Power Rankings Overview: RSL retains top spot for season despite recent drops

Power Rankings Overview: RSL retains top spot for season despite recent drops

Editor's Note: Kreg Asay is back again with the Power Rankings overview for the week. Good stuff, as ever!

Week 16 on the Power Ranking Averages - although due to the 2 week FIFA break sites vary on which 'week' they are on.  This week I was referred to a new site that has power rankings, so I've added it to the averages table.  At present the sites used are:

*Soccer America (socceramerica.com)
*Major League Soccer (MLSSoccer.com)
*Goal (Goal.com)
*Soccer by Ives (soccerbyives.net)
*ESPN (espn.go.com/sports/soccer)
*SB Nation (sbnation.com/section/major-league-soccer)
*NBC Sports (prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com)
*Sports Illustrated (sportsillustrated.cnn.com) - no ranking for weeks 12-13 due to FIFA break.
*Bleacher Report (bleacherreport.com) - weeks 1-11 only, they ceased power rankings after that.

The addition of the Sports Illustrated ranking made some small changes to the previous weekly ratings, but not enough to cause any position changes, thus I've retained the numbers from last week's listing.

Weekly Average Power Ranking

W16 - W15 - Team - Average - High - Low
1    -  1    -   San Jose     - 1.13  - 1    - 2
2    -  2    -   DC United    - 1.88  - 1    - 2
3    -  4    -   Salt Lake     - 3.5    - 3    - 7
4    -  5    -   Kansas City - 4.38  - 4    - 5
5    -  3    -   New York     - 4.75  - 3    - 6
6    -  7    -   Vancouver    - 6       - 5    - 7
7    -  6    -   Chicago       - 6.88   - 4   - 8
8    -  10  -   Seattle         - 9       - 6   - 10
9    -  11  -   LA Galaxy    - 9.13   - 7   - 11
10  -   9   -   Houston       - 9.38   - 8   - 11
11  -   8   -   Columbus     - 11      - 8   - 12
12  -  13  -   New England - 11.63 - 10 - 14
13  -  12  -   Colorado       - 13.13 - 10 - 15
14  -  14  -   Chivas          - 14.5   - 12 - 17
15  -  17  -   Philadelphia  - 14.63  - 13 - 16
16  -  15  -   Montreal       - 15.75  - 14 - 17
17  -  16  -   Portland        - 16.88 - 13 - 18
18  -  18  -   Toronto         - 17.75  - 15 - 19
19  -  19  -   Dallas           - 18.63 - 18 - 19

There were numerous changes, mostly between teams in the middle of the table while the top and bottom 2 remained.  No team received a unanimous vote in any list, the teams with the widest variance were Colorado (high 10, low 15), Chivas (high 12, low 17), Portland (high 13, low 18).  Many others had a variance of 4 positions.

The most consistent sites were ESPN, SBNation and NBC which had the teams move no more than 2 positions from the previous week.  Soccer by Ives was the most inconsistent with one team moving 5 places, and a 2nd moving 4.

Firsts and Lasts

RSL has been ranked #1 for a total of 6 weeks. SKC was in first for 5 weeks, and SJE for 5. TFC has been 19th for a total of 10 weeks, Montreal and Dallas have held last place for 2 weeks each, Chivas and Philly 1 each. 

Season Average Power Ranking
W16   -  W15  -   Team

2.23   -  2.14   -   Salt Lake
3.29   -  3.18   -   Kansas City
4.09   -  4.29   -   San Jose
4.62   -  4.37   -   Seattle
6.46   -  6.48   -   New York
6.96   -  6.88   -   Houston
7.12   -  7.25   -   Vancouver
7.77   -  8.13   -   DC United
9.58   -  9.66   -   Chicago
9.73   -  9.55   -   Colorado
10.01 -  10.29  -   LA Galaxy
12.13 -  11.79  -   Dallas
13.1   -  13.02  -   Columbus
14.01 -  13.98  -   New England
14.6   -  14.67  -   Chivas
14.61 -  14.51  -   Portland
15.4   -  15.33  -   Montreal
16.3   -  16.53  -   Philadelphia
17.91 -  17.89  -   Toronto

Two teams moved up on the table; Chicago and Chivas swapped places with Colorado and Portland.  DC United made the biggest rise at .36 points, while Dallas continues their fall in ranks losing .34 points.  The most consistent teams were New York and Toronto, both of which changed a mere .02 points.

The gap between Seattle and New York continues to close.  Last week the difference was 2.11 points, this week it's been reduced to 1.84.  The 2nd big gap between Dallas and Columbus has also shrunk.  Last week 1.23 points separated both teams, now it stands at .97 points.

Firsts and Lasts

RSL has held the top spot on the season table for a total of 14 weeks (with week 7 tied with SKC).  SKC held #1 for 3 weeks (again with W7 tied with RSL).

Toronto has been in 19th place for 8 weeks, with Montreal at 7 weeks.  TFC has begun to dig themselves out of last place on the weekly averages, but they still dropped slightly in the overall season average.

Trends to watch

On the weekly table Seattle rose 2 points from 10th to 8th, New York offset it by falling from 3rd to 5th.  While 8th is still well below Seattle's season average of 4.62 it has slowed the drop.  If Seattle has regained it's winning form then NY will find it difficult to pass them at 4th position.

Barring any breakdown in form, San Jose should pass Sporting KC in 2-3 weeks.  The going will be rough for SKC since they face the Union, Crew and Dynamo on the road, while the Quakes will be challenged twice at home by RSL, and Dallas then on the road vs against the Whitecaps.  The gap between the two teams stands at .8 points, down from 1.11 last week.