It’s Monday and another week of MLS action is upon us, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.

Our power rankings are derived from a combination of key season statistics (points per game, goal difference, expected goal difference), recent performance, the Opta computer ratings and our writers’ observations.

Who climbs on the table? Who is in free fall? We have rated all 29 clubs in the league. Let’s dive in.

Previous ranking: 1

It wasn’t pretty, but Miami picked up six points last week with wins over Columbus and Toronto. The win in Columbus earned them the Shield, while the victory in Toronto puts them in position to tie the MLS single-season points record on decision day. Tata Martino’s team doesn’t play great football but they make full use of their star power.

Previous ranking: 2

The Crew bounced back from their disappointing midweek loss to Miami with a 3-2 win over Philadelphia. Cucho Hernández also recovered to score a brace after missing a potential game-winning penalty against Miami. An angry Cucho means bad things for the East.

Previous ranking: 3

An injury to Joseph Paintsil in the win over Austin FC took the wind out of the Galaxy’s sails. Still, the attack flies into Carson. Gabriel Pec is a superstar and head coach Greg Vanney should have the depth to make up for Paintsil’s absence.

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Dejan Joveljic hits a rocket in Galaxy win

Dejan Joveljic hits a rocket in Galaxy win

Previous ranking: 4

LAFC did exactly what great teams should do to bad teams when they visited Kansas City: They put them in a locker. LAFC improved SKC’s 4-3-3 formation and created chance after chance en route to a dominant 3-0 win.

Previous ranking: 5

First it was a group of six teams in the top flight in 2024. Then RSL was eliminated after losing Andres Gomez in the summer. It appears that FC Cincinnati is also exiting. With three straight losses, most recently against Orlando, it looks like Cincy has exceeded their limit after injury (and a failed summer signing).

Previous ranking: 10

Since June 15, the Sounders have lost just two regular season games. They score points in a top game and have everything under control in the 1-0 win against Colorado. With the best defense in MLS based on FBref’s non-penalty xG allowed per 90 metric, Seattle will be a nightmare playoff matchup.

Previous ranking: 7

Orlando City is red hot. Their 3-1 victory over Cincinnati increased the Lions’ record to six wins and one draw in their last seven games. For the first time this season, they beat a team that will also host a home playoff game. Oscar Pareja’s team gets going at just the right moment.

Previous ranking: 8

NYCFC followed up their big win over the Red Bulls last weekend with a midweek win over Cincinnati and a dominant performance against Nashville. Alonso Martinez can’t stop scoring for Nick Cushing – he’s already scored 16 goals this year.

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Santiago Rodriguez scores for New York City FC

Santiago Rodriguez scores for New York City FC

Previous ranking: 12

Even with a partially rotated lineup, Minnesota United still outperformed the Vancouver Whitecaps in Canada. As things stand, the Loons have pushed themselves out of the wild card spots and into the standard postseason field.

Previous ranking: 6

Who doesn’t love seeing the earthquakes on their schedule? RSL ended a three-game winning streak with a 1-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes. However, the attack still doesn’t look quite right.

Previous ranking: 9

The Dynamo was never used in the 3-0 loss to St. Louis City. Their transition defense was slow and their attacking play was inaccurate. They can’t get Héctor Herrera back from injury fast enough – even then, they’ll need to play near-perfect games to have a chance in the playoffs.

Previous ranking: 14

The Colorado Rapids had very few good chances against the Sounders’ airtight defensive structure in their 1-0 home defeat. As they head into the international break with three defeats in a row, Chris Armas will need to show some tactical nous to get the attacking juices flowing.

Previous ranking: 13

Stuart Armstrong, the newest DP in MLS, made his first start for Vancouver since signing last month. Surely he made a big impact in the Caps’ only game with three DPs in the starting lineup all season… right? Incorrect. The Whitecaps were outplayed by Minnesota and appear beatable heading into the postseason.

Previous ranking: 11

The Timbers limped into the postseason, but a 0-0 draw against FC Dallas on Sunday was just enough for them to win. While Portland had chances in their 4-2-3-1 system, they were unable to finish in front of their home crowd.

Previous ranking: 15

Dean Smith has opted for three ground-covering central midfielders and shifted his main playmaker to the wing. This setup worked against Montreal as Charlotte extended their unbeaten streak to four games.

Previous ranking: 20

It didn’t take long for DC to take a 2-0 lead away from home in New England. Thanks to another goal from the man who will win the Golden Boot, Christian Benteke, DC United had every chance of securing a wildcard spot on decision day.

Previous ranking: 24

Montreal’s five-game unbeaten streak ended with a 2-0 loss to Charlotte. Laurent Courtois’ team created few high-quality looks and seemed to be a step slow. They still haven’t secured a spot in the playoffs, but they’re not eliminated yet either.

Previous ranking: 16

Thanks to some results in the rest of the East’s playoff bubble, the Philadelphia Union is still in the hunt despite the loss to Columbus.

Previous ranking: 17

Thanks to a good old Red Bulls implosion, Atlanta United secured all three points at home. They are one of four teams vying for the wild card spots in the East, along with DC, Montreal and Philly.

Previous ranking: 18

Manage one win in the last eight games for RBNY. Against Atlanta they were second best and pretty sloppy at the back, conceding a penalty and down to 10 men at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Red Bulls are currently lacking momentum.

Previous ranking: 25

Simon Becher is doing everything he can to apply for the starting eleven in 2025. The 25-year-old scored four goals in just 461 minutes of the regular season and scored a devastating brace against Dynamo. If St. Louis doesn’t sign a top forward this winter, Becher should give João Klauss the nod next season.

Previous ranking: 22

Marco Farfan is now a central defender. Paul Arriola is now a fullback. FC Dallas is in transition and showed this in the 0-0 draw against Portland on Sunday.

Previous ranking: 19

The 2024 season is officially over for Toronto after the 0-1 loss to Miami. The loss eliminated John Herdman’s team from playoff contention – and without a game on decider day, Lorenzo Insigne could reach Cancun early.

Previous ranking: 23

Austin’s loss to the Galaxy eliminated them from the playoffs and was the final nail in Josh Wolff’s coffin. After three failed seasons and a playoff spot, Wolff was officially fired on Sunday. Sports director Rodolfo Borrell has to make a lot of changes.

Previous ranking: 21

Thanks to DC’s win over New England on Saturday, Nashville’s playoff hopes were extinguished before they even took the field on Sunday (where they narrowly lost to NYCFC). After Gary Smith was fired, it was always about building for 2025. Now construction can really begin.

Previous ranking: 27

With a playoff spot still up for grabs, the Revs were fully prepared to give it a go in their game against DC. Wait a moment. They conceded two goals in seven minutes and are now (finally) out of the playoff hunt.

Previous ranking: 28

Chicago enjoyed a bye week before the international break. They wish the year was already over so they wouldn’t have to play a meaningless game against Nashville on decision day.

Previous ranking: 26

The SKC midfield was hot butter. LAFC’s possession game was a knife. Peter Vermes’ team was never in the game against LAFC.

Previous ranking: 29

There’s nothing better than watching one of your former academy players score the winning goal against you. The Quakes had to end this season months ago.