2025 MLS Week 9 Power Rankings

MLS jammed all 15 Week 9 matches into Saturday's slate, making for a full day of fun. There was a handful of nothingness games, but the two late night matches supplied a whopping 14 goals. A total of 12 clean sheets were kept, slightly edging out the 11 and 10 of the last two weeks, respectively. There are some key injuries holding teams down across the league, but that's the case throughout all 34 matchdays of the season. Most teams are now over one-fourth through the 2025 campaign, so results only get more important as the summer approaches. The Week 9 Power Rankings:

1. INTER MIAMI CF (+2) | 1-0 W CLB

It did not take long for Miami to return as the No. 1 team in the power rankings. With that being said, the 1-0 victory over Columbus was far from deserved. All that matters is the score at the final whistle, and Miami was able to get it done in Cleveland in front of over 60,000 fans. Lionel Messi has now been held off the scoresheet for two straight weeks, while Luis Suarez hasn't scored in his last seven games across all competitions. Although, Miami is one of two teams in the league that has not played nine games yet and has more points per game than any other team in the league.

2. FC CINCINNATI (+2) | 3-2 W CHI

FC Cincinnati continued its lack of conviction, but rolled to its fourth consecutive win in Chicago. Any win is a good one, especially on the road, with three of those wins coming away from home. Five of Cincy's wins this season have come by a single goal, as this team is just grinding out results. It was less of a grind this time out and more of an Evander masterclass. The maestro returned from injury and staked his claim as an early MVP candidate with a brace. Luca Orellano looked more like himself off the bench in the win, while Kevin Denkey and Sergio Santos got involved as well. Cincinnati has work to do, but the recent run of form has been promising.

3. VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (-2) | 0-0 D STL

The Vancouver Whitecaps are now unbeaten in six games across all competitions, but were unable to find a goal in St. Louis. The Whitecaps have now collected two lackluster 0-0 draws against poor teams this season, but opponents are playing for a point. Vancouver managed just two shots on goal in the match. The Whitecaps still hold the top spot in the Western Conference with 20 points, but the recent match certainly wasn't one of the more interesting ones. They are still dealing with four injuries to starters, so everything is still looking good entering a CCC tie with Miami on Thursday.

4. COLUMBUS CREW (-2) | 1-0 L MIA

Columbus Crew had no business losing at FirstEnergy Stadium, but they did just that. Despite winning the xG battle 2.94-0.86, Columbus failed to score and lost 1-0. Only three of those shots even got on target. The Crew are greatly missing a star striker like the one they had in Cucho Hernandez. Even though Wilfried Nancy claims that Jacen Russell-Rowe is an even better finisher than Cucho was, he simply doesn't bring even a portion of what the Real Betis transfer did. Diego Rossi missed a horribly easy chance, while Max Arfsten continues to let big chances go begging. Columbus is going to be just fine, but the loss to Miami was a crushing one.

5. CHARLOTTE FC (+1) | 3-0 W SD

Charlotte FC kept things clean at its fortress and took easy care of expansion side San Diego FC, 3-0. Liel Abada got going, which will be a big help if he can build on the performance. Pep Biel only played 68 minutes, but he assisted a goal and created five chances, four of which were big chances. Biel is currently the MVP frontrunner through the first fouth of the season. Adilson Malanda and Andrew Privett led their team to yet another clean sheet at the Bank. The red-hot Revolution will test Charlotte at its castle next up.

6. MINNESOTA UNITED (-1) | 0-0 D DAL

Minnesota United has posted back-to-back lethargic results, but extended its unbeaten run to eight games. To be fair, the Loons have had one of the easiest possible schedules thus far, but serious tests are on the way against Vancouver, Austin and Miami. Kelvin Yeboah has gone cold for four games, while the squad as a whole just hasn't been flowing at the same level in the last two contests. Quality chances have been hard to come by. Minnesota now has as many wins as it has draws, and Eric Ramsay is going to be kicking himself for some of these missed opportunities. The next month will be quite telling for this squad.

