Coming into Week 18 of MLS play, there was no doubt as to which team was the best in the MLS.  Houston Dynamo had been red hot lately, but fell 2-1 to the Seattle Sounders in a rather scrappy affair up in the Pacific Northwest.

In the Eastern Conference, another top of the table clash ended 0-0 as neither Chicago nor Columbus were able to score in the Windy City.

At the bottom of the table, New York had the weekend off.  But hey, at least that means they didn't lose.

Power Rankings:

1.     Houston Dynamo

Despite a 2-1 loss in Seattle on Saturday, they are still the team to beat in MLS.  The fact that Houston was without nine (nine!) regulars and was still able to push the Sounders to the limit at Qwest Field is a testament to both their depth and Dominic Kinnear's coaching ability.

2.      Seattle Sounders

Their win over Houston, coupled with Chivas USA's loss in the SuperClasico, moved the rave green into second place in the Western Conference, although Chivas has a game in hand. 

The Sounders are 5-0-2 in their last seven games in all competitions, including four wins in a row.

3.      Columbus Crew

The Crew have lost only once in their last 13 games.  Although they are currently in fourth place in the East, they only sit one point back of leaders Chicago. 

Expect this team to hang around well into the playoffs.

4.      Toronto FC

After losing three in a row, the reds have scored an astonishing 16 goals while only allowing three on their way to winning four of their last five.  Chad Barrett's brace led them to a 3-1 win over San Jose.

5.      DC United

DC United was off this weekend, but are 4-1-2 in their last seven matches.  They seem to be finding the form that eluded them for the first part of the season.

6.      Chicago Fire

A 0-0 draw with Columbus over the weekend was enough to propel the Fire into first place in the Eastern Conference, with a game in hand. 

However, the Fire are 1-2-4 on the season at home, a record that surely frustrates Denis Hamlett and will more than likely come back to haunt Chicago during the playoff race.

7.      Colorado Rapids

The Rapids were one of the hottest teams in MLS only a couple weeks ago.  Their 1-0 win over FCD this weekend, however, was their first win in four games.

8.      Los Angeles Galaxy

The Galacticos are on a nice little three-game winning streak, and will surely get a confidence boost from a 1-0 win over Chivas USA in the SuperClasico over the weekend. 

How this team will react when He Who Must Not Be Named is back in the squad is the big question.

9.      Real Salt Lake

RSL was off this weekend, but beat Club America in a friendly 1-0.  In MLS play, they are unbeaten in their last five (2-0-3). 

They face a tough road match next weekend in Columbus.

10.    Chivas USA

Chivas USA has lost seven games in a row in all competitions, while scoring only five goals.  This team is a far cry from the Chivas team we saw in the first couple of months during the season. 

With RSL, Colorado, and Los Angeles heating up, the goats need to sort this mess out soon or will find themselves out of the playoff picture.

11.    FC Dallas

FCD lost to Colorado over the weekend, but are 4-2-4 over their last 10 matches.  If they can keep up this steady form, the playoffs aren't completely out of the picture, and Schellas Hyndman might still have a job after all.

12.    New England Revolution

A 0-0 draw with Kansas City probably wasn't what Steve Nicol had in mind for a result this weekend, and the Revs will need to start picking up points if they want a legitimate shot at the playoffs. 

On a positive note, they have three games in hand over most of the Eastern Conference.  Only eight points separate them from current leaders Chicago.

13.    Kansas City Wizards

The Wizards played reasonably well on Saturday and were unlucky to come away with all three points.  Davy Arnaud scored a nice goal on the same pitch, but unfortunately for KC fans, it was for the Nats. 

The Wizards have only one win in their last seven MLS matches.

14.    San Jose Earthquakes

The Quakes are 2-2-2 in their last six games, which is no small feat for a team that had lost six in a row prior. 

However, they lead the league in goals allowed, and have scored the fewest in the Western Conference. 

They looked just plain awful on Saturday against Toronto.

15.    New York Red Bulls

NYRB is 0-2-9 in their last 11 games.  They're like the Knicks, but without Stephon Marbury; just one big mess. 

I'm surprised Juan Carlos Osorio hasn't been shown the exit.  Hopefully he's been working on his resume.

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