MLS Power Rankings: Top Teams Faltered, Inter Miami Humiliated and More From Matchday 11

All 30 Major League Soccer teams kicked off May action with a busy weekend on Matchday 11, with some also competing in Concacaf Champions Cup and U.S. Open Cup play midweek.

While the slate saw a dramatic Inter Miami collapse against Orlando City, it also saw nearly every top team in the table drop points, forcing some significant shifts in Sports Illustrated’s weekly MLS Power Rankings.

With Matchday 11 all wrapped and the World Cup break now just four games away for most clubs, here’s how the teams stack up in the latest edition of this week’s rankings.

MLS Power Rankings Matchday 11: Clubs 30–11

30. Sporting Kansas City (Previous: 30)
29. Philadelphia Unio n (Previous: 29)
28. CF Montréal (Previous: 27)
27. St. Louis CITY SC (Previous: 25)
26. Atlanta United (Previous: 28)
25. Colorado Rapids (Previous: 23)
24. Orlando City (Previous: 27)
23. Portland Timbers (Previous: 21)
22. D.C. United (Previous: 24)
21. New England Revolution (Previous: 22)
20. Houston Dynamo (Previous: 20)
19. Toronto FC (Previous: 18)
18. Austin FC (Previous: 19)
17. Red Bull New York (Previous: 14)
16. FC Dallas (Previous: 17)
15. Columbus Crew (Previous: 13)
14. LA Galaxy (Previous: 15)
13. San Diego FC (Previous: 12)
12. New York City FC (Previous: 10)
11. Charlotte FC (Previous: 11)

10. Minnesota United 🆙 (Previous: 14)

Kelvin Yeboah scored a brace for Minnesota United in a win over the Columbus Crew. | Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

Minnesota United isn’t quite getting the same results as last year’s defensive-based, shutdown systems. Still, things are certainly improving under manager Cameron Knowles at the one-third mark of the 2026 campaign. This week, it was a 3–2 win over the Columbus Crew, with all goals coming in the first or second phase after a set play.

Minnesota’s first goal came off a long throw, the second off a corner, and the third from a throw and a cross, exposing Columbus’ tactical frailties in defending set plays. The team has become more fluid with Anthony Markanich taking on more responsibility in running the midfield, while serving up Kelvin Yeboah up top.

For Yeboah, his brace and recent form stand out as one of the best spells he has had since the club transferred Canadian attacker Tani Oluwaseyi to Villarreal. That’s only a good sign for the Loons, even though the club might be tempted to add further this summer.

9. Inter Miami 📉 (Previous: 7)

Lionel Messi impressed on the most embarrassing day in Inter Miami’s history. | Giorgio Viera / AFP via Getty Images

It was the most embarrassing day in Inter Miami’s history, squandering a 3–0 lead to lose 4–3 to rival Orlando City, primarily on defensive errors, allowing their Florida foes to become the first team to secure three points at Nu Stadium.

Lionel Messi left the pitch in clear frustration. Meanwhile, interim manager Guillermo Hoyos answered just a single question post-match, offering little insight or accountability into one of the worst collapses in MLS history.

So far this season, Miami has been defined by aimlessness. They floundered in the Concacaf Champions Cup and are making routine defensive errors nearly every week. Messi—even at his best—can’t save the team like he used to, now at 38 years old.

Winless in four games at home and having allowed 19 goals in 11 games, it’s panic time for Miami. If next week’s matchup against a pesky Toronto FC doesn’t amount to three points, there’s potential to fall to as low as 10th in MLS.

8. Real Salt Lake 🆙 (Previous: 9)

The chatter around Zavier Gozo and Diego Luna and the U.S. men’s national team’s 2026 World Cup roster will only grow louder after this week’s 2–0 win over the Portland Timbers, as the standout U.S. youngsters each scored in the victory.

Gozo got things going early with a perfectly weighted strike in the 10th minute and amassed seven shots through 71 minutes. Meanwhile, Luna starred with deft dribbles, cheeky shoulder feints and a clinical finish to seal the three points—in a performance that saw him complete three dribbles and create 10 chances.

If it weren’t for a starring performance from James Pantemis between the sticks for the Timbers, making an MLS regular-season record 13 saves, this game could have been a far heftier scoreline for Real Salt Lake. On the backend, the defense ensured Rafael Cabral only needed to make two saves to send the sold-out crowd home happy.

Next week, RSL goes up against fellow Western Conference upper mid-table team FC Dallas, hoping to significantly improve their standings, potentially as high as third place.

7. Chicago Fire 📉 (Previous: 6)

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! 🤯

Celentano made a penalty kick save to maintain the draw. pic.twitter.com/tGZviwrjzQ
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 3, 2026

Oh no, Hugo Cuypers. Despite scoring a brace for his ninth and 10th goals of the season, a missed penalty in the 91st minute proved costly for the Belgian forward’s side, as Chicago Fire fell 3–2 to FC Cincinnati, where Evander scored a winning penalty in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time.

Having gone up a man after Cincinnati’s Kyle Smith picked up a 56th-minute red card, the Fire were unable to make the most of their chances, failing to score more than twice on 33 shots and 4.47 xG, headlining a day that will keep manager Gregg Berhalter up at night.

6. FC Cincinnati 🆙 (Previous: 8)

Evander, FC Cincinnati — Evander (left) scored his first career hat-trick for FC Cincinnati against Chicago. | Courtesy of FC Cincinnati

While the Fire will rue their missed chances, it was an outstanding day for FC Cincinnati and Evander, with the Brazilian netting a hat-trick, including the 97th-minute winning penalty for his side’s victory, despite the squad being outshot 33-10.

