MLS Power Rankings: Nashville SC Dominate, Inter Miami Lose Barnburner on Matchday 10 | OneFootball

It was an MLS battle of former U.S. men’s national team managers in Nashville, and it could not have been more lopsided.

Former interim manager and assistant coach B.J. Callaghan led his Nashville SC side to a 7–2 win over former USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter’s Chicago Fire, highlighted by four goals from Sam Surridge in a game few MLS fans will ever forget.

That result, as crazy as it was, wasn’t the most important of the weekend. Inter Miami CF lost their undefeated streak while blowing a 3–1 lead against FC Dallas, Vancouver Whitecaps FC won 3–1 against Minnesota United and FC Cincinnati’s Kévin Denkey scored a bicycle kick.

With Matchday 10 of the 2025 MLS regular season in the books, Sports Illustrated dives into the weekly power rankings. If you missed Matchday 9, you can check it out here.

MLS Power Rankings after Matchday 10: Clubs 30-16

30. CF Montreal (Previous 29)29. LA Galaxy (Previous: 30)28. Sporting Kansas City (Previous: 27)27. D.C. United (Previous: 25)26. New York Red Bulls (Previous: 26)25. Houston Dynamo (Previous 28)24. Atlanta United (Previous: 21)23. Toronto FC (Previous: 18)22. Chicago Fire (Previous: 16)21. Real Salt Lake (Previous: 24)20. New England Revolution (Previous: 23)19. Portland Timbers (Previous: 20)18. FC Dallas (Previous: 22)17. St. Louis CITY SC (Previous: 17)16. San Jose Earthquakes (Previous: 15)

15. Austin FC (Previous: 14)

Osman Bukari (center) has continued to struggle for Austin FC in 2025 / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Austin’s struggles in attack continued this weekend with a 2–0 loss to the Houston Dynamo, with Myrto Uzuni, Osman Bukari and Jader Obrian unable to get on the scoresheet.

Newly acquired attacker Robert Taylor was not in the matchday squad, but they’ll no doubt hope he can offer a jolt to an otherwise listless attack.

14. Nashville SC (Previous: 19)

Oh baby, Broadway must’ve been bumping!

A 7-2 win? In MLS? With former USMNT assistant coach B.J. Callaghan beating his old boss, Gregg Berhalter?!

Nashville SC put up the most lopsided game of the year and looked stellar doing so, with Sam Surridge scoring four goals to bring him to six on the season, and the Coyotes putting up 18 shots compared to Chicago’s eight.

Additionally, Andy Najar had four assists, and Hany Mukhtar turned back the clock to 2022 with a brace and an assist, all topped off by a goal from Jeisson Palacios. While Callaghan’s side will be frustrated not to keep the clean sheet, the win goes down as one of the most lopsided in MLS history.

Well done, Nashville. That was fun.

13. Seattle Sounders FC (Previous: 13)

Seattle Sounders FC played the Colorado Rapids to a 1–1 draw and continue to have flashes of brilliance, but a lack of game-breaking talent. After the match, many of the Sounders spoke about the troubles they had playing out of Colorado’s press, a tactic they’ve struggled to create attacks from all season.

Jordan Morris might be injured again, too, which wouldn’t be good.

12. New York City FC (Previous: 11)

New York City FC did enough to find a win this week, and continue to get results, but they certainly don’t look great doing it. In their 1–0 win over Toronto FC, it came through a penalty kick from Alonso Martinez, who is up to six goals on the season.

Outside of playing long balls for him to run onto, NYCFC don’t have a diverse tactical offering and struggle against a mid to low block. Can Maxi Moralez rediscover his form, or is it simply time for a new star creator in midfield?

11. Charlotte FC (Previous: 8)

Wilfried Zaha was among the noticeably frustrated Charlotte FC players on Saturday / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Charlotte FC have built one of the most formidable midfields and attacks in all of MLS, but struggled to make any of it count against the New England Revolution on Matchday 10, falling 1–0 to their Eastern Conference foes.

