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The Mane Land 2016 MLS Power Rankings: Week 18

Published

10 years ago

July 19, 2016

It's becoming clear that there are about five bona fide contenders in MLS (Dallas, Colorado, LA, NYC and Portland), a group of clear pretenders (Columbus, Houston, Chicago, maybe Seattle) and everyone else. Considering 12 teams make the postseason, someone from this group in the middle needs to separate themselves from the pack and join the contenders, or else suffer the fate of early round exit in the playoffs.

1. FC Dallas (Last Week: 1)

Dallas lost in resounding fashion midweek to Seattle, but you can hardly count it. The team Oscar Pareja threw out there was hardly a first-choice XI, and it almost felt like a throwaway game for rest. Dallas is still the best team in the league. Next week’s game on the road at Colorado is not only a match-up of the two best teams in the Western Conference, but the two best teams in the entire league.

2. Colorado Rapids (Last Week: 2)

Colorado won in Colorado fashion over Kansas City this week, 1-0, to extend the Rapids' current unbeaten run to a pretty incredible 14 games. The Rapids need just five more games unbeaten to tie the record jointly held by the 2004 Columbus Crew and the 2010 edition of FC Dallas. Those next five games are as follows: vs. Dallas, at NYCFC, vs. Vancouver, at LA, and vs. Orlando. Needless to say, looking at that slate, the Rapids will have truly earned a share of that record should they survive that stretch of opponents unblemished.

3. LA Galaxy (Last Week: 3)

Steven Gerrard scored to beat Houston and extend LA’s winning streak to three games. That patented Late Summer Push has arrived.

4. New York City FC (Last Week: 4)

Frank Lampard called first overall pick Jack Harrison “a revelation” and I think that’s a fairly accurate summation of the 19-year-old. On a team of aging stars, the Soccer Yankees needed a jolt of young energy and Harrison is giving them just that. He has scored three goals in just eight games since coming on in the 7-0 loss to the Red Bulls earlier this year.

5. Portland Timbers (Last Week: 5)

Portland beat dreaded rival Seattle on network television on Sunday to close out a week that also saw them draw Montreal. The Trees have not lost since May 15, a streak that currently sits at nine games, which is tied with an LA nine-game unbeaten run for second-longest of the season to Colorado's current tear.

Of note: Portland has yet to win a game away from home.

6. Vancouver Whitecaps (Last Week: 10)

I feel really poorly about putting the Caps this high in the rankings, but their competition for the spot has given me no choice. Among teams ranked 6-11 here, Vancouver is the only one to have not lost in their last three games. Vancouver has two draws sandwiching their win over RSL in their last three games.

7. Philadelphia Union (Last Week: 9)

Philly sits second in the East, but has the highest goal differential in the conference. That could be key come the end of the season, unless NYCFC can overcome that 7-0 beatdown that sent their differential to the toilet.

8. Sporting Kansas City (Last Week: 7)

Of all the teams in the 6-11 muck, I think SKC is the most dangerous. Peter Vermes needs to settle on a consistent lineup and they need to start stringing wins together, but they by far have the best potential in this middle section of the power rankings.

9. Montreal Impact (Last Week: 8)

Missing Ignacio Piatti to red card suspension hurt the Impact this week, but on the bright side they got Didier Drogba back from his midsummer ~~vacation~~ rehab stint in Qatar! That wasn’t good enough, though, to deny NYCFC all three points on Sunday.

10. Real Salt Lake (Last Week: 6)

RSL hasn't won in five games over the course of nearly a month, and now sits 10 points behind Dallas for the top position in the West. I said it a few times this year: RSL might not have the horses to keep pace in the bloody Western Conference race.

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

I think it's officially time we start telling it like it is: The Red Bulls are not only the second-best team in the New York metropolitan area, but are also the second-most interesting team in their own organization. The Baby Bulls down in USL are terrific and currently sit second in the entire league, with games in hand on first-place Louisville. The USL edition of the Red Bulls hasn't lost since May 1.

12. San Jose Earthquakes (Last Week: 15)

I really, truly wish San Jose would just start to stink so that I wouldn't have to sweat the thought of them actually making the playoffs, but right now they are only four points out.

