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Week 2
Columbus ascends to the top of the Goal.com MLS Rankings with a tricky trip to face FC Dallas on tap this weekend.
Apr 6, 2010
By Kyle McCarthy

1. Columbus – The key for the Crew in Frisco this weekend: pinning back those FC Dallas defenders and forcing the Hoops to function inside their own half. (2)

2. New York – It only took a MLS-record 28 tries (0-20-7 before the trip to the Pacific Northwest), but the Red Bulls finally won a match on the road with a 1-0 victory at Qwest Field on Saturday. With a trip to Chivas USA ahead on Saturday, New York could make it two road wins (and three overall) on the trot. (6)

3. Kansas City – Can the high-octane Wizards keep a careful eye on Omar Cummings in the tight confines of CommunityAmerica Ballpark this weekend? (3)

4. Los Angeles – Venturing away from the Home Depot Center could prove problematic for a Galaxy side that hasn't hit its stride yet despite two consecutive wins to open the campaign. (5)

5. Real Salt Lake – Two confident performances from the champs on the road in their first two games could mean the road woes are consigned to the past. (1)

6. Seattle – It might be time for Sigi Schmid to contemplate dropping Freddie Ljungberg a bit deeper to provide some incisiveness from midfield. (4)

7. Colorado – Gary Smith faces an intriguing choice this weekend in Kansas City: Kosuke Kimura or Marvell Wynne at right back. (7)

8. Houston – Step forward, Cam Weaver. With Brian Ching out for the next few weeks with a left hamstring injury, the Dynamo is going to need Weaver to lead the line and spark an offense that isn't clicking right now. ( cool

9. New England – If the Revs can find a way to merge some consistency in possession and some incisiveness in attack with the already established defensive intensity, they could pose some problems as the season progresses. (12)

10. Chicago – Aside from Wynne's largesse in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Colorado, the Fire's offense didn't look particularly perky, did it? (10)

11. FC Dallas – Stopping Guillermo Barros Schelotto is job one for FCD at Pizza Hut Park this weekend. (9)

12. Toronto FC – Ditching Ali Gerba won't hurt the TFC forward group, but the Reds certainly need to make a move or two to bolster their depth in the attacking third if they want to score consistently. (11)

13. D.C. United – Enough possession, not enough invention. (14)

14. Chivas USA – A visit by the miserly Red Bulls isn't exactly the perfect elixir for the Red-and-White's sputtering attack, but the imminent arrival of Dario Delgado on loan from Puntarenas FC could help once the Costa Rican international joins the squad. (13)

15. San Jose – Scott Sealy should add some quality to the Quakes' attack, but how long will it take the Trinidad international to find his stride after a season in the wilderness? (15)

16. Philadelphia – Peter Nowak is probably hoping Fred stuck Luciano Emilio in the back seat of his car after the Union midfielder met up with his former D.C. teammate at RFK Stadium on Saturday night. (16)

Week 3
Los Angeles picked up its third win on the trot to ascend to the top of Goal.com MLS Rankings.
Apr 13, 2010
By Kyle McCarthy

1. Los Angeles – The Edson Buddle show continued this weekend as his two goals fired the Galaxy past the Dynamo, 2-0. Buddle hasn't done enough to warrant inclusion in the U.S. squad yet, but he's building his case with each passing week. (4)

2. Columbus – Robert Warzycha's men will spend their second bye in four weeks fuming over the controversial end to Saturday's 2-2 draw at FC Dallas. (1)

3. Kansas City – How will the Wizards' high-pressure approach translate to Qwest Field on Saturday? (3)

4. New York – The second consecutive trip to the West Coast certainly contributed to the Red Bulls' limp 2-0 loss at Chivas USA on Saturday, but Hans Backe won't ignore another sputtering offensive performance, either. (2)

5. New England – Toronto FC disintegrated defensively in the second half of Saturday's 4-1 win at Gillette Stadium, but credit the Revs for combining well in midfield, isolating favorable matchups and punishing the Reds' frailty at the back. (9)

