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Original publish date: May 26, 2016

Week 12 Power Ranking Averages

16 of 20 sites published, and a new team rises to the top.

MLS Power Ranking Averages - Week 12

16 of 20 sites published for Week 12.

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:

  • Who Scored (whoscored.com)
  • Squawka (squawka.com)
  • Jeff Sagarin (sagarin.com/sports/soccer.htm)
  • Sports Club Stats (www.sportsclubstats.com/USA/MLS.html) * No ranking wk 12
  • Sports Illustrated (www.soccer.si.com)
  • ESPN (espnfc.us/major-league-soccer)
  • SoccerAmerica (socceramerica.com)
  • The Mane Land (themaneland.com)
  • Major League Soccer (www.mlssoccer.com/news/power-rankings)
  • Reddit user/FlyingCarsArePlanes (User analytic ranking) * No ranking wk 12
  • NYCFC Blog (skybluesofny.com) - No ranking Wks 8-12
  • MLS Fantasy Boss (mlsfantasyboss.com)
  • Soccer By Ives (sbisoccer.com/sbi-mls-power-rankings)
  • Reddit r/MLS (reddit.com/r/mls)
  • Bleacher Report (bleacherreport.com/mls) - No ranking Wks 10-12
  • Seattle Times (seattletimes.com/author/matt-pentz)
  • Power Rankings & More (powerrankingsandmore.com/tag/mls)
  • Hot Footy (hotfooty.com/major-league-soccer)
  • The Score (thescore.com/mls/news)
  • Sportify (sportify.io/category/analysis)

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. The 'analytic' sites that are based on numbers make up a control group since they are based on performance and/or results rather than opinion. Each week I'll list 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.

Wk12

Wk11

Wk10

Team

Wk12

Avg

Wk11

Avg

Wk10

Avg

Worst

Best

Range

1

2

2

Colorado

1.43

1.67

2.75

9

1

8

2

1

1

Los Angeles

2.57

1.60

1.25

4

1

3

3

3

7

Dallas

3.21

5.07

8.50

8

2

6

4

7

4

Salt Lake

4.93

7.53

4.81

12

3

9

5

6

6

Philadelphia

5.93

6.80

7.50

9

2

7

6

8

8

San Jose

6.71

7.60

8.88

14

4

10

7

4

3

Toronto

7.43

5.27

3.06

11

4

7

8

5

5

Montreal

9.57

6.27

5.81

15

5

10

9

18

15

New York RB

10.07

18.13

14.75

12

6

6

10

9

13

Vancouver

11.07

9.13

13.31

20

5

15

11

13

10

Portland

11.71

14.67

11.06

17

5

12

12

15

12

Orlando

12.93

15.87

13.06

18

10

8

13

11

11

Kansas City

14.36

12.27

12.81

16

3

13

14

12

9

Seattle

14.50

12.73

9.44

18

2

16

15

10

14

New York FC

14.79

10.40

14.13

18

10

8

16

14

17

D. C. U.

17.14

15.47

17.69

19

8

11

17

17

16

Columbus

17.43

17.87

17.19

20

4

16

18

16

19

New England

18.86

17.40

19.19

20

15

5

19

19

18

Houston

20.00

18.27

18.69

20

13

7

19

20

20

Chicago

20.00

20.00

19.88

20

14

6

  • Largest Rise: New York RB +9
  • Largest Fall: New York FC -5
  • Largest Range: Seattle, Columbus (16)
  • Smallest Range: Los Angeles (3)

Site Evaluations
Each site's ranking is compared to the weekly averages above. The best and worst # of matches is indicated. Team bias column shows what team the site shows the highest average for/against (including Preseason ranking).

