Power Rankings: Real Salt Lake & Zavier Gozo surge into top 10

• Share on match previewFacebook
• Share on X

What a week in MLS.

Real Salt Lake leaned on young players for a big win. Inter Miami went on the road in front of a massive crowd and pulled out a win despite losing the xG battle. And Timo Werner dished out an assist as San Jose kept a clean sheet. It was truly a week unlike any other.?

As always: The Power Rankings are voted on by, give or take, 15 people associated with MLSsoccer.com. The author does not decide the rankings, but he does get a little rush out of moving your team down a few spots.

David Martínez’s 55th-minute screamer made up for what was otherwise a so-so attacking performance from LAFC. That’s all they needed to earn a 1-0 win over FC Dallas, though.

DAVID MARTINEZ FROM DISTANCE! ?? pic.twitter.com/lWUgRTfMXf

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 8, 2026

Now they can turn their attention to their Concacaf Champions Cup Round-of-16 series vs. Costa Rica's LD Alajuelense.?

Previous: 1-0 win vs. DAL | Next: 3/14 vs. STL

Miami weren’t in total control for the entirety of their 2-1 win over D.C. United. That doesn’t matter too much, though, since they went up 2-0 inside the first 30 minutes.?

To be fair, their mind may have been elsewhere in the second half. A huge Concacaf Champions Cup series with Nashville begins on Wednesday. CCC is priority number one this year.

Previous:?2-1 win at DC | Next: 3/14 at CLT

Vancouver absolutely clobbered Portland in a 4-1 road win. What else do you expect at this point? It’s just what the Whitecaps do.?

Brian White scored twice to get hot at just the right time, and Sebastian Berhalter proved he's got that dog in him.

The commitment on this tackle from Sebastian Berhalter ?? pic.twitter.com/ZZKQAeCdpf

— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 9, 2026

Vancouver will face Seattle on Thursday in the first leg of their CCC series. They'll go up against a back line dealing with injuries.?

Previous:?4-1 win at POR | Next: 3/15 vs. MIN

San Diego didn’t put on the fireworks show we’ve come to expect, but they still did more than enough to secure a 1-0 win over Sporting KC. It was a nice tune-up for a ramp-up in difficulty this week.

San Diego begin their CCC series with back-to-back LIGA MX champions Toluca on Wednesday night at Snapdragon Stadium. It’s their biggest test… maybe, ever?

Previous:?1-0 win at SKC | Next: 3/14 at DAL

In case you need a reminder that Nashville are a wagon, they found another gear over the weekend. This time, they beat up on Minnesota United in a 3-1 win that featured a brace from DP striker Sam Surridge, as well as new DP attacker Cristian Espinoza’s first MLS goal and first assist for his new team.

Surridge has four goals through his first three MLS games. That’s tied for the way-early Golden Boot presented by Audi lead.?

Previous:?3-1 win vs. MIN | Next: 3/14 at CLB

Here are your three-win teams through three matchdays this season: San Diego, Vancouver, LAFC and… the San Jose Earthquakes!

Now, before we get too carried away, the schedule has been far from a gauntlet. But they’ve been playing impressive ball. And Timo Werner is playing passes like this:

Werner with the smooth set-up, Bouda with the cool finish. @SJEarthquakes take the lead on the road!

?? Apple TV: https://t.co/h7rF36hdzZ pic.twitter.com/2i21yV75Bj

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 8, 2026

Even if they come back to Earth a bit, it is extremely rare for teams that start like this to miss the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. It’s been a perfect start in year two under Bruce Arena.?

Previous:?1-0 win at PHI | Next: 3/15 vs. SEA

New York City FC beat Orlando City like a pi?ata with a $20 million prize inside. In one of the beatdowns of the season, the Pigeons piled on five goals against a 10-man Lions side that picked up a red card 16 minutes in.

Things could have gotten more lopsided, but NYCFC pulled off the gas after midfielder Keaton Parks bagged a brace to begin the second half.

Previous:?5-0 win vs. ORL | Next: 3/14 vs. COL

Seattle weren’t perfect in their 1-0 win at St. Louis, but a road win is a road win. Unfortunately, this one cost a little more than normal. Yeimar, Seattle’s veteran center back, left the match in the 23rd minute with a leg injury.

Kalani Kossa-Rienzi subbed on (which pushed Alex Roldan to center back) and eventually scored the decisive goal. But losing Yeimar is a huge blow just before facing Vancouver in the CCC Round of 16. It’s a blessing that this roster is so deep, because it often feels like no other team deals with as many injuries as the Sounders.

Previous:?1-0 win at STL | Next: 3/15 at SJ

Play your kids, folks.

