Major League Soccer Power Rankings, Week 9

FC Dallas and the Montreal Impact maintain the #1 and #2 spots for the 3rd week in a row and the Portland Timbers move into the top 5 for the first time all year. The New England Revolution and Seattle Sounders move out of the bottom 5, replaced by the Chicago Fire and San Jose Earthquakes.

Biggest moves up this week: New England Revolution, Portland Timbers, Columbus Crew

Biggest drops: Philadelphia Union, Sporting Kansas City, San Jose Earthquakes

This week's rankings (+- vs last week):

1) FC Dallas (West)

2) Montreal Impact (East)

3) LA Galaxy (West) +2

4) Portland Timbers (West) +3

5) Houston Dynamo (East) -1

6) Sporting Kansas City (East) -3

7) New York Red Bulls (East) +1

8) Columbus Crew (East) +3

9) Chivas USA (West)

10) Philadelphia Union (East) -4

11) Colorado Rapids (West) +1

12) Real Salt Lake (West) -2

13) New England Revolution (East) +5

14) Seattle Sounders FC (West) +1

15) Chicago Fire (East) -2

16) Vancouver Whitecaps (West) +1

17) San Jose Earthquakes (West) -3

18) Toronto FC (East) -2

19) D.C. United (East)

Major League Soccer Match Picks, Week 9

Four for ten last week, 34% on the year.

My picks for this week:

Winners: Montreal Impact, FC Dallas, Columbus Crew, Sporting KC, Chivas USA and the Houston Dynamo

Draws: Toronto FC/New York Red Bulls, New England/Philadelphia, Real Salt Lake/LA Galaxy

Major League Soccer Power Rankings, Week 8

FC Dallas and the Montreal Impact maintain the top two spots in this weeks rankings, while the LA Galaxy takes a top five spot from Chivas USA. After eight straight weeks in the bottom five, the Chicago Fire jump up to number thirteen.

Biggest jumps up this week: Real Salt Lake, Chicago Fire and Seattle Sounders

Biggest drops: Chivas USA and the Vancouver Whitecaps

This week's rankings (+- last week):

1) FC Dallas (West)

2) Montreal Impact (East)

3) Sporting Kansas City (East) +2

4) Houston Dynamo (East) -1

5) LA Galaxy (West) +1

6) Philadelphia Union (East) +1

7) Portland Timbers (West) +1

8) New York Red Bulls (East) +3

9) Chivas USA (West) -5

10) Real Salt Lake (West) +4

11) Columbus Crew (East) -2

12) Colorado Rapids (West) -2

13) Chicago Fire (East) +4

14) San Jose Earthquakes (West) -1

15) Seattle Sounders FC (West) +4

16) Toronto FC (East) -1

17) Vancouver Whitecaps (West) -5

18) New England Revolution (East) -2

19) D.C. United (East) -1

Major League Soccer Match Picks, Week 8, Weekend Edition

Missed on my Wednesday night pick. Thought that the New York Red Bulls would scratch out a draw with Sporting KC at home, but Sporting got the 1-0 win.

My pick for the weekend matches:

Winners: Colorado Rapids, New York Red Bulls and FC Dallas

Picking draws for the balance of the matches.

Major League Soccer Power Rankings, Week 7

A change in the top spot this week! FC Dallas takes over for the Montreal Impact on the strength of a 5 game unbeaten streak, including 4 victories! The LA Galaxy drop out  of the top 5 for the first time all season, with Sporting KC returning after a 3 week absence.

Biggest gainers this week? Colorado Rapids, New York Red Bulls and Portland Timbers

Biggest drops? New England Revolution, LA Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes

Here you go (+ - vs last week):

1) FC Dallas (West) +2

2) Montreal Impact (East) -1

3) Houston Dynamo (East) +2

4) Chivas USA (West)

5) Sporting Kansas City (East) +2

6) LA Galaxy (West) -4

7) Philadelphia Union (East) +3

8) Portland Timbers (West) +4

9) Columbus Crew (East) -3

10) Colorado Rapids (West) +5

11) New York Red Bulls (East) +5

12) Vancouver Whitecaps (West)   -1

13) San Jose Earthquakes (West) -4

14) Real Salt Lake (West) -1

15) Toronto FC (East) -1

16) New England Revolution -8 (East)

17) Chicago Fire (East) +2

18) D.C. United (East)

19) Seattle Sounders FC (West) -2

Major League Soccer Match Picks, Week 7

Horrible week last week. I was only 1 for 7. 33% on the year.

