If there was ever a weekend to be thankful for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV’s MLS 360 program, it was this one. With 15 matches within five hours, featuring every team in the league on Saturday, MLS was busier than any other top-tier league in the world could ever dream of.
It wasn’t just the massive slate that made it busy, though. The 30 teams combined for 57 goals, tied for the most in a single matchday in MLS’s 30 years, and it also marked the first time four different players scored hat-tricks on the same day.
With Matchday 33 in the books, here are Sports Illustrated’s newest MLS Power Rankings.
MLS Power Rankings Matchday 33: Clubs 30–16
30. Atlanta United (Previous: 27)
29. St. Louis CITY SC (Previous: 30)
28. CF Montreal (Previous: 26)
27. LA Galaxy (Previous: 29)
26. D.C. United (Previous: 28)
25. Sporting Kansas City (Previous: 24)
24. Real Salt Lake (Previous: 25)
23. New York Red Bulls (Previous: 22)
22. Houston Dynamo (Previous: 21)
21. New England Revolution (Previous: 23)
20. Toronto FC (Previous: 18)
19. San Jose Earthquakes (Previous: 17)
18. FC Dallas (Previous: 20)
17. Colorado Rapids (Previous: 19)
16. Austin FC (Previous: 15)
15. Portland Timbers (Previous: 16)
The Portland Timbers helped Charlotte FC clinch an MLS Cup Playoff spot with a 2–1 win over the New York Red Bulls, and struck a massive blow in the Red Bulls’ hopes of extending their 15-year playoff streak.
Outside of playing a significant role in the Eastern Conference playoff race, it was an all-around solid showing, with goals from new signing Matías Rojas and Antony to lead the way. The result brought the Timbers to sixth in the Western Conference, and eight points safe of the playoff cutoff line.
14. Chicago Fire FC (Previous: 13)
Gutierrez ➡️ Zinckernagel
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 14, 2025
Chicago has the opener! pic.twitter.com/ZcZzDSousC
First off, shoutout to the Chicago Bears’ lines still on the pitch for this matchup; that was a true throwback to the old days of MLS. For the Chicago Fire, though, the day probably could have gone a lot better, as they fell 3–1 to New York City FC.
Philip Zinckernagel scored early, and the Fire were in this match, but were eventually overwhelmed by the more balanced team in NYCFC. Head coach Gregg Berhalter’s side have the makings of a good team and should qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs, but are far from any sort of title contender at this point.
13. Nashville SC (Previous: 11)
Nashville SC had a chance to clinch a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs this week, but fell agonizingly short with Evander scoring in the eighth minute of stoppage time to claim a 2–1 win for FC Cincinnati.
While Sam Surridge extended his lead atop the MLS Golden Boot race with an 84th-minute strike, the night ended with a fifth loss in six matches for Nashville, who will hope to reclaim some semblance of form ahead of the postseason.
Their next test comes midweek as they take on Austin FC in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals.
12. New York City FC (Previous: 14)
New York City FC played some of their best soccer of the season, dismantling Chicago’s defensive setup in a 3–1 victory.
After falling behind early, they found a goal from a well-organized wide overload in the 40th minute, finished by Nicolás Fernández, before Alonso Martínez scored in the 57th minute to take the lead. Martínez’s goal made him just the second player in NYCFC history to score 15 goals in two seasons, tying him with David Villa.
Seventeen-year-old Seymour Garfield-Reid sealed the win with his first MLS goal, becoming the youngest player to score for the club. Meanwhile, Raul Gustavo showed his ability at the back after recently joining the club.
The win pushed NYCFC to seventh in the Eastern Conference, a point safe from the Wild Card match heading into their final six games.
11. Columbus Crew SC (Previous: 12)
First half hat trick for Diego Rossi! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/YnR3SoKOy8
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 14, 2025
If Columbus Crew could remember just the first 30 minutes of their 5–4 win over Atlanta United, they would probably be pretty happy. Diego Rossi scored a first-half hat-trick and marquee summer signing Wessam Abou-Ali netted his first goal in MLS, leading to a 5–0 lead by the half-hour mark.
Unfortunately for Wilfred Nancy’s side, there was more to play. Atlanta came back to score four unanswered goals and had the momentum in the final moments, nearly completing one of the craziest comebacks in MLS history.
