Editor’s note: Each week, the Soccer Perspectives MLS Expert Panel will rank Major League Soccer’s 19 teams from best to worst.

That didn’t take long. FC Dallas quickly reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the Power Rankings this week after the Houston Dynamo faltered at home against Sporting Kansas City. It was an up and down week for all of top teams. Houston, KC and the Montreal Impact each went 1-1 with the Red Bulls and Dallas going 1-0-1. The LA Galaxy took a bit of a tumble and fell out of the top five with a loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps.

1. FC Dallas (7-1-3, 24 points)
FC Dallas extended their unbeaten streak to nine matches with a draw against Portland and a win at D.C. United. More impressively, they are proving they can get results with key players injured. Depth was one of the key questions at the beginning of the season.
Recent results: Draw vs. Timbers 1-1; Won vs. D.C. United 2-1 | Change: +1
Upcoming schedule: May 18 at Seattle Sounders (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Live)

Read more »

Editor’s note: Each week, the Soccer Perspectives MLS Expert Panel will rank Major League Soccer’s 19 teams from best to worst.

The Houston Dynamo went on the road and defeated the LA Galaxy. That win was enough to move them into the top spot in the Power Rankings for the first time this season. FC Dallas dropped to second despite not playing. The Galaxy dropped to third, while the bottom four remained unchanged from last week. This will be a busy week with many teams playing Wednesday and again during the weekend.

1. Houston Dynamo (5-2-2, 17 points)
The Dynamo earned a small amount of revenge for losing the last two MLS Cup finals while winning at the LA Galaxy for the first time since 2007 … even without Brad Davis.
Recent results: Won at LA Galaxy 1-0 | Change: +3
Upcoming schedule: May 8 at D.C. United (7 p.m. ET, MLS Live); May 12 vs. Sporting KC (8 p.m. ET, MLS Live)

Read more »

Editor’s note: Each week, the Soccer Perspectives MLS Expert Panel will rank Major League Soccer’s 19 teams from best to worst.

For the first time this season, two teams tied for No. 1 in the Soccer Perspectives MLS Power Rankings. FC Dallas won the tiebreaker against the LA Galaxy due to more first-place votes (three to two). The Montreal Impact jumped ahead of the Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City into third, but the rest of the top five remained the same. At the other end of the spectrum, D.C. United became the fifth team this year to occupy the dreaded No. 19 spot.

1. FC Dallas (6-1-2, 20 points)
Those who are still not convinced FC Dallas can continue playing so well will point to Saturday’s 2-2 draw as evidence. Looking in clear control with a two-goal lead, Dallas let an 18-year-old rookie burn them badly twice in the span of four minutes.
Recent results: Draw 2-2 at Vancouver Whitecaps | Change: -
Upcoming schedule: May 8 vs. Portland Timbers (9 p.m. ET, MLS Live)

Read more »

Editor’s note: Each week, the Soccer Perspectives MLS Expert Panel will rank Major League Soccer’s 19 teams from best to worst.

FC Dallas maintained the top spot this week with a convincing win against the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Galaxy moved into second with an impressive victory against No. 4 Sporting Kansas City. Voters are taking notice of the Philadelphia Union, which jumped seven spots to crack the top 10 for the first time this year. Meanwhile, Chivas USA and the Portland Timbers suffered a little setback after quickly climbing the rankings in recent weeks.

1. FC Dallas (6-1-1, 19 points)
Unbeaten in its last six matches, FC Dallas has scored first in every contest this season. With so many big weapons to throw in the box, Dallas will be tough to beat as long as David Ferreira continues providing great service.
Recent results: Won vs. Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0 | Change: -
Upcoming schedule: April 27 at Vancouver Whitecaps (6 p.m., Univision Dep.)

Read more »

Editor’s note: Each week, the Soccer Perspectives MLS Expert Panel will rank Major League Soccer’s 19 teams from best to worst. Due to travel and other commitments, some of the voters were unavailable last week, and the rankings were not updated. We apologize for the inconvenience. This week’s “Recent results” section will include all regular season matches since the rankings were last published. The votes were added prior to Wednesday’s match between the New York Red Bulls and Sporting Kansas City.

The LA Galaxy dropped out of the top spot in the rankings for the first time since Week 1. The new leader? FC Dallas. With the Houston Dynamo holding the second spot, Texas is ruling the league for at least this week. Meanwhile, LA fell to fourth behind a resurgent Sporting Kansas City, and the New England Revolution and Chicago Fire are stuck at the bottom of the rankings.

1. FC Dallas (5-1-1, 16 points)
Could FC Dallas be the San Jose Earthquakes of 2013? The surprising sprint to the front of the Supporters’ Shield race and the penchant for dramatic late goals sure seems familiar. Whether the momentum will continue remains to be seen.
Recent results: Draw at Toronto FC 2-2; Won vs. LA Galaxy 1-0 | Change: +2
Upcoming schedule: April 20 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (8:30 p.m., MLS Live)

Read more »

Editor’s note: Each week, the Soccer Perspectives MLS Expert Panel will rank Major League Soccer’s 19 teams from best to worst. Scroll to the bottom of the page to read more about the voting panel and see how individual members voted.

The LA Galaxy held onto the top spot after escaping with a 2-2 draw at Toronto, but the Texas teams made up some ground after the Montreal Impact’s first loss of the season. The Galaxy and Houston Dynamo each had two first-place votes, while FC Dallas had one. The New York Red Bulls made the biggest improvement by jumping four spots after a 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Union. The winless Chicago Fire remain at the bottom of the rankings after a bye week.

1. LA Galaxy (2-0-2, 8 points)
Jose Villarreal scored in second-half stoppage time to save the Galaxy from a shocking loss at Toronto. LA can take pride in being the league’s last unbeaten team, but honestly, the team has not looked great since demolishing last-place Chicago in Week 1.
Recent results: Draw at Toronto FC 2-2 | Change: -
Upcoming schedule: April 13 at FC Dallas (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN)

Read more »

Editor’s note: Each week, the Soccer Perspectives MLS Expert Panel will rank Major League Soccer’s 19 teams from best to worst. Scroll to the bottom of the page to read more about the voting panel and see how individual members voted.

The top three and bottom three teams in the Soccer Perspectives MLS Power Rankings remained the same. The defending champions have showed enough this season to maintain the top spot despite a 4-0-0 start for the Montreal Impact. The voting panel is starting to warm to Chivas USA, which jumped seven spots after defeating the last-place Chicago Fire 4-1 on Sunday.

1. LA Galaxy (2-0-1, 7 points)
After converting a penalty kick against the Rapids, Mike Magee leads the league with four goals. Despite his heroics, LA will hope Robbie Keane returns quickly from the calf strain he picked up while playing for Ireland. It’s clear the offense is not the same without him.
Recent results: Won vs. Colorado Rapids 1-0 | Change: -
Upcoming schedule: March 30 at Toronto FC (2 p.m. ET, TSN/RDS)

Read more »