Seattle Sounders and San Diego FC Surge Up MLS Power Rankings Following Stellar Matchday 21 Performances
Following a brief hiatus, the 2025 MLS campaign picked up momentum this week with Matchdays 20 and 21, where the majority of teams competed twice within a five-day span.
Although numerous clubs remained without key players participating in international competitions at the Concacaf Gold Cup, and Inter Miami CF pursued their campaign in the FIFA Club World Cup, all other MLS franchises returned to action during the past week.
With the primary transfer window approaching in just a few days, this week's fixtures provided clubs with crucial opportunities to evaluate players before they either complete pre-arranged transfers or teams seek to strengthen their squads for the MLS Cup Playoffs.
In this latest Sports Illustrated power rankings edition, we examine each team's position as June comes to an end.
MLS Power Rankings and Season Grades after Matchday 21: Clubs 30-16
30. LA Galaxy (Previous: 29)
29. D.C. United (Previous: 30)
28. St. Louis CITY SC (Previous: 27)
27. CF Montréal (Previous: 28)
26. Real Salt Lake (Previous: 25)
25. Atlanta United (Previous: 24)
24. Sporting KC (Previous: 26)
23. FC Dallas (Previous: 20)
22. Houston Dynamo FC (Previous: 22)
21. New York Red Bulls (Previous: 21)
20. Toronto FC (Previous: 23)
19. Portland Timbers (Previous: 17)
18. New England Revolution (Previous: 18)
17. Colorado Rapids (Previous: 19)
16. Charlotte FC (Previous: 14)
15. Austin FC (Previous: 15)
Austin FC continues to struggle finding their rhythm this campaign, even after investing heavily in Myrto Uzuni and Brandon Vazquez to enhance their squad. Their latest 2–0 defeat against the Seattle Sounders marks their eighth loss of the season, leaving them in ninth position within the Western Conference.
Although they'll receive some encouragement from hosting next month's MLS All-Star Game, the club has fallen well short of their seasonal aspirations.
14. Seattle Sounders FC (Previous: 16)
Seattle Sounders FC returned to MLS competition following their FIFA Club World Cup participation, securing a 2–0 victory over Austin FC through strikes from Jesus Ferriera and Danny Musovski, with Musovski netting his team-leading seventh goal of the campaign.
Their possession-building approach draws attention this week, especially regarding the back three's role in regaining control, and how Christian Roldan and Alex Roldan managed to initiate breakouts and create transitions.
While maintaining the same manager for a decade might limit adaptability for most teams, Seattle's Brian Schmetzer consistently develops innovative approaches to guide the club toward success.
13. New York City FC (Previous: 12)
The absence of Matt Freese and Alonso Martínez created significant challenges for New York City FC.
While Freese became a national hero for the U.S. men's national team with three penalty saves in a shootout victory over Costa Rica, NYCFC suffered a 1–0 defeat to CF Montréal in their sole match during what was a double matchweek for most clubs.
The Pigeons remain a competitive MLS team but lack standout performers beyond Freese and Martinez, plus the declining form of Maxi Moralez, who remains their top player despite an otherwise forgettable performance in Canada.
With at least Martínez expected to return for their upcoming home match against Toronto FC, anticipate a recovery from Pascal Jansen's squad.
12. Chicago Fire (Previous: 13)
Gregg Berhalter's Chicago Fire FC remain unpredictable yet capable, earning a 3–2 victory over Charlotte FC this weekend following a midweek 1–0 loss to Nashville SC.
While the Nashville defeat represented another shutout loss, Chicago is beginning to find form with five victories, three defeats, and one draw since early May, potentially positioning themselves for MLS Cup Playoff contention.
They possess a solid foundation featuring Philip Zinckernagel, Jonathan Bamba, Hugo Cuypers, and Brian Gutiérrez. However, they could significantly improve with a more established attacking midfielder, something they might pursue during the upcoming primary transfer window.
11. LAFC (Previous: 10)
LAFC's return to MLS action after their FIFA Club World Cup elimination proved disappointing, as they permitted Vancouver Whitecaps FC to score on their only attempt before losing 1–0.
The most significant development for LAFC this week occurred off the field, as the club announced they had mutually agreed to release French striker Olivier Giroud, after the Les Bleus legend failed to find his form in MLS.
By concluding that chapter and freeing up a Designated Player slot before the transfer window, expect LAFC to strengthen their roster and improve through the season's remainder.
10. Orlando City SC (Previous: 9)
Veteran goalkeeper Pedro Gallese will regret Saturday's loss to FC Cincinnati, particularly the free-kick conceded to Cincinnati star Evander, which curved around the wall and caught him off-guard before bouncing into the net.
Nevertheless, the 2–1 defeat to Cincinnati shouldn't cause excessive concern. Head coach Oscar Pareja's team has been without Luis Muriel for several weeks, while Marco Pašalić continued his excellent form, scoring his ninth goal of the season in the encounter.
Simultaneously, the loss followed a 4–2 midweek victory over St. Louis CITY SC, and they have secured five wins in their previous eight matches, approaching their next fixture against Charlotte FC.
9. San Jose Earthquakes (Previous: 11)
The San Jose Earthquakes achieved a 4–2 victory over FC Dallas and a 1–1 draw with LA Galaxy this week, but will likely feel unsatisfied despite the positive results, having failed to secure all six available points.
While Chicho Arango and Josef Martínez remain among MLS's finest attacking talents and performed well across both games, the emergence of Beau Leroux has been noteworthy. The 21-year-old midfielder scored twice this week, increasing his tally to four goals and four assists in 1,423 minutes this season.
