1. Houston Dynamo - Looked disjointed against 10-man New York. Turf troubles? Ching-less for most of the match? Whatever the cause, they did not threaten a fairly weak NYRB backline, even with a man advantage.
2. DC United - A bye week gives United a chance to address their defensive woes. Next week at Columbus should be an indication of whether they can take back the top spot from the Dynamo or whether they will start to slide down the rankings.
3. FC Dallas - Took care of the Rapids at home with some pretty goals. Their underpowered defense held Colorado to one shot on goal. Is this a reflection on their improvement as a unit or more an indication of Rocky Mountain toothlessness?
4. Chivas USA - The positive: a decisive home win as their offensive firepower begins to exert itself. The negative: it was only RSL. Galindo looked impressive, but will Chivas be able to bang in enough goals to compensate for their not-so-hot backline?
5. Red Bull NY (+2) - A hard-fought home win against the defending champs while playing a man down for over half the match. Arena looks to have righted the ship. Altidore is a beast and probably should have scored two or three. What will the kid be capable of when Angel takes some of the defensive focus off of him? The big questions are the defense and how long the older legs can hold up to the turf and the long, hot summer.
6. NE Revolution - Managed a draw despite a lackluster outing in Ohio and probably should have won if not for a critical error by Riley playing an unfamiliar role in place of the injured Parkhurst. Twellman continues to score.
7. KC Wizards (-2) - Not so hot this time out. Managed a late goal to make it look respectable, but were nowhere near as high-flying as they were last week. Still, once Marinelli gets integrated, this could be a team to watch. A mid-week home date with Toronto gives them a chance to get their confidence back.
8. Chicago Fire - A solid home win against the Wizards. The Fire are a solid team top to bottom and would be ranked up around 5 or 6 if they could just find a consistent scorer.
9. LA Galaxy - A week to rest, reflect, and heal as they get ready for the LA derby next weekend. The rumor mill is spinning about additions to the midfield, but the Gals need a lot of help at the back before they become a contender.
10. Colorado Rapids - Not as hot as they were at home, but they were in with a chance at the draw before two late Dallas goals sank them. The Rapids only created one shot on goal and were missing the suspended Roberto Brown. This is a game they probably would have drawn with Cannon in the net. How many points was Cannon worth last year? Time will tell.
11. Columbus Crew - A third draw in a row to start the season mean the Crew are unbeaten, but two of those matches have been at home. They'll be missing Herrón for a least a few matches as they search for a consistent goal threat. Will the addition of Schelotto help to push this team up the rankings?
12. Real Salt Lake - Question answered about how well they will travel. Ouch! Rimando's days in the Salt Lake net are numbered. Are Ellinger's days on the bench numbered as well?
13. Toronto FC - If it were possible for their ranking to drop, it would. What is Mo up to? He deals two fringe National Team players and a handful of draft picks for two unproven fullbacks, a third round pick, and the rights to a player currently plying his trade at the third tier of German futbol. He did bring in a journeyman forward, but the midfield and backline still look thin. Now, if he can add a strong, experienced center back, things may start to look up, but he's got to keep that player in Toronto for more than a few weeks.
So, not too many changes. The Bulls are moving on up, while the Wizards drop a few places despite a decent showing in Chicago. I expect that some questions will be answered in the next few weeks as teams prove what they will be capable of over the course of the season and rosters start to solidify.
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