2013 MLS Power Rankings: Week 2

In this week’s MLS Power Rankings on The View From Avalon, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston Dynamo remain the top two sides after stepping aside from league play to take part in the CONCACAF Champions League. The big highlight of the week was an America’s Hat Trick: Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal all winning on Saturday. Even Chivas USA was in on the feast, finally doing some work under El Chelis.

Mar 7, 2013; Heredia, COSTA RICA; Los Angeles Galaxy player A.J. DeLaGarza (20) goes up for a header against Herediano player Cristian Montero during the match at Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Arguedas/EFE via USA TODAY Sports

Who’s hot? Who’s not? Let us take a look at this week’s MLS Power Rankings here on The View from Avalon: a part of the FanSided Network.

1. Los Angeles Galaxy

Bruce Arena’s Los Angeles Galaxy drew 0-0 with Herediano in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal with Club Sport Herediano in Heredia, Costa Rica. The second leg is scheduled for Wednesday, Mar. 13. Kickoff at the Home Depot Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Soccer. LA return to league action on Sunday, Mar. 17 against Chivas USA. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET and will be televised by UniMas.

2. Houston Dynamo

In CONCACAF Champions’ League action, Dominic Kinnear’s Houston Dynamo were victorious over Santos Laguna 1-0 at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Tex. Brad Davis scored in the 89th minute for the Men in Orange. The second leg will be at Estadio Corona in Torreon, Mexico. Kickoff is scheduled for Mar. 13 at 7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET and will televised by Fox Soccer. The Dynamo return to action on Mar. 17 when they face FC Dallas in the Texas Derby. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT/1 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN2.

3. Montreal Impact

What a start for Marco Schallibaum’s Montreal Impact, who scored a 2-1 surprise victory over the Portland Timbers at JELD-WEN Field in Portland, Ore. Hassoun Camara opened up the scoring with a standing bicycle kick goal in the 30th minute and a half hour later, it was Felipe Martins with the winner. Montreal open up their home campaign on Mar. 16 against Toronto FC at Stade Saputo in Montreal, Que. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET and will be televised by TSN.

4. Vancouver Whitecaps

Also catching fire are Martin Rennie’s Vancouver Whitecaps, who defeated the Columbus Crew 2-1 at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, B.C. Daigo Kobayashi opened up the scoring just six minutes into the contest with a scorcher. Kenny Miller was the hero in the 57th minute of play with his unassisted goal. Vancouver get the week off and return to action Mar. 23 against the Houston Dynamo. Kickoff at BBVA Compass Stadium in scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET and will be televised locally by Rogers SportsNet Pacific.

5. D.C. United

Mar 9, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; D.C. United forward Chris Pontius (13) controls the ball against Real Salt Lake defender Tony Beltran (2) during the first half at RFK Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Frederiksen-USA TODAY Sports

Ben Olsen’s D.C. United bounced back with a gritty 1-0 shutout win over D.C. United at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Lionard Pajoy was the hero in the 60th minute of play. D.C. return to action on Mar. 16 against the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m . ET and will be televised by NBC.

6. San Jose Earthquakes

All hope seemed to be lost for Frank Yallop’s San Jose Earthquakes late in the match. But given that they were facing the inconsistent New York Red Bulls, and given that they were San Jose after all, the Quakes found a way to win and Goonrock’d their way to a 2-1 victory at Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, Calif. Rookie Adam Jahn equalized in the 83rd minute and perennial goalscorer Chris Wondolowski took advantage of a miscue by New York defender Roy Miller to slot home the game-winning penalty in the 92nd minute of play.

San Jose return to action on Mar. 16 when they face the Columbus Crew at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. PT/5:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Comcast SportsNet.

7. Toronto FC

Speak of the devil; Ryan Nelsen’s Toronto FC are back…with a vengeance. At Rogers Arena in Toronto, Ont., the Reds pulled off the upset of the week: 2-1 over Sporting Kansas City. Robert Earnshaw was the hero and could be on his way to earning Player of the Week honors for bagging a brace in the third and 21st minutes of play. On Mar. 16, TFC travel to Montreal and Stade Saputo to take on the Impact. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET and will be televised by TSN.

8. Real Salt Lake

It was a discombobulated performance for Jason Kreis’s Real Salt Lake, who were shut out 1-0 by D.C. United on the road at RFK Stadium. Cozier confines await their on Mar. 16 against the Colorado Rapids: that of Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. MT/6 p.m. ET and will be televised by ABC 4.

9. Sporting Kansas City

Mar 9, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto FC head coach Ryan Nelsen comes off the field after a game against Sporting KC at the Rogers Centre. Toronto defeated Kansas City 2-1. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Despite a 77th-minute goal from Claudio Bieler, Peter Vermes’s Sporting Kansas City paid the price for chasing the game early against Toronto FC and fell, 2-1, at Rogers Centre. Sporting return home to the confines of the now sponsorless Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. to host the struggling Chicago Fire on Mar. 16. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT/3 p.m. ET and will be televised by NBC Sports Network.

