I Dig Sports
KOSICE, Slovakia -- The Brits will be back.
Ben Davis scored 2:03 into overtime for Great Britain to complete an unlikely comeback and edge France 4-3 to avoid relegation at the expense of the French at the ice hockey world championship on Monday.
Britain's return to the top division after 25 years looked short-lived after it was defeated in its previous six group games and was 3-0 down in the middle period.
The British fought back with a couple of goals from Robert Dowd and Mike Hammond in the second frame. Robert Farmer tied it in the final frame, forcing overtime.
Great Britain will now get to compete at next year's worlds in Switzerland.
In Group B, Dennis Rasmussen scored the winner into an empty net with 34 seconds remaining for Sweden to beat Latvia 5-4.
Latvia needed a win in regulation to keep alive hopes for a quarterfinal spot in the Group B game in Bratislava. After Roberts Bukarts tied the game for Latvia at 4-all with 3:24 remaining in the final period to complete his hat trick, the Latvians pulled the goaltender for an extra attacker.
Latvia's loss confirmed the four quarterfinalists from Group B: Leader Russia, the two-time defending champion Swedes and the Czech Republic, and Switzerland.
Elias Pettersson, Adrian Kempe, Anton Lander and Patric Hornqvist had a goal each for the Swedes. William Nylander had two assists to lead the scoring table with 15 points.
Canada plays Denmark in Group A later Monday, while Austria faces Italy in another relegation match in Group B.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily: Blues push Sharks to the brink
Published in
Hockey
Monday, 20 May 2019 05:04
The San Jose Sharks are on the brink of elimination yet again. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues are one win away from their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1970, which was their third year of existence.
Here's a recap of last night's action (check out replays of every playoff game on ESPN+) and what to watch for Tuesday night, in today's edition of ESPN Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily:
Jump ahead: Last night's game | Three stars
Play of the night | Social post of the day
About last night ...
Game 5: St. Louis Blues 5, San Jose Sharks 0 (Blues lead the series 3-2)
The Sharks started out strong and had a few early looks. But then things went sideways: San Jose couldn't get one in while the Blues -- the best road team in these playoffs, now 7-2 away from home -- capitalized. St. Louis amped things up in the second period, outshooting the Sharks 20-6. St. Louis has now outscored San Jose 7-1 since the controversial hand pass play that ended Game 3.
Sharks coach Peter DeBoer admitted his team lost his composure in the third, especially when Joe Pavelski got hit high and had to exit the game.
Pavelski to the locker room after this hit #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/sabOojxJ1K
- Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) May 19, 2019
Pavelski was one of four players -- which also included the hobbled Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl, the team's second-leading goal scorer -- who ended up in the locker room before the final whistle.
Three stars
1. Jaden Schwartz, LW, St. Louis Blues. Schwartz didn't have the regular season he wanted, scoring only 11 goals, less than half of his 2017-18 total. He's compensating for it with a monster postseason. With his second postseason hat trick, Schwartz now has 12 goals in 18 games.
That makes Schwartz only the third player in NHL history to score more goals in the postseason than the regular season (minimum 10 goals regular season). The other two? Claude Lemieux in 1996-97 and Marian Gaborik in 2013-14.
2. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, St. Louis Blues. There was some discourse early in these playoffs about Tarasenko not being engaged. He's one of the purest goal scorers in the NHL, and he has been engaged lately, all right. He became the first Blues player in team history to successfully score a penalty shot in the playoffs, and tacked on two more assists to extend his point streak to five games.
3. Jordan Binnington, G, St. Louis Blues. By stopping all 21 shots, Binnington posted his first shutout of the postseason, and seventh playoff road win. That matches Matt Murray for the second most by a rookie goalie in NHL history. Only Ron Hextall (eight in 1987) had more.
Play of the night
OH BABY!!!!! #stlblues #WeAllBleedBlue pic.twitter.com/DQJPMzDFKS
- St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) May 19, 2019
Tarasenko's sick release on full display here. Martin Jones didn't stand a chance.
