Mar 16, 2026, 11:55 AM ET
MLS is back for the week and our writers sorted Matchday 4 into this week’s ESPN Power Rankings.
1. Vancouver Whitecaps (Previous: 1)
A comprehensive 6-0 victory over Minnesota — goals from open play and set pieces — underscored Vancouver’s balance and depth. Even with rotation, they looked the most complete team in the league.
2. LAFC (Previous: 2)
A 2-0 win at St. Louis made LAFC the first MLS club to begin a season with four straight shutouts. Mathieu Choinière’s second-half brace sealed the result despite limited clear-cut chances.
3. Nashville SC (Previous: 5)
Cristian Espinoza’s clever assist set up Hany Mukhtar for the winner in a 1-0 road victory at Columbus. Espinoza’s addition has immediately boosted Nashville’s attack.
4. San Diego FC (Previous: 3)
San Diego conceded a late lead in a 3-3 draw at FC Dallas but earned a valuable away point while rotating ahead of Concacaf Champions Cup commitments.
5. Inter Miami CF (Previous: 4)
A 0-0 with Charlotte without Lionel Messi highlighted Miami’s dependence on him. The result is understandable with Champions Cup fixtures looming.
6. Seattle Sounders (Previous: 7)
Paul Rothrock’s 20th-minute strike secured a 1-0 win in San Jose. Seattle controlled the match and protected the clean sheet while resting some regulars.
7. San Jose Earthquakes (Previous: 6)
San Jose’s three-match winning run ended in a 1-0 loss to Seattle, but Timo Werner’s first start offered promise as he looked dangerous up front.
8. Real Salt Lake (Previous: 10)
RSL notched a third straight win, beating Austin 2-1. Pablo Mastroeni’s side is regaining fitness and becoming a tougher matchup.
9. New York City FC (Previous: 9)
Nicolás Fernández, deployed as an emergency striker, scored twice in a 3-1 victory over Colorado. NYCFC remain unbeaten and efficient without a traditional No. 9.
10. Red Bull New York (Previous: 11)
A nervy 1-1 draw with Toronto was salvaged by Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s 97th-minute equalizer after good buildup play.
11. FC Dallas (Previous: 14)
Petar Musa’s hat trick rescued a 3-3 draw after Dallas had fallen two goals behind. Musa continues to be one of MLS’s most potent finishers.
12. Minnesota United (Previous: 8)
Minnesota were thumped 6-0 by Vancouver. James Rodríguez’s MLS debut arrived too late to influence a heavy defeat.
13. LA Galaxy (Previous: 12)
A 2-1 loss to Sporting Kansas City exposed the Galaxy without key designated-player wingers—Gabriel Pec suspended and Joseph Paintsil injured—as they struggled to break SKC down.
14. FC Cincinnati (Previous: 13)
Cincinnati suffered a 6-1 loss at New England after European midweek travel. Defensive breakdowns and a second-half red card compounded a nightmarish outing.
15. Chicago Fire (Previous: 15)
Chicago let a late lead slip and lost 2-1 to D.C. United following a deflected equalizer and a late penalty. The Fire remain in search of consistent form.
16. Houston Dynamo (Previous: 17)
Mateusz Bogusz struck deep in second-half stoppage time to win 3-2 at Portland. The DP’s dramatic goal provided a huge morale lift.
17. Charlotte FC (Previous: 19)
Holding Inter Miami to 0-0 is a noteworthy result, even with Messi and other starters rested. The point is still valuable for Charlotte.
18. St. Louis City SC (Previous: 18)
St. Louis fell 2-0 to LAFC during an emotional week for the club after personal tragedy. On-field matters took a back seat to more important issues.
19. Toronto FC (Previous: 22)
Josh Sargent nearly scored soon after coming on in a 1-1 draw with RBNY. Toronto couldn’t protect a lead but showed encouraging signs from their new striker.
20. Colorado Rapids (Previous: 21)
A 3-1 loss at NYCFC exposed Colorado’s weaknesses, though Darren Yapi’s shift to the wing is a promising development for Matt Wells’ side.
21. Columbus Crew (Previous: 16)
André Gomes impressed on his debut, but Columbus still looked off the pace in a 1-0 home defeat to Nashville. Henrik Rydström has work ahead.
22. D.C. United (Previous: 24)
D.C. scraped out a 2-1 win at Chicago with a late, deflected equalizer and a penalty finish from Tai Baribo. United can grind out ugly but important results.
23. Orlando City (Previous: 28)
In their first outing without long-time coach Oscar Pareja, Orlando beat CF Montréal 2-1 — an early morale-boosting win amid transition.
24. Austin FC (Previous: 25)
Austin took an early lead against RSL but failed to create enough chances and lost 2-1. The club’s chance-creation problems from last season remain a concern.
25. Philadelphia Union (Previous: 20)
Alarm bells rang as Atlanta beat the Union 3-1, leaving Philadelphia winless through four MLS fixtures. Issues in both creation and defending are worrying.
26. New England Revolution (Previous: 30)
Marko Mitrović recorded his first win in emphatic style as New England routed FC Cincinnati 6-1. Whether this is a turning point will be judged over time.
27. Sporting Kansas City (Previous: 27)
New signing Lasse Berg Johnsen scored in a 2-1 victory over LA Galaxy. SKC appear to be slowly finding structure and identity.
28. Atlanta United (Previous: 29)
Atlanta claimed a needed 3-1 home win over Philadelphia as the team begins to coalesce under Tata Martino.
29. Portland Timbers (Previous: 23)
David Da Costa returned but couldn’t prevent Portland from squandering a lead and a man advantage, losing 3-2 to Houston in stoppage time.
30. CF Montréal (Previous: 26)
Montréal fell 2-1 at Orlando and offered little beyond Prince Owusu’s first-half goal. Last weekend’s win over RBNY may prove to be an outlier.
