The Mane Land 2016 MLS Power Rankings: Week 11

A wild and crazy week in MLS that saw Darlington Nagbe score from a free kick, New York beat New York City by seven goals, Cyle Larin score twice, and Frank Lampard actually make an appearance for the team that may or may not control his contract. Without further ado, here are your power rankings:

1. LA Galaxy (Last Week: 1)

The Galaxy are the owners of the longest unbeaten run in the league (nine straight), and still have games in hand on teams in front of them. Two draws this week, however, are a cause for a little concern, but for now they stay in the top spot.

2. Colorado Rapids (Last Week: 2)

The team with the second-longest unbeaten run (eight straight) now sit second. Colorado just keeps grinding out positive result after positive result, with this week seeing them defeat Seattle on the road. Copa América will take Jermaine Jones away from them for the foreseeable future, but perhaps they don’t need him as much as I think; they were still playing well before his arrival.

3. FC Dallas (Last Week: 3)

Dangerous Dallas has won three straight to keep them a point behind Colorado in the standings. After losing three straight on the road a couple of weeks ago, Dallas put that streak to rest with its 4-2 win at New England this week.

4. Real Salt Lake (Last Week: 7)

Exactly like LA, RSL is tied for third place in the league with 20 points and — having only played 11 games this season — has three games in hand on second-place Dallas and two on first-place Colorado. Unlike LA, however, RSL's goal differential is only two, not 12.

5. San Jose Earthquakes (Last Week: 5)

Steady as she goes draw for San Jose in the California Clasico Classic. My favorite part about the game? How Cobi Jones, Mark Rogondino and Rachel Bonnetta continually made allusions to the fact that this was a real rivalry and the players and fans deeply cared about the outcome, despite the fact that very many LA fans had something better to do than sit in their sideline seats on Sunday and there really wasn't a sense of much atmosphere through my television. If Cobi Jones feels compelled to say, "You don't think this is a real rivalry? You don't think the players want this a little more?" after a rather pedestrian tackle, it's not a real rivalry and the players don't really want it more than any other regular season game.

6. Philadelphia Union (Last Week: 8)

Philly is in first place in the East with 18 points. Two thoughts: 1) Who saw that coming? 2) 18 points isn't good enough to make the playoffs out West right now, and that's what the leader in the East has #SoccerInequalityIsReal.

7. Vancouver Whitecaps (Last Week: 4)

Vancouver dropped a road game in Providence Park to the Champs this week. It's gonna be a roller coaster ride for the 'Caps this year, and in the Death Valley that is the Western Conference, roller coaster seasons won't be looked upon with a smile.

8. Toronto FC (Last Week: 6)

TFC walked off the field to fairly loud boos at home this week after playing a 0-0 draw with the hapless Columbus Crew. Since making a positive account of themselves in the Operation Stay Afloat World Tour, the Reds are just 1-1-2 at home with a grand total of two goals scored in their last three. Throw in Jozy's injury, Bradley's impending Copa América trip, and the Atomic Ant will have to shoulder even more of the load over the next month.

9. Portland Timbers (Last Week: 13)

Portland beat Vancouver this week behind a Darlington Nagbe performance that was likely his best of the year and had Taylor Twellman gushing. Unfortunately for Portland, Nagbe is leaving to join the USMNT for the Copa América. Unfortunately for the USMNT, Klinsmann will probably force Nagbe to sit the bench or worse: play d-mid.

10. Sporting Kansas City (Last Week: 10)

I have no idea what color SKC's home jerseys are supposed to be this year. Either they are trying to fashion themselves as the Oregon Football of MLS, or they've misplaced their sky blue uni's somewhere in the bowels of Children's Mercy Park (which sounds like the name of a haunted house, by the way). Every week they play at home I see them wearing an alternate jersey, unless I'm color blind. Oh god, am I color blind? WHY DIDN'T YOU ALL TELL ME?! NOW I CAN'T FLY PLANES!

11. New York Red Bulls (Last Week: 17)

The Red Bulls won by the largest margin of victory in MLS since its prehistoric era in 2001. 'Nuff said.

12. Orlando City (Last Week: 16)

As Cyle Larin goes, so goes Orlando. With two goals this week, Larin got back on the score sheet and Orlando got back into the win column. If Larin and Kaká can keep their on-field partnership productive, Orlando should make the playoffs.

13. Seattle Sounders (Last Week: 12)

Despite all the head scratching from USMNT fans about Jordan Morris‘ snub from the Copa América roster, Sounders fans should rejoice. Not only does Morris get to remain playing in games and not sitting the bench, but the Sounders don’t have to rely on just Herculez Gomez for all of their scoring.

14. New York City FC (Last Week: 11)

Everyone is talking about the 7-0 BEATDOWN that the Red Bulls put on the Soccer Yankees this week at Yankee Stadium, and rightfully so. I blame Frank Lampard. NYCFC was doing just fine while he was pretending to be injured, but now that he's healthy his team is losing games by historical proportions.

15. Montreal Impact (Last Week: 9)

Despite having MVP candidate Ignacio Piatti, the indomitable (except by, apparently, field turf) Didier Drogba, and Euro 2016 Belgium call-up Laurent Ciman, Montreal hasn’t won in over a month. Luckily for the Impact, they’re only two points out of first place!

16. D.C. United (Last Week: 14)

In D.C.’s loss to Philly this week Union goalkeeper Andre Blake had a play worthy of SportsCenter’s Top 10, an award — for those of you are too young to know — actually had significance in the ’90s and early ’00s. The best part of the whole thing was watching SportsCenter anchor Neil Everett stumble his way through his pronunciation of “Alvaro Saborio.” Do you think they actually prepare and read through their highlights before they go on air, or do they just read off the teleprompter Ron Burgundy style?

17. New England Revolution (Last Week: 15)

New England lost at home to Dallas this week after positing only the Revs' second victory of the season last week against Chicago. Think Jay Heaps will make it past this season if the Revs don't turn things into a playoff berth in the east?

18. Columbus Crew SC (Last Week: 19)

Columbus has drawn three straight, which is better than losing but not good enough to make the Crew anything more than surprisingly irrelevant in 2016.

19. Chicago Fire (Last Week: 20)

Chicago still finds itself in last place in the standings this week, but by virtue of its 1-0 win over Houston, jumps up a spot in the power rankings.

20. Houston Dynamo (Last Week: 18)

Of course Houston lost to Chicago this week. Of course they did. At this rate, the Dynamo would find a way to lose an intra-squad scrimmage.