MLS Power Rankings: Miami back to winning ways, as Nashville chase history

It's Monday, another weekend of action is in the books, and it's time for the latest edition of ESPN's MLS Power Rankings.

Every game, Nashville are inching closer to history. Following a 4-1 demolition of Austin, B.J. Callaghan's outfit have a 12-point lead in the Supporters' Shield race. They need 12 points from their final six games to break the MLS single-season points record set by Inter Miami in 2024. This team has the quality to make history.

No team in MLS is ripping through opponents as easily as St. Louis. They made quick work of the Galaxy in the league's standalone game on Sunday evening, with attacking midfielder Carlo Holse securing a hat trick inside the first 21 minutes en route to a 6-2 home win. Right now, St. Louis look like the class of the West -- and it doesn't look close.

After a five-game winless run, Miami finally claimed three points in a 4-0 victory over D.C. United. Thanks to a brace from Lionel Messi and another from Luis Suárez, Miami showed their teeth coming out of the international break.

The Union have played 13 games since the World Cup break. They haven't lost a single one of those games. In fact, a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday extended their winning streak to seven matches. Red-hot only just begins to describe Philadelphia right now.

Despite a rough first half against NYCFC, Chicago stormed back in the second period to claim a 2-1 win. Between this weekend's comeback and Tuesday's impressive showing against Vancouver, the Fire continue to trend in the right direction.

6. Vancouver Whitecaps

Previous ranking: 3

It wasn't pretty for the Whitecaps, but a point on the road against LAFC is hardly the worst result. After Tristan Blackmon's early red card, Vancouver even took the lead before settling in for a 1-1 draw.

7. Charlotte FC

Previous ranking: 7

Charlotte left it late -- very late -- but a 92nd-minute winner from Idan Toklomati clinched a 3-2 come-from-behind win over Dallas. That Dean Smith's side showed genuine attacking quality on a rain-soaked night is a promising sign.

8. LAFC

Previous ranking: 9

In their first game since parting ways with manager Marc Dos Santos, LAFC played to a 1-1 draw with Vancouver. Interim manager Xavi Tamarit paired Denis Bouanga up top with Son Heung-Min, but the change didn't dramatically shift things for the home side.

9. Seattle Sounders

Previous ranking: 18

Finally back closer to health than at just about any other point this season, Seattle dismantled New England on the road in a 3-0 win. Suddenly, the Sounders are looking like a team no one will want to face come playoff time.

10. Orlando City

Previous ranking: 10

Saturday's 3-2 win over Columbus was hardly Orlando's best-played game of the season. But the attack continued to look borderline unstoppable and Maxime Crépeau stood on his head, meaning that stopping the Lions was no easy task.

11. Houston Dynamo

Previous ranking: 8

The good news? Duncan McGuire and Lyle Foster each scored their first goal for the Dynamo in a 2-2 draw with Minnesota. The bad news? Houston find themselves winless in four games.

12. New England Revolution

Previous ranking: 6

Make that back-to-back 3-0 losses for the Revolution, who fell to Seattle this weekend. Missing Jack Harrison's incision on the wing, New England will hope to be back to their best by Decision Day.

13. FC Cincinnati

Previous ranking: 16

As many of their games in 2026 have been, Cincinnati's 3-1 victory over Atlanta was filled with drama. Finally, in the 84th minute, it was Tom Barlow's go-ahead strike that clinched a badly needed three points for Pat Noonan's side.

14. FC Dallas

Previous ranking: 12

Poor defending toppled Dallas' hopes of earning a result on the road in Charlotte. Though they held a 2-0 lead past the hour mark, lapses in concentration and sluggish defensive execution saw a win turn into a 3-2 loss in the blink of an eye for the Western Conference outfit.

15. Red Bull New York

Previous ranking: 21

Devastatingly quick in transition and effective with their early pressing, Red Bull cruised to a 4-1 win over San Diego. Julian Hall, for his part, wasted no time translating his U.S. men's national team scoring streak back to his club. The teenage striker grabbed the game's opening goal.

