MLS Week 5 Power Rankings: LAFC Finding Their Groove

Week 5 of the MLS

season took place during the season’s first international break, severely impacting several squads around the league.

Inter Miami got a bye, giving Lionel Messi some much-needed rest after picking up an injury in last week’s trip to Atlanta, and dropping out of Argentina’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers as a result.

Without further ado, here are GIVEMESPORT’s Power Rankings after Matchday 5 of the MLS season.

1

Inter Miami

Last week: 1st (-)

Result: Bye

Up next: Saturday, March 29 vs Philadelphia Union (7:30 pm ET)

Inter Miami CF

had the week off during the international break. Hopefully it’s a chance for Lionel Messi

to get back to fitness.

2

Charlotte FC

Last week: 3rd (+5)

Result: 4-1 win vs San Jose Earthquakes

Up next: Saturday, March 29 at Colorado Rapids (4:30 pm ET)

Charlotte FC

exploded to a 4-1 win over San Jose, getting a standout performance from Pep Biel and putting the rest of the league on notice. Their defense has been elite for a while, but if they can sustain a high-level attack, they’re going to be scary.

3

Philadelphia Union

Last week: 5th (+2)

Result: 1-0 win vs St. Louis City

Up next: Saturday, March 29 at Inter Miami (7:30 pm ET)

Bradley Carnell won the rematch, with the Philadelphia Union

beating his old St. Louis team in a grind-it-out 1-0 win. It was an impressive showing from the Union, who were missing up to five starters due to the international break.

4

Vancouver Whitecaps

Last week: 2nd (-2)

Result: 3-1 loss vs Chicago Fire

Up next: Saturday, March 29 at Toronto FC (2:30 pm ET)

Let’s not read too much into this one. The Vancouver Whitecaps

were missing a ton of players on international duty, losing 3-1 to Chicago to end their perfect start to the season. It’s unfortunate and frustrating to see their streak ended like this, but this result shouldn’t change much about their long-term prospects.

5

Columbus Crew

Last week: 4th (-1)

Result: 0-0 draw vs NYCFC

Up next: Saturday, March 29 at DC United (7:30 pm ET)

The Columbus Crew SC

were dominant at home against NYCFC, outshooting the Pigeons 24-5. Unfortunately, they lacked the cutting edge in the final third to find the back of the net. This might be their level until they bring in a new DP.

6

LAFC

Last week: 13th (+7)

Result: 2-0 win at Sporting KC

Up next: Saturday, March 29 at San Diego FC (10:30 pm ET)

David Martinez made his presence known in Los Angeles FC

’s 2-0 win over Sporting KC, scoring an absolute stunner and filling in well for Denis Bouanga. It was a solid, professional outing from the Black & Gold.

7

Seattle Sounders

Last week: 6th (-1)

Result: 0-0 draw vs Houston Dynamo

Up next: Saturday, March 29 at San Jose Earthquakes (10:30 pm ET)

The Seattle Sounders

were flat in their scoreless draw against Houston, and given their injuries and absences, it probably shouldn’t be too surprising. The concern is that with long-term absences for some key players, they might have to put up with more performances like this for a while.

8

San Diego FC

Last week: 7th (-1)

Result: 2-1 loss vs Austin FC

Up next: Saturday, March 29 vs LAFC (10:30 pm ET)

San Diego FC

lost the first match in their history on Saturday, falling 2-1 to Austin in a match where they dominated possession but couldn’t finish their chances, while leaving plenty of space in behind for Austin to exploit.

Let’s not lose sight of the big picture here, though; taking five matches to get your first loss is a huge win on its own. They’ve already defied expectations for this season.

9

Minnesota United

Last week: 8th (-)

Result: 2-2 draw vs LA Galaxy

Up next: Saturday, March 29 vs Real Salt Lake (8:30 pm ET)

Minnesota United

dropped points at home to a poor LA Galaxy side last weekend, but it wasn’t all bad. Kelvin Yeboah continued his hot streak, scoring a brace from the penalty spot.

The Loons created plenty of chances and should have put this one away comfortably, but conceded a late equalizer after the Galaxy threw the kitchen sink into the box.

