Chelsea drops off, but leaves its mark on many teams

	MLS' Beastie Boys: Perkins, Ralston, Reyna. AP (2), WireImage.com
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We're back, footie fans. It's been nearly a month since our last World Rankings (we took a break for an all-South American edition last time around), and we've just about got all the world's power leagues back on the pitch.

The biggest news in the rundown below is the fall of Chelsea right off the radar. It's been a rough month for the two-time defending English Premier League champs as in-fighting, power struggles and injuries have come back to bite the Blues. Not surprisingly, everyone knew these very factors had the potential to be the undoing of José Mourinho's $200 million cast.

What's interesting, though, is that even though Chelsea is gone, it has still left its mark on several of the teams left on the Rankings. Can these clubs take advantage of the Blues' struggles? Or will they end up being victimized as a result? Read on.

• One last point: I'm psyched to see Claudio Reyna in MLS. He's never been a flashy player and he's almost certainly past his prime, but Captain America provides a steady presence on the pitch and will be a huge role model for the Red Bulls' youngsters. Manchester City fans grew to respect Reyna's impact on their team, and New York fans will, too.

Beyond that, there's another reason I'm happy Reyna's here. At long last, the final piece of our MLS Beastie Boys look-alikes has returned to America. Work with me here. New England's Steve Ralston has been our MCA for years, while D.C. United keeper Troy Perkins is our (about six inches too tall) Ad-Rock. Now, finally, Mike D dead ringer Reyna steps in.

Hey, it doesn't all have to be about soccer, does it?

Note: All rankings, records and statistics are through Jan. 24.

World Soccer Power Rankings Rank Prev. Team 1 1 Inter Milan The Nerazzurri are playing out of their minds right now. Not only are they still on a record-setting 13-game winning streak in Serie A, but they're also easily racing toward a third straight Coppa Italia. Halfway through the semifinals, Inter has yet to concede a goal through five matches in the tournament. We'll say this one more time: We'll miss Saudi Arabia-bound Luís Figo. The 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year assisted on all three goals in Inter's win over Sampdoria on Wednesday. 2 6 Manchester United Really the only thing to harp on at this point is the fact that United's six-point lead atop the Premiership could easily be more considering how mightily Chelsea is struggling. That New Year's Day draw with Newcastle was a bummer, as was the last-minute loss at Arsenal last Sunday. (In Man U's defense, Emirates Stadium is developing a fast reputation as a horrible place for a visiting team to play.) 3 2 Olympique Lyon Reason to panic? Les Gones have gone winless in their past three French league matches, including their first loss at the Stade de Gerland on Wednesday to Bordeaux. More troubling is that they've managed only one goal over that span. For now, we'll chalk it up to an early-year speed bump and instead ponder why on earth l'OL jettisoned John Carew in favor of grossly miscast Milan Baros. 4 8 FC Barcelona The defending Spanish champions seem to be on the upswing again -- after more than a month in second place, they're back on top in La Liga. But look closer at the results and you notice they've won only twice in their past seven league matches. Not that anyone is really sweating. The fantastic Champions League matchup with Liverpool is still a month away, which means this team has plenty of time to get everyone healthy and back on the same page. In the meantime, supposed castoff Javier Saviola is keeping the wolves at bay, scoring seven goals in all competitions over Barcelona's past five matches. 5 9 São Paulo São Paulo's fast start to the Paulista state championship hit a major iceberg on Wednesday when the Brazilian powerhouse drew with second-division Paulista F.C. So why are we moving them up? It's a minor setback this early in the three-month campaign, and manager Muricy Ramalho saw some good results with a shuffled lineup, including goals from new acquisitions Hugo and Borges. For this month, anyway, this is still the best side in the Western Hemisphere. 6 4 FC Porto The Dragons' first league match of '07 was a solid 2-0 win over Desportivo das Aves, but that's of little consolation after Porto's embarrassing exit out of the Portuguese Cup a week earlier. Second-division club Atlético sent the defending champs packing by taking advantage of a defensive flub by Porto. Meanwhile, it's looking more likely that winger Ricardo Quaresma will leave the Estádio do Dragão for Chelsea or Atlético Madrid. 7 3 Sevilla We may have spoken too soon last time when we shot Sevilla all the way up to No. 3. Not only have the Rojiblancos lost their grasp of first place in La Liga, but they've also hit a slump that has seen them winless in three league matches in '07. One thing we've definitely learned about this group is that they're decidedly streaky. Last year's furious finish -- including a seven-match unbeaten streak to end the Spanish season and a run to the UEFA Cup title -- proved that. 8 10 PSV Eindhoven The two-time defending Dutch champs have only played two matches since we last checked in, but both have been wins and have allowed PSV to build its lead to 12 points. The most intriguing news to come out of Eindhoven in recent weeks, though, is the revelation that Chelsea patron Roman Abramovich has a handshake working agreement with the club to scout talent from PSV's famed youth academy. No wonder stud Brazilian defender Alex (aka "The Tank") is already being mentioned as a savior for Chelsea's suffering back line. 9 7 SC Internacional First the world, now Rio Grande do Sul. It's a humbling step down for Inter, which has so far followed up its world club title with a loss and a draw in its obviously smaller state championship back home. It's hard to assert yourself in a tournament like this, especially since it's the ugly stepchild to Brazil's two major state tournaments: São Paulo's Paulista and Rio de Janeiro's Carioca. The Gaúcho is mostly a two-horse race between Inter and Grêmio, two of only three top-flight clubs in the competition. Since 1961, the bitter rivals have squared off in the finals 33 times. 10 -- Celtic Thirteen goals over five matches -- that's how Celtic has opened the new year. The Bhoys now have a Loch Lomond-sized 17-point lead in the Scottish Premier League. Pretty much the only suspense at Celtic Park these days is the talk of hated Rangers making a summer move for up-and-coming striker Shaun Maloney. Oh, unless your thing is the honest-to-God possibility of a Scottish club making the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time. Honorable mentions: Chelsea, Arsenal, AS Roma, Werder Bremen, Ajax Amsterdam, Liverpool, Colo-Colo, River Plate Dropped off: Chelsea