MLS Power Rankings: Seattle Sounders, San Diego FC Rise after Matchday 21 | OneFootball

After a weekend off, the 2025 MLS season resumed its pace this week with Matchdays 20 and 21, during which most teams played twice in five days.

While several clubs continued to miss players due to international duty at the Concacaf Gold Cup, and Inter Miami CF continued their journey at the FIFA Club World Cup, every other MLS team returned to the pitch over the last week.

With just days to go until the primary transfer window opens, this week’s matches also allowed clubs to get some final looks at players before they either join new clubs on pre-arranged deals or teams look to bolster their roster ahead of the MLS Cup Playoffs.

In the latest edition of the Sports Illustrated power rankings, we take a look at where each team sits as June draws to a close.

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 just can’t seem to get things going this season, despite spending significant money on Myrto Uzuni and Brandon Vazquez to improve their roster. The most recent 2–0 loss to the Seattle Sounders is their eighth in the season, and they sit ninth in the Western Conference.

While they will get a bit of a morale boost from hosting the MLS All-Star Game next month, the team hasn’t lived up to anywhere near their expectations for the season.

14. Seattle Sounders FC (Previous: 16)

Seattle Sounders FC brought their FIFA Club World Cup form to MLS in a 2–0 win over Austin FC / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Seattle Sounders FC got back to MLS action after their foray into the FIFA Club World Cup, and picked up a 2–0 win over Austin FC with goals from Jesus Ferriera and Danny Musovski, with the latter bagging his team-high seventh goal of the season.

Their buildup play is where much of the focus goes this week, though, particularly to the back three when they regain possession, and how Christian Roldan and Alex Roldan were able to lead the breakout and spark transitions.

For most teams, sticking with the same coach for 10 years could hamper their adaptability and style, but for Seattle, Brian Schmetzer continues to forge new ideas to lead the club to success.

13. New York City FC (Previous: 12)

No Matt Freese or Alonso Martínez didn’t mean no problems for New York City FC.

As Freese played a national hero for the U.S. men’s national team with three penalty saves in a shootout against Costa Rica, NYCFC fell 1–0 to CF Montréal in their only game of what was a double matchweek for most clubs.

The Pigeons continue to be a strong team in MLS, but lack defining players outside of Freese and Martinez, and the aging form of Maxi Moralez, who remains their best player in an otherwise forgettable result north of the border.

With at least Martínez set to return for the next match against Toronto FC at home, expect a bounce-back from Pascal Jansen’s side.

12. Chicago Fire (Previous: 13)

Philip Zinckernagel continued his standout season for Chicago Fire FC against Charlotte FC this weekend. / Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

Gregg Berhalter’s Chicago Fire FC continue to be inconsistent, but strong, picking up a 3–2 win over Charlotte FC this weekend, after a 1–0 loss to Nashville SC midweek.

While the Nashville loss came after another shutout defeat, Chicago are starting to round into some form with five wins, three losses and a draw since the beginning of May, and could be putting themselves in contention to make the MLS Cup Playoffs.

They have a strong core, featuring Philip Zinckernagel, Jonathan Bamba, Hugo Cuypers and Brian Gutiérrez. Still, they could be a lot better with a more proven attacking midfielder, something they could try to acquire soon in the primary transfer window.

11. LAFC (Previous: 10)

LAFC’s return to MLS play after being eliminated from the FIFA Club World Cup was underwhelming at best, as they allowed Vancouver Whitecaps FC to score on their only shot before losing 1–0.

The biggest news for LAFC this week, however, came off the pitch, as the club announced it had mutually agreed to part ways with French striker Olivier Giroud, after Les Bleus‘ legendary frontman struggled to find form in MLS.

By closing that chapter and opening up a Designated Player spot ahead of the transfer window, expect LAFC to bolster the team and improve through to the end of the season.

10. Orlando City SC (Previous: 9)

Pedro Gallese will want a redo on some of the moments from this weekend’s Orlando City SC loss to FC Cincinnati. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Veteran goalkeeper Pedro Gallese will want Saturday’s loss to FC Cincinnati back, especially the free-kick conceded to Cincinnati talisman, Evander, which snuck around the wall and surprised him before skipping into the goal.

That said, the 2–1 loss to Cincinnati won’t worry them too much. Head coach Oscar Pareja’s side has not had Luis Muriel for several weeks, and Marco Pašalić continued to thrive, scoring his ninth goal of the season in the matchup.

At the same time, the loss came after beating St. Louis CITY SC 4–2 midweek, and they have five wins in their last eight matches, heading into their next clash against Charlotte FC.

9. San Jose Earthquakes (Previous: 11)

The San Jose Earthquakes secured a 4–2 win over FC Dallas and a 1–1 draw with the LA Galaxy this week, but will likely be unsatisfied despite the success, as they were unable to claim all six points.

While Chicho Arango and Josef Martínez continue to be two of the best attacking players in MLS, and were over the two games, the breakout of Beau Leroux has been one to watch. The 21-year-old midfielder scored twice this week, bringing his total to four goals and four assists in 1,423 minutes this season.

Meanwhile, Cristian Espinoza’s four goals and 11 assists are among the best in MLS, and somehow he was left off the MLS All-Star Game Roster.

8. Inter Miami CF (Previous: 5)

Inter Miami CF shocked the global footballing world with a win against FC Porto and a draw against Palmeiras, putting themselves into the FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16, where they fell to UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.

