We’ve had another couple rounds of MLS play now that the Leagues Cup break is behind us. And in the Howler Top-10 Power Rankings, we’ve had plenty of movement.

Every other week, we 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 those 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.

Nashville are undoubtedly the best team in MLS at the moment. After thrashing Inter Miami in a top-of-the-table clash over the weekend, they dug deep to snatch a stoppage-time winner against Red Bull New York Wednesday evening. They, simply, can win in an endless variety of ways.

Through 20 games in MLS now, they have conceded just 15 goals and are on pace to win the Supporters Shield while setting a new points record. For now, Nashville feel invincible.

Houston have leapt up into the top-two after a superb run in MLS culminated in a signature win away to Vancouver Wednesday evening to secure their spot atop the Western Conference. The Dynamo are not flashy, but man, they know how to win games. They are now unbeaten in eight straight league games, winning the last five.

Guilherme has been a revelation since making the move from Brazil, bagging 12 goals and seven assists in MLS so far. What’s more, after shipping Ezequiel Ponce off to Spain, Houston can still add another DP into the mix before the summer’s end. They may only get better from here.

The Fire have come out of the World Cup break with a point to prove. After selling star striker Hugo Cuypers and replacing him with footballing legend Robert Lewandowski, Gregg Berhalter’s side have won three straight in MLS to put real pressure on Inter Miami’s hold of second place in the Eastern Conference.

Like Houston before them, Chicago still have a DP spot to work with and could add another creative force behind Lewandowski before all is said and done in the summer transfer window. We could be looking at real MLS Cup contenders if they get that signing right.

The ‘Caps remain contenders in MLS, and the underlying numbers point to them being one of the most dominant teams in the league. However, the results have slipped as of late. Vancouver have just one win in their last five MLS games, and you can’t help but point to the departure of midfield stalwart Sebastian Berhalter as the potential turning point.

You should have full faith in Jesper Sørensen finding a way to right the ship, but for now their veil of invincibility has certainly slipped. Two of their next three games are against Sporting KC and CF Montreal respectively, so that should help them rediscover their sea legs.

Perhaps our biggest losers of the week, Miami are showing just how easily they can be opened up in the last few weeks of MLS play. The Herons have failed to win their last two league games, conceding six goals in the process. In fact, it was a miracle they only conceded two in Philadelphia Wednesday evening.

Moments of brilliance from their superstars will keep them relevant and in the picture all season, without a doubt. Yet, you can’t help but feel teams will be increasingly confident in getting at them the longer they go without shoring up their defensive rearguard.

LAFC are the latest star-studded team to slip down the rankings. Marc Dos Santos is under serious pressure from fans, justified or not, and losing their last two MLS games without scoring will only increase the heat burning into the seat below him.

It has to be said that the SoCal club rotated the team heavily in Wednesday’s defeat to Colorado, but the latest run of results have seen them slip into third in the Western Conference, and arguably out of the Supporters Shield picture entirely. Like Vancouver, it is reasonable to expect LAFC to catch fire later in the season as the fixture list gets more forgiving, but they need to limit the damage in the short-term.

Dallas have come soaring into the top-10 this week. Unbeaten in their last three MLS games, with a win in two of those, Eric Quill’s side have pulled to within just five points of the Western Conference summit. And the path to success is clear if you watch this Dallas team on a weekly basis.

Petar Musa is a bonafide superstar in the striker position, leading the golden boot race with 16 goals in 18 games so far this season. Add in a tidy midfield pairing of Ramiro and Kaick, and you can see why this side find a way to get results no matter the state of the game. On Wednesday, they secured all three points in a seven-goal thriller against Real Salt Lake.

On our last edition of the Power Rankings, we named St. Louis City the hottest team in MLS. While not finding a way to beat a lousy Sporting KC side, derby or no derby, is a major disappointment, City remain unbeaten in 10 straight MLS games, winning seven of those.

This past week they parted ways with talisman Marcel Hartel, yet they have picked up four points in two games since his departure. Should they add some more star power in the wake of his absence, they could become a serious threat in the Western Conference. What’s more, Yoann Damet is an easy pick for MLS Coach of the Year so far in 2026.

Cincinnati join the top-10 this week after going unbeaten in their last three MLS games, including a win over a solid NYCFC team Wednesday evening in the driving rain. Star attacker Evander is on an absolute tear, seemingly scoring a goal of the season candidate every time he steps foot on the pitch.

For Cincy, the path to success this season is clear: shore things up defensively, stop getting into high-scoring affairs, and your star-power going forward should carry you up the table.

Charlotte have narrowly managed to make their way into the final spot of this top-10, but in truth, they are pretty far from the rest of the pack. Dean Smith’s side show signs of of being one of the better teams in MLS quite frequently, but the results remain inconsistent.

On Wednesday, Charlotte held a 3-1 lead with an extra man in the 58th minute away to Toronto, but somehow managed to only get a point from the game. While Allan Saint-Maximin should breathe a little more life into the team in the wake of Wilfried Zaha’s departure, they will need to find a way to see out results with regularity before they enter the picture as any sort of contenders.