Dud of the night
Erik Karlsson hobbling around on one leg. Karlsson was laboring just to skate, and we wonder if he should have started Game 5, or if he'll be available for Game 6 considering he couldn't finish the game.
Interesting comments from DeBoer on Karlsson. To paraphrase: You go with the information based on what the player and the medical staff tell you for the game, but in hindsight there's regret having played him.
- Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 19, 2019
Social post of the day
Barbie's got some moves.
Quotable
"I think the Winter Classic was probably one of those, wanting to look back, a turning point. I think that whole 'Peaky Blinders' theme really brought the guys together." -- Boston Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, on the inspiration for the Bruins (and many, many other NHL players) to add "newsboy" caps to their Amazon carts.
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After successfully defending a major title (again), Brooks Koepka is back atop the Official World Golf Ranking.
Koepka teed off at Bethpage ranked No. 3 in the world, but after retaining the Wanamaker Trophy he moved to the top spot even though former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson finished alone in second. It marks the first time Koepka has held the No. 1 ranking since the start of the year, as it has been a split between Johnson and Justin Rose for the 20 weeks of the year.
But now it's Koepka followed by Johnson, with Rose down one spot to No. 3. The rest of the top 10 remained the same after the second major of the year: Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods, Francesco Molinari, Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler.
Other notable moves following the PGA include Jordan Spieth, who jumped nine spots to No. 30 with his first top-10 finish in nearly a year. Patrick Cantlay rose from 17th to 14th after a T-3 result, while the same finish pushed Matt Wallace from 31st to 25th.
Luke List struggled to a final-round 74, but his sixth-place finish still had repercussions since it helped him move up 18 spots to No. 58. That ascent was timely given that the top 60 in the world rankings this week are exempt into next month's U.S. Open and can skip a trip to sectionals. Others inside the cutoff include No. 59 Chez Reavie and No. 60 Abraham Ancer, while AT&T Byron Nelson winner Sung Kang jumped another 14 spots with his seventh-place finish but is on the outside looking in at No. 61.
Jazz Janewattananond, who made headlines while testing the oratorical skills of TV announcers, jumped three spots to No. 69 in the world after a T-14 finish. The top 60 from the June 10 rankings will also receive spots at Pebble Beach if not otherwise exempt.
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Three-peat, anyone?
With another successful title defense secured, Brooks Koepka now sets his sights on a fifth major victory – and a little piece of history at next month's U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
Koepka won his first major title two years ago at Erin Hills, and he won again last summer at Shinnecock Hills. Looking to become the first to win three in a row since Willie Anderson from 1903-05, Koepka was installed as a 5/1 betting favorite for Pebble when the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook published odds once the final putt dropped at Bethpage.
For perspective, Koepka opened at 14/1 to win the PGA when odds were published following the Masters, and he was bet down to 10/1 by the time tournament week rolled around.
Dustin Johnson, a two-time winner at Pebble who nearly captured the U.S. Open there in 2010, is next on the odds sheet, followed by Masters champ Tiger Woods. Here's a look at odds on several of the possible contenders, with another major less than a month away:
5/1: Brooks Koepka
8/1: Dustin Johnson
12/1: Tiger Woods
14/1: Rory McIlroy
16/1: Justin Rose
20/1: Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Jon Rahm, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth
25/1: Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood, Francesco Molinari
30/1: Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay
40/1: Tony Finau, Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott
50/1: Matt Kuchar, Paul Casey, Patrick Reed
60/1: Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen, Webb Simpson
80/1: Marc Leishman, Gary Woodland
100/1: Matt Wallace, Brandt Snedeker, Kevin Kisner, Branden Grace, Ian Poulter, Cameron Smith, Lucas Glover
125/1: Graeme McDowell, Bubba Watson, Si Woo Kim, Zach Johnson, Keegan Bradley, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jim Furyk, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Daniel Berger
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SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. – Helen Alfredsson won the U.S. Senior Women's Open by two strokes.