7. PHILADELPHIA UNION (+4) | 3-0 W ATL

The Philadelphia Union badly needed a result to overturn a horrific three-game stretch, and a 3-0 home win will absolutely do. Tai Baribo scored his first goal in well over a month off the bench, while two of the Union's midfielders got on the board. Bruno Damiani has been more of a chance creator than a clinical finisher thus far. Jovan Lukic's red card was unfortunate, but Philly only continued to dominate Atlanta and really were not hindered by the sending off. The Union have a pair of easier matchups against DC United and CF Montreal, which may kickstart an important resurgence of form in the near future.

8. AUSTIN FC (+5) | 1-0 W LA

After a massive blunder last week, the 1-0 Austin FC scoreline returned. The one-goal victory over LA Galaxy marked the sixth time an ATX game has ended 1-0 this season either way. The eight goals conceded remains one of the better numbers in the league, thanks to Guilherme Biro's crew in the back, but the seven goals for are not something to brush over. Brandon Vazquez finally scored another goal with the winner, but he missed a penalty and just hasn't been good enough. Myrto Uzuni was hardly involved, while the other DP in Osman Bukari didn't even start. Austin is in a unique position as it looks very solid defensively and in the midfield, but has no consistency from the attackers.

9. COLORADO RAPIDS (-2) | 2-2 D HOU

The Colorado Rapids dropped a game they absolutely had to win on Saturday night in Houston. With a 2-1 lead, the Rapids allowed a 90+6' equalizer despite dominating all game. The 2.84-0.91 xG for Colorado was not enough to squeak out the victory, as the match ended 2-2 after the tying goal at the death. Djordje Mihailovic has been one of the best players in MLS this year, as he scored and assisted. Rafael Navarro had a clean finish and Zack Steffen put up another great goalkeeping performance. Oliver Larraz was fantastic in the midfield, but the rest of the team left more to be desired and prevented the Rapids from a huge road win.

10. PORTLAND TIMBERS (-) | 3-3 D LAFC

The Portland Timbers have proved their ability to score goals. They have now scored at least three goals in four of the last five matches, which is no easy feat. Portland's turnaround puts them in the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference. Jonathan Rodriguez is still getting back into things, but he provided an assist off the bench. Felipe Mora had a great game up top, scoring twice. David da Costa did not have his best day, but his free kick came back off the post with a chance to win it late in the match. The 3-3 draw is a disappointing one after having the lead, though the Timbers will be encouraged.

11. ORLANDO CITY SC (-3) | 0-0 D MTL

Orlando City should probably stop getting red cards and re-learn how to score goals. If someone tried to tell you that Orlando would play to three straight scoreless draws after two 4-2 results and a 4-1 match within the opening month, they likely would not believe you. Eduard Atuesta is this team, he commands everything from the midfield, so it's no coincidence that the last three games have been mostly without him. The Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and Joran Gerbet midfield has been good defensively, but it has completely killed the attack. Martin Ojeda wasn't even able to get things going in the draw with Montreal. The Lions are still in a favorable spot after a run of strange results, but scoring needs to return to the menu very soon.

12. SEATTLE SOUNDERS (+2) | 3-0 W NSH

Here come the Sounders. Don't let the slow start fool you, Seattle loves starting seasons on a bad note and gradually improving to the level of the roster. The Sounders finally strung two wins together and are looking like the team they are supposed to be, especially defensively. Jackson Ragen will be out for a while, but Yeimar Gomez Andrade held it down with a fantastic game, while Stefan Frei posted an eight-save clean sheet. Jesus Ferreira got involved as a creator with a pair of assists. Pedro de la Vega scored a beauty. If there's more of what Seattle showcased in the 3-0 thrashing of Nashville SC, this team will quickly rise to the top spots in the West.

13. SAN DIEGO FC (-4) | 3-0 L CLT

The San Diego defense has fallen apart in the last two games, conceding three goals in each. Both of those games were on the road in tough places to play, so it's hard to fault the new side too much. With that being said, Mikey Varas' side looked really bad in Charlotte. Andres Reyes played his first 43 minutes since the strange debacle in MLS Cup that saw him pulled from the New York Red Bulls' starting lineup. He was shown a first half red card, which was a death sentence for San Diego. A return to home against Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas gives this team a chance to get back in the win column.

