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ESPN Staff Writer- Covers college football.
- Joined ESPN in 2014.
- Attended Washington State University.
Another week of Gustavo Bou match winners, another week of victory for the New England Revolution, and another week on top of Major League Soccer for Bruce Arena & Co. Don't look now, but the LA Galaxy are surging out West, threatening to take over the No. 1 seed in the conference -- and maybe even give their former coach a run for his money in the Supporters' Shield race.
It was an eventful weekend of matches, so let's get caught up with the rest of the action and see where your team sits in our Week 15 Power Rankings.
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1. New England Revolution
Previous ranking: 1
Next MLS match: August 18 vs. D.C. United, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Gustavo Bou has been overtaken atop the MLS goals chart, but despite being second best in that metric, there's no arguing with how clutch his scoring has been. His 83rd-minute penalty proved to be the winner in the 2-1 victory over Toronto on Saturday, and his strike decided the match in New England's favor against Philadelphia a week before. -- Lindberg
2. Sporting Kansas City
Previous ranking: 2
Next MLS match: August 18 at Portland, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
After Peter Vermes understandably punted on a midweek Leagues Cup game against Club Leon, SKC took care of the one that mattered, winning 2-0 at FC Dallas. Alan Pulido and Daniel Salloi scored the goals to keep SKC ahead of Galaxy atop the Western Conference standings. -- Bonagura
3. Seattle Sounders
Previous ranking: 4
Next MLS match: August 18 at FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Sunday night's Cascadia Derby was a goalfest as the Sounders blasted Portland, 6-2. It was the most the Sounders have ever scored against Portland in an MLS match, but one of them deserves a special mention: Jimmy Medranda's left-footed volley from just inside the 18-yard box off a corner kick instantly entered the MLS goal-of-the-season conversation. -- Bonagura
4. New York City FC
Previous ranking: 5
Next MLS match: August 18 at Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+
Valentin Castellanos endured a nine-game scoreless drought that stretched two full months from May through July. Since, though, he's struck five times in the past six games, including a brace in Saturday's 2-0 shutout win over Miami. -- Lindberg
5. Nashville SC
Previous ranking: 6
Next MLS match: August 18 vs. Orlando City, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
C.J. Sapong has six goals in his past six starts, including a brace in Nashville's 5-2 win over D.C. on Sunday. With Hany Mukhtar (five goals, five assists in his past eight appearances) behind him, the Music City side has begun to add consistent threat going forward to what has been a stingy defense throughout its existence. -- Lindberg
6. LA Galaxy
Previous ranking: 10
Next MLS match: August 17 vs. Colorado, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Kevin Cabral's 43rd-minute strike served as the match-winner in the Galaxy's 1-0 win against surging Minnesota. Despite a roster that has been in flux for much of the summer through injuries and absences due to international duty, the Galaxy find themselves third in the Western Conference, just two points behind first-place SKC. -- Bonagura
7. Colorado Rapids
Previous ranking: 7
Next MLS match: August 17 at LA Galaxy, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The underlying metrics indicate the Rapids were a bit fortunate in their 3-1 against Houston, but that downplays the fact they did well both taking their chances and absorbing pressure. Lalas Abubakar, Michael Barrios and Braian Galvan all got on the scoresheet. -- Bonagura
8. Orlando City
Previous ranking: 8
Next MLS match: August 18 at Nashville SC, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The Lions were idle this week in league play, but dropped a 1-0 result to Liga MX side Santos Laguna in the League Cup quarterfinals. -- Lindberg
9. Minnesota United
Previous ranking: 3
Next MLS match: August 17 at San Jose, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The Loons' five-match unbeaten streak came to an end in a 1-0 loss to the Galaxy, but it took a standout performance from Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann for that to happen. The Western Conference has six teams possessing between 21 and 26 points, with Minnesota at the top of that tier in fifth place. -- Bonagura
10. Philadelphia Union
Previous ranking: 9
Next MLS match: August 18 vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The Union were another side granted the weekend off from MLS action, with a midweek CONCACAF Champions League semifinal against Liga MX powerhouse Club America, who dominated in a 2-0 win in Mexico City. -- Lindberg
11. Real Salt Lake
Previous ranking: 15
Next MLS match: August 18 vs. Houston, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Bobby Wood's 33rd-minute headed goal gave RSL all it would need in a 1-0 win against Austin. It was just the second goal in the former U.S. international forward's 11th appearance in MLS. -- Bonagura
12. Columbus Crew
Previous ranking: 12
Next MLS match: August 18 at New York Red Bulls, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The Crew have lost four straight, following Sunday's 1-0 defeat in Chicago, and as it stands sit on the outside looking in at the Eastern Conference playoff race. The defending MLS Cup champions have netted just twice from open play in that span, and need to get some production from Gyasi Zardes, who's gone 207 minutes without a goal since returning from Gold Cup action. -- Lindberg
13. D.C. United
Previous ranking: 11
Next MLS match: August 18 at New England Revolution, 7 p.m., ESPN+