It’s time y’all learned the names Aiden Hezarkhani and Zavier Gozo. The 18-year-old homegrowns are putting on a show right now for RSL. Hezarkhani has scored in back-to-back games, and Gozo keeps showing that he’s on track for a bright future.

They’ve helped RSL navigate a ton of injuries early on (especially to Diego Luna) and secure impressive wins over Seattle and Atlanta.?

Previous:?3-2 win at ATL | Next: 3/14 vs. ATX

The Red Bulls gave away an early penalty to CF Montréal, which set the tone for a shocking 3-0 loss that featured a… ”unique” brace from former RBNY midfielder?Wiki Carmona.

They’re a young team, and that comes with some volatility. Plus, it seems fair to mention that wins over Orlando and?New England to start the year were never going to be indicators of a Supporters' Shield-caliber team. There will be ups and downs with this group.

Previous:?3-0 loss vs. MTL | Next: 3/14 at TOR

Even when you’re expecting something weird each week in MLS, it can still find ways to surprise you. A 0-0 draw between this year’s Chicago and Columbus teams certainly fits the bill.

The Fire's attack hasn’t lived up to high expectations, but there’s something to be said for allowing just two goals over three games. Don’t forget, Chicago conceded 1.76 goals per game last season.

Previous:?0-0 draw at CLB | Next: 3/14 vs. DC

For the second straight week, Cincinnati went scoreless in a 1-0 loss. They couldn’t find a breakthrough against Toronto, even with?Evander’s return from injury in the 74th minute. Now they have to regroup and sort out some of those attacking issues by Thursday night. They’ll host LIGA MX's Tigres in the first leg of their CCC series.

Previous:?1-0 loss vs. TOR | Next: 3/15 at NE

A 1-1 deadlock quickly turned into a 4-1 beatdown as the Rapids capitalized on a 60th-minute red card by Galaxy winger Gabriel Pec.

They got some help on Saturday, but Colorado are playing positive and engaging attacking soccer through their first three games under new head coach Matt Wells.

Even in their 2-0 loss at Seattle to start the year, the Rapids clearly had interesting ideas in possession. They’ve taken a clear step forward.

Back-to-back home wins but the standard doesn’t drop ??

Go inside the locker room to hear Matt Wells’ post-game speech after the Galaxy win.#Rapids96 pic.twitter.com/BiZVK8afI1

— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) March 8, 2026

Previous:?4-1 win vs. LA | Next: 3/14 at NYC

There may not be much more to the Loons’ 3-1 loss at Nashville than the fact that they ran into a really good team on the road. At least midfielder Nectarios Triantis scored another long-range golazo.

Nectarios Triantis from distance to put @MNUFC on the scoresheet ??

Apple TV: https://t.co/fbaGBOsJh1 pic.twitter.com/szZsy9nWN9

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 8, 2026

Previous:?3-1 loss at NSH | Next: 3/15 at VAN

FC Dallas outshot and outcreated LAFC, but they were held scoreless for the second straight game.?Now, after facing Nashville and LAFC in back-to-back weeks, Dallas will have one more game against a Supporters' Shield contender when they host San Diego FC. They’ll get a chance to start piling up points against slightly less imposing competition after that.?

Previous:?1-0 loss at LAFC | Next: 3/14 vs. SD

Gabriel Pec earned a red card in the 60th minute of a 1-1 game, and it activated the Galaxy’s self-destruct button. They allowed three goals against the Rapids over the next 30 minutes. Maybe their mind started to drift to their CCC series with Jamaica's Mount Pleasant on Wednesday??

Previous: 4-1 loss at COL | Next: 3/14 vs. SKC

You won't see too many Crew games finishing 0-0 the rest of the year.

It’s hard to know exactly what to take from last weekend's scoreless draw with the Fire – or what to think about a Crew team that’s still looking for their first win under head coach Henrik Rydstr?m – but they can appreciate putting in their best defensive performance of the season.

Previous:?0-0 draw vs. CHI | Next: 3/14 vs. NSH

Charlotte took full advantage of Austin’s 25th-minute red card and, thanks to Pep Biel's second-half brace, cruised to a mostly straightforward 3-1 win. They would have kept a clean sheet if it weren’t for a “we can laugh about it now” own goal. It’s a nice bounce-back result after a frustrating trip to LA.

Previous:?3-1 win vs. ATX | Next: 3/14 vs. MIA

Guilherme Biro’s 25th-minute red card doomed Austin in a 3-1 defeat at Charlotte. Their lone goal came via an own goal. Not much to take from this one.

