The Money Shot: top clubs in this week’s MLS rankings

6. Houston Dynamo – A win and two draws over eight days is commendable for a club with so much going on. The stadium is open, the hard road slog is behind them and Dominic Kinnear’s team even has a little breathing room for a few days. Now, the season can really start.

5. New York Red Bulls – It’s just hard to make sense of these crazy kids. Few teams are as beat up, and yet this is Major League Soccer’s hottest team (statistically speaking) with five wins in a row. We know what they are saying around Red Bull Arena: “Why ask why? Just keep the party going!” Heath Pearce debuted at center back in the latest victory, Saturday over Montreal (while playing a man down for half an hour, no less.)

4. D.C. United – Two home games brought two fairly comfortable wins (over Colorado and Toronto). Dwayne De Rosario is on one of his signature tears with three goals in Round 11. And don’t look now, rest of league, but Andy Najar and previously muted DP striker Hamdi Salihi are starting to feel it.

3. San Jose Earthquakes – Alan Gordon (pictured) to the rescue. Again! For the second consecutive week, the ‘Quakes fell behind at home to a side they probably shouldn’t have (this time to Columbus). And for the second consecutive week, Gordon came off the bench to strike late, helping his side split the points. It’s exciting, but clearly the Buck Shaw bunch would like better on home grass.

2. Seattle Sounders – Everyone gets excited about bicycle kick goals, and I get it. They’re cool and all. But what gets my little soccer shorts going are goals like Fredy Montero’s late equalizer in a 2-2 draw at Vancouver. The ability to make space and then to perfectly, skillfully draw a curling arc with the ball around a stranded, helpless goalkeeper? Yeah, that does it for me. (And it’s the kind of goal that Montero manufactures from time to time, hardly his first artistic maneuver.)

1. Real Salt Lake – Unbeaten in five and well-rested (idle in Round 11) ahead of a home match this weekend? Yeah, the Western Conference leaders will certainly take that. They probably will have to deal with the absence of midfielder Kyle Beckerman and goalkeeper Nick Rimando (although it’s possible Rimando could be released back to the club.)