Welcome back to the Guardian’s MLS Power Rankings, where I have a beef with your specific team and your specific team alone. Unlike Cucho Hernández, we’re strapped in and ready rock.
Now, as a reminder, these aren’t your standard, run-of-the-mill power rankings. We’re still ranking teams from worst to first. But along with the rankings, we’re diving deep into a handful of teams from around the league who are doing particularly interesting things.
27. FC Dallas
26. Austin FC
25. Chicago Fire
24. New York City FC
Only two teams remain winless in MLS play: the Seattle Sounders, who find themselves slightly higher up the rankings given all of their injury issues, and the New England Revolution. Things are bad in New England. Like, the most fun part of our season was when we dumped a foam crate of “tea” on to the ground bad.
The Revs have only one point through five games, just got smacked 4-0 in a record defeat at home by Club América in the quarter-finals of the Concacaf Champions Cup, and are staring right down the barrel of a lost season. There are plenty of problems plaguing Caleb Porter’s team. Without a reliable scoring option, almost all of Carles Gil’s chance creation magic has been wasted. They’ve tried to press for stretches this season: according to Opta, they’re fifth in MLS in Passes Per Defensive Action. But the Revs lack the necessary coordination against the ball to avoid leaking chances.
The biggest problem for New England, especially in the afterglow of their Supporters’ Shield-winning 2021 season, has come in goal.
Coming into this year, five of the 30 best shot-stopping campaigns in American Soccer Analysis’ database (which goes back to 2013) were from Revolution goalkeepers. Djordje Petrović’s 2022 season puts him in the top spot in terms of goals saved above expected. His 2023 campaign landed in the 28th spot. Matt Turner’s 2019, 2020, and 2021 seasons come in at fifth, sixth and 14th.
This year? The Revs don’t have an elite shot-stopper. They don’t even have a clear starter. Henrich Ravas started the first several games before being benched in the last two matches in favor of Earl Edwards Jr, who struggled mightily after Petrović left for the Premier League midway through last season.
“I’ve said it, Ravas has been inconsistent. I think…