Alfredsson shot an even-par 72 at Pine Needles on Sunday to finish at 1-over 285 and earn her first USGA title.
The 54-year-old Swede earned $180,000 in prize money for this victory along with a 10-year exemption into the event and an invitation to next year's U.S. Women's Open in Charleston, South Carolina.
She began the final round tied with Trish Johnson, who finished third last year at Chicago Golf Club and slipped with consecutive bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14. Alfredsson closed her round with 13 consecutive pars.
Johnson and Juli Inkster finished two strokes back.
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PGA Championship purse payout: Koepka earns nearly $2 million
Published in
Golf
Monday, 20 May 2019 01:51
Brooks Koepka won his second straight PGA Championship and collected nearly $2 million in the process. Here's a look at how the purse was paid out at Bethpage Black.
| 1 | Brooks Koepka | -8 | $1,980,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Dustin Johnson | -6 | $1,188,000 |
| T3 | Jordan Spieth | -2 | $575,500 |
| T3 | Patrick Cantlay | -2 | $575,500 |
| T3 | Matt Wallace | -2 | $575,500 |
| 6 | Luke List | -1 | $380,000 |
| 7 | Sung Kang | E | $343,650 |
| T8 | Gary Woodland | 1 | $264,382 |
| T8 | Matt Kuchar | 1 | $264,382 |
| T8 | Rory McIlroy | 1 | $264,382 |
| T8 | Shane Lowry | 1 | $264,382 |
| T8 | Erik van Rooyen | 1 | $264,382 |
| T8 | Adam Scott | 1 | $264,382 |
| T14 | Chez Reavie | 2 | $191,665 |
| T14 | Jazz Janewattananond | 2 | $191,665 |
| T16 | Brandt Snedeker | 3 | $143,100 |
| T16 | Mike Lorenzo-Vera | 3 | $143,100 |
| T16 | Abraham Ancer | 3 | $143,100 |
| T16 | Lucas Bjerregaard | 3 | $143,100 |
| T16 | Lucas Glover | 3 | $143,100 |
| T16 | Xander Schauffele | 3 | $143,100 |
| T16 | Hideki Matsuyama | 3 | $143,100 |
| T23 | Thomas Pieters | 4 | $91,000 |
| T23 | Jason Kokrak | 4 | $91,000 |
| T23 | Billy Horschel | 4 | $91,000 |
| T23 | Emiliano Grillo | 4 | $91,000 |
| T23 | Jason Day | 4 | $91,000 |
| T23 | Jimmy Walker | 4 | $91,000 |
| T29 | Paul Casey | 5 | $65,000 |
| T29 | Graeme McDowell | 5 | $65,000 |
| T29 | Keegan Bradley | 5 | $65,000 |
| T29 | Webb Simpson | 5 | $65,000 |
| T29 | Adam Hadwin | 5 | $65,000 |
| T29 | Sam Burns | 5 | $65,000 |
| T29 | Justin Rose | 5 | $65,000 |
| T36 | Beau Hossler | 6 | $48,200 |
| T36 | Li Haotong | 6 | $48,200 |
| T36 | Danny Lee | 6 | $48,200 |
| T36 | Rickie Fowler | 6 | $48,200 |
| T36 | Harold Varner III | 6 | $48,200 |
| T41 | Matthew Fitzpatrick | 7 | $36,036 |
| T41 | Charles Howell III | 7 | $36,036 |
| T41 | Aaron Wise | 7 | $36,036 |
| T41 | Kiradech Aphibarnrat | 7 | $36,036 |
| T41 | Adam Long | 7 | $36,036 |
| T41 | Scott Piercy | 7 | $36,036 |
| T41 | Danny Willett | 7 | $36,036 |
| T48 | Henrik Stenson | 8 | $26,250 |
| T48 | Kelly Kraft | 8 | $26,250 |
| T48 | Bronson Burgoon | 8 | $26,250 |
| T48 | Francesco Molinari | 8 | $26,250 |
| T48 | Tyrrell Hatton | 8 | $26,250 |
| T48 | Tommy Fleetwood | 8 | $26,250 |
| T54 | Charley Hoffman | 9 | $22,850 |
| T54 | Justin Harding | 9 | $22,850 |