Here's my picks this week:

Winners:

Montreal Impact
Philadelphia Union
Vancouver Whitecaps
DC United
FC Dallas
Chivas USA
Houston Dynamo

Draws:

Seattle Sounders vs New England Revolution
Portland Timbers vs San Jose Earthquakes

2013 Major League Soccer Power Rankings Week 6

Big drops in the rankings this week by Real Salt Lake, DC United and the New York Red Bulls. Nice move up by the Portland Timbers and Colorado Rapids.

Montreal Impact maintain the top spot, with the LA Galaxy and FC Dallas swapping the #2 and #3 spots.

This week's rankings (+ - from last week):

1) Montreal Impact (East)

2) LA Galaxy (West) +1

3) FC Dallas (West) -1

4) Chivas USA (West) +1

5) Houston Dynamo (East) +1

6) Columbus Crew (East) -2

7) Sporting Kansas City (East)

8) New England Revolution (East) +1

9) San Jose Earthquakes (West) +1

10) Philadelphia Union (East) +2

11) Vancouver Whitecaps (West)

12) Portland Timbers (West) +4

13) Real Salt Lake (West)  -5

14) Toronto FC (East) +1

15) Colorado Rapids (West) +3

16) New York Red Bulls (East)  -3

17) Seattle Sounders FC (West)

18) D.C. United (East) -4

19) Chicago Fire (East)

Major League Soccer Match Picks, Week 6

Winners this week:

Sporting KC
FC Dallas
Columbus Crew
San Jose Earthquakes

3 Draws this week:

Colorado v Real Salt Lake
Portland v Houston
Chicago v New York

2013 Major League Soccer Power Rankings, Week 5

Were are 5 weeks into the 2013 Major League Soccer season, and we now have a pretty good feeling on the quality of the teams to date.

Here's my inaugural Power Rankings for 2013, Week 5:

1) Montreal Impact (East)

2) FC Dallas (West)

3) LA Galaxy (West)

4) Columbus Crew (East)

5) Chivas USA (West)

6) Houston Dynamo (East)

7) Sporting Kansas City (East)

8) Real Salt Lake (West)

9) New England Revolution (East)

10) San Jose Earthquakes (West)

11) Vancouver Whitecaps (West)

12) Philadelphia Union (East)

13) New York Red Bulls (East)

14) D.C. United (East)

15) Toronto FC (East)

16) Portland Timbers (West)

17) Seattle Sounders FC (West)

18) Colorado Rapids (West)

19) Chicago Fire (East)

Major League Soccer Match Predictions, Matchweek 9, Saturday and Sunday Matches, 5/5/12

I picked Seattle's victory over the Galaxy and San Jose's victory over DC United correctly, but got the other two matches played this week wrong.

Here are the balance of my picks for this week:

Saturday 5/5 Matches:

Sporting KC will beat Montreal at home

Columbus will draw at Portland

DC United will win at Toronto

Seattle will beat Philadelphia at home

San Jose will draw at Vancouver

New York will draw at the Galaxy

Real Salt Lake will beat New England at home

Sunday 5/6 Match:

FC Dallas will beat Colorado at home

I've Got Some Explaining To Do...Major League Soccer Power Rankings, Week 27, 9/19/11

I've spent some time on past Major League Soccer Power Rankings posts documenting my philosophy when compiling them each week.


I still like to tweak my formula, but since there are a few surprises (at first glance) in the top ten this week I thought I would post a little more detail/philosophy.


My overriding philosophy in my rankings is to rank the teams from top to bottom in Major League Soccer on who is playing best at that point in time based on a formula. I am not trying to predict how the season will end with these rankings. Theoretically, the top team in my rankings on any given week should be able to beat the other seventeen on a neutral field that given week, the second team should beat the sixteen below them, etc.


I don't purely go by this when I make my MLS match predictions, as I look at each teams' ranking score in my formula and their differential to determine whether the match can be predicted. So if the #1 team's score in my rankings has a very small differential with #2, I wouldn't necessarily pick the #1 team to win. I also take into account the predominant home field advantage that historically exists in the MLS to make my pick.

So what is my formula? I take season to date points per game (not goals, but points earned) as I feel teams should be rewarded for their long term performance in my rankings.  I combine that with points per game in a team's last five matches (a reflection of who is currently hot) to come up with a team's score. I weight season-long performance 60% in my formula and the last five matches' performance 40%. In the last five matches' average I give a higher weighting for away wins, and will punish a team for a home loss.