10. New England Revolution

Jay Heaps’s New England Revolution opened up their season witha 1-0 shutout victory over the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill. Jerry Bengtson wasn’t missing a beat from his escapades with the Honduran national team, scoring in the 62nd minute thanks to a delivery from league sophomore Kelyn Rowe. The Revs return to action on Mar. 16 to face the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET and will televised by Comcast SportsNet.

11. Chivas USA

Where did this come from all of a sudden. News flash, FanSided: Jose Luis Sanchez Sola’s Chivas USA are back to winning again, despite the small crowds! That’s right: the Goats make a huge move up these Power Rankings after defeating FC Dallas 3-1 at the Home Depot Center. Down 1-0, Juan Agudelo scored an equalizer in the 68th minute of play. Oswaldo Minda put Chivas ahead 2-1 in the 76th minute and Giovani Casillas slammed the door shut in the 93rd minute.

Watch your back, Galaxy, your rivals are back in business. The first leg of the Honda SuperClasico is scheduled for Mar. 17 at Victoria Street. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET and will be televised by UniMas.

12. Seattle Sounders

These are tough times for Sigi Schmid’s Seattle Sounders, who fell 1-0 to Tigres UANL in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. The second leg at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash. is scheduled for Mar. 12. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Soccer. In league action, the Sounders host the Portland Timbers on Mar. 16 at CenturyLink. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET and will be televised by NBC Sports Network.

13. Philadelphia Union

Mar 10, 2013; Commerce City, CO, USA; Colorado Rapids fan cheers at a game against the Philadelphia Union during the second half at Dick

Also bouncing back this past weekend were John Hackworth’s Philadelphia Union, who prevailed over the Colorado Rapids 2-1 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. Amobi Okugo got the Union on the board in the 34th minute and Jack McInerney delivered the game-winner in the 79th minute of play. The Union return to action on Mar. 16 against the New England Revolution. Kickoff at PPL Park is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET and will be televised by The Comcast Network.

14. Columbus Crew

Despite a goal from Jairo Arrieta in the 46th minute of play, Robert Warzycha’s Columbus Crew fell, 2-1, to the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place Stadium. Columbus need to get their act together if they want to be a contender in the East. The Crew get their chance to argue their case on Mar. 16 against the San Jose Earthquakes at Crew Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Sports Ohio.

15. New York Red Bulls

Roy Miller cost Mike Petke’s New York Red Bulls all three points. Plain and simple. No escaping that cold, hard truth. Just when it seemed New York would finally get it together and pull out a victory, they collapse late in the second half and fall to the San Jose Earthquakes, 2-1, at Buck Shaw Stadium. Eric Alexander scored the only goal for New York, in the 17th minute of play. The Red Bulls host D.C. United in the first leg of the Atlantic Cup on Mar. 16. at Red Bull Arena. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by NBC.

16. FC Dallas

Schellas Hyndman’s FC Dallas were kicked in the teeth by Chivas USA, 3-1, at the Home Depot Center. David Ferreira scored for the Hoops in the 57th minute of play. Dallas return to action on Mar. 17 against the Houston Dynamo at FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco, Tex. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT/1 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN2.

Mar, 9, 2013; Portland, OR, USA; Montreal Impact midfielder Hassoun Camara (6) celebrates with teammates after a goal against the Portland Timbers at Jeld-Wen Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

17. Portland Timbers

Caleb Porter’s Portland Timbers dropped a 2-1 contest to the Montreal Impact at JELD-WEN Field. Ryan Johnson scored late in the 80th minute of play for the Timbers, but the damage had been done. It will not get any easier for the defending Cascadia Cup champions, who travel to CenturyLink Field to face the Portland Timbers on Mar. 16. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET and will be televised by NBC Sports Network.

18. Colorado Rapids

The snowstorm that delayed the match between Oscar Pareja’s Colorado Rapids and the Philadelphia Union was a sign of things to come, as they fell 2-1 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Jamie Smith scored for Colorado in the 68th minute of play. The Rapids return to action on Mar. 16 against Real Salt Lake in the first leg of the Rocky Mountain Cup. Kickoff at Rio Tinto Stadium is scheduled for 4 p.m. MT/6 p.m. ET and will be televised by Altitude.

19. Chicago Fire

In the cellar this week…are nothing but a heap of dying embers. Frank Klopas’s Chicago Fire were left ablaze against Los Angeles, and it was more of the same at Toyota Park as they were shut out 1-0 by the New England Revolution. Chicago will look to bounce back on Mar. 16 when they travel to Sporting Park to face Sporting Kansas City. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT/3 p.m. ET and will be televised by NBC Sports Network.