1. NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (+1)
New England's 2-0 victory over Toronto FC marks the third consecutive week that the Revs have led the way in the Supporter's Shield standings. Even while missing significant pieces due to injury, including Dylan Borrero and Henry Kessler for extended periods of time, as well as Gustavo Bou and Giacomo Vrioni in Toronto, New England has gotten results. Bobby Wood stepped up in a big way and DeJuan Jones posted a man of the match performance to claim all three points. Since losing 4-0 to LAFC on March 12th, the Revs are 5-0-3 in MLS play. Next, the Revolution will finish a three game road trip against Inter Miami CF and the Philadelphia Union.
2. FC CINCINNATI (+1)
FC Cincinnati are getting virtually nothing from their striker partner so far this year, yet it hasn't even mattered. Brenner missed most of April due to the finalizing of his transfer to Udinese, but his one goal and Brandon Vazquez's two have not been among Cincy's main reasons for success. The orange and blue have displayed a new ability to close out games effectively, all seven of their wins have come by a single goal margin. Alvaro Barreal has starred, and scored what was ultimately the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over DC United. Cincinnati does not play next weekend, but will play midweek in the USOC against NYCFC, as well as the following Wednesday against CF Montreal.
3. LAFC (-2)
LAFC suffered their first loss of 2023 in MLS play in front of 45,000+ fans at Levi's Stadium. The San Jose Earthquakes were simply more clinical on the day, and Cristian Espinoza was once again the best player on the pitch. LAFC has their sights set on the CONCACAF Champions League final against Leon at the end of the month, but they'll look to bounce back against Real Salt Lake next weekend after falling 2-1 to a surging San Jose side. Denis Bouanga struck again, putting him in a three-way tie atop the league leaders in goal scoring with Espinoza and Jordan Morris. Are LAFC still the most well-rounded team in MLS? Probably. But they'll have a chance to right the ship when they visit Real Salt Lake next Saturday.
4. NASHVILLE SC (+1)
Hany Mukhtar had what could be called a relatively slow start to the 2023 season while returning from injury, but he has recovered his MVP form with ease since. In Nashville's 3-0 victory over Chicago Fire, Mukhtar bagged a hat trick, raising his season tally to six goals. Nashville moves into third place in the Eastern Conference following two straight home wins with three goals scored. The question remains, can Mukhtar carry this attack throughout the season once again? They opened up a massive DP slot after parting ways with Ake Loba, though history says it's no guarantee that they will hit on a potential DP forward signing in the summer window. Nashville visits DC United next up.
5. ST. LOUIS CITY SC (+1)
St. Louis CITY played about 50 minutes of scoreless football before the weather decided not to cooperate in Dallas. Just after the second half began, lightning struck and forced the teams into the locker rooms. The remaining 40 minutes will be played at a later date. STL had a chance to top the Western Conference with a result of any kind, but their aspirations will have to wait until next week's matchup with Chicago Fire, whom they face off with in the US Open Cup's Round of 32 earlier in the week.
6. SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (+7)
The shock of the season thus far, the San Jose Earthquakes. Cristian Espinoza had shown serious flashes of ability previously, but this current MVP level form has brought the Quakes to a new level. His brace was enough to defeat LAFC 2-1 in an electric environment at Levi's Stadium. The Earthquakes are Los Angeles busy in May, as they will face LA Galaxy next Sunday, then a rather quick rematch against LAFC the week following. The next month will be a great test to see if this Earthquakes team can actually be considered among the league's best in 2023.
7. SEATTLE SOUNDERS (-2)
The Seattle Sounders still lead the Western Conference standings, but have shown some concerning signs in the most recent stretch of games. Sporting Kansas City, the last 0 win team in MLS, marched into Lumen Field and left with all three points following a 2-1 victory. Nouhou, Joao Paulo, Cristian Roldan, and Raul Ruidiaz were unable to play, but the Sounders will still be disappointed in the result as a result of their depth. Since their April 8th victory againt St. Louis, the Sounders have gone 1-2-1, claiming just four points in the last four MLS matches. They will look to get back on track in Houston next Saturday.
