Son-Heung min and Thomas Müller weren’t going to make MLS fans wait long for their first goals in the league. After Matchday 30, each of the highly-touted summer signings have won with their new teams as well.
While most teams have between six and nine matches remaining in the regular season, the stretch run to the MLS Cup Playoffs is starting to heat up. San Diego FC even became the first team to clinch their spot in the bracket this weekend.
With another week of MLS action in the books, here’s how each of the 30 clubs stack up in the Sports Illustrated MLS Power Rankings.
MLS Power Rankings Matchday 30: Clubs 30-16
30. St. Louis CITY SC (Previous: 28)
29. D.C. United (Previous: 30)
28. LA Galaxy (Previous: 29)
27. Atlanta United (Previous: 26)
26. Sporting Kansas City (Previous: 25)
25. CF Montreal (Previous: 27)
24. Real Salt Lake (Previous: 24)
23. Houston Dynamo (Previous: 22)
22. New York Red Bulls (Previous: 21)
21. New England Revolution (Previous: 23)
20. FC Dallas (Previous: 20)
19. Austin FC (Previous: 17)
18. Colorado Rapids (Previous: 16)
17. Toronto FC (Previous: 18)
16. Chicago Fire (Previous: 14)
15. Portland Timbers (Previous: 19)
The Portland Timbers held their own against the best team in the Western Conference, playing to a scoreless draw against San Diego FC. They also saw the debut of Matiás Rojas and Kristoffer Velde, their two marquee signings of the summer transfer window.
While the point and clean sheet are a good step in the right direction, the Timbers are still struggling to win games. They have just two wins in their last 10, and are counting on draws and some early-season results to keep themselves in the MLS Cup Playoffs conversation.
They remain six points out of the top four, but new signings could make them a dangerous team for any opponent they come up against in the first round best-of-three series in October.
14. San Jose Earthquakes (Previous: 15)
The San Jose Earthquakes have two wins in three games for the third time this season, after picking up a 2–1 victory against the Houston Dynamo to bring them to eighth in the Western Conference and four points above the playoff cutoff in the Western Conference.
Head coach Bruce Arena has the talent on the roster to make the playoffs, with Preston Judd scoring his second goal in three games and Chicho Arango netting his 12th of the season, but finding some consistency will be key.
Nothing is guaranteed for the Earthquakes yet, and it could come down to Decision Day, but they’re taking steps in the right direction. They face Austin FC in a critical matchup next week.
13. Columbus Crew SC (Previous: 11)
A 2–1 loss wasn’t what Columbus Crew SC were hoping for against the New England Revolution. Still, they saw a promising debut of Palestine international Wessam Abou Ali and other moments that should give them promise.
While Abou Ali only played 34 minutes, he came close to scoring his first goal. He got himself into more threatening positions than starting striker Ibrahim Aliyu had earlier in the game. It may be a small sample size, but it's something to build on.
The key for the next while for Columbus will be getting Abou Ali settled in the lineup while finding consistency. They’ve now had three losses, a draw and two wins in their last six games.
Now sitting seventh in the Eastern Conference, head coach Wilfried Nancy’s side returns to their hunt for consistent results next week when they take on the New York Red Bulls.
12. New York City FC (Previous: 12)
Alonso Martínez scored his 14th goal of the season as New York City FC pulled off a 1–0 upset win against FC Cincinnati on Saturday night, lifting them to eighth in the Eastern Conference and keeping them within reach of the top four.
While Martinez’s strike proved the difference, it was also another strong showing from USMNT goalkeeper Matt Freese, who made five saves, as well as center backs Justin Haak and Thiago Martins, who helped shut down Cincinnati’s key attacking pieces.
Don’t look now, but that’s three straight wins for NYCFC and four wins in their last five—they’re heating up at the right time and will look to continue that form against last-place D.C. United next weekend.
11. Seattle Sounders FC (Previous: 13)
HAT TRICK HERO 🎩🫎
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 25, 2025
Danny Musovski bagged his first-career MLS hat trick in the @SoundersFC 5-2 win. pic.twitter.com/SCYUwjiwH6
The Seattle Sounders might have their eyes on the Leagues Cup semifinal on Wednesday against the LA Galaxy, but they didn’t let their short turnaround window impact a dominant 5–2 win over Sporting Kansas City on Sunday night.
