WagerTalk MLS Power Rankings Matchday 9

MLS Power Rankings Top 5

As we head towards the middle of the MLS regular season, Sportsmemo MLS handicapper Nick Borrman presents his MLS Power Rankings heading into Matchday 9. Which teams are slotted at the top and which teams need to make improvements? Read his power rankings now!

1. Los Angeles FC

L/5 Form – Tied 1st [2.2 PPG], L/5 xPTS – 4th [9.20 xPTS]

Not even the CCL (CONCACAF Champions League) can slow them down as Los Angeles FC has reached the semifinals where they face off with Philadelphia in a rematch of last year’s MLS Cup Final.

Los Angeles FC average the most shots and shots on target per game while allowing the 2nd fewest xGA in the league at just 0.93 per 90 minutes.

They are also the only remaining unbeaten team. So, yea, until that changes, their position at that top won’t.

2. Seattle Sounders

L/5 Form – Tied 3rd [2.0 PPG], L/5 xPTS – 9th [7.57 xPTS]

Sure, their 1-4 loss at Portland last weekend was ugly, but xG showed a much closer match. Still, they have benefitted from no CCL duties this season and Jordan Morris has netted 8 goals already for the Sounders. But really, it all comes down to health for this team, which for the time being, they have.

3. Vancouver Whitecaps

L/5 Form – Tied 9th [1.8 PPG], L/5 xPTS – 1st [9.67 xPTS]

If you take a look at just table position, you may be scratching your head as to why Vancouver is 3rd in the rankings, but xG loves what they are doing as they have the 3rd most xPTS at 13.59, yet they only have nine.

The Whitecaps opened the season with two losses but have since gone unbeaten in their last six. They were knocked out of the CCL by LAFC, but that should only strengthen their focus on league matches.

4. FC Cincinnati

L/5 Form – Tied 3rd [2.0 PPG], L/5 xPTS – 7th [8.04 xPTS]

Their blowout loss to STL wasn’t as bad as it seemed according to xG, still, it’s likely a much needed wakeup call for them.

Their run of six straight Unders and ‘Both Teams to Score-NO’ props has ended, but that just means the league’s 2nd best defense (0.89 xGA per 90 minutes) is ready to start another streak.

Facing Portland next, the league’s 6th most inept offense (0.98 xG per 90 minutes) should help get them back on track.

5. New England Revolution

L/5 Form – Tied 1st [2.2 PPG], L/5 xPTS – 6th [8.10 xPTS]

The Eastern Conference leaders got spanked at LAFC back in early March, but other than that, they are unbeaten on the season and have kept four clean sheets and allowed three goals (LAFC scored four on them).

Results are all that matters of course, but underlying metrics suggest they will likely fall out of the Top-5 sooner rather than later with only a +0.02 xG differential per 90 minutes.

MLS Bottom 5 Power Rankings

25. Charlotte FC

L/5 Form – Tied 18th [1.2 PPG], L/5 xPTS – 25th [4.30 xPTS]

Coin flip between Charlotte and Real Salt Lake, but RSL beat Charlotte 3-1 so there you go. Only Montreal has conceded more than Charlotte’s 16, and they allow the most shots on target per match (6.1).

Charlotte face Columbus, NYCFC and Atlanta over their next four matches. They may be stuck on this list for a while.

26. Los Angeles Galaxy

L/5 Form – Tied 27th [0.4 PPG], L/5 xPTS – 12th [7.25 xPTS]

The Galaxy came up short in El Traffico over the weekend, but I suppose that’s no surprise as they remain one of only two winless teams on the season.

The craziest thing is the they actually have a positive xG differential at +0.01 per 90 minutes, but until they start getting some actual results, they will stay on this list.

27. Inter Miami

L/5 Form – 29th [0.0 PPG], L/5 xPTS – 29th [2.28 xPTS]

It all looked so promising opening the season with two wins. But Beckham’s club has now lost five straight and were held scoreless in four of those.

They are generating the 3rd fewest xG per 90 minutes (0.91) while allowing the 7th most xGA (1.46). They just made a trade with Montreal for central defender Kamal Miller and some GAM (general allocation money), so there’s hope and only one direction for this team to go.

28. Sporting Kansas City

L/5 Form – 28th [0.2 PPG], L/5 xPTS – 23rd [4.91 xPTS]

No team in MLS history has scored as few of goals through eight games as SKC has this year. Two. There isn’t much else to say other than it’s not a fluke, they rank in the bottom five in xG averaging less than 1.0 per 90 minutes. They should rise though. Their 1.28 xGA per 90 minutes ranks better than 14 teams.

29. CF Montreal

L/5 Form – Tied 24th [0.6 PPG], L/5 xPTS – 28th [3.44 xPTS]

Nobody has conceded more goals than Montreal’s 17 and hey, their three goals scored in seven matches this season are at least more than Kansas City. The problem is those three goals all came in one match as they have been blanked six times already.

Montreal just traded away a great defender in Kamal Miller just last week along with shipping over $1.3M GAM. Are they throwing in the towel already?