 2-0 loss. The season is practically over, but at least Toronto fans can keep reminding themselves the Insigne/Bernardeschi era is officially over, too.

Previous: 2-0 loss at CLT | Next: 8/9 at PHI

26. Atlanta United · +1▲

At the very least, they’re not wasting time making moves. The Five Stripes have already shipped off three center backs and brought in two others. Enea Mihaj and Getafe loanee Juan Berrocal will be tasked with revitalizing a defense that’s struggled mightily all year.

WATCH: Alexey Miranchuk salvages late draw with stunning long-range strike

Previous: 2-2 draw vs. SEA | Next: 8/9 at MTL

27. New England Revolution · -2▼

A 3-1 loss to CF Montréal makes it nine games without a win for the Revs. Their playoff hopes have almost completely disappeared at this point.

Previous: 3-1 loss vs. MTL | Next: 8/9 vs. DC

28. CF Montréal · +2▲

Their 3-1 win over the Revs put them one step closer to pulling themselves out of the Wooden Spoon race.

HIGHLIGHTS: New England Revolution vs. CF Montréal | July 25, 2025

Previous: 3-1 win at NE | Next: 8/9 vs. ATL

29. St. Louis CITY SC · -1▼

They’re still two points ahead of the Galaxy, but the way things are trending… a Wooden Spoon could be on the way. They’ve won twice in the nine games since Olof Mellberg departed and nothing seems to be getting better.

Previous: 2-1 loss vs. MIN | Next: 8/9 vs. NSH

30. D.C. United · -1▼

D.C. suffered a 4-2 home loss at the hands of Austin over the weekend. That marks eight straight regular-season games without a win, and they own a league-worst -27 goal differential. Not ideal.

Previous: 4-2 loss vs. ATX | Next: 8/9 at NE