Wasatch Soccer SentinelMLS Power Ranking Averages - Week 1
Welcome to another year of Power Ranking Averages! Most people either like them, hate them or are indifferent; but just about everyone can agree that it's great fodder for debate, which is the point of it after all. I started this project back in 2012 after getting frustrated by the wide range of ranks among the various sites, as such I figured the best way to get a more accurate Power Ranking would be to just average all of the sites I could find.
Most sites tend to come and go, usually lasting about half of the season; I may start with 15+ and end with 7-8, but as long as sites continue to publish their rankings I shall endeavor to average them.
Here's a reminder of the Power Ranking "Guidelines":
"If two teams played tomorrow, given their current injury concerns, form, and other considerations, who is likely to win on a neutral field? This list is designed to tell you who we feel is most likely to win that match-up. All things being equal, who is the best team going forward, based on what we know now?"
-Richard Farley, NBC Sports ProSoccerTalk. 3/11/14
Sites Used:
- Major League Soccer (www.mlssoccer.com/news/power-rankings)
- Soccer by Ives (www.sbisoccer.com/sbi-mls-power-rankings)
- Soccer America (www.socceramerica.com)
- ESPN (espnfc.us/major-league-soccer)
- Seattle Times Blog (seattletimes.com/sports/matt-pentzs-mls-power-rankings)
- MLS GB (mlsbg.com/tag/power-rankings)
- Black & Red United (www.blackandredunited.com)
- Sports Illustrated (www.soccer.si.com)
- Examiner (examiner.com/topic/power-rankings)
- The Mane Land (themaneland.com)
- Who Scored 'team rating' (whoscored.com/Regions/233/Tournaments/85/USA-Major-League-Soccer)
- Playing for 90 (playingfor90.com)
You may notice several 'team specific' sites used; yes they will at times be a bit more biased for/against certain teams, as such the averages use the Olympic Method of dropping the highest and lowest scores, and averaging the rest to compensate for possible bias. Each week I'll also be listing the sites closest and furthest from average to show which are more biased than others.
As with previous years, if you know of a site that I have not listed, please let me know in the comments below and I'll add it!
Weekly Power Ranking Averages
Using the "Olympic" method of dropping the highest / lowest scores, and averaging the rest.
Wk 1
Preseason
Team
W1 Avg
Preseason
2014 Avg
Worst
Best
Range
1
3
Seattle
1.20
1.80
4.04
2
1
1
2
1
Los Angeles
1.80
1.60
6.77
4
1
3
3
10
Toronto
3.10
6.40
7.47
6
3
3
4
6
D.C.
5.10
6.00
12.15
8
2
6
4
5
Dallas
5.10
5.00
7.09
8
3
5
6
8
Kansas City
7.60
6.20
4.45
15
6
9
7
13
Houston
7.90
10.80
9.48
14
4
10
8
6
Salt Lake
9.30
6.60
2.94
13
6
7
9
11
New York RB
10.10
10.40
11.07
14
7
7
10
13
Orlando
11.20
10.20
N/A
18
5
13
11
1
New England
11.40
1.20
11.50
20
4
16
12
12
Portland
11.50
9.20
11.34
14
7
7
12
4
Columbus
11.50
3.80
8.97
15
5
10
13
15
New York FC
12.70
12.00
N/A
16
9
7
14
9
Vancouver
14.00
7.00
7.40
18
10
8
15
16
Philadelphia
15.20
12.60
11.33
19
10
9
16
20
Colorado
15.70
15.00
9.66
20
12
8
17
17
Montreal
17.50
13.60
17.67
19
13
6
18
19
San Jose
18.20
15.00
14.44
20
16
4
19
18
Chicago
19.50
13.00
15.61
20
17
3
Site Evaluations
Each site's ranking is compared to the weekly averages above. The best and worst # of matches is indicated.
