The 2025 MLS season comes to a bit of a midsummer slow next week as the Leagues Cup gets underway for more than half the teams, but the latest weekend of regular season action brought some entertaining storylines.
Inter Miami and FC Cincinnati settled for a scoreless draw in a battle of Eastern Conference titans, yet the Herons did so without Lionel Messi or Jordi Alba. Both were suspended after missing the week’s MLS All-Star Game festivities in Austin.
Additionally, we saw San Diego FC beat Nashville SC in another heated top-of-the-table battle and several transfers go through with Rodrigo De Paul signing in Miami and Wessam Abou Ali joining Columbus Crew SC.
Here’s how the teams settle in the Sports Illustrated MLS Power Rankings after Matchday 27.
MLS Power Rankings After Matchday 27: Clubs 30-16
30. D.C. United (Previous: 30)
29. St. Louis CITY SC (Previous: 29)
28. LA Galaxy (Previous: 25)
27. CF Montréal (Previous: 28)
26. Atlanta United (Previous: 27)
25. Sporting Kansas City (Previous: 24)
24. New York Red Bulls (Previous: 26)
23. New England Revolution (Previous: 22)
22. FC Dallas (Previous: 21)
21. Real Salt Lake (Previous: 23)
20. Toronto FC (Previous: 19)
19. Houston Dynamo (Previous: 20)
18. Colorado Rapids (Previous: 16)
17. Portland Timbers (Previous: 18)
16. San Jose Earthquakes (Previous: 15)
15. Austin FC (Previous: 17)
It was a busy week for Austin soccer and some of the Austin FC players, as they welcomed the MLS All-Star Game to town, which included head coach Nico Estévez and goalkeeper Brad Stuver.
Yet, they didn’t let it pull them away too much, as they came away with a convincing 4–2 win over D.C. United, making the most of D.C.’s defensive flaws, and outscoring the issues that befell them in the second half.
While they have to navigate the rest of the season without marquee striker Brandon Vazquez, this weekend’s win against a team they should beat was a good start, especially with goals from struggling attackers Myrto Uzuni and Osman Bukari.
14. Chicago Fire (Previous: 14)
It wasn’t quite the dominant performance Gregg Berhalter and the Chicago Fire would have hoped for, but they managed to claim all three points in a 1–0 victory over the New York Red Bulls.
Although Hugo Cuypers slotting home a penalty for his 14th goal of the season builds his confidence, the key for the Fire at this point is their defensive form, now sitting on two-straight clean-sheet victories.
A key concern moving forward now will be the health of key left back Andrew Gutman. He was forced to leave the game due to what appeared to be a significant injury. Regardless of his status, though, they look to extend the win streak to three games when they face LAFC at home on Aug. 9.
13. Seattle Sounders FC (Previous: 10)
Like father, like son. 😅
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 27, 2025
Osaze De Rosario scores a potential game-winner in stoppage time for @SoundersFC. pic.twitter.com/wlSWCpzrji
De Rosario is back scoring in MLS. No, not Dwayne, but his son Osaze who netted his first MLS goal in the second minute of second-half stoppage time to give the Seattle Sounders a 2–1 lead against Atlanta United.
It even came after a goal from Pedro de la Vega, as the DP midfielder continued his stellar form amid one of the more consistent runs of his Sounders tenure. Alas, those marks became tarnished when Atlanta’s Alexey Miranchuk tied the match in the ninth minute of stoppage time.
The Sounders still claimed a point, but once again struggled to find their best form for a full match. A draw with the dismal 2025 version of Atlanta United is not a good result by any measure.
12. New York City FC (Previous: 13)
It was a barnburner for New York City FC, but they came out on the right side of it with a 4–3 win over FC Dallas.
Alonso Martinez played his best game of the year with a hat-trick and came out as the victor in a heated striker duel against FC Dallas frontman Petar Musa; meanwhile, 18-year-old Jonathan Shore netted his first goal to become the youngest goalscorer in NYCFC history.
While defensive issues and allowing three goals will be a concern, plenty of eyes turned to the final 29 minutes of the match. NYCFC’s new DP midfielder, Nicolas Fernandez, made his debut taking two shots, creating a chance and completing three dribbles in a challenging end to the game.
NYCFC are one of the 18 MLS clubs competing in Leagues Cup and return to the pitch on July 29 to face Liga MX’s Puebla.