Yet, Columbus were able to hold onto the lead, securing three points to put them fifth in the Eastern Conference, a single point behind Nashville SC for a coveted top-four spot.
10. Seattle Sounders FC (Previous: 10)
The Seattle Sounders won’t be satisfied with a 2–2 draw against the LA Galaxy, even as the defending MLS Cup champions have found a little bit of form in the second half of the season.
However, this was a dominant showing from the Sounders. While they only had two more shots than the Galaxy, their xG and chance creation were elite, putting up 3.47 xG compared to the Galaxy’s 1.77.
The result was a letdown for the Sounders after the excitement of their Leagues Cup win over Inter Miami, but also came with some bright spots as Albert Rusnák and Jordan Morris entered the match as substitutes.
All eyes now turn to Tuesday for a highly anticipated matchup with Miami in Fort Lauderdale, featuring one of the longest trips in all of professional sports.
9. Inter Miami (Previous: 8)
No luck on the panenka.
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 14, 2025
Kristijan Kahlina stands his ground! 😳
📺 #MLSSeasonPass: https://t.co/Hk7vdrFPCI pic.twitter.com/ltzmUpAPEn
These are worrying times for Inter Miami after falling 3–0 to Charlotte FC in a critical Eastern Conference clash.
After selling versatile midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi, and with leading striker Luis Suárez suspended, the Herons only dressed 14 outfield players and two goalkeepers for the match, well below the MLS standard matchday roster of 20 men.
Midfielder Tadeo Allende took on a striker role up top alongside Lionel Messi, but struggled positionally as Miami failed to muster chances outside of an early Jordi Alba cross, which Allende was unable to finish.
The Herons have eight remaining MLS matches and will have a chance at the Supporters’ Shield and a top-four seed, but without depth, they may not be able to go very far in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Then again, betting against Lionel Messi has not been a favorable prediction in the last two decades of global soccer.
8. LAFC (Previous: 9)
It was a historic weekend for LAFC in a 4–2 win over the San Jose Earthquakes, and it started quickly with Son Heung-min scoring the third-fastest goal in club history. After that, it was the Denis Bouanga show, with the Gabon international scoring a hat-trick to tie club legend Carlos Vela for most LAFC goals in all competitions.
While the Black and Gold have won just twice in the Son era, the partnership of he and Bouanga started to blossom, and could be the key to a lengthy playoff run in head coach Steve Cherundolo’s final season.
LAFC is currently fifth in the Western Conference, trailing the Seattle Sounders by just a single point for a top-four spot, while also having one game in hand on every team in the conference.
7. Orlando City SC (Previous: 5)
It was a disappointing night for Orlando City, picking up a point in a 1–1 draw with Eastern Conference bottom dweller, D.C. United. While the Lions mustered a whopping 25 shots, they were unable to cash in on 33 minutes of advantage after D.C. center back Lukas MacNaughton was sent off.
Fresh off international duty with the USMNT, Alex Freeman found the back of the net as well, but the result feels like two points dropped rather than one gained.
The draw brought them to 48 points, just two points off a top-four spot in the Eastern Conference, and they’ll look to close that gap over their remaining five games, starting with next week against Nashville.
6. Philadelphia Union (Previous: 2)
Earlier in the summer, the Philadelphia Union declined Thomas Müller’s approach to join the club. They might regret that now, after the German trounced them with a hat-trick in a 7–0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Head coach Bradley Carnell partially rotated his squad for the match, with eyes on the midweek U.S. Open Cup semifinals, but it proved costly early. Veteran defender Alejandro Bedoya couldn’t handle Vancouver’s pace, and the entire side became overwhelmed.
Carnell made a triple sub in the first half, but it wasn’t enough to stop the landslide as the Union ended the night with their heaviest defeat in club history–– but stayed atop the Supporters’ Shield standings thanks to other results.
5. Charlotte FC (Previous: 6)
Idan Toklomati scored a hat-trick and Charlotte FC made history with a 3–0 win over Inter Miami, claiming their ninth straight win tying the record for the longest regular-season winning streak outside of the shootout era.