While head coach Brian Schmetzer heavily rotated the side, it was striker Danny Musovski who led the way, scoring a hat-trick to bring him to 13 goals on the season. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Snyder Brunell and MLS Next Pro call-up Kalani Kossa-Rienzi also scored.
The Sounders rotated perfectly, got the win and now sit fourth in the Western Conference. Yet, the focus turns quickly to Wednesday, where a win against the LA Galaxy would send them to the Leagues Cup final and clinch a berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.
10. LAFC (Previous: 9)
Son Heung-min scored his first goal for LAFC with a spellbinding free kick, but it wasn’t enough as they settled for a 1–1 draw against FC Dallas on Saturday night.
Following the match, several players, including Son, expressed their disappointment with the result and with the three-match road trip as a whole, after securing only five of a possible nine points.
The frustrations were only elevated considering their finishing struggles, which saw them fail to convert on 19 of their other shots, outside of Son’s free kick.
Still, the draw kept them fifth in the Western Conference and in the race for a top-four spot and home advantage in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. Next weekend, they get Son’s long-awaited home debut and a challenging test against San Diego FC.
9. Nashville SC (Previous: 10)
Sam Surridge with the leaping header to get his second of the night and the rout is on in Music City 🤠 pic.twitter.com/vUkZx6OEba
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 24, 2025
Sam Surridge overtook Lionel Messi for the top spot in the MLS Golden Boot race, bringing his total to 20 goals on the season, as Nashville SC demolished Orlando City SC 5–1 in one of their better performances this season.
Throughout the campaign, Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge have been among the best in MLS, and they showed just how good they can be against the Lions, putting up a combined nine shots while both scoring braces.
Recent weeks have also seen Canadian international winger Jacob Shaffelburg hit his form, posting two assists in the rout after scoring just his second goal of the season in last week’s 2–1 loss against New York City FC.
After three straight losses, putting up a win like this was vital for Nashville in keeping their Supporters’ Shield hopes alive, as they rose to third in the Eastern Conference on 50 points.
8. Charlotte FC (Previous: 8)
Make it seven straight wins for Charlotte FC, who find themselves as the most in-form club in MLS after Kerwin Vargas scored the lone goal in a 1–0 victory over the New York Red Bulls.
While the wins stand out, the more impressive feat has been the four straight clean sheets Charlotte have kept, with the center back pairing of USMNT defender Tim Ream and Adilson Malanda leading the way.
The backline, which included new addition Harry Tofolo starting at left back, combined for 25 defensive actions against the Red Bulls, as head coach Dean Smith shut down New York’s promising attacking talents.
It was a formative transfer window for Charlotte, but adding Tofolo and keeping Malanda on loan despite selling him to Middlesbrough FC has helped them keep up their form, in addition to the elevated attacking presence of Idan Toklomati, who picked up an assist on Sunday.
They’ve got a strong chance at making it eight straight wins against the New England Revolution next weekend.
7. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Previous: 7)
Thomas Müller picked up his first goal as a Vancouver Whitecaps FC player to secure the 3–2 win in the 14th minute of stoppage time against St. Louis CITY SC. However, the call that led to his penalty kick was fraught with controversy, as the St. Louis defender appeared to have missed the Whitecaps attacker rushing into the box, who fell seemingly tripping on his own feet.
The win was vital for Vancouver to remain in contention for the Supporters’ Shield and in the running for the top Western Conference spot, but also continued to showcase their finishing struggles with just two open play goals from 21 shots.
Meanwhile, the struggle of allowing goals from simple breakdowns nearly cost the Whitecaps again, as St. Louis scored twice, despite only having a single significant scoring opportunity.
Vancouver now has three weeks off until their next match against the Philadelphia Union, and that should allow Müller and other new signings to settle in, as well as time for Brian White to recover after a hamstring issue forced him out of the match in the second half.
6. Inter Miami (Previous: 5)
Baltasar BANGER Rodríguez! 😱
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 24, 2025
Miami are back level after this worldie. 👌 pic.twitter.com/dGglmV2dn3
Inter Miami opted to rotate heavily against D.C. United, and it cost them vital points in the hunt for the Supporters’ Shield. However, even though it was just the fourth time since the summer of 2023 that no former FC Barcelona players featured in the starting lineup, it allowed the stars to rest ahead of the Leagues Cup semifinal against Orlando City SC.
For the players who did see the pitch, it was a solid showing. Baltasar Rodríguez scored one of the best goals of the season so far, and Telasco Segovia continued his form on the wing.
