Panning for gold; here comes L.A.

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Alecko Eskandarian (11) scored the winner in his first game for the Los Angeles Galaxy, who have won four of their last six matches. Robert Mora/MLS via Getty Images

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

The gold effect

Around the league, CONCACAF Gold Cup action is wreaking havoc on coaches' lineups. Makeshift starting 11s resulted in some surprising results, and that trend should continue as the regional championship enters its second week. Virtually every squad finds itself without at least one key contributor, although some major players -- such as Dwayne De Rosario and Amado Guevara -- remained with their respective clubs. San Jose is the only team in MLS not to lose a body to the Gold Cup, but having a full roster -- bolstered by the return of Cornell Glen -- didn't help as the squad failed to hold onto a one-goal lead in the dying moments against Real Salt Lake.

Los Angeles shooting into the stars?

The Galaxy's newest member, Alecko Eskandarian, didn't wait long to make a name for himself in Hollywood, scoring the game-winner last weekend against New England. With Landon Donovan scheduled to return to the lineup, Bruce Arena's team, which sits tied with Colorado for fourth place, could be poised to make a run up the Western Conference table. That said, the revelations about the relationship between the U.S. star and David Beckham in Grant Wahl's new Goldenballs book could rip apart the squad before the English star returns from his stint at AC Milan. Could one (or both) be out of L.A. before the season's over?

Houston heads Northwest

The Dynamo face a big test on Saturday as the squad -- minus Stuart Holden, Brian Ching and possibly Ricardo Clark -- travels to Qwest Field to play a rested Seattle team that has been virtually flawless at home. A victory, or even a tie, will justify Free Kicks' faith in a team that has been a fixture near the top of our Power Rankings. Another highlight of Week 16 sees Columbus travel to Chicago with first place in the Eastern Conference on the line. And finally, the Galaxy and Chivas USA duke it out for Home Depot Center bragging rights.

Week 17 Power Rankings   New Rank Previous Rank Team 1 1 Houston Dynamo (9-3-4) Kei Kamara's 18th-minute strike was enough in K.C. as Dynamo clamped down and Pat Onstad earned his ninth clean sheet. 2 2 Columbus Crew (5-3-8) The Crew showed excellent resolve to equalize after a D.C. first-half tally put Robert Warzycha's boys on their heels. 3 4 Chicago Fire (6-3-6) A three-week break from MLS play was just what the doctor ordered as the Fire broke a 10-year winless streak in Colorado. 4 6 D.C. United (5-3-9) Christian Gómez put his squad ahead, but United had to settle for a tie in Columbus in a match it coulda, shoulda won. 5 3 Seattle Sounders FC (6-3-7) With a victory against Houston, the Sounders will show MLS their early-season magic has returned. 6 5 Chivas USA (8-4-3) Preki's squad sits just four points behind Houston (with a game in hand) despite tripping up of late. 7 7 Colorado Rapids (5-4-6) Conor Casey's return to the Starting XI couldn't help a struggling offense that didn't manage a shot on goal in the first half. 8 8 New England Revolution (4-5-4) The Revs fell to L.A. for the first time since 2004 as Steve Nicol's squad clearly misses Grenadan international Shalrie Joseph. 9 13 Los Angeles Galaxy (4-3-9) Former Chivas man Eskandarian filled in nicely for Alan Gordon, who came up lame right before kickoff against New England. 10 9 Real Salt Lake (5-6-5) Despite playing the final 13 down a man, RSL tapped its Rio Tinto magic and earned a point in the dying minutes vs. San Jose. 11 10 Toronto FC (6-6-4) A match in San Jose could be the cure for what ails TFC, which might ascend to first place in the East with a win. 12 11 Kansas City Wizards (5-6-4) Dropping a game to Houston at home isn't the worst result, but the Wiz need to improve quickly if they have playoff aspirations. 13 14 FC Dallas (4-7-5) Jeff Cunningham tallied his second and third goals in 120 seconds as FCD put breathing room between itself and San Jose. 14 12 San Jose Earthquakes (3-8-4) Unlucky not to return from Utah with three points, Chris Leitch's own-goal in second-half stoppage time sealed the Quakes' fate. 15 15 New York Red Bulls (2-13-4) The reeling Red Bulls can look forward to a week off, followed by the excitement of Beckham's return to Giants Stadium.