| T54 | Alexander Noren | 9 | $22,850 |
| T54 | Cameron Champ | 9 | $22,850 |
| T54 | J.J. Spaun | 9 | $22,850 |
| T54 | Zach Johnson | 9 | $22,850 |
| T60 | Ross Fisher | 10 | $21,300 |
| T60 | Rob Labritz | 10 | $21,300 |
| T60 | J.T. Poston | 10 | $21,300 |
| T60 | Louis Oosthuizen | 10 | $21,300 |
| T64 | Max Homa | 11 | $20,200 |
| T64 | Joost Luiten | 11 | $20,200 |
| T64 | Corey Conners | 11 | $20,200 |
| T64 | Kurt Kitayama | 11 | $20,200 |
| T64 | Cameron Smith | 11 | $20,200 |
| T64 | Thorbjorn Olesen | 11 | $20,200 |
| T64 | Tony Finau | 11 | $20,200 |
| T71 | David Lipsky | 12 | $19,250 |
| T71 | Rafael Cabrera Bello | 12 | $19,250 |
| T71 | Lucas Herbert | 12 | $19,250 |
| T71 | Phil Mickelson | 12 | $19,250 |
| T71 | Daniel Berger | 12 | $19,250 |
| T71 | Joel Dahmen | 12 | $19,250 |
| 77 | Kevin Tway | 13 | $18,900 |
| T78 | Andrew Putnam | 14 | $18,750 |
| T78 | Pat Perez | 14 | $18,750 |
| T80 | Rich Beem | 15 | $18,550 |
| T80 | Ryan Vermeer | 15 | $18,550 |
| 82 | Marty Jertson | 19 | $18,400 |
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Road to Pebble Beach: U.S. Open sectional qualifying results
Published in
Golf
Monday, 20 May 2019 03:03
Players across 12 sites will attempt to qualify for the 119th U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. There are nine U.S. sites, and one each in Japan, England and Canada. The amount of spots awarded at each site are not yet fully determined.
May 20: Bent Tree Country Club and Northwood Club, Dallas, Texas (10 spots)
May 27: Kuwana Country Club, Mie Prefecture, Japan
June 3: Walton Heath Golf Club, Surrey, England
June 3: RattleSnake Point Golf Club, Milton, Ontario, Canada
June 3: Big Canyon Country Club and Newport Beach Country Club, Newport Beach, California
June 3: Streamsong Resort (Black Course), Streamsong, Florida
June 3: Hawks Ridge Golf Club, Ball Ground, Georgia
June 3: Woodmont Country Club, Rockville, Maryland
June 3: Century Country Club and Old Oaks Country Club, Purchase, New York
June 3: Brookside Golf and Country Club and Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio
June 3: Springfield Country Club, Springfield, Ohio
June 3: Wine Valley Golf Club, Walla Walla, Washington
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Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe is not for sale and will not be sold this summer, the club confirmed with a statement on Monday, but a source has told ESPN FC it was never his intention to push for an exit.
The France international dropped a major bombshell on Sunday night by calling his future with PSG into question after receiving the trophies for best player and young player of the season at the Ligue 1 awards gala.
Mbappe, 20, stated that he wants greater responsibility and suggested that he could get it at another club away from Paris.
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) May 20, 2019
Mbappe's comments triggered an avalanche of rumours and allegations over a possible summer departure from Parc des Princes, with many suggesting Real Madrid as the likely destination.
