MLS Power Rankings, Week 33: Did the Portland Timbers vault to the top?

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<strong>1</strong>

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<p>This is the only team in the league that controls its own destiny now. Win out, and they win the Shield &ndash; their first significant piece of silverware. They&#39;ve already won once in Houston this year, by the way.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week:</strong> Bye</li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>W-W-W-D-D</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Sunday at Houston (4 pm, UniMas)</li></ul>

<strong>2</strong>

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<p>Got one really good look and made it count. Defensively, they&#39;re still defending deeper, but &ndash; result bias or not &ndash; they&#39;ve played themselves into first place on points with New York. Win at home vs. RSL, and any RBNY slip-up means Portland punch their own ticket.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong><a href="https://golazo.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2013-10-13-portland-timbers-vs-seattle-sounders-fc/recap" target="_blank">Won vs. Seattle, 1-0</a></li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>D-W-W-D-W</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Saturday vs. Real Salt Lake (10:30 pm, <a href="http://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl/" target="_blank">MLS Live)</a></li></ul>

<strong>3</strong>

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<p>Give &#39;em credit for going to Houston, being outplayed, and getting themselves a precious away point. (Yes KC fans, that was a straight-up bunker at BBVA.)</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong><a href="https://golazo.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2013-10-09-houston-dynamo-vs-sporting-kansas-city/recap" target="_blank">Drew at Houston, 0-0</a></li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>W-W-L-W-D</li><li><strong>This Week</strong><strong>: </strong>Friday vs. D.C. United (8 pm, NBCSN)</li></ul>

<strong>4</strong>

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<p>Win at Portland, and they have a clear path to the top spot in the West. But they&#39;ll be going into JELD-WEN without Javier Morales, and with spotty (at best) form over the past month.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong>Bye</li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>W-L-L-W-D</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Satuday at Portland (10:30 pm, ESPN<a href="http://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl/" target="_blank">)</a></li></ul>

<strong>5</strong>

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<p>Had a chance to end San Jose&#39;s season and pull within two points of the Shield lead. Instead, they find themseles in a precarious home-and-home against one of the hottest attacks in the league. If things go wrong, the Rapids miss the playoffs. Like we said, crazy season.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong><a href="https://golazo.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2013-10-09-san-jose-earthquakes-vs-colorado-rapids/recap" target="_blank">Lost at San Jose, 1-0</a></li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>W-W-L-W-L</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Saturday vs. Vancouver (6 pm, <a href="http://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl/">MLS Live)</a></li></ul>

<strong>6</strong>

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<p>We keep waiting for LA to start looking like a championship team for more than a game or two at a time. Seems like now is when they should start putting teams to the knife.&nbsp;</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong>Bye</li><li><strong>Last Five</strong>: L-D-D-L-W</li><li><strong>This Week</strong><strong>: </strong>Wednesday vs. Montreal (10:30 pm, <a href="http://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl/">MLS Live)</a></li></ul>

<strong>7</strong>

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<p>Limited Portland&#39;s looks, generated a bunch themselves &ndash; <a href="https://golazo.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2013-10-13-portland-timbers-vs-seattle-sounders-fc/stats">quite a few from Zone 14</a> &ndash; and generally played very good defense after the nightmares in Colorado and Vancouver. This team&#39;s not dead yet &ndash; In Sigi We Trust.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week:</strong><a href="https://golazo.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2013-10-09-seattle-sounders-fc-vs-vancouver-whitecaps-fc/recap" target="_blank">Lost to Vancouver, 4-1</a><br><a href="https://golazo.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2013-10-13-portland-timbers-vs-seattle-sounders-fc/recap" target="_blank">Lost at Portland, 1-0</a></li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>D-D-L-L-L</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Saturday at FC Dallas (2:30 pm, NBC)</li></ul>

<strong>8</strong>

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<p>Definitely outplayed Sporting, but that&#39;s not worth three points, is it? Like their frenemies in Carson, they&#39;ve got to rediscover the swagger that&#39;s made this team a playoffs juggernaut year after year after year.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong><a href="https://golazo.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2013-10-09-houston-dynamo-vs-sporting-kansas-city/recap" target="_blank">Drew vs. Kansas City, 0-0</a></li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>W-W-D-W-D</li><li><strong>This Week</strong><strong>: </strong>Sunday vs. New York (5 pm, UniMas<a href="http://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl/" target="_blank">)</a></li></ul>

<strong>9</strong>

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<p>Jose Goncalves had perhaps the best game any defender has played in MLS this season. The guy is immense back there, and whatever happens in the next couple of weeks, priority No. 1 for the Revs has to be to lock him up with a long-term contract this offseason.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong><a href="https://golazo.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2013-10-12-montreal-impact-vs-new-england-revolution/recap" target="_blank">Won at Montreal, 1-0</a></li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>L-W-D-D-W</li><li><strong>This Week:</strong> Saturday vs. Columbus (7:30 pm, <a href="http://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl/" target="_blank">MLS Live)</a></li></ul><ul></ul>

