In most eras of MLS history, the season wouldn't start until the first few weeks of March.
While the league has expanded in every way and pushed the start of the season into the last weekend of February, MLS games in March have a certain essence to them. The preseasons are fully over, the rust is mostly gone and the competition is underway.
While some teams still need some time to figure things out, 2025 has gotten off to an electric start in the league's 30th season.
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With Matchday 2 in the books, Sports Illustrated dives into the latest edition of the MLS Power Rankings. If you missed Week 1, check that out too.
Clubs 30-16
30. Toronto FC (Previous: 17)
29. Sporting Kansas City (Previous: 18)
28. Chicago Fire (Previous: 28)
27. Portland Timbers (Previous: 30)
26. CF Montréal (Previous 16)
25. Colorado Rapids (Previous: 21)
24. Nashville SC (Previous: 23)
23. New England Revolution (Previous: 26)
22. Houston Dynamo (Previous: 19)
21. Real Salt Lake (Previous: 29)
20. Orlando City SC (Previous: 27)
19. LA Galaxy (Previous: 20)
18. Austin FC (Previous: 16)
17. St. Louis CITY SC (Previous: 22)
16. D.C. United (Previous: 24)
15. New York Red Bulls (Previous: 15)
A 10/10 goal from New York's 10 Emil Forsberg. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/oEytp2wANN
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 2, 2025
That’s more like it! After struggling to break down FC Cincinnati in their season opener, the New York Red Bulls looked like the reigning Eastern Conference Champions as they downed Nashville SC 2–0 at their newly named Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Email Forsberg is back scoring bangers, Carlos Coronel posted a clean sheet and the good vibes are back. They’ll just try to keep it going now, heading into a highly anticipated clash against Atlanta United.
14. New York City FC (Previous: 14)
New York City FC couldn’t quite get the job done against LAFC in their visit to California, but they’re quickly establishing a new identity under head coach Pascal Jansen. After signing top striker Alonso Martinez to a contract extension midweek, the Pigeons should hit form soon, especially once they play some home matches.
13. Minnesota United (Previous: 15)
When Minnesota United signed Kelvin Yeboah, they did so to get a game-breaking striker to play off Tani Oluwaseyi. He did that, scoring in a 1–0 win over CF Montréal, as the club claimed their first win after losing to LAFC by the same line in their opening match.
Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair didn’t need a save in the clean sheet either, with the center-back pairing of Michael Boxall, 36, and Morris Duggan having banner days. Things are going well for the Loons, with the only question being how long they can sustain these stingy performances.
12. FC Dallas (Previous: 12)
Te Quiero Mucho 🪄🫎 https://t.co/Xunw0S0Gf8 pic.twitter.com/ELUVjEeFdM
— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) March 2, 2025
Luciano Acosta and Petar Musa are here and proving themselves quickly. While Messi didn’t play this week for Inter Miami, Acosta reminded everyone he’s another standout Argentine No. 10 in the league, creating two chances and scoring on a thrilling exchange with Musa, who netted the opener for FC Dallas in a 3–3 draw with the Colorado Rapids.
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Three goals is always a good mark to hit, but it’s also an amount where three points should be guaranteed, something head coach Eric Quill will have to sort out on the defensive end, especially given Colorado only had 1.88 xG and scored three.
11. Seattle Sounders FC (Previous: 4)
After scoring twice against Charlotte FC at home, the Seattle Sounders didn’t have the same edge in a 2–0 loss to Real Salt Lake on the road. While they created two big chances and had 10 shots, an early own goal from Nouhou and a second RSL goal from Foster Ajago didn’t paint a pretty picture for head coach Brian Schmetzer’s side.
10. FC Cincinnati (Previous: 3)
The good news? Evander scored, and Luca Orellano returned. The bad news? Well, everything else.
After impressing in Concacaf Champions Cup play against FC Motagua and beating the New York Red Bulls on a Kévin Denkey marker in Week 1, Cincinnati struggled to create chances against Philadelphia and were loose defensively, allowing Baribo an early hat trick.
After this week, they might want to consult Ted Lasso for guidance: “You know what the happiest animal in the world is? It's a goldfish. It's got a 10-second memory. Be a goldfish,” Lasso said in the Apple TV series
9. San Diego FC (Previous: 9)
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) pic.twitter.com/SYxmSggT83
— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) March 2, 2025
After rising to the occasion in their opening match against the LA Galaxy, San Diego FC struggled to break down St. Louis CITY SC’s low block, despite having a record crowd at their home opener pushing them on.