Meanwhile, Cristian Espinoza's four goals and 11 assists rank among MLS's best, yet he was surprisingly omitted from the MLS All-Star Game Roster.
8. Inter Miami CF (Previous: 5)
Inter Miami CF stunned the global football community with a victory against FC Porto and a draw versus Palmeiras, advancing to the FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16, where they eventually fell to UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.
Lionel Messi's team returns to MLS competition on July 5 against CF Montréal.
7. Nashville SC (Previous: 8)
Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar are exceptional talents who demonstrated their quality this week after being excluded from the MLS All-Star Game Roster. Surridge expanded his lead in the MLS Golden Boot race with four goals across two matches, bringing his season total to 16, while Mukhtar increased his contributions to eight goals and eight assists.
With victories against the New England Revolution and D.C. United, Nashville completed a perfect three-game road trip, advancing to third place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Beyond Surridge and Mukhtar, the Coyotes have received outstanding performances from their defensive structure, led by the disciplined approaches of fullbacks Andy Najar and Daniel Lovitz, plus Gastón Brugman in midfield.
Nashville now boasts an 11-game unbeaten streak in MLS and sits just two points behind the Philadelphia Union for first place in the Eastern Conference. They are legitimate contenders.
6. FC Cincinnati (Previous: 7)
FC Cincinnati are claiming victories in expected matches, resulting in three consecutive wins, including two this week against CF Montréal and Orlando City SC.
Evander remains an outstanding performer for the club and arguably the league's MVP, with his 11 goals and seven assists defining his team-leading campaign. A week that witnessed him score two braces. His increased goalscoring responsibility this week enabled Cincinnati to overcome a quiet period from Kévin Denkey, who couldn't add to his 11 goals after missing the MLS All-Star Game roster selection.
While the recent three matches were highly winnable for a confident Cincinnati side, their next trio of games against Columbus Crew SC, Chicago Fire FC, and Inter Miami CF present a more demanding test.
5. Columbus Crew SC (Previous: 6)
Columbus Crew SC are experiencing excellent form, securing three consecutive victories for the second time this season, including a commanding 4–1 performance against Atlanta United midweek and a 1–0 triumph over the Philadelphia Union on Sunday.
This streak elevates the Crew to fourth in the Eastern Conference and within three points of the Union for first place. Additionally, it has highlighted a subtle return to the genuine complexities of head coach Wilfried Nancy's tactics, particularly as the attacking trio of Daniel Gázdag, Jacen Russell-Rowe, and Diego Rossi continue developing chemistry.
Also expect Columbus to make significant moves in the summer transfer window. Remember, they still haven't replaced Cucho Hérnandez, despite their substantial investment in Gázdag.
4. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Previous: 2)
Few could have anticipated Vancouver Whitecaps FC delivering such a lackluster, non-competitive performance in the 5–3 home defeat to San Diego FC on Wednesday, especially after learning they had a league-leading four players selected for the MLS All-Star Game.
That scoreline, despite its ugliness, actually flattered the Whitecaps. They scored late to reduce it to a two-goal margin, but were never genuinely competitive against the impressive expansion team, committing basic defensive errors and losing possession throughout the match.
However, they managed to recover on Sunday evening, earning a 1–0 victory over LAFC in Olivier Giroud's final appearance with the club. While the win halts their slide of three defeats in five games across all competitions, Designated Player Andrés Cubas departed due to injury, a worrying development for a team already missing their other DP standout, Ryan Gauld.
Fortunately for Vancouver, they accumulated numerous points early in the season, so they should manage to overcome this difficult period.
3. Minnesota United (Previous: 4)
With a victory against the Houston Dynamo and a draw versus the New York Red Bulls, Minnesota United compiled a solid week, despite missing two crucial starters in goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and striker Tani Oluwaseyi due to international commitments.
While they have demonstrated the ability to defeat any opponent, the team's consistency and flexibility remain troubling aspects. Their counter-pressing approach succeeded against the Dynamo, but couldn't secure victory against the Red Bulls.
Now, they will welcome back St. Clair and Oluwaseyi for next week, but must continue developing alternative tactics for situations where they need to control games when opponents allow them greater possession.
2. Philadelphia Union (Previous: 1)
The Philadelphia Union's most positive development this week occurred at the airport as leading striker Tai Baribo returned from Israel after being stranded in his homeland amid recent escalations in the ongoing conflict.
However, the on-field performances across a 1–0 victory against Chicago Fire FC and a 1–0 defeat to Columbus Crew SC left considerable room for improvement, particularly from strikers other than Baribo, including 21-year-old Markus Anderson and Bruno Damiani.
The Union leads the Eastern Conference under Bradley Carnell in what can be deemed a successful campaign thus far, but they are beginning to appear as though they're missing elements if they want to be considered serious MLS Cup contenders.
1. San Diego FC (Previous: 3)
An MLS record for the quickest four goals scored by an MLS player and two exciting victories over previously Western Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps FC and a resilient FC Dallas team.
While Milan Iloski is likely still celebrating his four-goal display from Wednesday's 5–3 triumph against the Whitecaps, the entire San Diego FC organization can be satisfied with their on-field progress.
Not only did Iloski excel, but Hirving Lozano returned from injury, and Jeppe Tverskov and Anders Dreyer maintained their exceptional performances, with Dreyer now leading MLS in goal contributions with nine goals and 12 assists.
The strong season start came as somewhat surprising for San Diego FC, but they have established themselves as genuine MLS Cup contenders heading into summer.