Los Angeles FC dropped from first to second in the MLS Power Rankings after suffering their first defeat of the 2026 season, a 2-1 loss to the Portland Timbers on the road during Matchday 7. The Vancouver Whitecaps claimed the top spot after defeating New York City FC 2-0 on Saturday.

LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos rotated the lineup heavily for the match against Portland, with the club set to face Cruz Azul in the Concacaf Champions Cup on Tuesday. Kevin Kelsy scored a 96th-minute winner for the Timbers, who rose from twenty-first to nineteenth in the rankings.

The Whitecaps hold the best expected goals differential in MLS based on American Soccer Analysis data. Nashville SC, previously ranked second, slipped one spot to third after defeating Charlotte FC 2-1 on Saturday in a match where Charlotte conceded two penalties. The San Jose Earthquakes held steady at fourth after a 3-1 win at Sporting Kansas City, with 20-year-old Niko Tsakiris recording an assist on the equalizer despite the absence of injured forward Timo Werner.

Inter Miami CF remained fifth after a 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls, a result that extended Miami's winless record at Nu Stadium this season. Germán Berterame scored his first MLS goal for Miami. Julian Hall recorded two assists for the Red Bulls, who climbed from twelfth to tenth.

The Seattle Sounders FC stayed sixth during a bye weekend after their match against Real Salt Lake was postponed. Seattle will face Tigres in the Concacaf Champions Cup on Wednesday. Real Salt Lake moved up from ninth to seventh despite also having the week off.

Chicago Fire FC made one of the largest jumps in the rankings, climbing from thirteenth to eighth after a 1-0 win over Atlanta United FC on Saturday. Maren Haile-Selassie scored the first-half winner as the Fire extended their winning streak to three consecutive matches, with forward Hugo Cuypers unavailable due to injury.

San Diego FC fell from seventh to ninth after a 2-1 loss to Minnesota United FC, a match in which Christopher McVey received a red card. San Diego finished with fewer than 11 players on the field for the fourth consecutive game. Minnesota, which used a 3-4-3 formation, held steady at eleventh after both of its goals came directly from crosses into the box.

The Colorado Rapids defeated the Houston Dynamo 6-2 to vault from twenty-second to fourteenth under coach Matt Wells. Houston dropped to twenty-second after allowing at least four goals in two of their past three games. The LA Galaxy rose one spot to fifteenth with a 2-1 win over Austin FC, though Marco Reus left the field with an injury in the second half. The Galaxy will play Toluca in the Concacaf Champions Cup on Wednesday.

FC Cincinnati fell from seventeenth to twenty-first after a 1-1 draw with Toronto FC, with Kévin Denkey receiving two yellow cards to extend Cincinnati's streak of having a player sent off to four consecutive games. Kenji Mboma Dem scored a late equalizer for Cincinnati. Toronto, playing without Djordje Mihailovic due to a pelvic stress fracture, dropped from fifteenth to seventeenth under coach Robin Fraser. FC Dallas slid from eighth to twelfth after a 1-1 home draw with St. Louis City SC in which Dallas held just 41 percent possession and conceded a second-half equalizer.