Previous:?3-1 loss at CLT | Next: 3/14 at RSL

No match for Houston during Matchday 3 due to winter weather in New England. They’ll host Portland on Saturday.?

Previous: Postponed | Next: 3/14 vs. POR

We probably didn’t learn more than what we already knew about the Timbers in their 4-1 loss to Vancouver. The Whitecaps are just on a different level. After a solid win over Columbus to open the year, Portland have dropped two straight.

Previous:?4-1 loss vs. VAN | Next: 3/14 at HOU

Even with new DP striker Josh Sargent watching on, Toronto pulled off a big win at Cincinnati. Dániel Sallói scored his first goal with his new club to give Toronto three points.

Previous:?1-0 win at CIN | Next: 3/14 vs. RBNY

D.C. United pushed Inter Miami to the brink in front of a historic crowd of 72,026 fans at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. But you can’t spot the defending champs two goals and expect to get three points. Despite that, the Black-and-Red have outpaced expectations so far this year.

72,026 in Baltimore. A moment we’ll remember. pic.twitter.com/HJ61DQhe8L

— D.C. United (@dcunited) March 8, 2026

Previous:?2-1 loss vs. MIA | Next: 3/14 at CHI

The defending Supporters’ Shield winners have three losses through three league matches to start the year. There were concerns about the amount of talent Philly lost during the offseason, and they’ve all come to fruition so far.

Now, they’ve got to find a way to change course rapidly as they begin their Round of 16 CCC series with LIGA MX's Club América.

Previous:?1-0 loss vs. SJ | Next: 3/14 at ATL

Sometimes, the soccer doesn't matter all that much. We're all thinking of Eduard L?wen and the St. Louis CITY SC family.

We’re heartbroken to hear of Ilona L?wen’s passing, and we send our deepest condolences and love to Eduard L?wen, his family, and the entire @stlCITYsc community. https://t.co/oWvJNSesAY

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 9, 2026

Previous: 1-0 loss vs. SEA | Next: 3/14 at LAFC

Sometimes, MLS is gonna MLS.

CF Montréal rolled up to Sports Illustrated Stadium as big underdogs against a red-hot team and whomped the Red Bulls, 3-0.

Weirdness aside (each goal got progressively stranger), Montréal kept a clean sheet for the first time since June 28, 2025. That feels like a building block.?

Previous:?3-0 win at RBNY | Next: 3/14 at ORL

SKC couldn’t build off last week’s draw with Columbus and fell 1-0 against San Diego. This team remains a serious work in progress.

Previous:?1-0 loss vs. SD | Next: 3/14 at LA

No match for the Revs last weekend due to winter weather. They’ve had an extra week to prepare for FC Cincinnati on Sunday. We’ll see if it pays off.?

Previous: Postponed?| Next: 3/15 vs. CIN

It's probably best to avoid your goalkeeper getting a 16th-minute red card from here on out. And it's usually best to move on from a result like this as quickly as possible. But, man, there are real concerns after Orlando's 5-0 loss at NYCFC. They’re still winless this year, have conceded a league-high 11 goals and have won once in their last 13 matches. Some tough questions are being asked.?

Previous:?5-0 loss at NYC | Next: 3/14 vs. MTL

Atlanta’s midfield and center backs aren’t the paciest bunch.

First MLS start ?
First professional goal ?

Sergi Solans opens the scoring for @realsaltlake! pic.twitter.com/b75bg23dMs

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 8, 2026

Make it three losses through three games to start the second Tata Martino era. Things could be going better.?

Previous: 3-2 loss vs. RSL | Next: 3/14 vs. PHI

• Power Rankings
• Voices: Sam Jones
• Atlanta United
• Austin FC
• Charlotte FC
• Chicago Fire FC
• FC Cincinnati
• Colorado Rapids
• Columbus Crew
• FC Dallas
• D.C. United
• Houston Dynamo FC
• Sporting Kansas City
• LA Galaxy
• Los Angeles Football Club
• Inter Miami CF
• Minnesota United FC
• CF Montréal
• Nashville SC
• New England Revolution
• Red Bull New York
• New York City Football Club
• Orlando City SC
• Philadelphia Union
• Portland Timbers
• Real Salt Lake
• San Diego FC
• San Jose Earthquakes
• Seattle Sounders FC
• St. Louis CITY SC
• Toronto FC
• Vancouver Whitecaps FC

• Share on Facebook
• Share on X

Related Stories

• Power Rankings: Nashville SC join LAFC at the top

• Power Rankings: LAFC & Vancouver Whitecaps set the pace

• Power Rankings: Timo Werner sparks San Jose, Red Bulls rise