The Spanish giants are huge admirers of the French prodigy and he has always dreamed of one day playing at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, even if some at PSG were surprised by the timing and the nature of Mbappe's comments, nothing has changed for the French champions, with a source telling ESPN FC -- and the club later confirming -- that Mbappe is not for sale and that there is zero chance he will be sold this summer.
"The strong links that have united PSG and Kylian Mbappe for the past two years, as well as their shared history, will continue next season," the PSG statement read. "With a shared ambition to leave their mark on European football, the 50th year of PSG is eagerly anticipated for everyone to write a great page of history together for the club.
"Each major actor will play their part with the emphasis always on the collective."
According to the source, Mbappe, Mbappe's father -- who handles his interests -- and, especially, Real Madrid knew he would not be sold this offseason.
Reports have suggested that PSG, should they have opted to sell, could command as much as €300 million for the World Cup winner -- a fee that would end the club's Financial Fair Play worries. Despite that possibility, however, the Parisian club has resolved to keep Mbappe at any cost and instead to find an alternative way to comply with UEFA rules.
The source added that Mbappe's intentions on Sunday were never to push for a move, at least not this summer, but instead to put PSG under pressure. The former Monaco man wants to be more involved and given greater consideration by everyone -- inside and outside of the club. Mbappe wants his voice to count at the club and he wants to be consulted regarding player recruitment -- both in regard to PSG's strategy and their planning.
The source said Mbappe believes that he is the best player in his team, the best player in Ligue 1 and he wants to be regarded in that way. He also wants to play as the central striker from now on, not out wide.
With one game still to play, Mbappe has scored 32 goals and assisted six more from 28 appearances in Ligue 1 this season, and the source added he has a desire to do even more next season.
For that, Mbappe needs to be the team's No. 9, which would put Edinson Cavani's future at the club in doubt.
Requesting greater responsibility also means being more important and having the team play for him -- including his friend Neymar, who also said recently that more people should listen to him at the club.
The source said Mbappe feels that he can carry PSG to the next level, despite his failure to do so in the Champions League round-of-16 second leg against Manchester United. In that game, with Neymar and Cavani out, Mbappe responded with a poor performance against an average United team, showing then that perhaps he was not ready to take over as the team's protagonist.
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Chelsea's Christian Pulisic, Schalke's Weston McKennie and RB Leipzig's Tyler Adams join Toronto's Michael Bradley as the headliners on United States coach Gregg Berhalter's 40-man preliminary roster for this summer's Gold Cup, while DeAndre Yedlin and John Brooks Jr. have missed out.
CONCACAF released every team's preliminary roster on Monday.
In addition to the big names, Berhalter dug up a few surprises for his list, selecting Derby County midfielder Duane Holmes as well as Tyler Boyd, currently on the books of Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes, who just filed a one-time switch to represent the U.S. after playing a handful of friendlies for New Zealand.
There is also a recall for MSV Duisburg attacker Joe Gyau, whose once-promising career has been devastated by knee injuries. Fulham full-back Marlon Fossey, himself a victim of a knee injury last year, has been called in as well.
Andrew Gutman, currently on loan with the USL's Charlotte Independence after signing with Celtic, was named to the list, as was defender Miles Robinson, who has been outstanding for Atlanta United this season.
- RB Leipzig's Adams available after adductor injury
- Morris injures hamstring as Gold Cup looms
There were a couple of notable omissions, though the biggest were injury-induced. Newcastle United defender Yedlin will miss out after recently undergoing groin surgery, while a knee ailment has rendered Wolfsburg defender Brooks unavailable.
Bobby Wood, who hadn't made the game-day roster in over two months while on loan at Hannover 96, also didn't make the cut.
Berhalter is expected to announce the group that will participate in a pre-Gold Cup training camp on Wednesday.
The final 23-player rosters will be announced by CONCACAF the first week of June. After the official announcement, only injury-related changes will be allowed, up until 24 hours before each team's first match, and any injury replacements must come from the preliminary 40-player roster.