8. PHILADELPHIA UNION (+4)
With CCL now out of the picture, the Philadelphia Union seem to be rounding back into winning ways. Philly has snatched seven points in their last three contests, but they still need to be more convincing. Daniel Gazdag has set up a home at the penalty spot, scoring all four of his goals from penalties. If the Union want to continue rising up the table, they will need to find ways to score and create chances from open play, because the high volume of penalty kick opportunities will not last. The Union defeated the Red Bulls 1-0 on a questionable call in the box, but they will of course take it without question. The Union visit the Colorado Rapids next time out.
9. FC DALLAS (-)
FC Dallas have hit a bit of a cold stretch, losing 3-1 to NYCFC and drawing 0-0 with Minnesota prior to this week. Their match against St. Louis was stopped and postponed after 50 minutes, a point in which Dallas had a slight edge in the xG battle, 0.47-0.44. FC Dallas will need more from their attacking three to get results, Paul Arriola has yet to score this season. Alan Velasco's injury has been a tough blow, as he has not appeared since April 8th. Dallas will have a good test next week when they visit a struggling Austin FC side.
10. ATLANTA UNITED (-3)
As if it were in the script, Josef Martinez not only opened his account for Inter Miami against Atlanta United, but grabbed a second goal to win the game as well. Atlanta pulled one back through Andrew Gutman in the dying embers of the match, but they had lost 2-1 when the dust settled. ATL has now conceded two road matches in a row to fellow southern Eastern Conference sides, losing 2-1 to Nashville SC the week prior. Wonderkid Thiago Almada just hasn't found the same success as he did earlier in the season, and the Atlanta attack has been stagnant without their DP striker Giorgos Giakoumakis. They will host Charlotte FC in the next one.
11. COLUMBUS CREW (-)
Columbus Crew looked like the team to beat in MLS for a couple moments, but it has now been four matches since they scored multiple goals in a match. The Crew had the bye this week, providing a massive opportunity to reset ahead of their home game against Orlando City next weekend. Despite going 0-2-1 in the last three, Columbus still sits in a healthy sixth place position in the East. The Crew are still in a solid spot through ten matches, but Lucas Zelarayan and Cucho Hernandez must come out firing on all cylinders.
12. ORLANDO CITY SC (-4)
Orlando City SC, quite literally the epitome of inconsistency. Their form through the first ten matches reads: WDDLWLWLWL. This may just be a bunch of letters, but they represent the fact that Orlando practically wins every other game and loses the ones in between. With a perfectly balanced 4-4-2 record, OCSC find themselves in ninth place in the East. CF Montreal made better of a match with limited chances, forcing an own goal off Robin Jansson and one from Romell Quioto in a four minute span, leaving the Lions with a 2-0 loss. Orlando is far too talented in attack to not turn this around, but the pressure lies on the likes of Facundo Torres, Martin Ojeda, and Ercan Kara. Columbus Crew will host Orlando next weekend.
13. NEW YORK CITY FC (-3)
Similarly to Orlando, NYCFC are at .500, a 4-4-3 record. NYCFC is different in that they have been a streaky team. Their most recent 3-2 loss against Charlotte FC followed up a 1-0 loss in Toronto the week prior. Before these two matches, New York City had gone undefeated through four consecutive games. Enzo Copetti burned NYC early, and despite multiple responses, Richy Ledezma's late own goal held up as the winner for Charlotte. Santiago Rodriguez, Talles Magno, and Gabi Pereira will look to make things right in the New York derby next week, against the very worst the East currently has to offer.
14. HOUSTON DYNAMO (+1)
The Houston Dynamo have been quite a pleasant surprise so far in 2023, currently sixth place in the West. Their issue, though, is when it comes time to hit the road. Houston has among the highest point totals at home in MLS this year, but the absolute lowest on the road. The Dynamo will need to find some positive results away from home if they would like to stay in the playoff hunt for the long run. Steve Clark starred in their 0-0 draw with Real Salt Lake, while Franco Escobar put in a stellar shift defensively. Seattle will pay Houston a visit next week, looking to end the Dynamo's current four game unbeaten run.
15. VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (+3)
The Whitecaps played a wild one against Minnesota in a mid-table Western Conference contest, and were able to come away with a 3-2 win. Brian White's brace put the Caps in prime position to win before his forced substitution due to injury. Simon Becher replaced him and scored the would-be game winner within 30 seconds of coming on. The Whitecaps have quietly been among the most successful teams in MLS play as of late, sporting an eight match unbeaten streak. They have drawn quite a few matches, which settles Vancouver in seventh place in the West. The Whitecaps will travel south to play the Timbers next week.
16. COLORADO RAPIDS (+5)
Poetically, Kevin Cabral scored the eventual game winner in a 3-1 victory over the LA Galaxy on the road. The three points were a massive get for Colorado, who haven't lost many games recently, but haven't won many either. The Rapids have not lost in seven straight MLS matches, but a whopping five of those earned them just a single point. While Diego Rubio has not been banging in goals, he has helped the attack flow in other ways. Conor Ronan had a spectacular match in the center of midfield, snatching two assists to his name. The Rapids will host Philadelphia on Saturday.
17. CF MONTREAL (+5)
Ever since the Bryce Duke trade, CF Montreal has found some form. They have now won three straight MLS matches by a scoreline of 2-0, as well as a 2-0 Canadian Championship victory that began the streak. Montreal has risen from the bottom up to eleventh in the East, a record of 4-6-0. Mathieu Choiniere has been instrumental to their success and now Romell Quioto is working back from his injury. CF Montreal opens up a doubleheader against Toronto FC in the Canadian Championship at BMO Field, and later in MLS at Stade Saputo.
18. INTER MIAMI CF (+5)
Inter Miami have endured quite the interesting campaign so far, book-ending six losses with two wins on either end. After starting 2-0, Miami lost six games straight through March and April. Fresh off the back of a victory in Columbus, Josef Martinez's brace helped Miami defeat Atlanta United 2-1. Kamal Miller has helped solidify the defense, while DeAndre Yedlin looked effective from fullback. Eighteen-year-old Benji Cremaschi has proved his potential playing the #10 role for IMCF. There are some signs of promise for this team, but they earn a huge test next week when they host the MLS leading New England Revolution.
19. DC UNITED (-3)
DC United responded well to an abysmal start to the season through three successive wins, but could not continue the streak after a 2-1 loss to FC Cincinnati. Christian Benteke and Taxi Fountas have shown that they can be a productive scoring duo for DCU, but they need more contributions from the midfield. Victor Palsson has been extremely solid filling in at center back this season. The schedule ahead will be a tough, they'll face two of the hottest teams in the East in Nashville SC and Philadelphia Union.
20. TORONTO FC (-6)
Toronto FC fell to 2-3-6 with their 2-0 home loss to the New England Revolution. Bobby Wood's clean strip of Sigurd Rosted at the midfield line killed any chance of TFC getting something out of the match, and DeJuan Jones' rebound sealed the deal. Matt Hedges was a late scratch in warmups, and the backline did not respond well. The midfield did not provide much of anything either. The Italians cannot do it all on their own, but it's unclear if anyone else besides Richie Laryea can help this faltering Toronto attack. CF Montreal will be the next opponent in both the Canadian Championship and MLS.
21. REAL SALT LAKE (-2)
Real Salt Lake secured their second straight 0-0 draw against Houston Dynamo, the attack has simply not been dynamic enough. Steve Clark made five saves for Houston, but RSL has to find a way to put the ball in the net. Rubio Rubin has not shown the ability he did during the 2021 season, and they have cycled through potential strike partners for Rubin, nothing has worked great. Jefferson Savarino needs more help going forward. Real Salt Lake are still in striking distance to make a move up the Western Conference standings, but will have to host a hungry LAFC side in their next MLS match.