Most of the success against LA came from poor defensive mistakes, and St. Louis didn’t make those. Anders Dreyer and Chucky Lozano have been solid, but they’ve struggled to create on their terms– that may hurt them as the season goes on.
8. Atlanta United (Previous: 1)
On Matchday 1, Emmanuel Latte Lath and Miguel Almiron looked unstoppable. Yet, Atlanta United struggled to get past Ashley Westwood and the Charlotte FC midfield and didn’t create to the same levels as they did against CF Montréal at home.
It’s one loss, and good teams can lose games, but it was a hiccup for head coach Ronny Deila and the Five Stripes. They’ve got big tests in the New York Red Bulls and Inter Miami in their next two matches, too.
7. Charlotte FC (Previous: 10)
Wilfried Zaha delivered as advertised. According to him, he “repaid the hype.”
No team impressed more than Charlotte FC on Matchday 2 of MLS, with the former Premier League star revitalizing Dean Smith’s side’s attack in front of over 51,000 supporters at Bank of America Stadium.
While Zaha scored and got an assist, 2024 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Kristijan Kahlina also found form as Charlotte held Atlanta’s star-studded attack off the scoresheet.
6. Philadelphia Union (Previous: 11)
Fifteen-year-old Cavan Sullivan got on the pitch for eight minutes in his 2025 debut for the Union. Still, the night's story was Tai Baribo scoring a hat-trick and showcasing the Union’s newfound attack prowess in a 4–1 win over FC Cincinnati.
New head coach Bradley Carnell has led the group to two wins in two weeks, scoring eight goals and shutting down the challenging attacks of Orlando City and the Kévin Denkey-led FCC.
5. Columbus Crew (Previous: 7)
Jacen Russell-Rowe opens the scoring for Columbus! 🇨🇦
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 2, 2025
📺 #MLSSeasonPass: https://t.co/CQnTS3mreo pic.twitter.com/CZJro9iAnK
Your defense is terrified, Jacen’s on fire!
Canadian international Jacen Russell-Rowe scored his second Columbus goal in as many games. The former MLS Next Pro Golden Boot winner continues to break out after the departures of Cucho Hénandez and Christian Ramirez. He scored the lone goal in a tight 1–0 victory over the New England Revolution.
4. Inter Miami CF (Previous: 6)
One of the best strikers ever! 💥
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 3, 2025
Luis Suarez cuts up the defense for his first goal of the season. pic.twitter.com/0Z7XnnnxZm
No Messi? No problem.
While Lionel Messi opted not to travel to face the Houston Dynamo, Javier Mascherano’s Inter Miami had no issues against the Texas side. Telasco Segovia scored a brace, a week after scoring his first MLS goal on his debut, and the Herons also got goals from Luis Suárez and Tadeo Allende.
Even without the GOAT, they’re an elite MLS team.
3. San Jose Earthquakes (Previous: 5)
Could life be going any better for the San Jose Earthquakes right now? After trouncing Real Salt Lake, they got goals from key signings Josef Martinez and Chicho Arango this week, beating Sporting Kansas City 2–1, despite playing with 10-men from the 52nd minute.
For a team that finished last in 2024 and had a historically bad MLS season, Arena has shown he can adapt to a new era of American soccer, and the Earthquakes are the lucky beneficiaries of that.
2. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Previous: 8)
What a ball for the go-ahead goal👀
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 3, 2025
Brian White puts the @WhitecapsFC ahead of the LA Galaxy in the 88th minute! pic.twitter.com/Ax9sLla56C
New head coach Jesper Sørensen probably couldn’t have dreamed up such a start to the season. After beating their rival Portland Timbers 4–1 to start the year, the Whitecaps toppled the defending MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy 2–1 in their home opener on Matchday 2. In between, they pushed past Costa Rica’s Saprissa in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Newly signed through 2027, lead striker Brian White got his first goal of the MLS season after a brace against Saprissa this week, and the center back pairing of Tristan Blackmon and Ranko Vesilinovic has nullified the Galaxy and Timbers. A great start for sure, one they’ll hope to carry through the next few weeks.
1. LAFC (Previous: 2)
Once a team that flourished with outstanding attacking performances, it’s been a stingy yet successful start to the year for LAFC. In Matchday 2 of MLS, they toppled New York City FC 1-0 at home, their third clean sheet in a row and second in MLS after beating Minnesota United on opening weekend and Sporting Kansas City in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
While their attack is yet to hit form, head coach Steve Cherundolo’s team has adopted a stingy identity. They’re off to an immense start in 2025 and had 0.49 xG and three big chances against NYCFC, too, so the attack isn’t all dire.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLS Power Rankings: Which Clubs Moved Up After Matchday 2?.