<strong>10</strong>

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<p>A strong performance from Bill Hamid denied them full points &ndash; which, let&#39;s be honest, they probably needed. Going to Montreal then hosting SKC for the final two matchdays is a brutal way to end the season.&nbsp;</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong><a href="https://golazo.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2013-10-12-dc-united-vs-philadelphia-union/recap" target="_blank">Drew vs. D.C. United, 1-1</a></li><li><strong>Last Five:</strong> L-L-W-W-D</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Saturday at Montreal (2 pm, <a href="http://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl/" target="_blank">MLS Live)</a></li></ul>

<strong>11</strong>

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<p>Held on for dear life at the end there, and are once again above <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/standings">the red line</a>. Got to get three points vs. TFC, then it probably all comes down to the final matchday trip to New York.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong><a href="https://golazo.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2013-10-12-fc-dallas-vs-chicago-fire/recap" target="_blank">Won at Dallas, 3-2</a></li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>W-L-D-W-W</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Saturday vs. Toronto FC (8:30 pm, <a href="http://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl/" target="_blank">MLS Live)</a></li></ul>

<strong>12</strong>

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<p>The tailspin continues, as does the year-long debate: Go 4-5-1 and sacrifice the attack, or go 4-4-2 and sacrifice the defense? With Hernan Bernardello finally healthy again, the answer should be &quot;4-5-1 and hope he can put the wingers into space.&quot;</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong><a href="https://golazo.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2013-10-12-montreal-impact-vs-new-england-revolution/recap" target="_blank">Lost to New England, 1-0</a></li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>L-L-D-L-L</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Saturday vs. Philadelphia (2 pm, <a href="http://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl/" target="_blank">MLS Live)</a></li></ul>

<strong>13</strong>

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<p>They have the best record in the league since Mark Watson took over in the middle of the year. Maybe too little too late, though &ndash; even if they win out, they&#39;re not guaranteed a spot in the postseason.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong><a href="https://golazo.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2013-10-09-san-jose-earthquakes-vs-colorado-rapids/recap" target="_blank">Won vs. Colorado, 1-0</a></li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>W-D-W-W-W</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Sunday at LA (9 pm ET, ESPN)</li></ul>

<strong>14</strong>

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<p>Moving Daigo Kobayashi to the point of the diamond was waaay too long in coming. The &#39;Caps have looked reborn in the last 180 minutes, and now have to keep that going over the next two games. As with the Quakes, though, two wins may not be enough.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong><a href="http://golazo.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2013-10-09-seattle-sounders-fc-vs-vancouver-whitecaps-fc/recap" target="_blank">Won at Seattle, 4-1</a></li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>D-W-L-D-W</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Saturday at Colorado (6 pm, <a href="http://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl/" target="_blank">MLS Live</a>)</li></ul>

<strong>15</strong>

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<p>The injection of life from Brian Bliss came too late, but there&#39;s a huge core of guys in their prime to build around going forward. Columbus has the look of a playoff team next year provided Federico Higuain and Chad Marshall stay healthy.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong>Bye</li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>L-W-W-W-L</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Saturday&nbsp;at New England (7:30 pm ET; <a href="http://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl/" target="_blank">MLS Live</a>)</li></ul>

<strong>16</strong>

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<p>The second half of this season turned into one of the biggest collapses in league history.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong><a href="https://golazo.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/485073" target="_blank">Lost vs. Chicago, 3-2</a></li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>L-L-L-D-L</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Saturday vs. Seattle (2:30 pm ET; NBC)</li></ul>

<strong>17</strong>

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<p>Got a little bit of time to try to figure out who they are as a club. Put together a scoreless draw vs. New Zealand in a friendly, which could be a decent beginning.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong>Bye</li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>W-D-L-L-L</li><li><strong>Next MLS Game: </strong>Oct. 23 at Real Salt Lake</li></ul>

<strong>18</strong>

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They&#39;ve got the Fire and the hated Impact coming up, so consider that two chances to have a say in the Eastern Conference playoff race.<br><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong>Be</li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>D-L-L-W-L</li><li><strong>This Week</strong><strong>: </strong>Saturday at Chicago (8:30 pm, <a href="http://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl/" target="_blank">MLS Live)</a></li></ul>

<strong>19</strong>

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<p>Like TFC and Chivas, they have a chance to have a say in the playoff race (and in the Shield race, should they get a result in KC). Can&#39;t rule it out, given the attacking talent this team has at its disposal.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong><a href="http://golazo.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2013-10-12-dc-united-vs-philadelphia-union/recap" target="_blank">Drew at Philadelphia, 1-1</a></li><li><strong>Last Five: </strong>D-L-L-L-D</li><li><strong>This Week</strong><strong>:</strong> Friday at Kansas City&nbsp; (8 pm, NBCSN)</li></ul>