22. PORTLAND TIMBERS (-2)
The Portland Timbers were just moments away from grabbing a crucial three points at Providence Park, but Will Bruin ruined the party and they had to settle for one. Evander showed up in a big way by assisting both Timber goals. After winning their first match of the season, Portland went winless through their next six. Since the 4-1 beat down in the Cascadia Cup, things have looked much better for Portland, who currently sit in ninth, the last available playoff position. The next match will be at home against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
23. CHARLOTTE FC (+1)
Charlotte FC played a back and forth match with NYCFC at the Bank, but were able to come out victorious, 3-2. Enzo Copetti bagged a brace in 39 minutes, which he badly needed. Justin Meram made his debut with the club, assisting one of the Copetti goals. Richy Ledezma's own goal ended up winning the game for Charlotte, leaving them in 12th place on a 3-5-3 record. They hope to build off the win and find some consistency when they visit Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Atlanta United next week.
24. MINNESOTA UNITED (-7)
Minnesota United's flying start to 2023 was a fairly shocking one, which is why their current downfall is not as surprising. Minnesota fought until the end, but the Whitecaps bested them, 3-2. The first five games of the season each earned points for the Loons, while the following five earned them just one single point. Emanuel Reynoso has returned to the club, but he will not be available to play for likely a while longer as he reintegrates with the team. Minnesota could definitely use his creative left foot right about now. On the bright side, Sang-Bin Jeong scored his first goal for Minnesota since arriving last month. MNUFC face off with Sporting Kansas City at Children's Mercy Park next.
25. AUSTIN FC (+1)
It's not an exaggeration to say that Austin FC is seriously struggling through ten matches, especially after 2022's success. Their last win was on March 11th, meaning they have been winless for seven consecutive games. If it wasn't for Will Bruin crashing the box and equalizing at 92', Austin would not have salvaged a 2-2 result against the Timbers. While Driussi did not play in this one, ATX need him to step up and perform like the MVP candidate he was just last season. Austin will try to end their long-term slump at Q2 Stadium against FC Dallas.
26. NEW YORK RED BULLS (-1)
The New York Red Bulls have parted ways with Gerhard Struber, which is a start. The normally successful side currently sits in dead last place in the Eastern Conference, sporting a 1-4-6 record. They have now gone without a win in seven straight matches. The mess of the team itself, Dante Vanzeir, and the large amount of injuries, this team is just a mess right now. On the bright side, their 11 goals conceded in 11 matches is not half bad, so if the attack can get moving the defense is salvageable. Most recently, RBNY fell 1-0 to a rough penalty call against the Philadelphia Union. They play NYCFC at Red Bull Arena in their next MLS match.
27. CHICAGO FIRE (-)
Chicago Fire were another team to fire a manager this week, Ezra Hendrickson was let go by the club following a 3-0 loss to Nashville SC. Chicago has not lost a ton of games, but like the other teams at the bottom of the East, they have drawn them instead. Things were seriously looking up for the Fire on a five game unbeaten streak, but a 99' Atlanta United game winner has seen the squad tank ever since. Shaqiri has not looked to be the same player. Georgios Koutsias made his first start for the club, and will look to help this attack become more dynamic. Chicago hosts St. Louis CITY SC in both the Open Cup and in MLS play across the next week.
28. SPORTING KANSAS CITY (+1)
They won a game! Sporting Kansas City marched into Lumen Field and picked up their first win of the season in 2-1 fashion over the Seattle Sounders. This was their first win since October 22, 2022, against the Sounders. Erik Thommy played an incredible game, and was rewarded with a goal and assist for his effort. Alan Pulido also scored his first goal since returning from injury, though he did score once in the Open Cup previously. SKC hope to dig themselves out of the cellar of the West while hosting Minnesota United next match.
29. LA GALAXY (-1)
Some thought that the Galaxy just needed a win under their belt to get them going, but that has proved untrue. After performing well in El Trafico but losing, the Galaxy knocked down Austin FC, 2-1. They proceeded to lose 2-0 to Orlando and 3-1 to the Colorado Rapids, with Kevin Cabral scoring the game-winning tally. LA is now 1-6-3, with just eight goals for, only SKC and RBNY have fewer. Riqui Puig has worked hard and tried to carry this team to success, but the rest of the Galaxy roster have not responded well. The midfield and defense are discombobulated and the Joveljic-Chicharito pairing has provided just two goals. They will get a visit from the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday night.
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