U.S. preliminary roster:
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Atlanta United), Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge), Sean Johnson (New York City FC), Tyler Miller (LAFC), Zach Steffen (Columbus Crew),
Defenders: Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig), Reggie Cannon (FC Dallas), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur), Marlon Fossey (Fulham FC), Greg Garza (FC Cincinnati), Omar Gonzalez (Club Atlas), Andrew Gutman (Charlotte Independence), Nick Lima (San Jose Earthquakes), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Daniel Lovitz (Montreal Impact), Matt Miazga (Chelsea FC), Tim Ream (Fulham FC), Antonee Robinson (Wigan Athletic), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United), Walker Zimmerman (LAFC)
Midfielders: Paul Arriola (DC United), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Tyler Boyd (MKE Aknaragücü), Duane Holmes (Derby County), Jonathan Lewis (Colorado Rapids), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy), Weston McKennie (Schalke 04), Djordje Mihailovic (Chicago Fire), Darlington Nagbe (Atlanta United), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea FC), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC), Wil Trap (Columbus Crew)
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Jonathan Amon (FC Nordsjaelland), Corey Baird (Real Salt Lake), Joe Gyau (MSV Duisburg), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Christian Ramirez (LAFC), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew)
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MLS Power Rankings: LAFC remain top, but Wondo is the king
Published in
Soccer
Sunday, 19 May 2019 22:37
We may never see another player like Chris Wondolowski. Not only is Wondolowski a unique blend of talent, perseverance, humility and guile, he followed a path to an all-time goal-scoring record in Major League Soccer that is practically gone in 2019.
- Exclusive: Landon Donovan on what makes Wondo great
- Carlisle: How Wondo broke MLS's all-time record
As teams rush to develop players at younger and younger ages, the possibility of a late bloomer in the Wondolowski mold getting a chance to work on his game for multiple years before finally earning a shot to play and grow into an all-time great is almost difficult to imagine.
On the occasion of Wondolowski's record-breaking performance, it's worth repeating that the San Jose player is one of a kind.
Previous rankings: Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. LAFC (9 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss)
Previous ranking: 1
Next MLS match: Friday, May 24, 10:30 p.m. ET vs. Montreal, ESPN+
It's the old Thursday-Sunday-Friday run for LAFC, who maintain their "best in MLS" status after the Thursday and Saturday legs and four points earned against FC Dallas. Bob Bradley's team was just a little off in front of goal over the two games, but that's admittedly a quibble.
2. Seattle Sounders (7-5-1)
Previous ranking: 2
Next MLS match: Sunday, May 26, 6 p.m. ET at Sporting Kansas City
Wednesday was about winning. Saturday was about not losing. That's the reality for a team crossing the country on short rest to face a quality opponent coming off a week's preparation, so credit Brian Schmetzer and the 63 different players (roughly) he used between the two games.
3. Houston Dynamo (7-2-2)
Previous ranking: 3
Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 8 p.m. ET at Minnesota, ESPN+
Good soccer team the Houston Dynamo got a game-winner from Tommy McNamara -- his first goal in two years -- on Saturday to close out a four-point week. Whether good soccer team will be without star attacker Alberth Elis for any length of time, after the Honduran left the D.C. United match early, is a concern.
4. Philadelphia Union (7-3-3)
Previous ranking: 4
Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 7:30 p.m. ET vs. Portland, ESPN+
The harsh take is that a true contender should be able to handle a weakened version of a good team at home. The kinder take is that Philly was the better team against Seattle and can take confidence from a goalless draw. Good thing Philly sports fans are known for being reasonable.
5. D.C. United (7-3-4)
Previous ranking: 6
Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 7:30 p.m. ET at New England, ESPN+
United somehow managed to survive a Canadian barrage on Wednesday and get a point in Toronto, then collapsed in two minutes on the way to a frustrating loss in Houston on Saturday. It was a "that's so MLS" type of week, with D.C.'s young, rotated team getting the tough result and the first choice side dropping the game in Texas.