Site
Exact
1 off
2 off
3 off
4 off
5+ off
Major League Soccer
5
5
3
1
4
2
Soccer by Ives
7
6
3
1
0
3
Soccer America
7
3
4
5
0
1
ESPN
8
3
5
2
0
2
Seattle Times
5
3
4
0
4
4
MLS GB
3
8
4
4
1
0
Black & Red United
7
5
2
2
0
4
Sports Illustrated
7
5
2
2
1
3
Examiner
4
4
3
6
0
3
The Mane Land
3
10
3
2
0
2
Who Scored
5
5
3
2
0
5
Playing for 90
7
7
3
2
0
1
Season Wk 1 Power Ranking
Wk 1
Preseason
Team
W1 Avg
Preseason
2014 Avg
2013 Avg
2012 Avg
1
3
Seattle
1.20
1.80
4.04
9.36
4.39
2
2
Los Angeles
1.80
1.60
6.77
5.14
2.46
3
10
Toronto
3.10
6.4
7.47
16.85
10.96
4
6
D.C.
5.10
6.00
12.15
17.29
9.33
4
5
Dallas
5.10
5.00
7.09
8.78
17.17
6
8
Kansas City
7.60
6.20
4.45
4.45
3.09
7
13
Houston
7.90
10.80
9.48
7.74
6.29
8
6
Salt Lake
9.30
6.60
2.94
4.52
8.40
9
11
New York RB
10.10
10.40
11.07
6.38
7.23
10
13
Orlando
11.20
10.20
N/A
N/A
N/A
11
1
New England
11.40
1.20
11.50
12.35
14.84
12
12
Portland
11.50
9.20
11.34
5.73
13.89
12
4
Columbus
11.50
3.80
8.97
12.89
9.46
14
15
New York FC
12.70
12.00
N/A
N/A
N/A
15
9
Vancouver
14.00
7.00
7.40
10.41
7.87
16
16
Philadelphia
15.20
12.60
11.33
10.53
15.70
17
20
Colorado
15.70
15.00
9.66
9.79
10.06
18
17
Montreal
17.50
13.60
17.67
5.32
15.74
19
19
San Jose
18.20
15.00
14.44
12.34
4.86
20
18
Chicago
19.50
13.00
15.61
14.27
13.07
Team High / Low
Best and worst placement for each team in weekly and season position, avg rank total for weekly and season.
Team
Weekly
Worst
Weekly
Best
Highest
Wk. Avg.
Lowest
Wk. Avg.
Season
Best
Season
Worst
Highest
Seas. Avg
Lowest
Seas. Avg
Chicago Fire
20
17
19.50
19.50
20
20
19.50
19.50
Colorado Rapids
20
12
15.70
15.70
17
17
15.70
15.70
Columbus Crew
15
5
11.50
11.50
12
12
11.50
11.50
D.C. United
8
2
5.10
5.10
4
4
5.10
5.10
FC Dallas
8
3
5.10
5.10
4
4
5.10
5.10
Houston Dynamo
14
4
7.90
7.90
7
7
7.90
7.90
LA Galaxy
4
1
1.80
1.80
2
2
1.80
1.80
Montreal Impact
19
13
17.50
17.50
18
18
17.50
17.50
New England Revolution
20
4
11.40
11.40
11
11
11.40
11.40
New York City FC
16
9
12.70
12.70
14
14
12.70
12.70
New York Red Bulls
14
7
10.10
10.10
9
9
10.10
10.10
Orlando SC
18
5
11.20
11.20
10
10
11.20
11.20
Philadelphia Union
19
10
15.20
15.20
16
16
15.20
15.20
Portland Timbers
14
7
11.50
11.50
12
12
11.50
11.50
Real Salt Lake
13
6
9.30
9.30
8
8
9.30
9.30
San Jose Earthquakes
20
16
18.20
18.20
19
19
18.20
18.20
Seattle Sounders
2
1
1.20
1.20
1
1
1.20
1.20
Sporting Kansas City
15
6
7.60
7.60
6
6
7.60
7.60
Toronto FC
6
3
3.10
3.10
3
3
3.10
3.10
Vancouver Whitecaps
18
10
14.00
14.00
15
15
14.00
14.00