14. LAFC (+1) | 3-3 D POR

Denis Bouanga is absolutely back, and LAFC's looming rise up the table will be a direct parallel. Bouanga had some trouble getting going this year, but he is absolutely ready to start scoring and playing with confidence. At long last, Olivier Giroud scored an MLS goal, and my word was it a beauty. Timothy Tillman was a beast in the midfield for LAFC. Hugo Lloris had a very rough game, conceding three goals on four shots, and was one of the reasons that his team was unable to steal three points in Portland. It's clear that LAFC is prepared to turn things around, and home games against St. Louis and Houston are absolute gifts in the journey to doing so.

15. NEW YORK RED BULLS (-3) | 2-1 L DC

Oh dear. The New York Red Bulls have collected a couple of rough losses this season. A 2-1 home loss to DC United, a team that was sitting on four straight losses with 13 goals against in that span, is a very, very bad one. Eric Choupo-Moting got back on the scoresheet via Emil Forsberg, but that's where the positives end. The bench provided no spark while Dennis Gjengaar and Cameron Harper hardly contributed to the attack. Alexander Hack returned to the squad, but it wasn't enough to keep a DC United side that played without its best player for most of the game off the board twice. The Red Bulls absolutely have to beat Montreal next week.

16. NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (+6) | 2-0 W NYC

Hello, New England Revolution. Caleb Porter's switch to the 3-5-2 has changed absolutely everything, and the Revs have looked quite legit across the last two matches. A 2-0 victory over NYCFC contained the first two open play goals of the season and two account openers. Leonardo Campana atoned for his breakway blunder in the Atlanta game with a clean finish. As a whole, he was active all game and showed immense effort on both sides of the ball. Ignatius Ganago scored his first goal in two years, while also assisting the Campana goal. Brayan Ceballos and Mamadou Fofana stood strong, while Tanner Beason has the team 3-0-0 when he starts. There truly wasn't a bad performance on the pitch for the Revs, who have a near-impossible test at Charlotte next week, a team that is 5-0-0 at home. It's also important to note that they've played one less game than everyone.

17. NYCFC (-1) | 2-0 L NE

Not sure what NYCFC expected when it did not start a midfield, but the result is exactly what you would expect. A winger and an attacking midfielder played next to the lone natural central midfielder in Jonathan Shore, and NYCFC was absolutely murdered in the middle. Contrary to its opponents, there wasn't really a good performance on the field. Maxi Moralez did create five chances, but he wasn't as impactful as the stats suggest he was, as those chances weren't exactly threatening ones. Keaton Parks is the most important player to this team right now and he has to be on the field at all times.

18. NASHVILLE SC (-1) | 3-0 L SEA

The inconsistency of Nashville SC continues, but three of the last four matches have now resulted in losses. Warnings of the difficult schedule were aplenty, and all of those difficult games turned into negative results. A visit to Seattle ended in a brutal 3-0 loss. Hany Mukhtar extended his poor season, though no one on the team deserves much of a positive shout. Sam Surridge missed two big chances up top. The last month has been a rough one for Nashville, who sit in the No. 6 spot in the East. On the bright side, the schedule makers have absolutely blessed Nashville with four of the next five games taking place at GEODIS park. This just means that two separate three-game road trips will appear later on, but the focus will only be on the former.

19. CHICAGO FIRE (-1) | 3-2 L FCC

Chicago Fire's record is a perfectly balanced 3-3-3 after a 3-2 loss to FC Cincinnati at home. Hugo Cuypers was largely quiet until he broke his duct and scored his first goal in three dry games after his blazing start. Brian Gutierrez provided a late penalty goal and has been the main man for this team on the creation side in his five games. Chicago need him to stay healthy and available. Jonathan Bamba played a great game as well, completing an incredible turn and assist for the Cuypers goal. Jack Elliott and Chris Brady folded in this one, leading to a fourth straight game without a win.