6. LA Galaxy (7-1-5)
Previous ranking: 5
Next MLS match: Friday, May 24, 7 p.m. ET at Orlando
No Zlatan Ibrahimovic, no goals and a loss against the worst team in the league. It's hard to see how Sunday could have been any worse for the Galaxy, short of major injury to a crucial player. No Zlatan for the trip to Orlando on Friday either. If LA manages to lose to the Lions, there won't be many good feelings left.
7. New York City FC (4-6-1)
Previous ranking: 7
Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 3:30 p.m. ET at Chicago
A week off for the Bronx-dwellers, the kind that can either be a welcome respite from a busy schedule or a brick wall to well-earned momentum.
8. FC Dallas (5-3-5)
Previous ranking: 9
Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 7 p.m. ET at Vancouver, ESPN+
Back-to-back matches against LAFC -- one in LA, one in Texas -- revealed FC Dallas to be what we knew them to be: talented, tough but a level below the elite of Major League Soccer. The toughness will be the takeaway, especially considering they played a down a man for most of the second half.
9. Toronto FC (5-2-5)
Previous ranking: 8
Next MLS match: Sunday, May 26, 7:30 p.m. ET vs. San Jose, ESPN+
Zero goals on 45 shots this week from the Reds, who won't want to dwell on the rough results in a pair of games. Alejandro Pozuelo's blistering start in MLS was always going to cool off, but it doesn't appear Toronto was ready to pick up the slack elsewhere. If the defense doesn't get better, Toronto might be in trouble.
10. Montreal Impact (6-3-5)
Previous ranking: 10
Next MLS match: Friday, May 24, 10:30 p.m. at LAFC, ESPN+
Ignacio Piatti is back. After two months out injured, the Argentine returned to the field as a sub in Saturday's draw in New England. No one outside of Carson relies on one player to drive the attack more than the Impact, and he could not have come back at a better time: Friday's trip to LAFC is the toughest match of the year.
11. New York Red Bulls (5-2-5)
Previous ranking: 11
Next MLS match: Wednesday, May 22, 8 p.m. ET vs. Vancouver, ESPN+
1:20
Barlow the hero for 10-man Red Bulls
Tom Barlow's first MLS goal was also the winner for the New York Red Bulls, as they overcame Atlanta United despite being a man down for much of the game.
No one does emotional, desperation wins like the Red Bulls in 2019. Sunday's 1-0 victory over Atlanta definitely fit that bill, with New York playing the last 55 minutes of the match down a man and the winning goal coming from a player signed from the USL team less than two weeks ago.
12. Atlanta United (6-2-4)
Previous ranking: 12
Next MLS match: Friday, May 24, 9 p.m. ET at Salt Lake
Since we last met, Atlanta squeaked out a win in Vancouver and extended their run without conceding a goal, then saw that streak ended by a 10-man Red Bull team on Sunday. Flat Atlanta -- Flatlanta, if you will -- was back with a (dispiriting) vengeance this week. Over to you, Frank.
13. Minnesota United (5-3-4)
Previous ranking: 13
Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 8 p.m. ET vs. Houston, ESPN+
Once upon a time, Ethan Finlay was a red-hot goal-scoring winger for the Columbus Crew. Then the Crew traded him to Minnesota. In early 2018, he tore his ACL and missed the rest of the season. On Saturday, Finlay scored for the first time since coming back from that injury to lead the Loons to a win against the Crew. The end.
14. Real Salt Lake (5-1-6)
Previous ranking: 15
Next MLS match: Friday, May 24, 9 p.m. ET vs. Atlanta
We're officially filing a request with Major League Soccer and Real Salt Lake for Sebastian "Bofo" Saucedo to score more long-range blasts because it's so much fun to yell "BOFO!" It might not be the best nickname in MLS -- there's a guy called "Cobra" in Dallas -- but it's close.
