MLS Power Rankings: Week 32

October 27, 4:49 PMReal Salt Lake ExaminerJeffrey Krotosky

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The final week of the MLS season saw multiple playoff hopefuls stumble and bumble their way out of the playoff picture. RSL took advantage of the situation and crushed rival Colorado with a 3-0 victory to make the playoffs for a second straight year. After all the action has played out let's take a look at the Power Rankings for Week 32, the final week of the MLS regular season.

1. Columbus Crew – Columbus has lost 3 of their last 4 league matches but to be fair they had very little to play for. Columbus will rightfully be favored to advance out of the East after winning the Supporters’ Shield but there is an axiom in sports to beware the team playing on borrowed time for they have nothing to lose which epitomizes RSL.
2. Los Angeles Galaxy – There 2-0 victory over the Earthquakes was enough to earn the Galaxy the top spot in the Western Conference. Their reward, a first round matchup against bitter rival Chivas USA.
3. Houston Dynamo (+1) – The Dynamo finished out their season with a 3-2 victory over Chivas to ensure a second place finish in the Western Conference without the suspended Brian Ching.
4. Seattle Sounders (+1) – Seattle may be the hottest team entering the playoffs finishing the season with three consecutive wins and finally breaking the jinx of not being able to win at home.
5. Chivas USA (-2) – Chivas has a shot to finish first in the Western Conference and mathematically could have caught Columbus for first in MLS, but finished the season with consecutive loses to the Fire and Dynamo which left them the fourth seed in the Western Conference and squaring off with their bitter rivals.
6. Chicago Fire – Chicago sputtered heading into the playoffs but managed to win against Chivas USA to clinch the second seed in the East and will face off with New England in the playoffs for the eighth time this decade.
7. New England Revolution (+3) – New England must of have thought they were smoking something watching the improbable results from Saturday leaving them needing only a win or tie to make the playoffs.
8. Real Salt Lake (+4) – In one fell swoop the universe balanced out the bad luck that plagued RSL all year and Real took advantage of the situation with a 3-0 win over rival Colorado which allowed RSL to sneak into the playoffs.
9. FC Dallas (-2) – Dallas’s unlikely run ran out of steam just before this finish line as they surrender two second half goals to Seattle which eliminated Dallas from the playoffs.
10. Colorado Rapids (-2) – With ten games left in the season Colorado looked like a team that had a legitimate shot at winning the Western Conference with a majority of their remaining games against teams near the bottom of the MLS table. Colorado was unable to take advantage of the remainder of their schedule and once again were knocked out of the playoffs with a final game against Real Salt Lake.
11. D.C. United – Minutes from a playoff berth, United gave up a penalty kick in stoppage time that allowed the Wizards to tie the game. After the PK, United had one last opportunity to win but Rodney Wallace’s blast hit off the goal post and now United will miss the playoffs for the second straight year.
12. Toronto FC (-3) – Toronto had taken care of the hard part and beat RSL at home and headed into the final weekend playing against the last place Red Bulls for a spot in the playoffs. Toronto however forgot to show up against the Red Bulls and were shellacked 5-0 in the final game at Giants Stadium and will miss the playoffs again.
13. Kansas City Wizards – Kansas City got to play spoiler at the end of the season and knocked United out of the playoffs with a draw to end the season.
14. San Jose Earthquakes – I’m trying to think of something positive for the Earthquake fans to look forward to in 2010 but the best I can come up with is at least they play in a nice climate.
15. New York Red Bulls – I have no way to explain the Red Bull’s 5-0 victory over Toronto other than to suggests the spirits from past New York Cosmos players infused themselves into the current batch of Red Bulls players in the final soccer game at the Cosmos’ old home.

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