Chicago native Roman Celentano played a key role, making eight saves in the performance, including the penalty save on Cuypers’ 91st-minute penalty. At the same time, the ferocity of Cincinnati to continue striving for all three points despite playing with 10-men for over 35 minutes should be admired.

This is a good Cincinnati team, and it might look even better if they swing a Neymar deal this summer. Even without that Brazilian, though, they already have Evander showcasing his nation’s soccer prowess—and he’s already up to five goals and an assist in this season, after his first career hat-trick.

5. Seattle Sounders 📉 (Previous: 4)

Paul Rothrock scored his fourth goal of the season to save a point for the Seattle Sounders. | Bill Barrett/ISI Photos/ISI Photos/Getty Images

The Seattle Sounders will want to have this weekend’s game back as they surrendered points to Sporting Kansas City in a 1–1 draw, allowing SKC to pick up just a fifth point in 10 matches and to score an eighth goal in that same period.

Cristian Roldan’s push to make the USMNT’s World Cup squad also likely took a hit this week, as he made a poorly weighted pass, which was intercepted by SKC’s Dejan Joveljić, leaving the Rave Green battling in a physical affair from the 18th minute onwards.

Is it time to panic for Seattle, though? Not at all; it just showed they haven't yet hit the same intense winning habits they showed in 2025—a factor that shouldn’t worry them too much, given manager Brian Schmetzer’s history of peaking in the fall.

4. LAFC 🆙 (Previous: 5)

Ryan Hollingshead scored deep into second half stoppage time to save a point for LAFC. | Dave Bernal/ISI Photos/Getty Images

LAFC will feel lucky to get out of this week with a point, but at the end of the day, it’s the score at the end of the match that matters more than any performance, and the board at Snapdragon Stadium read 2–2 between LAFC and San Diego FC.

The Black and Gold fielded a partially rotated squad, with manager Marc Dos Santos eyeing the second leg of the Conacaf Champions Cup semifinal against Deportivo Toluca on Tuesday. Still, it was enough to scrounge a point, with a controversial late moment leading to Ryan Hollingshead’s tying goal in the 16th minute of stoppage time, following a lengthy VAR review for a handball.

There are concerns about not being able to take three points against an underwhelming 2026 San Diego FC, and with a yellow card, star attacker Denis Bouanga will miss next week’s match against the Houston Dynamo. Still, the focus is clearly on the Champions Cup right now, even as their gap to the top of the Western Conference grows to seven points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.

3. Nashville SC 🤝 (Previous: 3)

Not dissimilar to LAFC, Nashville SC is dealing with the weight of a Concacaf Champions Cup run and will face an uphill task this Tuesday when they look to rebound from a 1–0 home loss to Tigres in the first leg.

With none of Sam Surridge, Hany Mukhtar or Cristian Espinoza in the starting lineup, the heavily rotated squad played to a scoreless draw against the Philadelphia Union. It was probably the right move to make for manager B.J. Callaghan, and the draw leaves Nashville atop the Eastern Conference by a four-point margin.

If the Coyotes can push past Tigres, expect some more rotation and potentially a rescheduled match in the next few weeks. If not, then we’ll likely see the potent attacking trio return to full MLS involvement, hunting down the Supporters’ Shield.

2. San Jose Earthquakes 📉 (Previous: 1)

How has Reid Roberts gotten to that?!

A goal line clearance you have to see to believe! 😮 pic.twitter.com/xloY7yl9ql
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 2, 2026

Speaking to reporters post-match, manager Bruce Arena was not pleased with his team’s performance on a cold, windy afternoon at BMO Field, as the San Jose Earthquakes played to a 1–1 draw with a heavily injured Toronto FC side. If it weren’t for a goal-line clearance from 22-year-old defender Reid Roberts in the 86th minute, the Earthquakes would likely be looking to bounce back from a second loss, instead.

It was the Earthquakes’ seventh game in 21 days, as the club also advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup, but it marked one of their least impressive showings in MLS to date—even with a strong finish from Preston Judd in the 14th minute for his sixth goal of the season.

“There are no excuses for how we played today,” Arena said. “Regardless of the extra games over the past couple of weeks, we didn’t play well, and that’s how we’ll analyze and review it as we look to improve.”

The Earthquakes face a massive test next week as they look to stay atop the Western Conference against a Vancouver Whitecaps side nipping at their heels.

1. Vancouver Whitecaps 🆙 (Previous: 2)

All the storylines this week surrounded the Vancouver Whitecaps’ for-sale status, the club’s unclear future and a lucrative offer to purchase and relocate the club to Las Vegas. Amid it all, the fact that the Whitecaps are among the best teams in MLS right now seemed to fall by the wayside, as they hit the road for the first of eight away games through August 1 due to World Cup stadium operations.

Playing the late game on Saturday, the Whitecaps had a chance to hop into first in the Supporters’ Shield race, after each of LAFC, San Jose and Nashville dropped points. Yet, an arid pass from usual star goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka allowed LA Galaxy’s Joseph Paintsil to score, and a response from Mathías Laborda on a set-piece from USMNT World Cup hopeful Sebastian Berhalter wasn’t enough to claim anything but a 1–1 draw.

Still, it was an impressive performance—hence the team’s bump over the Earthquakes, who didn’t show as well and played to the same result against Toronto FC. Vancouver outshot the Galaxy 19–7 and had 2.61 xG compared to LA’s 1.38, all with superstar Thomas Müller sidelined due to illness.

Next week is critical against San Jose, as the players and coaching staff focus on the pitch rather than business talks in boardrooms and with the media.

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