From the beginning of the 2022 campaign, Austin FC has drawn plenty of attention. Following a difficult expansion campaign, the goals have flowed in its sophomore season, and so have the wins.
There has been a hiccup or two -- the home loss to the LA Galaxy springs to mind -- that gave the impression that the Verde weren't quite ready to really contend for the Supporters' Shield, but Monday's 3-2 win over the Colorado Rapids, one in which they came back from two goals down in the mile-high altitude, has perhaps signaled that a run for the best league record is possible. LAFC's 1-0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps over the long weekend means that Austin is just two points back of the top spot. The Black and Gold's slipup figures to be a mere speed bump in terms of form, especially with reinforcements in Gareth Bale and Giorgio Chiellini now eligible, but Austin is poised to make it a two-horse race in the West.
Out east, New York City FC's loss of form, as well as stumbles by the Philadelphia Union and CF Montreal, meant that the New York Red Bulls' 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City saw RBNY claim the top spot in the East. The win took the Red Bulls' road record to 6-3-1, tied for the best in MLS with ... Austin.
With Week 17 in the books, Jeff Carlisle and Austin Lindberg look at the results, break down where all 28 teams stand after a wild weekend of action and bring you the latest edition of the MLS Power Rankings.
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1. LAFC
Previous ranking: 1
Next MLS match: July 8 vs. LA Galaxy, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN
Coughing up a late winner, as LAFC did in a 1-0 defeat to Vancouver, is always tough to take, but the Black and Gold didn't really generate a whole lot of offense in this one, so they'll have few complaints. With the summer window opening on July 7, Giorgio Chiellini and Gareth Bale will be eligible to play in this week's edition of El Trafico. -- Carlisle
2. Austin FC
Previous ranking: 4
Next MLS match: July 9 at Atlanta United FC, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Taking two wins on the road in the dog days of summer, following points in four of its past five games, is the sort of string of results that can galvanize a club like Austin as it positions itself for a playoff push. -- Carlisle
3. New York Red Bulls
Previous ranking: 6
Next MLS match: July 9 at FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Picking up six points in 72 hours, thanks to wins over Sporting KC and Atlanta, sees the Red Bulls move into the top spot of the Eastern Conference. A deserved feat for a team that's taken points from seven of its past 10 league matches. -- Lindberg
4. New York City FC
Previous ranking: 3
Next MLS match: July 9 vs. New England Revolution, 1 p.m. ET
A pair of draws against Cincinnati and Atlanta see NYCFC's winless run extend to four games. The 2021 MLS Cup champions are officially in a slump. At least they can take solace in defending Golden Boot winner Valentin Castellanos once again leading the league in goal scoring with 10 on the campaign. -- Lindberg
Serge Ngoma's hustle pays off with go-ahead goal for Red Bulls
Serge Ngoma's high press leads to a takeaway as he slots home the go-ahead goal in the 89th minute for the New York Red Bulls.
5. Real Salt Lake
Previous ranking: 2
Next MLS match: July 9 vs. Colorado Rapids, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+
RSL made a game of it against Minnesota, scoring twice after going 3-0 down, but it wasn't enough to avoid defeat. Anderson Julio looked lively off the bench, and returnee Jefferson Savarino looks like he's never been away, with two goals and two assists in five matches. Despite the loss, RSL continues to punch above its weight. -- Carlisle
6. Philadelphia Union
Previous ranking: 5
Next MLS match: July 8 vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Philly's attack continues to misfire, shut out twice in the past week in a defeat to Chicago and a draw with Columbus. Among teams occupying playoff places, only Real Salt Lake has scored as sparingly as the Union, so perhaps this shouldn't come as a surprise, but for a team that once looked far and away the best team in the East, it's further evidence of returning to the mean. -- Lindberg
7. CF Montreal
Previous ranking: 10
Next MLS match: July 9 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Montreal's West Coast swing got off on the right foot, with a 2-1 win over continental champion Seattle, only for it to finish on a sour note with a 4-0 hammering at the hands of the Galaxy in Southern California. Still, the Quebecois are just three points off the top of the Eastern Conference and have a game in hand over the No. 1-seeded Red Bulls. -- Lindberg
8. Nashville SC
Previous ranking: 8
Next MLS match: July 9 at Charlotte FC, 7 p.m. ET
Nashville remains among the better teams defensively in MLS, but there have been some head-scratching moments in 2022, especially late in games. Case in point is Sunday's encounter with Portland, where it couldn't hold on to a two-goal, second-half lead. A keeper blunder played a part, but one would still expect NSC to see that match out. -- Carlisle
Hany Mukhtar drills the goal for Nashville SC
Hany Mukhtar hits the bottom right corner of the net to put Nashville SC up 2-0 vs. Portland.