Although they got a stroke of luck with Lionel Messi’s failed Panenka penalty attempt, Charlotte dominated the entire night. Toklomati got the hat-trick, but the front three of him, Brandt Bronico and Wilfred Zaha created trouble for Miami. They also got some late minutes for Pep Biel as he continued to work his way back from injury.
Charlotte clinched an MLS Cup Playoff spot with the win and are in form at the right time. Aside from the win, head coach Dean Smith was having a great time as well, taking part in the Poznan with the fans ahead of the match due to his suspension.
4. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Previous: 7)
Was this your birthday wish @esmuellert_? 😏#VWFC | #VANvPHI pic.twitter.com/57f3gFEEIS
— X - Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) September 14, 2025
Talk about a birthday present. On his 36th birthday, Thomas Müller scored the sixth club hat-trick of his career, with his three goals and assist lifting the Vancouver Whitecaps to a club-record 7–0 win over the first-place Philadelphia Union.
Outside of Muller’s showing—where he became the first MLS player to score a birthday hat-trick—the Whitecaps got a standout appearance from Canadian winger Ali Ahmed, who played one of his best games in the Blue and White.
17-year-old homegrown signing Rayan Elloumi bagged his first goal in his home debut, helping to cap off a night that will go down in Vancouver soccer history.
Come for 17-year-old Rayan Elloumi's first @WhitecapsFC goal, stay for the emotional family celebration in the stands.
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 14, 2025
What a moment. 🩵 pic.twitter.com/SXVn9pgFZ9
The win also brought the Whitecaps to third in MLS on points-per-game, keeping them in the Supporters’ Shield race, while bringing them to four points behind San Diego FC for the top of the Western Conference with two games in hand.
Before they look to next week’s match against Sporting Kansas City, the Whitecaps face Forge FC in a Canadian Championship semifinal clash.
3. FC Cincinnati (Previous: 4)
Big time players, big time moments!
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 14, 2025
Evander's last minute winner clinches a playoff berth for @fccincinnati. WOW pic.twitter.com/esgw1WLjNa
Evander has been among the MLS MVP contenders this season, and a goal to clinch a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time certainly helps that case.
For the first time since bringing Brenner back to the club on loan from Udinese, he and Evander linked up well while Ender Echenique helped set up the winning strike. Club-record signing Kévin Denkey also made an appearance in the match as he continues to work his way back into the team.
It all led to an eventual 2–1 win against Nashville SC, one of Cincinnati’s closest rivals near the top of the Eastern Conference, and the result kept them in second place heading into their final four games.
At the same time, it also adds a much-needed morale boost after just two wins in their prior six MLS contests.
2. Minnesota United (Previous: 3)
Head coach Eric Ramsay has a plan, and he’s sticking with it: Give the other team a lot of the ball.
Minnesota surrendered 66 percent of the possession against San Diego FC, and came away with a 3–1 win with goals from Anthony Markanich, Carlos Harvey, and Nectarios Triantis, cashing in on an xG of just 0.5.
At the same time, Canadian international goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair stood tall, making 12 saves on a night when San Diego mustered 26 shots, including those that were off target.
OH MY NECTARIOS TRIANTIS! FROM MINNESOTA'S OWN HALF! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bNCFpsf0Lo
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 14, 2025
The plan has been consistent all season long for Minnesota, and they showed they can adapt even after selling Tani Oluwaseyi to Villarreal. They’re still second in the Western Conference, but are just four points behind San Diego and five points behind Philadelphia for the league lead.
They’ll play in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals on Tuesday against Austin FC, with hopes of returning to a cup final for the first time since 2019.
1. San Diego FC (Previous: 1)
In a clash of Western Conference titans, San Diego FC came to rue their finishing struggles, scoring just once on 28 shots in a 3–1 loss to Minnesota United. Their clashing styles brought a tactically intriguing matchup.
For San Diego, that meant holding onto a lot of the ball and controlling the pace of the game, but falling victim to Minnesota’s counter-press, allowing three goals on an xG of just 0.50.
The loss won’t derail San Diego, as oftentimes their style works well enough to control a team, but it did highlight that they can be fragile if teams surrender the run of play looking to hit on the counter.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLS Power Rankings: LAFC, Vancouver Rise After Big Wins on Matchday 33.
