Toronto FC rockets up the charts

Toronto FC apparently hasn't been phased by the sudden resignation of John Carver, rising to the top of the Eastern Conference table. Paul Giamou/MLS via Getty Images

Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.

Another Crew collapse

Three times this season, the reigning MLS Cup champions have held a lead entering the 80th minute of a match at Crew Stadium. Each time, the team has managed only a point. After this past weekend's two-goal collapse against Chicago, Columbus sits in last place in the Eastern Conference. Team captain Frankie Hedjuk, who sat out a fifth consecutive game with a hamstring strain, thinks his mates are struggling as the rest of the league focuses on playing its best against the Crew. "Being the defending champions, we have a target on our backs now and everyone's going to step up their game that much more," he told Free Kicks. "It's a different and tough task to be that team."

TFC charging

It was an exciting week for MLS' northernmost team as two victories vaulted it into first place in the Eastern Conference. Without an injured Dwayne De Rosario, Toronto defeated Chivas USA and Kansas City but lost coach John Carver, who gave his surprise resignation a day before the second tilt. Earlier in the week, TFC dominated the Western Conference leaders as rookie Stefan Frei only needed to make one save while posting the first of two shutouts. Danny Dichio and Pablo Vitti provided the offensive spark in both matches and assistant coaches Chris Cummins and Nick Dasovic held the side together after Carver's departure.

A second-place clash

MLS watchers eagerly await Saturday's important match between Seattle and Chicago. Both teams sit in second in their respective conferences. Can Brian McBride, who has tallied 10 times in his 17 games since returning from England, be the first player to put a ball past Sounders keeper Kasey Keller? Or will Sigi Schmid's side improve on its record-breaking start? Elsewhere, Real Salt Lake looks to keep up its high-scoring ways in Colorado while the Red Bulls visit the L.A. Galaxy in a battle of two clubs that desperately need a victory.

Week 7 Power Rankings   New Rank Previous Rank Team 1 1 Chivas USA (5-1-1) Preki's team wasn't going to stay undefeated all season. A nice bounce-back win against Dallas got the squad back on track. 2 2 Chicago Fire (2-0-4) Chicago needs to win games if it wants the top spot, especially if '08 Goalkeeper of the Year Jon Busch continues to struggle. 3 4 Seattle Sounders FC (4-2-0) Found their offense vs. S.J. while Keller returned from suspension to break the record for scoreless minutes to start a season. 4 6 Real Salt Lake (3-2-0) After a brutal effort the previous week, RSL powered six past the previously unbeaten Revs but needs to show more consistency. 5 11 Toronto FC (3-2-2) The team demonstrated impressive resolve in overcoming the potential distraction of losing Carver and defeated K.C. 6 5 Kansas City Wizards (3-3-1) The Wiz get 10 days off to lick their wounds after a tough loss at BMO Field, returning to action against D.C. on May 6. 7 3 New England Revolution (2-1-2) New England found itself on the wrong side of a historically bad half, allowing six goals in the final 37 minutes. 8 9 D.C. United (2-1-3) After showing an early-season propensity to lose leads in the late going, United pulled off another unlikely comeback vs. New York. 9 7 Colorado Rapids (2-2-2) The Rapids nearly had their third victory over the Galaxy in one month, but surrendered a late equalizer at DSG Park. 10 10 Houston Dynamo (1-2-2) After a vital off-week, the Dynamo look to rebound from a slow start against the Revs. 11 8 San Jose Earthquakes (1-3-2) Little is going right for the NorCal club, which is now sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference. 12 14 Columbus Crew (0-2-4) Another week, another tough tie. Hedjuk should return on Saturday, giving a defense prone to late-game breakdowns a lift. 13 15 Los Angeles Galaxy (0-1-4) So what else is new? Landon Donovan played a role in his team's only goal and L.A. failed to win. 14 13 FC Dallas (1-4-1) Chivas keeper Zach Thornton denied the Hoops early while Darío Sala's ejection killed his team's chance at victory. 15 12 New York Red Bulls (1-3-2) Two losses -- including a horrendous collapse Sunday at home -- relegate the Red Bulls back to the bottom of the MLS heap.