Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at Backheeled? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.
Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.
1. Inter Miami
Trending: No change
Lionel Messi with one functioning adductor and Luis Suarez with zero functioning knees continue to run this league, and it’s must-see stuff, man. Messi quietly dropped off set piece duties before withdrawing from the Argentina squad for the upcoming international break, citing a need to recover from lingering issues. In the meantime, though, he did this:
Messi steals it, Messi finishes it.
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 16, 2025
🐐 things. pic.twitter.com/u0RovdUfzq
Fafa Picault stole three points at the end of a 2-1 road win over Atlanta, prodding a set piece home with his face past a sprawling Brad Guzan. Miami continue to win games by sheer grit and individual moments. It seems unsustainable, but it’s been sustainable for two years at this point. With or without Messi, this team finds ways to win every week, and they will make you pay for every moment you give them. They’re the Supporters’ Shield favorites once again in 2025. - Ben Wright
2. Vancouver Whitecaps
Trending: +3
When the Whitecaps fired Vanni Sartini in November, the big question was this: could Vancouver find a manager who would turn their roster into more than the sum of its parts?
Sartini, for all of his chaotic energy, led a Whitecaps squad that finished essentially right at their expected level. In his first full season in charge in 2022, Vancouver finished ninth in the West. In 2023, sixth. In 2024, eighth. With Ryan Gauld, Andres Cubas, and Brian White, the Italian had a capable squad, one befitting of that sixth-to-ninth range every season. But he also had less to work with than his peers in, say, Los Angeles or Seattle.
When Sartini was axed, then, the Whitecaps traded the known for the unknown. They traded a mid-table Western Conference finish for the potential for something more — and the risk of something less. So far in 2025, Jesper Sorensen is giving Vancouver something more. Given the ‘Caps returned the 12th-highest percentage of minutes from 2024 in MLS at 76.5%, their perfect start hasn’t been fueled by a roster overhaul. If anything, Vancouver’s squad got worse this winter with Stuart Armstrong’s exit.
But the Whitecaps? They’re still perfect after a 1-0 win over Dallas on Saturday. It sure looks like their managerial bet paid off. - Joe Lowery