9. FC Dallas
Previous ranking: 7
Next MLS match: July 9 at Houston Dynamo FC, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Dallas will feel it should have done better than a 1-1 home draw with Miami given the chances it had over the first 60 minutes. Conceding a late equalizer will stick in the craw as well, although Alan Velasco's tally from a free kick was outstanding. FCD is now winless in four games. -- Carlisle
10. Seattle Sounders
Previous ranking: 11
Next MLS match: July 9 vs. Portland Timbers, 4:30 p.m. ET
Following a midweek defeat to Montreal, Brian Schmetzer showed some faith in his depth pieces, and it paid off with a solid 2-0 road win over Toronto. The victory continued Seattle's steady climb up the table, which now sees it fifth in the Western Conference standings. -- Carlisle
11. LA Galaxy
Previous ranking: 9
Next MLS match: July 8 at LAFC, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN
After watching Javier Hernandez and Dejan Joveljic have success when paired up top in the latter parts of games, Greg Vanney went with that forward duo from the start, and it paid off with a 4-0 hammering of Montreal that saw both players get on the score sheet. It helped soften the blow of a midweek 3-2 defeat to Minnesota. -- Carlisle
12. FC Cincinnati
Previous ranking: 13
Next MLS match: July 9 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Draws with NYCFC and New England mean Cincinnati has points in four straight and is firmly in the fight to host a playoff game this fall, but most exciting is the form of Brenner: Five goals in his past three games demonstrates why the 22-year-old was such a coveted prospect when he left Brazil for Ohio in 2021. -- Lindberg
Brenner slots one in to tie the match
FC Cincinnati capitalizes on a turnover in midfield and Brenner finds the back of the net.
13. New England Revolution
Previous ranking: 14
Next MLS match: July 9 at New York City FC, 1 p.m. ET
After the 2-2 stalemate with Cincinnati, the Revs have now drawn six of their past nine, which isn't great for a team with aspirations of defending its Supporters' Shield. The other three results, though? All wins. -- Lindberg
14. Orlando City
Previous ranking: 12
Next MLS match: July 9 vs. Inter Miami CF, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The story of the expected goals (xG) suggests that Orlando was unlucky to lose 5-3 to D.C., but to put yourself in a 3-0 hole against a team fighting to stay out of the Eastern Conference cellar is not a kind reflection upon Oscar Pareja's team. -- Lindberg
15. Minnesota United
Previous ranking: 23
Next MLS match: July 8 at Vancouver Whitecaps, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
When Emanuel Reynoso is at his best, there's simply no stopping the Loons, even if they make things interesting on the defensive end. The Argentine's four goals and one assist on the week powered Minnesota to a pair of wins over the LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake. -- Carlisle
16. Vancouver Whitecaps
Previous ranking: 22
Next MLS match: July 8 vs. Minnesota United, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The Whitecaps are on a roll, having taken 20 points from their past nine games, including Sunday's 1-0 win over high-flying LAFC. Andres Cubas, who has been impressive since arriving in April, grabbed an 89th-minute winner. -- Carlisle
Campana nets equalizer in the 88th minute for Inter Miami CF
Leonardo Campana comes up big with a goal in the 88th minute to bring Inter Miami CF level with FC Dallas at 1-1.
