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Major shakeup

D.C. United's star rises, while FC Dallas' sinks fast

Posted: Tuesday August 16, 2005 12:37PM; Updated: Tuesday August 16, 2005 6:18PM
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Soccer Power Rankings
Rank LW Team
1 1
New England Revolution (12-4-6)
No, the Revs still aren't playing as well as they did to kick off the season, but that 2-1 win at FC Dallas made a statement. Is it too early to begin my campaign for Shalrie Joseph as league MVP?
2 4
D.C. United (11-6-5)
No Jaime Moreno, no Freddy Adu, no Alecko Eskandarian, no problem. The league's hottest team has pulled 16 points from its past six games. League officials tell me they're worried Peter Nowak's rising star may take him abroad sooner rather than later. The big question: What will the arrival of (the wonderfully named) central defender Facundo Erpen mean for Bobby Boswell's hard-earned spot in the lineup? (And when will Mario Gori finally get some credit for starting the Argentine pipeline?)
3 5
San Jose Earthquakes (10-4-8)
The 'Quakes have set a high standard that a home draw against Colorado seems like a loss. Still, with every goal Ricardo Clark creates or scores, MetroStars fans only can shake their heads. With the Galaxy coming to town on the 27th, we only can wonder how the home fans will top the Landon Donovan piņata.
4 8
Kansas City Wizards (10-5-8)
Josh Wolff and Scott Sealy most definitely are finding their scoring stride up front for Bob Gansler's bunch.
5 3
Chicago Fire (12-9-3)
Any chance of a goalkeeper controversy now that Matt Pickens has filled in ably for the red-carded (and let's be honest, underperforming) Zach Thornton? Then again, with five straight road games, head coach Dave Sarachan might want to go with experience. By the way, remind me someday to write an ode to Jesse Marsch, the PK-taking wizard and (full disclosure) my former college classmate. If you had told Jesse back in '96 that he'd be a 10-year first-division pro and seven-time cup winner, I don't even think he would have believed you.
6 2
FC Dallas (10-6-5)
Yikes: One league win since June 25 and zero W's in their new home stadium mean the Hoops are in a full-fledged malaise. Eddie Johnson's post-injury grace period is just about over. Wasn't this supposed to be the time when FCD cashed in all those early-season road points and ruled the league?
7 7
MetroStars (8-7-8)
Talk about a stay of execution. The Metros were staring at a nine-point gap in the playoff hunt until the soccer gods dumped a T-storm over the Swamp on Sunday vs. the Crew. Sure enough, the Metros came back after the weather delay and won 2-1. Don't look now, but the MetroStars quickly are becoming a team owned by Youri Djorkaeff and ... Sergio Galvan Rey. Oh, the humanity.
8 6
Los Angeles Galaxy (9-9-5)
Once, over dinner in southwestern China, Bora Milutinovic told me this about the '86 World Cup: "Argentina had Diego, so Argentina was going to win." Remember that when you question the importance of one transcendent player in soccer. The question for the Galaxy: Donovan may not be Maradona, but can he be that one transcendent player in MLS? Perhaps more pressing, does he have the legs for it at a time when he's playing World Cup qualifiers and (let's not sugarcoat it) Galaxy head coach Steve Sampson is fighting to save his job? The Pando Ramirez Goal Watch continues: 52 shots, 0 goals, 1 assist -- and a 43rd-minute hook against Chicago. Ouch.
9 9
Colorado Rapids (7-11-4)
Near-post, Joe Cannon! Near-post!
10 10
Columbus Crew (6-12-3)
The mini-revival under Robert Warzycha may be over. Quick story: Over All-Star weekend in Columbus, I was walking with league commissioner Don Garber at a mall event when he got accosted by a lone Trekkie-type fan who started peppering him with questions about promotion-relegation and moving to a single table. Garber (who no doubt was wishing his contract included a security detail) handled the Trekkie with aplomb, but I did notice the commish's feet never stopped moving in the opposite direction. The thought-bubble I imagined above his head: "I'll bet Paul Tagliabue never has to deal with this."
11 12
Real Salt Lake (5-13-4)
Hats off to Jason Kreis for career goal No. 100. Raise your hand if you thought he would be in the thick of the race to win the MLS Golden Boot this season (he has nine goals in '05). If only all of RSL's name players would have been so productive. ...
12 12
Chivas USA (3-17-3)
My word, what a terrible performance on national TV against D.C. United. If Paco Palencia can focus on improving Chivas instead of ripping Mexico head coach Ricardo LaVolpe, help may be on the way.

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