13. D.C. United (Last Week: 13)

D.C. traded for Lloyd Sam, cementing United’s status as the team built up of other teams’ role players and former stars. D.C. United: One team’s trash is our treasure!

14. Toronto FC (Last Week: 12)

So Toronto lost at San Jose after the Quakes had two players sent off with red cards. How did this happen? I, frankly, have no idea except to say that Toronto will find any way it can to underachieve.

15. Orlando City (Last Week: 14)

If the Jason Kreis rumors are true, I've made a comparison in my head that is as enjoyable to consider as it may be far-fetched: Kreis could be the Brian Clough of MLS. Both were prolific strikers who had less than stellar national team careers, both had success managing smaller teams to league titles (Derby County and RSL), both then left those gigs for what seemingly were dream jobs which turned out to be nightmares (Leeds United and NYCFC), and both then found success at what were their final jobs (Nottingham Forest and perhaps Orlando City?). I know I'm leaving out Clough's stop at Brighton and I know Kreis isn't nearly the personality Clough was, but it's an interesting thought. All Kreis has to do is win back-to-back CONCACAF Champions League titles in Orlando to make the comparison complete.

Did I say it was far-fetched?

16. New England Revolution (Last Week: 16)

The Revs have just one win they can even try to hang their hat on, which was over Vancouver. You're not going to make noise in the postseason if you can't at least beat some of the real title contenders in the regular season.

17. Seattle Sounders (Last Week: 18)

Jordan Morris missed a wide open look just in front of the six-yard box in Seattle’s 3-1 loss at Portland on Sunday. Increasingly, as Seattle continues to sink farther and farther from playoff contention, the only reason the Sounders remain relevant is Morris.

18. Chicago Fire (Last Week: 19)

Chicago beat Sporting Kansas City midweek, which gives them two wins in four games. Does that matter in the grand scheme of MLS? Nope.

19. Houston Dynamo (Last Week: 17)

Houston lost on Friday night to LA in a rematch of two recent MLS Cup Finals. I still can't decide if Houston bailed on Owen Coyle too soon, because they feel like a team without any semblance of a plan to climb back into contention.

20. Columbus Crew (Last Week: 20)

C-Bus drew 1-1 twice this week, which is better than losing. The Crew have won just once since the end of April, but somehow are just five points out of the playoffs in the East. If that's not proof that 12 of 20 teams making the playoffs is too many, I don't know what is.

Podcasts

SkoPurp Soccer Episode 144: Gotham Rewind, Seattle Preview, and More

The Pride finished their home schedule with a loss to Gotham and hope to finish their road schedule with a win in Seattle.

Published

1 week ago

October 28, 2026

Michael Citro

Image of Solai Washington running onto a ball behind the Gotham defense.

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride tried to send their fans home happy in their regular-season home finale, but despite an impressive overall performance against the league leaders, the Pride wasted numerous chances in front of goal and paid for two big mistakes at the back in what ultimately ended as a 2-1 loss in a season filled with far too many defeats. Solai Washington did so many things well, but despite a month’s worth of chances, she could only muster one goal. Still, it was a promising outing albeit in a developing story that won’t continue much longer this year.

We discuss the key plays, players, and moments, look back at our score predictions from last week, and select our Player of the Match.

This week’s mailbagbox asked us about Marta, the reasons for the Pride’s struggles in 2026, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We’d also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we’ll find them easily and read them on the show.

Finally, we look ahead to Sunday’s season finale at the Seattle Reign. The Pride opened their 2026 season with a home loss to the Reign but would like to close it with a road win over Seattle to enter the off-season on a positive note. It won’t be easy, as the Reign are clinging to the last playoff spot and trying to catch rival Portland as multiple teams are trying to catch them. We look at Orlando’s attempt to play spoiler, check back on the series history, compare the teams’ positions in the table, provide our key matchups, and more.

Here’s how Episode 144 went down:

0:15 – The Pride finished their home schedule with a good performance but another poor result against the league’s top team.

20:07 – Our mailbagbox has questions about the GOAT.

38:26 – Seattle was the first 2026 opponent and will be the last 2026 opponent. We preview for the last time this season.

Podcasts

SkoPurp Soccer Episode 140: Bay FC Rewind, San Diego Preview, and More

The Pride keep their playoff hopes alive by eliminating Bay FC but things get tougher with San Diego visiting Friday.

