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2 Last: 1 You're probably angry, if you're a Houstonian, that your team dropped during a bye week. We feel ya, but it was a soft No. 1 ranking considering the two wins came over two of the weaker early-season teams thus far. Last Week: Bye

Bye This Week: Saturday at Vancouver (7 pm, TSN 2, MLS Live)

3 Last: 3 That midweek trip to Cruz Azul, with a makeshift backline, was a 90-minute nightmare. Bounced back with a blood-and-guts win over San Jose, which featured the first goal by a Sporting forward in nearly 10 hours of game action. Last Week: Won vs. San Jose, 1-0

Won vs. San Jose, 1-0 This Week: Saturday at Colorado (6 pm, MLS Live)

4 Last: 2 Still one of the elite teams in the league, even if Saturday's home draw with LA left us wanting. It's very clear that they drop a notch when Joao Plata is sidelined. Last Week: Drew vs. LA, 1-1

Drew vs. LA, 1-1 This Week: Saturday vs. Toronto FC (9:30 pm, TSN 2, MLS Live)

5 Last: 8 For about 65 minutes they were glorious, attacking from all angles and switching play through midfield at will. Held on for dear life over the last 25, though – both a good sign (that they can do it) and bad (that they had to). Last Week: Won vs. Philadelphia, 2-1

Won vs. Philadelphia, 2-1 This Week: Saturday at Seattle (10 pm ET, MLS Live)

6 Last: 6 The Power Rankings Politburo is unimpressed by Seattle's overall form, but six points out of nine to start the year – including three on the road – is just fine. This team's still finding itself, but they're picking up results along the way. Last Week: Won at Montreal, 2-0

Won at Montreal, 2-0 This Week: Saturday vs. Columbus (10 pm ET, MLS Live)

8 Last: 4 Beat by a set piece – starting to be a worry – and a golazo, which can happen on the road. Turned up the pressure for the final 25 minutes, and could (should?) have had the equalizer. They look the part of a playoff team, but need to start burying their looks. Last Week: Lost at Columbus, 2-1

Lost at Columbus, 2-1 This Week: Saturday at Montreal (4 pm, MLS Live)

9 Last: 9 Switched to a 4-2-3-1 for this one to shore up the midfield a bit. It worked, as the Fire didn't get many clear runs at New York's backline, but that solidity came at the expense of an attack that was a bit off. Last Week: Drew at Chicago, 1-1

Drew at Chicago, 1-1 This Week: Sunday vs. Chivas USA (3 pm, UniMas)

10 Last: 7 On paper, this really should be the best team in the league. But something about them so far is leaving us cold – there doesn't seem to be any spark out there. LA fans shouldn't be worried yet, but they should be wary. Last Week: Drew at Real Salt Lake, 1-1

Drew at Real Salt Lake, 1-1 Next MLS Game: Sunday, April 6 at Chivas USA (3 pm, UniMas)

11 Last: 14 Tour de force from Dillon Powers in central midfield. The Rapids don't have a million ways to beat you, but what they do – release runners into space – they do at a very high level. Last Week: Won vs. Portland, 2-0

Won vs. Portland, 2-0 This Week: Saturday vs. Sporting KC (6 pm ET, MLS Live)

12 Last: 10 The 'Caps are still figuring out who they are with the ball. They seem to want to be a possession-based team that uses the ball to control the game – think RSL. But the results right now are better when they open it up and play for the counter with speed. Last Week: Drew at New England, 0-0

Drew at New England, 0-0 This Week: Saturday vs. Houston (7 pm ET, TSN 2, MLS Live)

13 Last: 12 Got to give credit to the defense and depth for holding it together on a murderous road trip. But when do the forwards start putting away some of the quality looks they've gotten? Wondo has been especially guilty thus far. Last Week: Lost at Kansas City, 1-0

Lost at Kansas City, 1-0 This Week: Saturday vs. New England (10:30 pm ET, MLS Live)

14 Last: 5 Do we think the Timbers are the 14th-best team in MLS? Not for the long haul. But for right now, they're going out there searching for answers, and finding very few. Last Week: Lost at Colorado, 2-0

Lost at Colorado, 2-0 This Week: Saturday at FC Dallas (8:30 pm, MLS Live)

15 Last: 16 Still under construction, but in Benji Joya and Harry Shipp the Fire have young, talented building blocks. We think this team is going to chop and change the roster a bunch, but those two will be constants. Last Week: Drew vs. New York, 1-1

Drew vs. New York, 1-1 This Week: Saturday at D.C. United (4 pm, NBCSN)

16 Last: 15 Were mostly outclassed in Dallas, but unlike past versions of Chivas, it feels like these early-season growing pains are actually a rung on a ladder. In the past, they've just been foreshadowing. Last Week: Lost at Dallas, 3-1

Lost at Dallas, 3-1 This Week: Sunday at New York (3 pm, UniMas)

17 Last: 17 Officially opened the season by getting shut out in three straight. And now they're on the road at San Jose – a very solid defensive team. Things could get ugly fast for the Revs. Last Week: Drew vs. Vancouver, 0-0

Drew vs. Vancouver, 0-0 This Week: Saturday at San Jose (10:30 pm, MLS Live)

18 Last: 18 Knew it was going to be an uphill climb without Marco Di Vaio. They've dug themselves a pretty good hole, and it doesn't get any easier with this weekend's trip to Philly.

Last Week: Lost vs. Seatte, 2-0

Lost vs. Seatte, 2-0 This Week: Saturday at Philadelphia (4 pm, MLS Live)