Mick's Matchday 2 MLS Power Rankings
Early Shake-Up in the 2025 Season
Welcome to Mick’s MLS Power Rankings! After Matchday 2 of the 2025 season, we’re starting to see storylines take shape—or, in some cases, get flipped on its head. With a few surprises already in the books, here’s how all 30 teams stack up as of March 7, 2025. Let’s dive in!
1. Philadelphia Union
Who saw this coming? The Union demolished FC Cincinnati 4-1, with Tai Baribo’s hat-trick stealing the show. New boss Bradley Carnell has this team humming, scoring eight goals in two games. If you would have told me before the season that I would have the Union ranked #1 at any point in the season I would have laughed in you face, but they have pulled it together and rightfully deserved the spot on the back of Baribo.
2. Inter Miami CF
No Messi, no problem—at least for now. Even without Messi suiting up against the Houston Dynamo, Inter Miami rolled to a 4-1 victory, powered by Luis Suárez’s goal-and-three-assist masterclass and a brace from new signing Telasco Segovia. Javier Mascherano’s squad looks deep and dangerous, and they are still yet to tap Julian Gressel.
3. LAFC
The Black & Gold are stingy and steady, notching a 1-0 win over New York City FC for their second straight clean sheet in MLS play. Steve Cherundolo’s defensive identity is shining through, even if the attack hasn’t fully clicked yet. We are still waiting for Jeremy Ebobisee to breakthrough this season, and once he does LAFC should be set up for a great season.
4. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Talk about a statement start! After thrashing Portland 4-1 on opening day, the Whitecaps took down defending champs LA Galaxy 2-1 at home, with Brian White’s late header sealing the deal. Jesper Sørensen’s crew is firing on all cylinders—watch out.
5. Charlotte FC
Wilfried Zaha’s MLS debut was worth the hype. The former Premier League star scored and assisted in a 2-0 shutout of Atlanta United, with Kristijan Kahlina stonewalling the Five Stripes’ attack. Dean Smith’s side is climbing fast in front of a rambunctious 51,000-strong crowd.
6. FC Cincinnati
Cincy crashed hard this week in their 4-1 loss to Philly. Kévin Denkey and Evander are still a lethal duo, but defensive lapses exposed some cracks. I feel they are still one of the better teams in the east, but they’ll need to regroup fast to stay in the Eastern Conference elite.
7. Columbus Crew
The Crew keep chugging along, grinding out a 1-0 win at New England with Jacen Russell-Rowe’s strike. Maybe they deserve to be higher in the ranks, but I am confident this is where they currently should be based on what we have seen so far from the league. If they keep playing like this then they will move up the table.
8. Atlanta United
From feast to famine. After Emmanuel Latte Lath’s debut brace on Matchday 1, Atlanta’s star-studded attack was silenced in Charlotte. Ronny Deila’s squad has all the talent—Almirón and Latte Lath alone cost $33 million—but they need consistency. This team has the potential to take the #1 spot, but after their performance in Charlotte maybe this team isn’t where we thought they were. Also, it doesn’t help that 3 of their first choice back 4 is currently injured, but that should be an excuse.
9. San Jose Earthquakes
You may be thinking that #9 is harsh for the team that is top of the Western Conference right now, and you might be correct. However, it is going to take more than 2 good performances for me to believe in the team that finished dead last in points last year. One thing is for sure though - Bruce Arena’s magic touch is real. The Quakes beat Sporting Kansas City 2-1, even after going down to 10 men, thanks to goals from Josef Martinez and Chicho Arango. This team is definitely worth a watch.
10. Minnesota United FC
MUFC edged CF Montréal 1-0 with Kelvin Yeboah’s lone goal, but they could’ve had more. Eric Ramsay’s side is solid and deep, though their ceiling depends on finding a true game-changer in midfield.
11. New York Red Bulls
A 1-0 loss to Nashville SC wasn’t the plan, but the Red Bulls still look like a playoff lock. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting needs time to gel, and Emil Forsberg’s health remains key. They’re steady, not spectacular so far.
12. LA Galaxy
The champs stumbled in Vancouver, falling 2-1 despite their pedigree. Losing Mateusz Bogusz and Cristian Olivera hurts, and the Galaxy need their new pieces to step up. Still, it’s early—don’t count them out, but without Puig I’m not sure I would put too much faith in their regular season.