11. LAFC (Previous: 9)
LAFC saw their four-match unbeaten streak come to an unceremonious end on Friday night, falling 1–0 to the Portland Timbers.
Portland’s Cristhian Paredes found the only goal in the match, but LAFC had plenty of chances with 12 shots, including three on target while also winning the xG battle 1.10 to 0.38. Yet, despite the opportunities, it was a rare off night for Denis Bouanga. Loan player Javairô Dilrosun struggled to make an impact in his final match before returning to his parent club, Club América.
LAFC have had inconsistent quality throughout the season, but have struggled for an identity outside of Bouanga’s counterattacking talents. They’re reported to be adding Canadian international Mathieu Choiniére, who could help the midfield alongside Mark Delgado.
Meanwhile, with Dilrosun gone, it could create a perfect place for Tottenham Hotspur legend Son Heung-Min, who they are looking to add this summer.
10. Charlotte FC (Previous: 12)
Charlotte FC managed to avert disaster on Saturday with a 2–0 win over struggling Toronto FC which saw goals from Idan Toklomati and Kerwin Vargas.
It wasn’t the most challenging game, especially with how TFC defended on the opening goal. Defender Brandt Bronico was given plenty of time to approach a cross and pick out Toklomati, whose goal proved the eventual winner. Wilfried Zaha continued his strong form as well, with an assist on Vargas’s 2–0 goal.
Despite being the heavy favorites in the clash, securing all three points was a big boost for Charlotte extending their winning streak to four straight games while lifting themselves to seventh in the Eastern Conference.
9. Columbus Crew SC (Previous: 8)
The time has come ⏰
— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) July 26, 2025
Introducing Wessam Abou Ali to the Black & Gold 🖤💛 pic.twitter.com/o95FupfcVG
Columbus Crew SC had a good week in the transfer window signing striker Wessam Abou Ali as their replacement for Cucho Hérnandez, but they struggled on the pitch with a 3–1 loss to Orlando City SC.
Although Orlando managed to secure a fairly convincing win in the end, Columbus controlled the game for much of the first half and eventually took the lead in the 66th minute through a Diego Rossi penalty.
Head coach Wilfried Nancy said as much after the game, suggesting his side could have had more goals at halftime. A lack of finishing may not be a problem in the future after adding Abou Ali, who scored 38 goals in 68 appearances with Al Ahly.
8. Orlando City SC (Previous: 11)
Orlando City SC didn’t have the match play in their favor for much of the night, but came out as winners against Columbus Crew SC in a convincing late turn of events.
Ramiro Enrique scored a brace within four minutes to change the 1–0 deficit in the 75th minute to a 2–1 lead by the 79th, before Martin Ojeda extended the lead to 3–1 in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time.
The win marked Orlando’s second in a row. Ojeda, who now has four goals in his last four matches, is in top form.
Now, Orlando look towards the Leagues Cup with their Phase One matches against Pumas UNAM, Atlas and Necaxa. A Florida derby is on the horizon as well.
7. Nashville SC (Previous: 6)
It was a tight match between heavyweights, but Nashville SC weren’t quite up to the task of defeating Western Conference-leading San Diego FC on Saturday. B.J. Callaghan’s team fell 1–0 after a Hirving Lozano goal in the 53rd minute.
Although Andy Najar, Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar all started after taking part in the MLS All-Star festivities midweek, none were able to drive the attack in their usual fashion with Surridge exiting the game in the 72nd minute after having just a single shot.
It marked only Nashville’s second loss in their last 19 matches across all competitions. Meanwhile, due to FC Cincinnati’s draw with Miami, they remain one point short of the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield lead.
Saturday’s loss wasn’t quite what Nashville have become accustomed to, but it came against a stellar and unknown opponent, and shouldn’t cause too much concern for the Tennessee side.
6. Minnesota United (Previous: 5)
Minnesota United got back to winning ways this week with a 2–1 win over St. Louis CITY SC and achieved the rare feat of beating a player who played for them to start the week.
While Kelvin Yeboah scored twice from the spot, including the 90th-minute winner, the victory came against Jeong Sang-bin, who St. Louis acquired for $1.6 million from Minnesota on Monday.
Outside of that factor, though, the win brought Minnesota back into positive territory, after a 1–0 loss to LAFC and a 1–1 draw with the Portland Timbers had taken away some momentum they built up under head coach Eric Ramsay.
However, as much as the return to winning matters, it was close, and also came as another indication that the low-possession, counter-pressing style might not work for a lengthy playoff run.
5. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Previous: 7)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC finally have their swagger back. After a spell that saw head coach Jesper Sørensen’s side lose four of five MLS games, they have now gone three undefeated with their latest being a dominant 3–0 win over Sporting Kansas City.
So far this season, the club has seen star center back Ranko Veselinović go down with a season-ending injury, and limited minutes from Tristan Blackmon.
They had to move forward without captain Ryan Gauld, who has not played since Mar. 8, and recently sold star midfielder Pedro Vite to Pumas. With all those considerations, it’s been a tough spell for Vancouver, but one they have been able to manage.
Jayden Nelson and Emmanuel Sabbi each stood out against SKC with Nelson creating four chances and finishing three dribbles. Sabbi had five shots and his second goal in three games.
Now, they have two weeks off before facing the San Jose Earthquakes on Aug. 9. They could bring in a marquee reinforcement, after links emerged between them and FC Bayern Munich legend, Thomas Müller.
4. FC Cincinnati (Previous: 2)
Miles Robinson finds the back of the net but it's called back 👀 pic.twitter.com/u8UyeR8ibI
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 27, 2025
FC Cincinnati rolled out the same starting lineup that beat a full-strength Inter Miami CF 10 days prior, but weren’t able to secure all three points against a Messi and Alba-less Miami side on the road.
Cincinnati controlled much of the match and looked to have scored off a Miles Robinson header in second half stoppage time, before the referee called the goal for a foul.
Head coach Pat Noonan and Cincinnati will surely want to move on from this match, especially given the late call and the relative non-influence from MLS MVP frontrunner, Evander.
With the point, Cincinnati remained second in MLS and the Eastern Conference, only trailing the Philadelphia Union.
3. Inter Miami CF (Previous: 1)
Inter Miami CF should count themselves lucky to come away with a point against an FC Cincinnati side that trounced them less than two weeks prior. However, if Messi and Alba had avoided suspension by attending the MLS All-Star Game, it could have very well been a three-point night.
Yes, hindsight is always clearer and the way the situation between MLS, Inter Miami and the two superstars played out could have been executed better, but not having the players due to the club’s decision could have proven a major knock against their Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup Playoff seeding hopes.
On the bright side, they did manage to secure a point, and got a promising performance from Benjamin Cremaschi, who starred at left back despite never previously playing the position.
The Herons look ahead to welcoming Messi and Alba back into the lineup, while also introducing their newest signing Rodrigo De Paul, as they begin their Leagues Cup campaign against Liga MX’s Atlas on July 29.
2. Philadelphia Union (Previous: 3)
The Philadelphia Union extended their undefeated streak to four games, and captured their third win in that span with a commanding 3-1 victory against the Colorado Rapids.
Not only did the win and the corresponding results around them allow the Union to maintain a lead in the Supporters’ Shield and Eastern Conference standings, but it also marked an important return to goalscoring for Tai Baribo who netted his 15th of the season.
Although an extended absence likely ended Baribo’s hopes of the MLS Golden Boot, it was a big week for the Israeli international, as he bagged a goal in both the Union’s match and the MLS All-Star Game this week.
Outside of Baribo, though, head coach Bradley Carnell’s side impressed overall with a late brace from Mikael Uhre and another standout performance from left-back Kai Wagner.
1. San Diego FC (Previous: 4)
That Dreyer x Lozano connection is unstoppable. 💯
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 26, 2025
📺 #MLSSeasonPass: https://t.co/SVaVJmzvv2 pic.twitter.com/jkJtcSsctj
Is there anything San Diego FC can’t do these days? Nearly every match, the newest MLS expansion club offers up stunning soccer and headline-grabbing results that continue to turn heads across the league.
This week, it was a 1–0 win against Nashville SC, one of the other 2025 MLS powers with Hirving Lozano scoring the winning goal to keep his side atop the MLS Western Conference.
Outside of Lozano though, the match showcased elite vision and ability to pick out long passes from Jeppe Tverskov and constant attacking involvements from Anders Dreyer.
The confidence in head coach Mikey Varas’s group is sky-high right now, and they could very well eclipse St. Louis CITY’s 2023 record for the best-ever season by an MLS expansion team.
They will, however, get a break from league play as they test themselves beyond MLS for the first time with Phase One Leagues Cup matches against CF Pachuca, Tigres UANL and Mazatlan.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLS Power Rankings: San Diego FC, Orlando City SC Impress After Matchday 27 .