10

Chicago Fire

Last week: 16th (+6)

Result: 3-1 win at Vancouver Whitecaps

Up next: Saturday, March 29 vs CF Montreal (8:30 pm ET)

The Chicago Fire FC

have won three consecutive road matches, beating a shorthanded Vancouver on Saturday to continue their fantastic start to life under Gregg Berhalter. Most people expected them to improve in 2025. Almost no one expected it to be this fast.

11

New York Red Bulls

Last week: 14th (+3)

Result: 2-1 win vs Toronto FC

Up next: Saturday, March 29 at New England Revolution (2:30 pm ET)

It was an encouraging performance from the NY Red Bulls

, who got two goals from Emil Forsberg and dispatched a struggling Toronto side at home. There are still some issues for Sandro Schwarz to work through on the pitch, but they’ll take this win.

12

FC Cincinnati

Last week: 9th (-3)

Result: 2-2 draw vs Atlanta United

Up next: Saturday, March 29 at Nashville SC (8:30 pm ET)

Pat Noonan had to cobble together a backline in FC Cincinnati

’s 2-2 draw with Atlanta. Their defense struggled, especially on Atlanta’s opener, but Evander’s individual brilliance was enough to earn a point. It does feel like things aren’t fully clicking for them, though.

13

Nashville SC

Last week: 15th (+2)

Result: 3-0 win vs CF Montreal

Up next: Saturday, March 29 vs FC Cincinnati (8:30 pm ET)

Nashville SC

thumped a bad Montreal team at home to make it three consecutive wins. They’re flying under BJ Callaghan, but have tough tests against Cincinnati and Charlotte coming up next. We’ll learn a lot more about this team in the next two weeks.

14

Austin FC

Last week: 17th (+3)

Result: 2-1 win vs San Diego FC

Up next: Sunday, March 30 at St. Louis City SC (2:15 pm ET)

Austin FC

got a standout showing from Brandon Vazquez in a 2-1 win over San Diego FC, handing the expansion side their first loss. They’re not going to get that much space against most teams, and they were incredibly wasteful in front of goal, but they’ll happily take the three points.

15

St. Louis City SC

Last week: 10th (-5)

Result: 1-0 loss at Philadelphia Union

Up next: Sunday, March 30 vs Austin FC (2:15 pm ET)

St. Louis CITY SC

are struggling to create real, quality chances at the moment. They struggled against a shorthanded Philadelphia Union side, and judging by Joao Klauss’s post-match reaction, they’re still not happy with former head coach Bradley Carnell.

16

Orlando City

Last week: 19th (+3)

Result: 4-1 win vs DC United

Up next: Saturday, March 29 at LA Galaxy (10:30 pm ET)

Orlando City SC

destroyed DC United at home, getting a fantastic performance from all three designated players. Marco Pasalic has been better than advertised, and Luis Muriel is… actually good? Watch out for the Lions.

17

New York City FC

Last week: 12th (-5)

Result: 0-0 draw at Columbus Crew

Up next: Saturday, March 29 at Atlanta United (7:30 pm ET)

A scoreless draw on the road in Columbus isn’t a bad result, but New York City FC

were absolutely pummeled all game and needed a game-saving performance from Matt Freese to take anything from this one.

18

Colorado Rapids

Last week: 11th (-7)

Result: 3-0 loss vs Portland Timbers

Up next: Saturday, March 29 vs Charlotte FC (4:30 pm ET)

Colorado Rapids

were beaten badly by Portland Timbers at home, and really struggled to create many notable chances. It’s a concern, especially given they had almost their entire first-choice lineup available, aside from goalkeeper Zack Steffen.

19

Atlanta United

Last week: 18th (-1)

Result: 2-2 draw at FC Cincinnati

Up next: Saturday, March 29 vs NYCFC (4:30 pm ET)

Atlanta United

will certainly take a 2-2 draw on the road against Cincinnati, especially without some key members of their starting XI, but Alexey Miranchuk continues to underwhelm in an attack that badly needs a No. 10 to control the offense.

20

Portland Timbers

Last week: 24th (+4)

Result: 3-0 win at Colorado Rapids

Up next: Sunday, March 30 vs Houston Dynamo (7:00 pm ET)

That was the type of performance the Portland Timbers

have desperately needed, beating Colorado handily on the road. Let’s see if they can build on it at home against a struggling Houston side on Sunday Night Soccer.