Lionel Messi’s side returns to MLS action on July 5 against CF Montréal.

7. Nashville SC (Previous: 8)

Sam Surridge scored four goals in two games for Nashville SC this week. / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar are superstars and showcased it this week after being left off the MLS All-Star Game Roster. Surridge extended his lead atop the MLS Golden Boot race with four  goals in the two games to bring him to 16 on the season, while Mukhtar brought his contributions up to eight goals and eight assists.

With wins against the New England Revolution and D.C. United, Nashville completed a three-game road swing with wins in each match, moving up to third place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Outside of Surridge and Mukhtar, the Coyotes have gotten standout play from their defensive shape, led by the measured approaches from fullbacks Andy Najar and Daniel Lovitz, as well as Gastón Brugman in midfield.

It’s 11 games unbeaten in MLS now for Nashville, and they are just two points off the Philadelphia Union for first place in the Eastern Conference. They’re the real deal.

6. FC Cincinnati (Previous: 7)

FC Cincinnati are winning the games they’re supposed to, and it’s gotten them three straight victories, including two this week against CF Montréal and Orlando City SC.

Evander continues to be a standout performer for the club and is arguably the league’s MVP, with his 11 goals and seven assists defining his team-leading season. A week that saw him bag two braces. His elevated goalscoring role this week allowed Cincinnati to weather a dip from Kévin Denkey, who was unable to add to his 11 goals after missing out on the MLS All-Star Game roster.

While the last three games were very winnable for a confident Cincinnati side, the next set of three games against Columbus Crew SC, Chicago Fire FC and Inter Miami CF offer a more formidable challenge.

5. Columbus Crew SC (Previous: 6)

Mohamed Farsi scored the lone goal for Columbus Crew SC in their win over the Philadelphia Union. / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Columbus Crew SC are on a heater, picking up three straight wins for the second time this season, including a dominant 4–1 showing against Atlanta United midweek and a 1–0 victory over the Philadelphia Union on Sunday.

The run puts the Crew up to fourth in the Eastern Conference and within three points of the Union for first place. At the same time, it has also showcased a slight return to the true intricacies of head coach Wilfried Nancy’s tactics, especially as the attacking trio of Daniel Gázdag, Jacen Russell-Rowe and Diego Rossi continue to gel.

Also look for Columbus to make a splash in the summer transfer window. Remember, they still haven’t replaced Cucho Hérnandez, even though they spent heavily on Gázdag.

4. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Previous: 2)

Emmanuel Sabbi scored on Vancouver Whitecaps FC's only shot against LAFC on Sunday. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Few could have predicted Vancouver Whitecaps FC to play such a listless, uncompetitive affair in the 5–3 loss to San Diego FC at home on Wednesday, after hearing that they had a league-leading four players named to the MLS All-Star Game.

That scoreline, as ugly as it is, actually flattered the Whitecaps. They scored late to make it a two-goal loss, but were never truly competitive against the standout expansion side, making simple defensive mistakes and giving the ball away across the pitch.

Yet, they managed to turn things around on Sunday night, with a 1–0 win over LAFC in Olivier Giroud’s final match with the club. While the win stops the skid of three losses in five games across all competitions, Designated Player Andrés Cubas left the game due to an injury, a concerning circumstance for a side already missing their other DP standout, Ryan Gauld.

Luckily for Vancouver, they did secure a lot of points early in the season, so they should be able to weather this setback.

3. Minnesota United (Previous: 4)

With a win against the Houston Dynamo and a draw against the New York Red Bulls, Minnesota United strung together a pretty good week, despite missing two key starting players in goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and striker Tani Oluwaseyi due to international duty.

Although they have proven capable of winning games against any opponent, the team’s consistency and adaptability are concerning factors. Their counter-pressing style worked against the Dynamo, but they couldn’t get them over the line against the Red Bulls.

Now, they will get St. Clair and Oluwaseyi back for next week, but will need to continue forming secondary tactics for when they need to take control of games where opponents allow them to have more possession.

2. Philadelphia Union (Previous: 1)

Alejandro Bedoya and the Philadelphia Union had a challenging Sunday against Columbus Crew SC. / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Union’s best news this week came at the airport as leading striker Tai Baribo returned from Israel after being stuck in his native country amid recent escalations to the ongoing war.

However, the on-field product across a 1–0 win against Chicago Fire FC and a 1–0 loss to Columbus Crew SC left much to be desired, particularly from the strikers not named Baribo, including 21-year-old Markus Anderson and Bruno Damiani.

The Union lead the Eastern Conference under Bradley Carnell in what can be considered a successful campaign so far, but they are starting to seem like they’re missing something if they want to be considered serious MLS Cup contenders.

1. San Diego FC (Previous: 3)

An MLS record for the fastest four goals scored by an MLS player and two thrilling wins over previously first-place in the Western Conference, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and a challenging FC Dallas side.

While Milan Iloski is still probably basking in his four-goal showcase from Wednesday’s 5–3 win against the Whitecaps, the entire San Diego FC organization can be pleased with how things are going on the pitch.

Not only did Iloski stand out, but Hirving Lozano returned from injury, and Jeppe Tverskov and Anders Dreyer continued their standout play, with Dreyer now leading MLS in goal contributions with nine goals and 12 assists.

The early start to the season came as a bit of a shock for San Diego FC, but they’ve proven to be true MLS Cup contenders through the start of the summer.