While Charlotte were able to muster 18 shots and put up 2.05 xG, compared to New England’s 0.38, the likes of Pep Biel, Wilfried Zaha and Patrick Agyemang all failed to finish.

The biggest takeaway from their result landed off the pitch later on Saturday night, when Zaha posted to Snapchat: “Typical. We lost a game, and somehow it's Zaha's fault. I dribble ..I'm selfish. I keep it simple.. I'm not doing what I'm being paid to do. I shoot.. I should [have] passed I pass. I should finish my chances”

Maybe throwing Jamie Vardy into this mix isn’t the best idea this soccer writer has ever had.

10. San Diego FC (Previous: 7)

San Diego FC’s fantastic start to their expansion season is beginning to fade away, with this weekend’s loss coming with a 3–1 defeat to Real Salt Lake.

It’s three losses in a row now for San Diego, and each has seen the newest California side concede three goals, with the attack of Luca de la Torre, Anders Dreyer and Chucky Lozano evaporating, without a true No. 9 option.

Could Jamie Vardy or Thomas Muller be an option for San Diego, should they feel the need for additional firepower outside of Tomas Angel and Onni Valakari?

9. Orlando City SC (Previous 12)

Marco Pasalic scored to help Orlando City SC rekindle their attack / Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Orlando City SC went three games without scoring a goal before putting in a dominant attacking showing in a 3–0 win over southern rivals Atlanta United on Matchday 10.

19-year-old right back Alex Freeman continued to showcase himself as one of the best dynamic youngsters in the league, scoring in the 51st minute to add to tallies from Luis Muriel and Marco Pasalic.

Orlando, under head coach Oscar Pareja, have had an ever-changing tactical setup, but have consistently gotten contributions from Pasalic this season. He continued on Saturday with three chances created and his blistering strike.

Having shut down Miguel Almiron, Saba Lobjanidze and Jamal Thiare this week, Orlando made it four straight clean sheets and seven games undefeated, and now will look to a clash with the Chicago Fire on Matchday 11.

8. Minnesota United (Previous: 4)

Minnesota United had established themselves as one of the best defensive sides in MLS through the first nine weeks, and would have been excited to take on a heavily rotated Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Alas, one can only hope.

After a scoreless first half, Minnesota struggled to maintain possession and eventually lost 3–1 to Vancouver. Will Trapp scored the lone consolation goal, despite struggling to match up in midfield with Sebastian Berhalter and Pedro Vite, who entered as second-half substitutes.

A silver lining for head coach Eric Ramsay’s side is their imminent deal with fullback Julian Gressel, whose ability on crosses should allow Kelvin Yeboah and Tani Oluwaseyi to diversify their attacking runs.

7. Colorado Rapids (Previous: 10)

The Colorado Rapids rose slightly in the power rankings, just because they didn’t lose, compared to the teams around them, which all failed to claim any points through Matchday 10.

Djordje Mihailovic once again proved how much of an engine he can be for a team to find results, scoring his fifth goal of the season, while continuously threatening in the attacking duo alongside Rafael Navarro.

Colorado generated 15 shots in this contest and held strong defensively, only calling on 23-year-old goalkeeper Nicholas Defreitas Hansen to make a single stop to get the draw.

Next week, Colorado face D.C. United

6. LAFC (Previous: 9)

LAFC waited until the final moments to grab a point from this weekend’s clash with St. Louis CITY SC, but can carry some confidence knowing Denis Bouanga has once again found his goalscoring touch.

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Breaking down one of the best defensive teams in MLS is far from easy, but LAFC have shown their ability to do so against many teams, and consistently put themselves in position to claim a point, if not all three.

It may not be the most exciting result, but having Bouanga in form can only be good for LA as they prepare for their next opponent, the defensively fallible Houston Dynamo.

5. FC Cincinnati (Previous: 6)

Kévin Denkey scored a bicycle kick and found the back of the net again, and FC Cincinnati picked up a 2–1 win over Sporting Kansas City to put them atop the Eastern Conference as the season approaches its one-third mark.