The LA Galaxy are #1

My Major League Soccer Power Rankings, Week #27:

1) LA Galaxy (West)

2) Real Salt Lake (West)

3) Seattle Sounders FC (West)

4) Portland Timbers (West)

5) Toronto FC (East)

6) Chicago Fire (East)

7) D.C. United (East)

8) Houston Dynamo (East)

9) New York Red Bulls (East)

10) Sporting Kansas City (East)

11) Philadelphia Union (East)

12) Colorado Rapids (West)

13) FC Dallas (West)

14) Columbus Crew (East)

15) New England Revolution (East)

16) San Jose Earthquakes (West)

17) Vancouver Whitecaps (West)

18) Chivas USA (West)

At first glance, I'm thinking that readers are going to look at this week's rankings and are going to wonder why two teams with a slim to none chance at making the MLS Playoffs, the Chicago Fire and Toronto FC are ranked so high, and virtual locks for the playoffs, FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew are ranked so low.


The reason is current form (last five matches) and it's 40% weighting in my formula. Here are the teams ranked by current form this week:

1) Real Salt Lake (West)

2) LA Galaxy (West)

3) Toronto FC (East)

4) (3-way tie) Seattle Sounders FC (West)

Portland Timbers (West)

Chicago Fire (East)

7) D.C. United (East)

8) (2-way tie) Houston Dynamo (East)

New York Red Bulls (East)

10) (2-way tie) Sporting Kansas City (East)

New England Revolution (East)

12) (2-way tie) Philadelphia Union (East)

Colorado Rapids (West)

14) Vancouver Whitecaps (West)

15) (3-way tie) FC Dallas (West)

Columbus Crew (East)

San Jose Earthquakes (West)

18) Chivas USA (West)

Toronto FC (last 5, WLTWW) and the Chicago Fire (TWWLW) are playing very well right now and are ranked in the top six in MLS for their last five matches. FC Dallas (TLWLL) and the Columbus Crew (WLLTL) are currently playing very poorly and are ranked in the bottom four.

I have admittedly questioned the 40% weighting on current form, but if I'm going to use these rankings to predict match results, I feel I have to look at who's hot and take that into account.

So that's my explanation. Not perfect, but it entertains me.

Must Have Been Crazy! The Philadelphia Union and New England Revolution Play to a 4-4 Draw! 9/7/11

I don't get Galavision, so I had to monitor tonight's Major League Soccer match between the Philadelphia Union and the New England Revolution on MLSsoccer.com.

It must have been a great match. The result was a 4-4 draw, making my prediction of a Philadelphia Union victory wrong. Worse yet, I had it as one of my mortal locks! Oh well...0 for 1 this week, 7 for 20, or 35% for the year.

I have updated my model to reflect tonight's results. I predict that both the Philadelphia Union/Portland Timbers and New England Revolution/FC Dallas matches will end in draws. That completes my September 10th match predictions.

Your #1, The LA Galaxy! Major League Soccer Power Rankings, Week 24, 8/31/2011

#1 Again, The LA Galaxy!

Quick post this week...

My week 24 Major League Soccer Power Rankings:

1) LA Galaxy (West)

2) Seattle Sounders FC (West)

3) Colorado Rapids (West)

4) Columbus Crew (East)

5) FC Dallas (West)

6) Real Salt Lake (West)

7) D.C. United (East)

8) Houston Dynamo (East)

9) Sporting Kansas City (East)

10) Portland Timbers (West)

11) Chicago Fire (East)

12) Chivas USA (West)

13) Philadelphia Union (East)

14) Toronto FC (East)

15) New York Red Bulls (East)

16) Vancouver Whitecaps (West)

17) New England Revolution (East)

18) San Jose Earthquakes (West)

The The LA Galaxy Maintain the Top Spot! Major League Soccer Power Rankings Week 22, 8/15/11

The LA Galaxy Maintain the Top Spot!

My Major League Soccer Rankings are pretty much for my own entertainment. I like messing around with numbers, and am a big fan of the MLS, so why not combine the two.

I have been publishing my rankings since matchweek 5. My intent with the rankings is to judge who are the best teams top to bottom at this point in the season. My intent is not to predict how the season will end.

I have been trying to figure out a way to look at how accurate my rankings are. Haven't really figured out a way, but I think the best way would be to try to look at the rankings for the current week and how those rankings predict the results on the field. More to come on that.

I have made a minor adjustment to my formula this week. Specifically, the way I was calculating the rankings prior did not take into account the number of matches played. Theoretically a team who had played less matches could be hurt in my formula, so now I have made the proper adjustments to take number of games played out as a factor.

Some quick notes for this week:

- Biggest jump up? The Houston Dynamo jumped up 3 spots.

- Biggest decline? Real Salt Lake dropped 4 spots.

- Best current form? Colorado, The LA Galaxy and Seattle.

- Poorest current form? San Jose and Chicago.