Site

Exact

1 off

2 off

3+ off

Furthest off

most bias vs

most bias for

Who Scored

1

5

5

9

VAN

VAN -4.76

NYFC +7.00

Squawka

0

2

5

13

CLB

TFC -4.87

CLB +9.37

Jeff Sagarin

2

9

2

7

HOU

POR -2.43

COL +3.36

Sports Club Stats

NA

POR -6.85

CHI +5.95

Sports Illustrated

4

3

4

9

MTL

COL -1.97

NYRB +4.46

ESPN

6

5

5

4

4@ +/-3

SJE -2.82

NYRB +4.51

Soccer America

4

9

4

3

VAN

NYRB -1.70

CHI +4.12

The Mane Land

5

10

2

3

MTL

PHI -3.00

VAN +4.53

Major League Soccer

6

9

3

2

NYFC/PHI

COL -2.24

NYRB +3.82

Reddit u/FlyingCarsArePlanes

NA

FCD -2.76

CLB +5.33

NYCFC Blog

NA

TFC -3.86

VAN +3.93

MLS Fantasy Boss

4

8

2

6

MTL/POR

PHI -4.66

SEA +7.44

Soccer By Ives

6

9

5

0

5@ +/-2

TFC -2.14

SEA +3.15

Reddit r/MLS

10

8

2

0

NYRB/VAN

PHI -0.54

VAN +1.76

Bleacher Report

NA

NYFC -2.28

VAN +3.07

Seattle Times

10

8

1

1

VAN

LAG -0.60

VAN +3.32

Power Rankings & More

6

6

3

5

NYFC

POR -1.87

CHI +3.22

Hot Footy

6

10

2

2

NYFC

PHI -1.82

DCU +1.87

The Score

9

7

3

1

MTL

COL -2.64

NYRB +3.46

Sportify

7

8

1

4

CLB

SKC -6.54

COL +6.13

  • Most Accurate Site: (best Exact, with 1 off as tiebreaker) Reddit/r/mls: with 10 exact matches (on tiebreakers)
  • Least Accurate Site: (most 3+ with 2 off, and 1 off as tiebreaker): Squawka with 13 off by 3+.
  • Site with Worst Bias VS: Sports Club Stats with POR 6.85 from avg.
  • Site with Worst Bias FOR: Squawka with CLB 9.37 places from avg.
  • Site with Least Bias VS: Reddit r/MLS with PHI 0.54 places from avg.
  • Site with Least Bias FOR: Reddit/r/MLS with VAN 1.76 places from avg.

Season Average Power Ranking
The 5 Year Weighted Average is calculated using a variation of the "FIFA method" with the current year counting for 100%, and previous years counting for a decreasing amount. The table is ordered based on the Weighted Points.

Team

Week

12

Week

11

Week

10

2015
Avg

5 Yr
Avg

Weighted
Pts

Wk
11

Wk
10

LA Galaxy

3.65

3.75

3.96

5.39

5.41

83.70

83.60

83.39

Sporting Kansas City

6.66

5.96

5.35

5.24

5.10

80.39

81.09

81.72

FC Dallas

4.24

4.33

4.24

7.34

7.36

79.31

79.20

79.29

Real Salt Lake

6.85

7.02

6.97

6.34

6.37

75.66

75.49

75.54

Seattle Sounders

14.84

14.87

15.09

7.64

7.65

71.59

71.56

71.34

Vancouver Whitecaps

13.07

13.26

13.66

9.08

9.12

68.96

68.77

68.36

New York Red Bulls

15.13

15.59

15.34

8.39

8.48

68.47

68.01

68.26

Portland Timbers

9.40

9.19

8.67

10.44

10.40

66.48

66.69

67.23

Toronto FC

6.55

6.47

6.59

11.99

11.97

65.07

65.15

65.03

San Jose Earthquakes

8.49

8.65

8.77

9.96

10.00

63.24

63.08

62.97

Orlando City *

11.32

11.17

10.71

10.51

10.48

62.39

62.54

63.01

Montreal Impact

5.13

4.72

4.58

11.38

11.30

62.08

62.49

62.64

D.C. United

17.51

17.54

17.76

11.12

11.13

61.07

61.04

60.83

Columbus Crew SC

15.62

15.45

15.24

11.70

11.66

59.98

60.15

60.39

New England Revolution

15.66

15.36

15.16

12.42

12.36

58.59

58.89

59.09

New York City FC *

14.50

14.47

14.86

11.39

11.39

58.08

58.11

57.70

Colorado Rapids

9.53

10.26

11.12

12.24

12.38

58.02

57.29

56.43

Houston Dynamo

15.73

15.33

15.04

11.35

11.27

56.72

57.12

57.41

Philadelphia Union

9.54

9.87

10.18

13.02

13.09

56.29

55.96

55.65

Chicago Fire

18.95

18.82

18.62

14.89

14.87

44.30

44.43

44.64

  • Expansion teams points adjusted to compensate - (median of 9 for missing years)

Team High / Low
Best and worst placement for each team in weekly, avg rank total.

Team

Best
Avg

Worst
Avg

Best
Pos

Worst
Pos

Chicago Fire

17.06

20.00

17

20

Colorado Rapids

1.43

19.50

1

20

Columbus Crew SC

8.06

20.00

7

20

D.C. United

14.56

20.00

13

20

FC Dallas

1.73

8.81

1

8

Houston Dynamo

8.19

20.00

7

20

LA Galaxy

1.25

7.69

1

6

Montreal Impact

1.19

9.57

1

8

New England Revolution

11.06

19.19

9

19

New York City FC

10.25

19.94

9

19

New York Red Bulls

9.72

20.00

8

20

Orlando City

4.80

15.37

3

16

Philadelphia Union

5.93

19.78

5

18

Portland Timbers

1.94

14.67

2

13

Real Salt Lake

2.06

14.67

2

15

San Jose Earthquakes

5.31

11.06

5

12

Seattle Sounders

9.44

19.25

9

18

Sporting Kansas City

1.31

14.36

1

13

Toronto FC

3.06

10.94

3

9

Vancouver Whitecaps

9.13

16.29

7

16

  • Largest Range (position): 19 (Colorado)
  • Smallest Range (position): 3 (Chicago)
  • 5 teams have been ranked first
  • 6 teams have been ranked last