du Nord MLS Hot List for the Month of September 2013

Welcome to the du Nord MLS Hot List for September.

Over the past month only, which teams are playing great, and which teams are not! It's that simple.

The system we are using bases the ranking strictly on current form, looking at results and opponents (and their form) over the past month of games. We give no weight to standings, projections or prior achievement.

Basically its who's movin' up and who's movin' down... right now.
(August ranking in parenthesis)

Observations:
-Portland made the biggest leap forward, but Columbus made the most important gain toward possible playoff contention.
-San Jose is also making a late surge.
-But neither Colum or San J has done enough and will have to have a great October too.
-LA seems to be the one team currently thought of as a contender that could find itself on the outside looking in if they dont turn it around.
-Chicago has shot itself in the foot, although if Magic Mike had never come to town they would have been miserable all year.

1 New York Red Bulls(6)
2 Columbus Crew(12)
3 Seattle Sounders(1)
4 San Jose Earthquakes(10)
5 Portland Timbers(18)
6 Colorado Rapids(5)
7 Real Salt Lake(3)
8 Sporting Kansas City(11)
9 Houston Dynamo(9)
10 Vancouver Whitecaps(17)
11 Montreal Impact(7)
12 Chicago Fire(4)
13 LA Galaxy(2)
14 New England Revolution(8)
15 Philadelphia Union(16)
16 Dallas(13)
17 Chivas USA(15)
18 Toronto(14)
19 DC United(19)


Biggest Gaines:
Portland +13
Columbus +10
San Jose +6
New York +5

Biggest Falls:
LA -11
Chicago -8
New England -6