6. Real Salt Lake – Alvaro Saborio's stoppage time goal spared RSL's blushes against Seattle on Saturday night and secured a much-needed point ahead of a trip to Los Angeles this weekend. (5)

7. Seattle – Although Sounders FC will be disappointed at conceding in second-half stoppage time to throw away a victory at Real Salt Lake, it pays to remember how few teams emerge from Rio Tinto Stadium with any type of positive result. In the end, it's still a good point. (6)

8. Colorado – After playing a second game in four days in Kansas City tonight, the Rapids will trek home to prepare for TFC's visit on Sunday. For a team with serious playoff aspirations, it's a should-win game. (7)

9. FC Dallas – Two home games, two decent results against good opponents. This weekend's trip to New York, however, will present a considerable test. (11)

10. Houston – The rumblings about an imminent demise amid the home loss to the Galaxy and the loss of Brian Ching for several weeks are overblown considering the Dynamo's tendency to start slowly. But a home win over Chivas USA this weekend would certainly help matters. ( cool

11. Chivas USA – Martin Vasquez is off the mark as Chivas USA boss, but the Red-and-White will have to continue to develop in the attacking third to build on the victory over New York. (14)

12. Chicago – After last year's spotty home record, the Fire really could have used a positive result in its home opener to reverse the negative juju at Toyota Park. Instead, Chicago is once again left to lament how much it misses John Thorrington in the center of the park. (10)

13. San Jose – Big, big win by the Earthquakes at Bridgeview last weekend. Frank Yallop's side really needed a positive result to generate some momentum ahead of New England's visit on Saturday. (15)

14. Philadelphia – One result doesn't make a season, but Union fans should rightly cherish their side's 3-2 victory over D.C. United on Saturday. More performances like that one will see Philly pick up its fair share of points. (16)

15. Toronto FC – Preki now has Adrian Cann and Maxim Usanov in the fold to bolster his back line. He must integrate them quickly after last weekend's defensive calamity in New England. (12)

16. D.C. United – No need to pile on United after its struggles in the opening three matches, but Chicago's visit on Saturday offers an enticing opportunity to get off the mark in 2010. (13)

Week 4
Los Angeles tops the Goal.com MLS Rankings for a second consecutive week after picking up its fourth straight win over Real Salt Lake.
Apr 20, 2010
By Kyle McCarthy

1. Los Angeles – Can Kansas City stop Edson Buddle and the Galaxy? With Buddle in this sort of form, Los Angeles will be difficult to stop. (1)

2. Columbus – Real Salt Lake's visit on Saturday night will give the rested Crew a chance to exorcise their playoff demons from last fall. (2)

3. Kansas City – While the Wizards may not have left Qwest Field with any points, they may have convinced a few observers that their pressing style travels well. (3)

4. New York – At some point, the Red Bulls are going to have to produce a performance worthy of their record and this lofty ranking. (4)

5. Seattle – Michael Fucito's late winner grabbed three points and handed Sounders FC a boost ahead of Thursday's visit to FC Dallas. (7)

6. Colorado – Gary Smith will expect an improvement from his side in New England on Saturday night in the wake of a sputtering performance in Sunday's 3-1 win over Toronto FC. ( cool

7. Houston – Thumping Chivas USA may just provide the elixir to spark Geoff Cameron and the Dynamo attack ahead of a trip to Chicago on Saturday night. (10)

8. Real Salt Lake – All things considered, the defending champs are coping relatively well as they work their way through an arduous stretch of four out of five games away from Rio Tinto Stadium to start the season. It's not going to get any easier at Crew Stadium on Saturday night. (6)

9. New England – Saturday night's performance in San Jose provided an unnecessary reminder of how important Shalrie Joseph is to the Revolution's success or failure. (5)

10. FC Dallas – FCD is perhaps the one team that has yet to pick up as many points as its performances have merited. Saturday's late loss at New York certainly bolsters that claim. (9)