My week 22 Major League Soccer Rankings:

1) LA Galaxy (West)

2) Colorado Rapids (West)

3) Seattle Sounders FC (West)

4) FC Dallas (West)

5) Columbus Crew (East)

6) Chivas USA (West)

7) D.C. United (East)

8) Houston Dynamo (East)

9) Real Salt Lake (West)

10) Philadelphia Union (East)

11) Sporting Kansas City (East)

12) Portland Timbers (West)

13) New York Red Bulls (East)

14) New England Revolution (East)

15) Toronto FC (East)

16) Vancouver Whitecaps (West)

17) San Jose Earthquakes (West)

18) Chicago Fire (East)

The LA Galaxy Are Still #1! Major League Soccer Power Rankings Week 21, 8/8/11

The Galaxy Are Still #1!

Quick post this week. Heading out of town.

My week 21 Major League Soccer Power Rankings:

1) LA Galaxy (West)

2) Seattle Sounders FC (West)

3) FC Dallas (West)

4) Colorado Rapids (West)

5) Real Salt Lake (West)

6) Columbus Crew (East)

7) Chivas USA (West)

8) D.C. United (East)

9) Philadelphia Union (East)

10) Portland Timbers (West)

11) Houston Dynamo (East)

12) Sporting Kansas City (East)

13) New York Red Bulls (East)

14) New England Revolution (East)

15) San Jose Earthquakes (West)

16) Vancouver Whitecaps (West)

17) Toronto FC (East)

18) Chicago Fire (East)

The LA Galaxy Are Back On Top! Major League Soccer Power Rankings Week 20, 8/1/11

The LA Galaxy Are #1 Again!

After a 4 Week hiatus the LA Galaxy regains the top spot in this week's Major League Soccer Power Rankings. The Galaxy continue to dominate MLS play, and opened up a huge gap between themselves and the 2nd ranked team, Seattle.

Spots 2-5 are separated by the closest of margins in this week's rankings. Seattle, FC Dallas, The Columbus Crew and Colorado could overtake one another in the coming week's depending on results of their future matches.

Biggest move up the rankings this week? DC United moved up 4 spots.

Biggest drop? Sporting KC dropped 3 spots.

Who has the best current form? The LA Galaxy and Columbus Crew.

The worst? Vancouver and Toronto.

My Week 20 Major League Soccer Power Rankings:

1) LA Galaxy (West)

2) Seattle Sounders FC (West)

3) FC Dallas (West)

4) Columbus Crew (East)

5) Colorado Rapids (West)

6) Real Salt Lake (West)

7) Philadelphia Union (East)

8) D.C. United (East)

9) Houston Dynamo (East)

10) Chivas USA (West)

11) Sporting Kansas City (East)

12) New York Red Bulls (East)

13) New England Revolution (East)

14) Portland Timbers (West)

15) San Jose Earthquakes (West)

16) Chicago Fire (East)

17) Toronto FC (East)

18) Vancouver Whitecaps (West)

3 Weeks in a Row! The Seattle Sounders Maintain the #1 Spot! Major League Soccer Power Rankings Week 19, 7/25/11

Seattle Still #1!

Being idle this week in MLS play didn't hurt the Seattle Sounders, who maintain the #1 spot in this week's rankings, although the LA Galaxy crept a little closer on the heels of their midweek home victory versus the Columbus Crew.

The top 3 teams didn't change from last week. Seattle and the LA Galaxy seem to be the class of the league this week, with FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake continuing to keep pace.

Spots 6-9 are separated by the closest of margins in this week's rankings. The Columbus Crew, Colorado Rapids, Sporting KC and Chivas USA seem to be neck in neck as the continue their MLS campaigns.

Biggest moves up the rankings this week? The New England Revolution moved up 4 spots, Colorado moved up 3. 

Biggest drop? D.C. United dropped 4 spots, the Columbus Crew dropped 2.

Who has the best current form? The Seattle Sounders, LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake.

The worst? Vancouver, Toronto and Chicago.

My Week 19 Major League Soccer Power Rankings:

1) Seattle Sounders FC (West)

2) LA Galaxy (West)

3) FC Dallas (West)

4) Real Salt Lake (West)

5) Philadelphia Union (East)

6) Columbus Crew (East)

7) Colorado Rapids (West)

8) Sporting Kansas City (East)

9) Chivas USA (West)

10) New York Red Bulls (East)

11) Houston Dynamo (East)

12) D.C. United (East)

13) New England Revolution (East)

14) San Jose Earthquakes (West)

15) Portland Timbers (West)

16) Toronto FC (East)

17) Chicago Fire (East)

18) Vancouver Whitecaps (West)