Welcome to the first edition of our bi-weekly MLS Power Rankings on Howler! Every other week we will rank the top-10 teams in MLS based on a healthy mix of current form, squad talent, team expectation, and most recent results. Teams will rise and fall with each passing ranking depending on recent results, and we will deliver those standings to you here in a quick, digestible manner. So without further ado, let’s get into it.

Inter Miami continue to roll as they normally do, winning six straight in MLS, though most impressively they have resumed play after the World Cup with two wins from two without Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul. With Casemiro added into the mix and the stars still to come back, you just can’t help but feel they are destined for great things once again this season. 

At the moment Nashville seem like the team that will have the best chance at getting in the way of the Miami juggernaut, and they have returned from the break with two wins and one defeat. For the moment, goals from Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge have dried up since the former bagged three against LAFC before the World Cup, but not to worry, they will surely come good in the coming weeks.

LAFC may have been the biggest beneficiaries of the World Cup break. Since MLS’ return, Marc dos Santos’ side have won three games from three and scored 10 goals in the process. That includes a dominant win against local rivals LA Galaxy. Son is scoring, Bouanga is scoring, they are keeping clean sheets — look out Western Conference, the LAFC juggernaut is really starting to power up. 

Like LAFC, the Caps’ are true Western Conference contenders. The underlying numbers show the Cascadia club to be arguably the most dominant team in the league and they remain top of the conference despite having played one to two games fewer than many of their chasers. Losing Sebastian Berhalter is a blow, but Jesper Sørensen’s side have proven time and again that the ‘next man up’ mentality is baked in. 

Houston are a bit of a surprise pick to round out the top-five, but after going unbeaten in their last four and a couple teams around them in the rankings dropping off, they’ve made a big leap for now. A dominant win over Texas rivals Austin FC on Saturday is the perfect way to potentially start a run and challenge the top-four in the west, which for now they are level on points with fourth place Real Salt Lake. 

It’s been a rough start to life in the post-World Cup part of the campaign for San Jose. Bruce Arena’s injury-hit side have just one point from the two games since resuming play including a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Orlando City on home soil. The Quakes were the biggest surprise package in the west in the first 15 games of the season, but they will have to rediscover that form relatively quickly with some tough games on the fixture list.

The Revs are on fire. With four wins from their last seven MLS games, New England have quietly climbed up into third place in the Eastern Conference. However, they have dropped points in two of their last three games. With Jack Harrison on the way as a fresh DP signing and the duo of Carles Gil and Dor Turgeman combining for 16 goal contributions this season, Marko Mitrović’s side have become a real threat in the conference. 

Oh Chicago. The Fire headed into the World Cup break winners of three straight, but the early signs point to the boat being rocked by swapping MLS golden boot leader Hugo Cuypers for Robert Lewandowski. The former Barcelona man has not played the full 90 minutes in either of his first two games at the club, failed to score, and the Fire have suffered defeat in both. It’s still early, sure, but right now it feels like the momentum was quelled. 

The Pigeons have flown into the top-10 after winning their first two games back from the break, jumping all the way up to the doorstep of the top-four in the Eastern Conference. Nicolás Fernández has been on an absolute tear as of late, and has cemented himself squarely in the Golden Boot race. The real trick will be holding onto the Argentine for the remainder of the season. 

St. Louis are another surprise package in this top-10, but it is a power ranking after all – and City have won seven of their last eight matches in MLS. All in all, they may be the hottest team in the league at the moment. It is a true team effort, no player has scored more than five goals, but Yoann Damet’s side just keep finding ways to win close games. St. Louis were in the Wooden Spoon discussion not too long ago, now they are breathing down the neck of the Western Conference’s top-four.