11. Chicago – Brian McBride's late show inspired the Fire to its first win of the campaign in D.C. on Saturday night, but it's fairly clear Chicago remains a work in progress. (12)

12. San Jose – Credit the Earthquakes' back four – and Ike Opara's potency on set pieces – for the inspiration behind this two-game winning streak. (13)

13. Philadelphia – Danny Califf's moment of madness and Chris Seitz's moment of weakness wrecked a decent performance in Toronto. (14)

14. Toronto FC – Preki looks like he may have settled on a relatively stable center back tandem by pairing Nana Attakora and Adrian Cann, but he'll have to find a way to infuse a moribund attack with some vigor ahead of Seattle's visit on Sunday. (15)

15. Chivas USA – The silver lining for Martin Vasquez as he awaits San Jose's visit on Saturday night: the Red-and-White don't have to return to Robertson Stadium until next season. (11)

16. D.C. United – Just what United needed after four straight losses: injuries to Dejan Jakovic and Chris Pontius. When it rains, it pours. (16)

Week 10
Toronto FC rises five spots in this week's Goal.com MLS Rankings.
Jun 2, 2010
By Kyle McCarthy

1. Los Angeles – Depth, potency and organization are the three principal reasons why Los Angeles is head and shoulders above the rest of the league right now. (1)

2. Columbus – While the Crew may have fallen to the Galaxy, they may have also picked up some confidence after submitting their best performance of the season. (2)

3. Real Salt Lake – Saturday's 4-1 victory over Kansas City served as a reminder of RSL's enviable resources off the bench after Ned Grabavoy and Robbie Russell came on at halftime and scored in the second half. (3)

4. Toronto FC – Haven't heard too many complaints about Preki recently. (9)

5. Colorado – A scary proposition for the rest of the league: the Rapids have collected 16 points without hitting top form. (6)

6. San Jose – A surprising home defeat against Toronto FC raises questions among those persnickety doubters about whether the Earthquakes will pose a threat over the long haul. (4)

7. Houston – Binary code is best left to computers, not soccer results. (5)

8. New York – Salou Ibrahim's return to fitness should bolster Hans Backe's struggling side, but this Red Bulls side needs Thierry Henry in the form before it returns to form. (7)

9. Seattle – By just about every measure, Saturday's home tilt against New England falls into the category of a must-win contest. Or, at the very least, a must-score match. ( cool

10. FC Dallas – Time to start turning draws into victories. (11)

11. Chicago – The Fire looks headed for a post-World Cup uptick in form, but Carlos de los Cobos will need Wilman Conde to start playing like Wilman Conde again to make it happen. (12)

12. New England – Not a chance the Revolution beat the Red Bulls without on-field general Shalrie Joseph to round up the troops after Preston Burpo's horrific injury and lead by example. (14)

13. Chivas USA – Sorting out the defensive issues should be priority one right now. (10)

14. Kansas City – Can we consider the hot start a mirage now? (13)

15. Philadelphia – Fine win in Houston could spur Union to continue to make life difficult on the opposition week after week. (15)

16. D.C. United – Three goals? In one game? At least there's something to cheer about in the District again. (16)

Week 11
New York climbs four spots in the final edition of the Goal.com MLS Rankings before the World Cup break.
Jun 9, 2010
By Kyle McCarthy

1. Los Angeles – While the Galaxy remains head and shoulders above the rest of the league right now, its undefeated streak may end tonight at Rio Tinto Stadium... (1)

2. Real Salt Lake – ...and if it does, RSL's victory will owe much to the fact that it is one of the few teams that can boast the ambition and the depth required to compete with the runaway Western Conference leaders. (3)

3. Columbus – Not surprisingly, the Crew deserves a spot in the group with Los Angeles and RSL in terms of its depth. Columbus also benefits from the added bonus of playing in the considerably weaker conference. (2)

4. New York – Two wins out of two will assuage the pain in a results-oriented business, but Hans Backe can't be happy about the type of football his side is playing right now. ( cool