16. New York City FC

Previous ranking: 13

Though they had a one-goal lead at halftime and played the entire second period up a man, NYCFC fell 2-1 to the Fire. Matt Freese's mistake in buildup inside his own box sealed the defeat for a team whose season is spiraling.

17. San Jose Earthquakes

Previous ranking: 14

There are two versions of the Earthquakes: one with the oft-injured Niko Tsakiris and one without. On Saturday, the second version showed up and limped to a 1-1 draw with the Rapids. As their young playmaker goes, so goes San Jose.

18. LA Galaxy

Previous ranking: 15

On Sunday, the Galaxy did what so many others have done when facing off with St. Louis: they lost, badly. Conceding early in the match, Greg Vanney's team never had a foothold in their 6-2 defeat. With Hirving Lozano injured and other key starters banged up, too, LA's grip on the West's final playoff spot looks increasingly tenuous.

19. Colorado Rapids

Previous ranking: 23

With manager Matt Wells still sorting through how exactly to fit all of the club's summer signings into one team, the Rapids only managed a 1-1 home draw with San Jose. Still above the playoff line, though, there's hope yet for Colorado.

20. Minnesota United

Previous ranking: 24

Following a 2-2 draw with Houston, Minnesota have failed to win any of their last seven games. After a largely inactive and certainly underwhelming summer transfer window, it doesn't appear as if the Loons will have enough fuel to make a postseason push.

21. Real Salt Lake

Previous ranking: 19

The wheels have completely fallen off for Salt Lake, with just one win since the World Cup break. On Saturday, their latest loss came in the form of a 2-1 road defeat to Philadelphia. Impressive talent remains in Utah, but cohesion is badly lacking.

22. Columbus Crew

Previous ranking: 22

Columbus out-shot and out-created their Floridian hosts, but fell 3-2 in Orlando all the same. They had a quality chance to claim a winner late in the match, only for Gonzalo Tapia's shot to turn into an Iván Angulo goal at the other end.

23. San Diego FC

Previous ranking: 17

After their 4-1 defeat against Red Bull New York, San Diego have conceded at least three goals in four of their last five games. Defending has become not just optional but absent for the sophomore side.

24. Toronto FC

Previous ranking: 25

Two goals in second-half stoppage time saw Toronto earn a last-minute victory over rivals CF Montréal. Notably, Djordje Mihailovic's winner came in his first minutes since early September. With a healthy Mihailovic, the postseason just might be in reach for the Reds.

25. Portland Timbers

Previous ranking: 28

Portland became the latest team to buckle under the pressure provided by Kansas City's new star André Luiz. After taking a 2-0 lead, the Timbers couldn't hold on to claim all three points against the West's cellar-dwellers. Instead, they flew back to the Pacific Northwest with a 3-3 draw.

26. Austin FC

Previous ranking: 20

Austin was due for a loss after an against-all-odds eight-game unbeaten run in league play. Still, few expected them to suffer as much as they did in a 4-1 home defeat against Nashville. There's plenty of rebuilding to do for Austin's new sporting leadership.

27. D.C. United

Previous ranking: 26

D.C. simply never found themselves in the game against Miami, losing 4-0 to their fellow Eastern Conference outfit. Playoffs aren't out of the question for D.C., but hope is dimming.

28. Atlanta United

Previous ranking: 27

Rarely dangerous at home against Cincinnati, the Five Stripes suffered a 3-1 loss. While they didn't leak chances, a pair of late concessions removed any chance Atlanta had of earning a home result.

29. Sporting Kansas City

Previous ranking: 30

Following his brace in Kansas City's 3-3 draw with Portland, Luiz became the first player in SKC history to bag seven goals in his first seven appearances. The winger already looks the part of a genuine superstar.

30. CF Montréal

Previous ranking: 29

It looked as if Montréal had three points locked up in their Canadian Classique clash with Toronto. That is, until Montréal snagged two goals in second-half stoppage time.