Published

1 month ago

September 30, 2026

Michael Citro

Image of Jacquie Ovalle dribbling toward the Bay FC defense.

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

The Orlando Pride remained perfect on the road against Bay FC with a 3-1 win on Sunday. Deuces were wild, as Haley McCutcheon, who wears jersey No. 2, scored in the second minute of both halves, and her two goals in California gave the midfielder her second brace of both the 2026 NWSL season and her career. Barbra Banda figured heavily in pulling defenders out of position on two of the three Orlando goals and assisted on Jacquie Ovalle’s right-footed thunderbolt in stoppage time to put the game away. But make no mistake, it’s not as if the Pride played well, turning the ball over often and conceding 28 shot attempts to the hosts.

We break down a road win that may have been more exhausting to watch than to play in (although I wouldn’t bet on it), check back on our score predictions, and make our selections for Player of the Match.

This week’s mailbagbox asked us about Haley McCutcheon, where to most strongly place the blame for the Pride’s disappointing season, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We’d also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we’ll find them easily and read them on the show.

Finally, we looked ahead to Friday, when Orlando will host San Diego Wave FC, looking to both complete a season sweep and to keep its faint playoff hopes alive. We look at the series history, provide our key matchups for the contest, and make our predictions for the final score.

Here’s how Episode 140 went down:

0:15 – The Pride improved to 2-1-1 under Yolanda Thomas, but a lot of good Cosette Morche saves were required to get that second win.

20:00- The mailbagbox asks us to play the blame game.

33:36 – The Pride continue to face California-based competition, but Friday’s opponent is much higher in the table than Sunday’s was.

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

Orlando City restarts its 2026 MLS campaign late tonight out west at San Jose.

Published

4 months ago

July 22, 2026

Michael Citro

Image of Braian Ojeda taking a shot in a friendly against FC Dallas.

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to your match thread for a late night midweek matchup tonight between Orlando City (4-9-2, 14 points) and the San Jose Earthquakes (10-3-2, 32 points) at PayPal Park (10:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the only scheduled meeting between the teams in 2026 and the first time the teams have met since 2024.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of tonight’s match.

History

Orlando City is 3-1-3 in the previous seven MLS meetings with the Quakes since the club joined Major League Soccer in 2015. The Lions got their only away win in the series in the last meeting and enter tonight 1-1-2 on the road against San Jose.

The teams last met on May 18, 2024, with Jack Lynn coming off the bench to score the game’s only goal. Lynn’s strike in the 89th minute broke the scoreless deadlock and lifted the Lions to a 1-0 victory.

The teams met in Orlando most recently way back on June 22, 2021, with the Lions beating the Quakes down, 5-0. Orlando got things started with an early penalty kick goal by Nani, followed by braces from Benji Michel and Daryl Dike to easily put the game away. The lasting memory from the game is Michel’s celebratory dance wearing a cowboy hat that came out of the stands.

Prior to that Orlando City romp, the last time the teams met was on Aug. 31, 2019 when the Lions got freight trained 3-0 at Avaya Stadium, giving the Quakes their first win in the series. San Jose’s offense came via a Chris Wondolowski brace and an early opening goal by Magnus Eriksson. Orlando looked flat and weary out of the gate.

The Lions were victorious in Exploria Stadium in the 2018 meeting on April 21, a 3-2 Orlando win. It was the first win in the series for either side after three straight draws. Chris Mueller, Sacha Kljestan, and Dom Dwyer gave the Lions a 3-0 lead before Florian Jungwirth pulled two back in the game’s late stages.

The Lions led all of the first three matches in the second half only to see San Jose pull level, with two of those tying goals coming late. In the 2017 meeting, Carlos Rivas finally broke the scoreless tie and gave Orlando City the lead in the 81st minute, but Wondolowski spoiled the Lions’ night with an equalizer two minutes later as the teams drew at Avaya Stadium, 1-1.

In 2016, the Lions were gut-punched in the 94th minute in an emotional match that ended in a 2-2 draw. It was the first home match following the Pulse nightclub tragedy and what appeared to be a storybook ending to a cathartic win turned sour on a last-gasp equalizer by Shea Salinas. Seb Hines — now the Orlando Pride’s head coach — opened the scoring for Orlando, only to see Chad Barrett tie it up. Julio Baptista restored the lead in stoppage time, but Salinas ruined everything.

