MLS tying them on at a record clip

With their 1-1 draw last weekend, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Columbus Crew have combined for 13 ties so far this season. Robert Mora/MLS via Getty Images

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

The tie's the thing ...

After week five, Free Kicks noted the abnormal number of draws at that point in the 2009 season. The trend has continued. With the first nine weeks complete, 27 of the 68 matches have ended deadlocked, including five of last weekend's seven games. That total represents an astonishing 39.7 percent of all games played. Compare that with 27.1 percent in '08, 25.6 percent in '07 and 29.1 percent '06, and you're forced to admit something is afoot. In less than a third of a season, four teams already have more ties than D.C. United and Colorado did all last year.

Two's the magic number

Every match last weekend featured two goals, except for the United-Chivas USA game that ended in a 2-2 draw. While no one scored for the final 72 minutes in New England, a couple of teams found late equalizers that pleased the home crowd. Second-half sub John Wolyniec rescued the man-down Red Bulls with an opportunistic strike in the 88th minute against Houston, while Eddie Lewis waited even longer before earning the Galaxy a point with a 91st-minute tally against Columbus. See, America, 1-1 ties can be exciting.

The return of (Little) Papi

Chivas, bolstered by the return of Maykel Galindo to the starting XI after more than a year, goes to Kansas City this week. Fueled by two goals from Josh Wolff last Saturday, the Wizards made short work of a reeling Real Salt Lake squad that has conceded six goals in its past two matches but hadn't previously suffered a defeat at home. K.C. could use the long-range magic of Davy Arnaud to break through the Goats' stifling back line, which is still giving up only half a goal a game. Elsewhere, the Red Bulls play their third of four consecutive home games when Chicago comes to Gotham, while Colorado plays host to Seattle in a battle for second place in the Western Conference. Houston also can lay claim to the slot behind Chivas with a win against San Jose in Robertson Stadium.

Week 10 Power Rankings   New Rank Previous Rank Team 1 3 Chicago Fire (3-0-6) The Fire, still MLS' only unbeaten team, ascend to the top this week thanks to a victory after five consecutive draws. 2 1 Chivas USA (7-1-2) With a large lead out West, they can afford a slip-up. Still, Chivas should have stepped on United's throat and earned three points. 3 4 D.C. United (3-1-6) Strikes by Luciano Emilio and Santino Quaranta in the dying stages helped D.C. continue streak of late-game heroics. 4 2 Seattle Sounders FC (4-2-3) Lost chance to gain ground on Chivas by failing to convert early at Dallas and were doomed to a tie after André Rocha's equalizer. 5 9 Kansas City Wizards (4-4-2) Josh Wolff is scoring the goals, Jack Jewsbury is setting the table and Kevin Hartman is keeping the ball out of the net. 6 6 Colorado Rapids (3-2-3) Conor Casey & Co. outplayed New England but couldn't break through when they needed to most. 7 5 Toronto FC (3-3-4) TFC's inability to generate offense vs. Fire hurt more than an unlucky non-call in the box early on a Dwayne De Rosario shot. 8 7 Houston Dynamo (3-2-3) It's simple, really: The Dynamo, up a man for almost an hour, have to win that game against the Red Bulls. 9 12 New York Red Bulls (2-5-3) Juan Carlos Osorio has a force of nature in Macoumba Kandji and a team that's learning to compete, especially at home. 10 8 Columbus Crew (1-2-6) A week after winning its first game of the season, Columbus surrendered a second-half lead for the fifth time in nine matches. 11 10 Los Angeles Galaxy (1-1-7) Free Kicks won't reward ties at home. One would expect more than nine points from a seven-match unbeaten streak. 12 11 New England Revolution (2-2-4) Try as they might, the Revs cannot win. The return of Steve Ralston, who scored his team's only goal, should help. 13 14 FC Dallas (1-6-2) Youngster Brek Shea had a nice game as an early substitute but his performance was a lone bright spot for the struggling club. 14 13 Real Salt Lake (3-5-1) RSL suffered its first-ever regular-season defeat at Rio Tinto Stadium as the season continues to slip away. 15 15 San Jose Earthquakes (1-5-2) Could an off-week -- and the reported arrival of striker Cornell Glen -- be a cure for what ails Quakes? They can hope ...