17. Inter Miami CF
Previous ranking: 16
Next MLS match: July 9 at Orlando City, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+
An 88th-minute equalizer from Leonardo Campana is the least Miami deserved from its trip to Dallas, where the Herons often looked superior to their hosts. -- Lindberg
18. Charlotte FC
Previous ranking: 19
Next MLS match: July 9 vs. Nashville SC, 7 p.m. ET
There's no shame in losing at home to one of the league leaders in Austin, and this year's expansion club quickly made up for it by earning the first away win in its history with a 2-1 victory in Houston. -- Lindberg
19. Columbus Crew
Previous ranking: 20
Next MLS match: July 9 at Chicago Fire FC, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+
After the scoreless draw against Philadelphia on Sunday, the Crew have now been shut out in eight of their past 13 MLS contests. Remarkably, Caleb Porter's team still has only the seventh-worst scoring record in the league. -- Lindberg
20. Portland Timbers
Previous ranking: 21
Next MLS match: July 9 at Seattle Sounders, 4:30 p.m. ET
The Timbers have perked up of late, going unbeaten in their past four matches to climb within a point of the playoff places. Eryk Williamson provided a huge lift off the bench with his play in midfield, and his late assist on Jaroslaw Niezgoda's goal helped Portland pick up a valuable road point against Nashville. -- Carlisle
NYCFC, Atlanta United play out a back-and-forth 2-2 draw
NYCFC and Atlanta United combine for three goals in the second half for an entertaining 2-2 draw.
21. Atlanta United FC
Previous ranking: 17
Next MLS match: July 9 vs. Austin FC, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
If making it in New York is a barometer for making it everywhere else, Atlanta's two-game swing in the Big Apple doesn't inspire a lot of confidence: A draw with NYCFC and a defeat to the Red Bulls has the Five Stripes closer to the foot of the table than the playoff places. -- Lindberg
22. Colorado Rapids
Previous ranking: 18
Next MLS match: July 9 at Real Salt Lake, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+
A total defensive collapse from the Rapids saw it squander an early two-goal lead and fall 3-2 to Austin. Both execution and communication were in short supply along the back, and with the team winless in four games, Colorado looks like a shadow of the side that won the Western Conference in 2021. -- Carlisle
23. Houston Dynamo
Previous ranking: 15
Next MLS match: July 9 vs. FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Sure, Charlotte has been better than expected, but losing 2-1 at home to an expansion side is a body blow for Houston, which has dropped four of five and is sinking fast in the West. Hector Herrera, who becomes eligible this week, will need to be stellar to rekindle the Dynamo's postseason hopes. -- Carlisle
24. Toronto FC
Previous ranking: 24
Next MLS match: July 9 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Losses to Columbus and Seattle, their seventh and eighth in their past eleven contests, ensures there's only one pertinent question in Toronto: Is Lorenzo Insigne here yet? -- Lindberg
San Jose hits the woodwork twice before scoring
The Earthquakes try their luck on goal three times, twice hitting the woodwork, before Benjamin Kikanovic finally finds the back of the net.
25. San Jose Earthquakes
Previous ranking: 26
Next MLS match: July at Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The Quakes are tough to read at the moment. They've clearly been better under interim manager Alex Covelo, following the departure of Matias Almeyda, but they are still winless on the season away from home. All the more reason to take advantage of home cooking, which they did in a 2-1 win over Chicago thanks to Benji Kikanovic's brace. -- Carlisle
26. D.C. United
Previous ranking: 28
Next MLS match: July 8 at Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
United's 5-3 win over Orlando saw the American capital club score more goals in 96 minutes than it had in its previous five games combined. -- Lindberg
27. Chicago Fire
Previous ranking: 27
Next MLS match: July 9 vs. Columbus Crew, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Chicago registered one goal in each of the 1-0 defeat of Philadelphia and the 2-1 loss to San Jose. On just four occasions all season have the Fire scored more than one goal in a league game. -- Lindberg
28. Sporting Kansas City
Previous ranking: 25
Next MLS match: July 9 at CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
SKC had the edge in just about every statistical category against the Red Bulls -- and played with a man advantage for the last 17 minutes -- but was made to pay for some slack marking that allowed Aaron Long to score the game's only goal. So it goes in a brutal season that now has Kansas City with the fewest points in MLS. -- Carlisle
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