20. FC DALLAS (+1) | 0-0 D MIN

FC Dallas effectively visited Minnesota and killed the game, earning a point in a 0-0 draw. Dallas currently sits in the No. 9 spot after an interesting 3-3-3 start to the year. The April schedule was always going to be difficult coming in, though Dallas has managed two draws in the three matches. With trips to Miami and San Diego coming up next, draws might be the best case scenarios in those games as well. Eric Quill put out a pretty questionable lineup without Luciano Acosta, but injuries have plagued this team with Petar Musa, Sebastian Lletget, and Leo Chu all going missing. Dallas is not in a great spot by any means, but it's survival for now.

21. ATLANTA UNITED (-2) | 3-0 L PHI

Atlanta United is in a hole it cannot escape. It has now been 253 minutes since Atlanta last scored a goal, and they have won just one game across the last eight attempts, and it took four goals to do so. Ronny Deila threw Jay Fortune out on the wing, for some reason, and put out a lineup that only made the problems worse. The 3-0 loss to Philadelphia showcased all of the issues, and despite going up a man, play did not improve. Emmanuel Latte Lath has been completely shut down and the frustration is showing. He has already amassed five yellow cards as a striker, meaning he will be suspended for a game. Stian Gregersen and Tristan Muyumba both left the game early on in the first half. Brooks Lennon can't defend. Noah Cobb and Fortune were the only two players willing to speak with the media postgame. The mess of Atlanta United will visit an Orlando side that has kept three straight clean sheets.

22. SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (-2) | 5-3 L SKC

It was pretty clear what this San Jose Earthquakes team was going to be from the very start. Upgrades in the attack were always going to give this side some life, but adding some bad defenders to the worst defense in MLS history did not come close to moving the needle. Those claims have been backed up by math, as the Earthquakes have conceded 18 goals across the last five games, an average of 3.6 a contest. Giving up five goals at home against a rough team in Sporting Kansas City is flat out embarrassing for Bruce Arena. Arena's solution is to add two more of his old guys in DeJuan Jones and Noel Buck, bringing the former Revs tally to seven. Earl Edwards Jr. let all five shots he faced behind him, this team needs Daniel back really badly. The Quakes won the xG battle 4.18-1.76 and lost 5-3. San Jose likely won't have much fun in the upcoming visit to Columbus.

23. TORONTO FC (+3) | 1-0 W RSL

Toronto FC has won a game in 2025. The 1-0 triumph over Real Salt Lake was the first of its kind in 217 days. Theo Corbeanu's first MLS goal held up as the lone tally of the game. Sean Johnson's five saves kept the clean sheet. Deybi Flores has played back-to-back quality games in the midfield, while Raoul Petretta was successful on all four of his tackle attempts. Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne remained completely uninvolved, which is a serious problem. TFC played up a man for the last half hour and was able to see out the road win. Toronto is now unbeaten in its last four games, sporting three draws against quality teams and this victory.

24. ST. LOUIS CITY SC (-) | 0-0 D VAN

St. Louis City completed its third 0-0 draw of the season. The draw with the league-leading Vancouver Whitecaps is not a horrible result, as it snapped a streak of four straight losses. The elephant in the room is the fact that this team literally cannot score goals, as the ball has hit the back of the net just once in the last 525 minutes. Marcel Hartel thought he scored in this game, but VAR denied the goal. There was a combined five shots on target in the game and not a whole lot to discuss. STL is currently on five goals in nine games, an abhorrent average of just over half a goal per game. On the bright side, a league-fewest six goals have gone in the other way, but does that really matter at this point?

25. SPORTING KANSAS CITY (+3) | 5-3 W SJ

Sporting Kansas City came alive in San Jose, scoring three goals in six minutes during the first half to inspire a five-goal performance. The goal scoring has certainly been there the last three games, but the defending has not. SKC tried to let the Earthquakes back in the game at 3-2, but got the job done in the end. When it comes to clinical finishing and taking advantage of opportunities, it's impossible to do a better job than SKC did in this match. On just 1.76 xG and five shots on target, the team scored five goals, and Dejan Joveljic did not even get one. Manu Garcia has been playing well and found himself one. Daniel Salloi scored a brace and added an assist. Erik Thommy was fabulous last year and finally hit that level off the bench in this one. Sporting is not one of the better teams in the West, but it was a fun win.