15. Columbus Crew (5-1-8)
Previous ranking: 14
Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 9 p.m. ET at Colorado, ESPN+
Not only did the Crew slip below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference this weekend, they're slipping quickly into the "bad" part of the power rankings. Losing seven of your last eight will do that sort of damage to your standing, but it's the lack of goals (six in those eight matches) that should set off alarms.
16. Portland Timbers (3-2-6)
Previous ranking: 17
Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 7:30 p.m. ET at Philadelphia, ESPN+
One more road match until the grand reopening of Providence Park, Timbers fans. May your dreams be filled with visions of Sebastian Blanco setting up Brian Fernandez for goals in the Timbers Army end from now until June 1. Here's a tip: Imagine Fernandez's equalizer against Houston, only in Portland.
17. Orlando City (4-3-6)
Previous ranking: 19
Next MLS match: Friday, May 24, 7 p.m. ET vs. LA Galaxy
Nani is OK, Tesho Akindele's feeling fine and the Lions head into a showdown with the Zlatan-less Galaxy next Friday bursting with confidence following a big win. Orlando fought FC Cincinnati, the heat and the quick turnaround after a midweek trip to Seattle and won -- that's worth a some dap.
18. Vancouver Whitecaps (3-4-6)
Previous ranking: 16
Next MLS match: Wednesday, May 22, 8 p.m. ET at RBNY, ESPN+
The Caps are spirited, which is just a nice way to say they're mostly mediocre with an occasional burst of hard-won success. Wednesday's match against Atlanta at BC Place was mediocre, hence a goalless performance and a loss. Saturday's draw in Kansas City was ... spirited.
19. San Jose Earthquakes (4-2-6)
Previous ranking: 20
Next MLS match: Sunday, May 26, 7:30 p.m. ET at Toronto, ESPN+
2:14
Wondolowski breaks Donovan's MLS goals record in San Jose rout
San Jose's Chris Wondolowski has broken Landon Donovan's all-time MLS goals record with the first two of four strikes in a 4-1 win over the Chicago Fire.
Wondo did it in Wondo style, popping up at the back post, taking advantage of defensive mistakes and calmly finishing first-time chances. He'll tell you that the win was what mattered -- he celebrated with his teammates on all four goals -- but Saturday was Wondo's day. He earned every bit of it.
20. Chicago Fire (4-4-5)
Previous ranking: 18
Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 3:30 p.m. ET vs. NYCFC
The Fire's lamentable performance in San Jose will mercifully get buried by the story of Wondolowski's ascension to the top of the all-time MLS goal-scoring list. It's like being the bar during a world-record high jump: essential to the proceedings but nothing more than a prop.
21. Sporting Kansas City (2-5-4)
Previous ranking: 21
Next MLS match: Sunday, May 26, 6 p.m. ET vs. Seattle
Sporting's injury crisis is so bad that the injuries have injuries. Peter Vermes was forced to use the league roster contingency rules to make up the numbers against Vancouver, a game that saw the club fail to win for the seventh straight match. The gut-punch equalizer scored by the Caps only adds to the cumulative hurt.
22. New England Revolution (3-3-8)
Previous ranking: 23
Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 7:30 p.m. ET vs. DC United, ESPN+
The Bruce has arrived in New England. Updates as events warrant. A goalless draw doesn't really count.
23. FC Cincinnati (3-2-8)
Previous ranking: 22
Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 7:30 p.m. ET vs. RBNY, ESPN+
Through 125 minutes, Yoann Damet looked like a miracle worker. Then the wheels came off in Orlando. Damet can't be held responsible for Kendall Waston going full Curt Hennig on Lamine Sane, but the eventual 5-1 humiliation against the Lions will take some of the shine off the 29-year-old's start as interim FCC boss.
24. Colorado Rapids (1-2-9)
Previous ranking: 24
Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 9 p.m. ET vs. Columbus, ESPN+
THE RAPIDS WON A GAME. It doesn't matter how, or who didn't play for the other team. THE RAPIDS WON A GAME. And on the road!
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