5. Colorado – The Rapids are another team that continues to grind out results without entirely convincing the neutrals. A victory in Chicago tonight, however, would give Colorado more points than any Eastern Conference team heading into the break. (5)

6. Toronto FC – A home draw isn't permissible when Kansas City (current road record: 0-4-1) visits. (4)

7. San Jose – Seven goals conceded in the past three games isn't nearly good enough defensively, not for an Earthquakes side more than capable of exemplary work at the back. (6)

8. Seattle – The cathartic victory over New England will diminish in value unless Sounders FC dispatches D.C. United tomorrow night. (9)

9. Houston – The Dynamo's road back to the top of the Western Conference starts with better work at the back. (7)

10. FC Dallas – Kenny Cooper, eh? If those long-shot rumors (which were dismissed by the club on Tuesday) eventually come to fruition, then questions about the future of the current 4-5-1 formation would soon follow. (10)

11. Chicago – A home win over Colorado tonight would mark a positive end to an indifferent start to the Carlos de los Cobos era. (11)

12. New England – Bringing Steve Ralston back into the fold represents a nice first step, but the Revs still require further reinforcements if they want to improve upon a disappointing first half to the campaign. (12)

13. Chivas USA – The Red-and-White will need to retool during the break with Sacha Kljestan's departure to Anderlecht apparently imminent. (13)

14. Kansas City – When two struggling teams meet at the most peculiar home venue in the league... (14)

15. Philadelphia – … don't place your faith in the expansion team to figure out a way to escape with three points. (15)

16. D.C. United – A cross-country trek and a likely defeat to Seattle on national television just about sums up United's dismal first half. (16)

Week 13
The top seven remain the same, but the return from the World Cup break brings plenty of movement to the bottom half of the Goal.com MLS Rankings.
Jun 30, 2010
By Kyle McCarthy

1. Los Angeles – Galaxy fans will be pleased to hear that the season series against Toronto FC is over after a second goalless draw on Saturday. (1)

2. Real Salt Lake – The Claret-and-Cobalt hasn't conceded in 318 minutes heading into Friday's home date with New England. (2)

3. Columbus – No wonder why Guillermo Barros Schelotto needed to corral the ball with his hand on Saturday night: Crew strikers – not including the more withdrawn Argentine schemer – have netted just three goals this season. (3)

4. New York – The Red Bulls notched their largest road victory since August 2005 after their second-half dismantling of Kansas City resulted in a 3-0 victory at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. (4)

5. Colorado – Another week, another result. The Rapids just keep plugging away with little fanfare. (5)

6. Toronto FC – The smart money suggests the Reds will set a new club record by extending their unbeaten streak to seven matches when Houston visits on Thursday night. (6)

7. San Jose – Will Joe Cannon turn Jon Busch into his new Scott Pepper? (7)

8. FC Dallas – The take-home reminder from the 2-1 win over Chivas USA at the weekend: David Ferreira runs the show for FCD. (10)

9. Chicago – Tricky winger Marco Pappa has scored the Fire's past four goals in MLS play. (11)

10. Houston – Safe to say the World Cup break didn't quite eradicate the Dynamo's defensive concerns. (9)

11. Seattle – For a team with its ambition and its talent, Sounders FC simply must do better. Even if it inexplicably continues to miss its penalty kicks. ( cool

12. Philadelphia – PPL Park should give the Union a true home-field advantage. And if Peter Nowak's side plays like it did in the second half against Sounders FC, then the home side will have the ability to take advantage of the support. (15)

13. D.C. United – There are still signs of life, even if a non-call facilitated the inevitable defeat at Columbus. (16)

14. New England – With a trip to Real Salt Lake and a visit by Los Angeles on the docket for the next two games, things will likely get worse before they get better in Revolution-land. (12)

15. Kansas City – The meager silver lining in the currently dark cloud: it can't get much worse than the insipid second-half performance submitted against New York. (14)

16. Chivas USA – The Red-and-White played its starters against Austin in the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night and emerged with a much needed 1-0 victory. (13)