D.C.'s five-game unbeaten streak was snapped in Sunday's 5-2 defeat in Nashville, but Ola Kamara kept his goal-scoring streak alive, stretching it to six games -- a span in which he's tallied seven times. -- Lindberg
14. CF Montreal
Previous ranking: 17
Next MLS match: August 4 vs. Atlanta United, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Montreal's five-game winless streak is over, but it required a dramatic series of events in second-half stoppage time to knock off the Red Bulls 2-1 on Saturday. New York goalkeeper Carlos Coronel was adjudged by VAR to have left his line on two consecutive stoppage-time penalty attempts, both of which he saved, only for Montreal captain Victor Wanyama to finally convert the hosts' third attempt and secure all three points.-- Lindberg
15. LAFC
Previous ranking: 14
Next MLS match: August 21 at Vancouver, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+
For a team to have the league's last two Golden Boot winners and be so ineffective in the final third remains one of the more baffling storylines in MLS this year. LAFC's 1-0 loss at Atlanta United extended its winless streak to six matches, the longest such streak in club history. -- Bonagura
16. FC Dallas
Previous ranking: 13
Next MLS match: August 18 vs. Seattle, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
After showing improved form in recent weeks, Dallas took a step back in a 2-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City. It was the club's first defeat at home this year and saw them drop back into 10th place in the West. -- Bonagura
17. San Jose Earthquakes
Previous ranking: 18
Next MLS match:August 17 vs. Minnesota United, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The Earthquakes' eight-match unbeaten streak overlaps with an 11-match winless streak, making them one of the toughest teams in the league to figure out. We'll learn a lot over the next three matches with the Galaxy and Colorado coming on the heels of Tuesday's meeting with Minnesota. -- Bonagura
18. Portland Timbers
Previous ranking: 15
Next MLS match: August 18 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
When Portland has a bad game, it really has a bad game. Despite being just off the playoff line, the Timbers have the worst goal differential in the Western Conference. That's a product of five losses of three goals or more, including Sunday night's 6-2 loss at home to Seattle. -- Bonagura
19. Vancouver Whitecaps
Previous ranking: 19
Next MLS match: August 18 at Austin, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The Whitecaps stretched their unbeaten streak to six matches to climb out of the bottom spot in the Western Conference, but if they are to make a playoff push their run of draws -- San Jose was the fifth straight -- needs to start including some wins. -- Bonagura
20. New York Red Bulls
Previous ranking: 20
Next MLS match: August 18 vs. Columbus Crew, 8 p.m. ET; ESPN+
The VAR gods did not shine upon the Red Bulls this weekend in Saturday's 2-1 loss to Montreal. Twice, goalkeeper Carlos Coronel was adjudged to have left his line on stoppage-time penalty attempts, which he saved, before conceding on the third try. -- Lindberg
21. Chicago Fire
Previous ranking: 23
Next MLS match: August 18 at Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Sunday's 1-0 win over Columbus gives Chicago a two-game winning streak, just the second time this season the club has won back-to-back games. Of the three goals the Fire have scored in those two victories, Luka Stojanovic has scored all three. -- Lindberg
22. Atlanta United FC
Previous ranking: 22
Next MLS match: August 18 vs. Toronto FC, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Atlanta hasn't exactly turned things around since dismissing Gabriel Heinze last month, but at least Josef Martinez is back to his old self. The 1-0 win over LAFC marked the Five Stripes' second victory in the six games since they made a coaching change, but in that span the 2018 MVP has made four starts and scored three goals -- including Sunday's winner. -- Lindberg
23. Houston Dynamo
Previous ranking: 21
Next MLS match: August 18 at Real Salt Lake, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Despite how the final score -- a 3-1 loss to Colorado -- makes it look, Houston actually played pretty well this week. Of course, that doesn't really matter considering the defeat made it 12 straight without a win for the Dynamo, who are averaging less than a point per match this season (0.95). -- Bonagura
24. Inter Miami CF
Previous ranking: 24
Next MLS match: August 18 vs. Chicago Fire, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The club-record unbeaten run has come to an end after four games. Miami was blanked for the ninth time this season in a 2-0 loss at New York City, and sit bottom of the league in the goals-for column. -- Lindberg
25. Austin FC
Previous ranking: 25
Next MLS match: August 18 at Real Salt Lake, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Aside from the occasional outburst, Austin just hasn't been dangerous in front of goal. It has been shutout in eight of the past ten matches, following another poor showing at Real Salt Lake in a 1-0 defeat and dropped into last place in the Western Conference. -- Bonagura
26. FC Cincinnati
Previous ranking: 26
Next MLS match: August 18 vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Cincy sat idle over the weekend, so it should be well rested when it hosts Montreal on Wednesday, having 11 days since its last competitive outing. -- Lindberg
27. Toronto FC
Previous ranking: 27
Next MLS match: August 18 at Atlanta United, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Jonathan Osorio's goal in the 2-1 defeat to New England made him Toronto's leading scorer in 2021, with four. For a team that boasts Ayo Akinola, Jozy Altidore, Dom Dwyer, Alejandro Pozuelo and Yeferson Soteldo, that statistic illustrates just how tough of a campaign it's been in the Ontario capital. -- Lindberg