Dropping two points against a D.C. United side that has now gone 11 matches without a win isn’t good by any means, but it was not a true representation of how good Miami can be with their first-choice players.
5. Minnesota United (Previous 6)
Minnesota United are back to form with a 3–1 win against Real Salt Lake, securing their third win in four games keeping themselves second in the Western Conference, only trailing San Diego FC by three points.
Robin Lod had a standout performance in the match, scoring a goal and picking up an assist, while creating several chances for the Loons’ front two of Joaquín Pereyra and Kelvin Yeboah, with the former netting a goal as well.
While it was another night that showcased Minnesota’s low-possession strengths, holding just 32 percent of the ball and putting him just 0.78 xG, it also marked a transition game for the attack, with Tani Oluwaseyi left out of the starting lineup as he awaits a transfer to La Liga’s Villarreal.
Adjustments may have to come in attack with Oluwaseyi on the way out, but head coach Eric Ramsay has hit all the right notes so far this season.
4. Orlando City SC (Previous: 3)
What happened here, Orlando City SC? Nobody would have expected a 5–1 loss for the team that had gone eight matches in all competitions without a defeat. Yet, that’s precisely what happened against Nashville SC.
With a looming Leagues Cup semifinal and spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup on the line against Inter Miami on Wednesday, head coach Oscar Pareja opted to rotate his group, and it failed exceptionally.
While some of the first-choice players came into the match late, they weren’t able to turn the situation around. Luis Muriel found himself a consolation goal, but earned a red card a minute later and will miss the next MLS match against D.C. United.
Rotating made sense given the importance of Wednesday’s fixture, but Nashville made sure to make the most of the opportunity.
3. FC Cincinnati (Previous: 2)
The biggest news for FC Cincinnati this week came off the pitch, as they brought back former star striker Brenner on loan from Udinese and also traded for young wingback Dominik Marczuk, while saying goodbye to longtime defender DeAndre Yedlin.
On the pitch, though, things didn’t go to plan in a 1–0 loss to New York City FC, just the third time FC Cincinnati have been shut out this season. The loss also dropped them to second in the Eastern Conference, just behind the Union and San Diego FC in the Supporters’ Shield race.
While it wasn’t the usual dominant performance from Evander, Kévin Denkey or the rest of the Cincinnati squad, the loss should not push them too far off course, as they look ahead to next week’s critical match against the Union, which could decide the Eastern Conference winner.
2. Philadelphia Union (Previous: 4)
The Philadelphia Union came out dominantly with a 4–0 win over the Chicago Fire, and Tai Baribo kept himself in the running for the MLS Golden Boot with his 16th goal of the season.
However, this match was the first that showcased how good the Union’s attack can be with their multitude of options. They got standout performances from Baribo, as well as Quinn Sullivan and new signing Milan Iloski.
For Iloski in particular, it marked his first real contributions for the Union, as he bagged a goal and assist, bringing his season total to 11 goals and two assists in just 668 minutes, after scoring 10 earlier in the campaign with San Diego FC.
Outside of the attack, though, head coach Bradley Carnell can remain happy with 19-year-old goalkeeper Andrew Rick, who seems to improve with every match he plays. Against the Fire, he made two stops, earning his fifth clean sheet in just 12 appearances this season.
The Union are a balanced and well-rounded team at their best, and have a potent attack that has now scored 48 goals, ranking fifth in the Eastern Conference. They are MLS Supporters’ Shield leaders now, and they will look to solidify that position against FC Cincinnati next week.
1. San Diego FC (Previous: 1)
San Diego FC became the first team to clinch an MLS Cup Playoff spot in 2025, and they did so without having to win themselves, playing to a scoreless draw against the Portland Timbers. Yet, it was an overall strong performance against a Portland side in the thick of the hunt for the top four in the Western Conference.
The draw brought them to 54 points and gave them a three-point cushion atop the Western Conference. Meanwhile, they also stayed in the Supporters’ Shield race, trailing the Philadelphia Union by just a single point heading into their last six matches.
It isn’t just potential accolades this season that they’re in the running for, though, as they are likely to make further history by surpassing LAFC’s historic 2018 season, which set the record for most points by an expansion side with 57. Three points in six games should be an easy task for San Diego.
It’s been a dream year, and it’s not done yet. How far can Hirving Lozano and Anders Dreyer take this team?
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLS Power Rankings: Nashville SC, Portland Timbers Rise After Matchday 30.