While there were concerns about Denkey’s form and consistency, he now has six goals and nine appearances, and is thriving in a connection with Evander, who himself has a goal and six assists in eight games.

It took a little while, but Cincinnati has a thriving partnership, and it’s in fine form. That’s five wins in a row now, and they’re up against New York City FC next weekend.

4. Inter Miami CF (Previous: 1)

Inter Miami CF and Maxi Falcon lost their first match of the 2025 MLS regular season on Sunday / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The week could not have gone much worse for Inter Miami CF, losing the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup tie 2–0 to Vancouver Whitecaps FC, before surrendering a 3–1 lead to lose to FC Dallas 4–3 on Sunday.

Head coach Javier Mascherano has been unable to get the consistent, high-attacking football out of the Miami group this season and struggled to defend counterattacks against both Vancouver and Dallas, while also failing to orchestrate opportunities from meaningful possession.

Despite winning 1-0 against Columbus Crew SC last week, Miami has not truly dominated a game from start to finish since a 4– 1 win on March 2 against the Houston Dynamo.

While they did not play Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets or Jordi Alba, it was still a result Miami should be able to avoid. It’s another big week with Leg 2 against Vancouver and a battle with the New York Red Bulls. Can they turn things around?

3. Philadelphia Union (Previous: 5)

Quinn Sullivan has enjoyed a standout season with the Philadelphia Union / Caean Couto-Imagn Images

It took a few weeks of dips and inconsistency, but the Philadelphia Union are back to their usual ways under Bradley Carnell, beating D.C. United 3–0 with goals from Danley Jean Jacques, Jakob Glesnes and Bruno Damiani.

While MLS Golden Boot leader Tai Baribo wasn’t able to muster up a shot attempt in his 58 minutes, the Union adapted their attack, and threatened from all areas of the pitch, with Glesnes, a center back, scoring a fantastic volley off a cross from Frankie Westfield.

Andre Blake also made five saves in the win and looks to be back to his full form, while the Union’s defense didn’t give up many opportunities to the Benteke-less D.C..

2. Columbus Crew SC (Previous: 3)

Sean Zawadzki helped lead Columbus Crew SC to a 2–1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Matchday 10 / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Columbus Crew SC bounced back from last week’s 1–0 loss to Inter Miami CF with a strong defensive performance and enough offense, beating the San Jose Earthquakes 2–1 with goals from Max Arfsten and Sean Zawadzki.

The Crew’s left side stood out with a starring performance from Arfsten, joined by Dylan Chambost, who completed a match-high 78 passes, all while Daniel Gazdag continued to create chances in just his second start for the club.

It was another challenging weekend for Diego Rossi’s finishing as well. After missing several chances against Miami, he hit the woodwork twice against San Jose. Overall, Columbus made the most of their chances and did well to limit the impact of San Jose’s Chicho Arango.

1. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Previous: 2)

Despite a heavily rotated squad, Vancouver Whitecaps FC won again to keep their spot atop MLS / Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

Vancouver Whitecaps FC rotated eight players into the lineup on Saturday against Minnesota United and dominated en route to a 3–1 victory, after a scoreless first half.

While the rotated squad indicated Vancouver’s focus on the Concacaf Champions Cup second leg, having beaten Inter Miami CF 2– 0 at home in the first leg, it also showcased head coach Jesper Sørensen’s confidence in his depth.

JC Ngando, who has been a regular substitute for the Whitecaps, had an excellent showing in midfield with two tackles, four recoveries and four passes into the final third. At the same time, first-choice midfielders Pedro Vite and Sebastian Berhalter entered the match in the second half and scored each of the goals.

In particular, the second goal, as seen above, features 20 passes in the buildup, with Vite finishing with a chip over Minnesota’s Dayne St. Clair.

It’s dreamland for Vancouver right now. They’re seven points clear atop the Western Conference, and lead the Supporters’ Shield, while sitting on the verge of a spot in the club’s first-ever Concacaf Champions Cup Final.