The two teams also drew in the first meeting, a 1-1 affair at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, with the Lions down to 10 men after Brek Shea was sent off in the first half. Kaká and Wondolowski each scored from the penalty spot four minutes apart in that initial meeting.

Overview

The teams meet tonight to get their post-World Cup portion of the season started. Orlando City has been terrible on the road all season long, keeping only one MLS opponent under two goals all year away from home and allowing five goals twice (at New York City FC and Nashville) and six goals twice (at LAFC and in the team’s most recent match away at FC Cincinnati just before the break).

Orlando City is a putrid 1-6-1 on the road this season, and now the Lions must face the Western Conference co-leaders tonight before coming home to face Supporters’ Shield-leading Nashville SC at home on Saturday. They’ll have to play at least tonight’s game without Martin Ojeda, who is out with a thigh injury sustained some time between his first-half goal a week ago in a friendly against FC Dallas and the time the availability report dropped on Tuesday.

But it isn’t all bad news for the Lions, who should have both Antoine Griezmann and Dike in the lineup. Griezmann was the club’s highly prized and widely publicized summer Designated Player signing, while Dike’s return to Orlando came together more recently, following his departure from West Bromwich Albion. They’ll help the club’s offense, but the attack hasn’t been the issue in 2026 — it’s been the historically porous defense, which is on pace to shatter the MLS record for goals conceded.

Meanwhile, San Jose is one of the first half of the season’s biggest surprises, as the Quakes have been outstanding in 2026. Scoring 34 goals while conceding just 15, San Jose is among the league leaders in goals scored (tied for third), goals conceded (third), and goal differential (+19, third).

The Earthquakes are 4-2-1 at home and are coming off a 3-1 road win at Portland in their last game prior to the World Cup break. San Jose boasts Golden Boot challenger Preston Judd, who leads the Quakes with 11 goals, adding two assists in his 15 appearances. Ousseni Bouda has chipped in five goals and three assists. Niko Tsakiris leads the team with seven assists to go along with his two goals, but he’s still recovering from a lower body injury and is not available tonight. However, the arrival of Timo Werner (four goals and five assists in just seven games) has truly elevated Bruce Arena’s Quakes, and he’ll need to be one of the main focal points for the Orlando defense.

To have any shot at taking something from this game, the Lions will need to play better road defense than they have all season. Orlando can score goals, but with Ojeda out, Griezmann will need to adapt quickly, and someone other than the team’s leading scorer will need to find the net.

The Lions will play without Ojeda (thigh), Joran Gerbet (knee), Nolan Miller (knee), Colin Guske (international duty), and Clovis Archage (international duty). In addition, Marco Pasalic may or may not have returned to the team after the World Cup. He was not in training Monday, although interim head coach Martin Perelman said he expected the Croatian back soon. The Earthquakes will be without Nonso Adimabua (lower body), former Lion Earl Edwards Jr. (lower body), DeJuan Jones (lower body), and Tsakiris (you guessed it, lower body…come on, San Jose).

Match Content

Our most recent PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for tonight’s match.

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Eduard Atuesta, Tiago.

Forwards: Justin Ellis, Antoine Griezmann.

Bench: Javier Otero, Bernardo Rhein, Tahir Reid-Brown, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Harvey Sarajian, Tyrese Spicer

San Jose Earthquakes (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Angus Gunn.

Defenders: Jamar Ricketts, Reid Roberts, Daniel Munie, Benjamin Kikanovic.

Defensive Midfielders: Beau Lerouox, Ronaldo Vieira.

Attacking Midfielders: Timo Werner, Nick Fernandez, Ousseni Bouda.

Forwards: Preston Judd.

Bench: Jonathan Gonzalez, Dave Romney, Paul Marie, Jack Skahan, Jack Jasinski, Ian Harkes, Francesco Montali, Max Floriani, Darius Johnson.

Referees

REF: Elijio Arreguin.
AR1: Adam Wienckowski.
AR2: Mike Nickerson.
4TH: Timothy Ford.
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero.
AVAR: TJ Zablocki.

How to Watch

Match Time: 10:30 p.m.

Venue: PayPal Park — San Jose, CA.

TV/Live Stream: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!