13. Orlando City SC
The Lions roared back with a 4-2 win over Toronto FC. After a rough opener, this was a much-needed bounce-back. Orlando’s attack is clicking, but their defense remains a question mark.
14. D.C. United
A 96th-minute bicycle kick from Jacob Murrell snatched a 2-2 draw with Chicago Fire. Two games, two points, and plenty of chaos—D.C. is entertaining, if nothing else. Christian Benteke’s still the man.
15. Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle slipped again in Salt Lake getting downed 0-2. This team needs to find its footing before they slip too far. I still believe they are a Western Conference contender, but they will need to start stepping it up. The biggest positive for the Sounders in my book is that Jordan Morris seems to be firing on all cylinders to start the season.
16. San Diego FC
The expansion side couldn’t replicate their Matchday 1 magic, falling 1-0 to St. Louis CITY SC. Chucky Lozano and Anders Dreyer are dangerous, but breaking down low blocks is proving tricky. If you are a San Diego fan I think patience is all you need for this team.
17. St. Louis City SC
A gritty 0-0 draw with San Diego shows St. Louis can scrap. They’re not flashy, but they’re effective when it counts. St. Louis is starting to feel like a middle of the pack team that could be in the running for some of the last playoff spots.
18. Austin FC
A 1-0 loss to Portland Timbers dims the hype around Austin’s revamped attack. Myrto Uzuni, Brandon Vázquez, and Osman Bukari have potential, but they need to unlock it soon to stay in the conversation. They feel like they are going to be fighting for a playoff spot.
19. Nashville SC
A 1-0 upset over the Red Bulls gives Nashville a boost, but after their 2024 season they are going to need to prove to the world that they are back.
20. Real Salt Lake
RSL rebounded with a 2-1 win over Seattle, showing some fight. They’re a step behind the West’s elite, but there’s upside if their attack finds rhythm.
21. Houston Dynamo
Getting smoked 4-1 by Miami (without Messi) stings…bad. Starting the season with 2 losses is less than ideal for the Dynamo. With what seems to be a somewhat promising team, they need to find a way to be ruthless in attack and tidy up the defense.
22. New England Revolution
A 1-0 loss to Columbus isn’t shameful, but the Revs are still searching for an identity. They’ve got grit, just not goals.
23. Colorado Rapids
A 2-1 loss to FC Dallas drops the Rapids. They’re missing the spark that carried them to the playoffs last year—new faces need to step up.
24. CF Montréal
66% possession, three total shots with zero shots on target, and a 1-0 loss to Minnesota. Montréal’s attack is toothless so far. That performance alone should knock them down further in this list, but this team has talent.
25. New York City FC
A 1-0 loss to LAFC keeps NYCFC at the bottom. Pascal Jansen’s squad has talent—AgustÃn Ojeda looks promising—but they’re not converting chances.
26. FC Dallas
A 3-3 draw with Colorado is a little disappointing. Luciano Acosta’s departure stings, but Dallas is scrapping for points early. They need to stay consistent to improve on their playoff missing performance in 2024.
27. Chicago Fire
A 2-2 draw with D.C. was fun, but Gregg Berhalter’s system isn’t clicking yet. Brian Gutiérrez can’t do it all—Chicago’s a work in progress.
28. Sporting Kansas City
A 2-1 loss to San Jose, despite the man advantage, sums up SKC’s early woes. Dejan Joveljić’s signing hasn’t ignited them yet.
29. Portland Timbers
A very boring 1-0 win over Austin stops the bleeding after that Vancouver thrashing. Their trajectory so far seems to be pretty low, but they have the tools to make it happen. The Timbers need more from their stars to climb higher.
30. Toronto FC
A 4-2 loss to Orlando exposes Toronto’s leaky defense—six goals conceded in two games. The Reds have potential, but it’s buried deep - like very deep.
Final Thoughts
Matchday 2 brought chaos and clarity in equal measure. Inter Miami’s depth, Philly’s resurgence, and Vancouver’s hot start are the big stories, while Atlanta and Cincy took hits. Who’s your surprise team so far?