Major League Soccer Power Rankings

Chivas downed Real Salt Lake with a ruthless efficiency last weekend and had the look of a team hell-bent on proving their successful season last year was no fluke. The performances of Sacha Kljestan and Jesse Marsch will have particularly impressed Preki and with Alecko Eskandarian and Atiba Harris scoring, Chivas look like they won't have to rely on just Galindo and Razov for goals. The only worry is that Brad Guzan may leave in the summer, but if he stays this side can win it all.

New England may have played for over 80 minutes with only ten men but that should not take anything away from an impressive attacking performance from the Fire. Chad Barrett and Blanco were impressive but the two goals from Tomasz Frankowski would have particularly pleased Dennis Hamlett. With so many attacking options, Chicago has to be considered one of the favorites for MLS Cup this year. And with Blanco continuing to live up to the hype, they should also be one of the most enjoyable teams to watch.

The Wizards continued their fine start to the season with a hard fought 3-2 win over Colorado. Curt Onalfo would not have been pleased with how his side threw away a two-goal lead but will have been happy with the character they showed in coming back to win the game late on. K.C. may have lost their top-scorer from last year but they look a more balanced side going forward and are creating a lot of chances. The real test for this side is when they play on the road. Until then, we can't fully know if Kansas City are legitimate contenders for the MLS crown.

Now that's more like it from United. D.C. were two up inside five minutes before completely dismantling an awful Toronto side. Santino Quaranta got the start and was very impressive in showing he could be a valuable addition to an already red-hot attack. This win should get D.C. rolling and although fourth right now, I believe they will now start to justify my tag as favorites to win MLS Cup.

The Revolution's impressive opening victory over Houston seems a distant memory now after a crushing loss to bitter rivals Chicago at the weekend. Add to that the news that Taylor Twellman and Steve Ralston will miss the next six weeks and all of a sudden New England look like they have some tricky times ahead. Steve Nicol will have to hope that newcomers Mauricio Castro and Sainey Nyassi continue to impress or his side could fall well off the pace at the top of the east.

Colorado may have failed to follow up their impressive dismantling of the Galaxy with another win, but I saw enough in the tough loss at K.C. to suggest that the Rapids will be more than the inconsistent underachievers they were last year. With Pablo Mastroeni approaching full fitness again, this team has almost all the tools needed to make a strong run at the Western crown with the likes of Houston and Dallas struggling. The one thing they miss is a penalty box striker who can score 15-20 a season. Until they find one, they will struggle to truly compete with the best of the rest.

Juan Carlos Osorio could not have asked for a better start with his side getting a goal inside the first minute of his first competitive match in charge. The Red Bulls went on to beat the Crew with a performance that was more about efficiency than attacking flair but with Altidore to return soon we should see a lot more attacking punch in the weeks ahead. I think this side has a lot of promise but I still don't feel that a team built around an aging Claudio Reyna can really expect to win MLS Cup.

The defending champs conceded three goals for the second week running and only escaped another loss with a last-gasp equalizer. Dominic Kinnear will not be happy with the defensive play by his whole side, with his defense looking very leaky and the midfield not providing much protection in front of them. The loss of Pat Onstad was also a blow with backup goalie Tony Caig not impressing on his debut. The only plus point for the Dynamo fans was the way their team fought back to earn a point against Dallas. Tough times at Houston but the have the quality to come back strong.

Dallas should be furious with the way they let their rivals Houston escape with a point in a six-goal thriller. Kenny Cooper showed why he is one of the best strikers in the league with two goals, and with Arturo Alvarez and Juan Toja in the squad, they should continue to regularly find the back of the net. The problem with Dallas is that Steve Morrow has yet to find the right mix at the back and until they do, they will continue to be a second-tier team.

An error-ridden loss to New York proved that Columbus is still the team we all know and love from the last few seasons. After going 2-0 down inside the first ten minutes, the Crew never looked likely to get anything from the game and Sigi Schmid was so frustrated he even sacrificed the ineffective Schelotto and switched to a more direct style. The bottom line is that no matter what style they play, Columbus are not good enough to compete at the top end of MLS.

RSL seem to be making a habit of impressive performances without actually getting the results they deserve. The 3-1 defeat to Chivas was not really a fair reflection on the game with RSL more than matching their hosts until a late goal really killed them off. Kenny Deuchar was impressive in the loss and Jason Kreis will need "Dr. Goals" to continue to find the back of the net or his side will be cast away at the bottom of the west for the second year running.

A 2-0 win in their home opener over San Jose in which Landon Donovan and David Beckham scored would suggest all is rosy again in the Galaxy camp. The reality is that although L.A. did play some good football, they were playing a side that was playing in its first competitive fixture. This was a good start but until the Galaxy beat a proven MLS side, they will remain near the cellar of my rankings.

It is always tough for a first-year franchise to compete and I saw nothing to suggest that San Jose will be any different. The likes of Ryan Cochrane and Nick Garcia should make sure that the Earthquakes are at least solid at the back but with Ronnie O'Brien looking a shadow of his former self in midfield, I just don't see them creating enough chances to win many games. This year may be tough but with Frank Yallop in charge, this franchise is in the right hands for the future.

It was obvious to anyone watching that Toronto badly needed to add some quality to their squad, and while I am not convinced that Amado Guevara and Laurent Robert are the answer, at least it is a step in the right direction. This franchise has the potential to be massive with the fan base they have created so let's hope Mo Johnston and John Carver give the Toronto faithful what they deserve — quality football on a regular basis.