26. HOUSTON DYNAMO (-1) | 2-2 D COL

The Houston Dynamo rescued a point at the death thanks to new arrival Ondrej Lingr. The DP made his debut in the 75th minute and scored a diving header to equalize the contest just 20 minutes later. If Lingr can follow this performance up and be a real star, the Dynamo may have some life. Where Ben Olsen went wrong was starting Jonathan Bond over the young Blake Gillingham, who was defending the net at a high level. Amine Bassi scored the other goal and has been good across the last couple of games. Ezequiel Ponce was fairly useless, as per usual. Houston needs to find ways to get Jack McGlynn more involved in the game and get the ball higher up the pitch. The 2-2 draw with Colorado was not perfect, but it's not a loss.

27. DC UNITED (+3) | 2-1 W RBNY

Joao Peglow. Last week's power rankings made the claim that he was the only exciting player on this team, and he made that assertion look genius with his performance against the New York Red Bulls. A bicycle kick and a goal assisted by his own goalkeeper in Luis Barraza was enough to lift DC United over RBNY and grab its second win of 2025. Christian Benteke's 29th minute departure is the most pressing matter at the moment. Aaron Herrera and David Schnegg had a good day at the office during the 2-1 win, which can largely be contributed to the fact that the duo did not whip a cross in each time they got the ball. The win snapped a four-game losing streak and gives DCU something to build on.

28. REAL SALT LAKE (-5) | 1-0 L TFC

Real Salt Lake may have three wins this season, but this roster is just not built to win many more. RSL is one of the four teams in the league to reach six losses already. Diego Luna was controversially sent off in the 61st minute to mark yet another disappointing performance. The 1-0 loss to Toronto gave the opponent its first win of the year. The 21-year-old hasn't played well in more than one or two games this year. That isn't all his fault, because his supporting cast is simply bad. Dominik Marczuk and Diogo Goncalves have hardly given this team anything. Whoever slots in at the striker position of the current three options does not provide much either. The addition of Robert Bozenik will help, but that can only fix a few of the problems. Emeka Eneli has been the best player on the team as of late, as he has enjoyed an immense run of form across the last three weeks. Greener pastures do not lie ahead.

29. CF MONTREAL (-) | 0-0 D ORL

Two teams in Major League Soccer do not sport a single win across the first nine weeks. CF Montreal is one of them, though a 0-0 draw with Orlando is a good result for this team. Monteal's last win came in October 2024, so it's clear that the firing of Laurent Courtois was not the answer, as expected. Orlando received a red card late in the game, but Montreal was unsurprisingly unable to capitalize on the man advantage. George Campbell has been the best player on the team and helped carry his side to a shutout. Gennadiy Synchuk made his first start and showcased his dribbling prowess. Lone DP Giacomo Vrioni re-entered the injury black hole after one game and did not participate. Maybe the Canadian Championship should get this team's full focus, because MLS play is not going to be kind.

30. LA GALAXY (-3) | 1-0 L ATX

Rock bottom. The other team without a win is LA Galaxy. Everyone knew the lack of Riqui Puig was going to be difficult to work through, but nobody expected to see the Galaxy here. A -10 goal differential through the first nine games is genuinely impressive. LA was left scoreless in a 1-0 loss to Austin in which very few chances were created. Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil are far too good to be on the worst team in the league, so surely the Galaxy will win a few games sometime soon. The losses of Mark Delgado and Gaston Brugman in the offseason tore the midfield to shreds, and it doesn't help that Maya Yoshida is injured and Marco Reus has hardly played a good game in the shirt. Reus did return from injury to create three chances in half an hour off the bench. The Galaxy seek their first win in a home match against Portland next Sunday.