American Soccer News is proud to debut our newest weekly feature, the ASN Power Rankings. Every Tuesday, our writers get to sound off on who they believe is at the head of the MLS class and who is wearing the ‘dunce’ cap. Feel free to comment if you – the reader – think we’ve gotten it wrong (or even if you don’t).

1. New England Revolution (1-0-0, 3 points)
– W 3-0 vs. HOU
No Twellman, no problem. If those Gambian kids turn out to be the real deal, this team is going to be a handful. Still, a Ralston ding could be cause for concern. Received all but two first-place votes (the Houston writer and…?)

2. Kansas City Wizards (1-0-0, 3 points)
– W 2-0 vs. DCU
If Claudio Lopez can provide the goals without the inconsistency of Eddie Johnson, KC will be a force to be reckoned with. Earned a quality win against a quality team and looked impressive doing it. Received two first-place votes.

3. Chivas USA (0-0-1, 1 point)
– T 1-1 @ FCD
The most skilled and stylish team in the league, Chivas has the right gameplan: take three points at home, one on the road, repeat. If Raphael Wicky pans out, this team will be even harder to beat.

4. Colorado Rapids (1-0-0, 3 points)
– W 4-0 vs. LAG
There’s no better way to make a statement on opening weekend than by dismantling David Beckham and the Galaxy by four goals. Then again, every team looks good against Los Angeles right now.

5. Houston Dynamo (0-1-0, 0 points)
– L 3-0 @ NE
Dropping the rematch of the last two MLS Cups by a score of 3-0 was a setback for the two-time defending champions, who may have had their eye on a mid-week Champions Cup clash against Saprissa. Off-season striker losses could have a bigger impact than they’d like to admit.

6. D.C. United (0-1-0, 0 points)
– L 2-0 @ KC
United looked lost in the second half; hopefully they too were distracted by the Champions Cup. Still, a disappointing start for last season’s Supporter’s Shield winners.

7. Chicago Fire (0-0-1, 1 point)
– T 1-1 @ RSL
Cuauhtemoc Blanco’s brilliance helped them steal a late point on the road. Still, the Fire struggled with an RSL squad they should have beaten.

8. FC Dallas (0-0-1, 1 point)
– T 1-1 vs. CHV
Duilio Davino was supposed to help fix FCD’s defense; instead, his error allowed Chivas to escape with a point. Dallas allowed 18 shots in the second half alone. It’s a good thing Dario Sala was doing his best Buffon impression.

9. Columbus Crew (1-0-0, 3 points)
– W 2-0 vs. TFC
Sigi Schmid’s club is off to a good start, but we’re not ready to buy into the hype just yet (this was Toronto, after all). A strong showing on the road against New York this weekend may do a lot to convince the doubters.

10. Real Salt Lake (0-0-1, 1 point)
– T 1-1 vs. CHI
If RSL knew how to finish, they would have beaten Chicago by four goals. Jason Kreis’ squad looks much improved and finally ready to compete for a playoff spot, even though they let a win slip through their fingers.

11. (tie) Los Angeles Galaxy (0-1-0, 0 points)
– L 0-4 @ COL
That sound you hear is Ruud Gullit checking the fine print of his contract. An injury to Carlos Ruiz makes the situation even bleaker. On the bright side, it can’t get much worse for the Galaxy… or can it? We may be about to find out, with their new old nemesis the San Jose Earthquakes paying a visit this week.

11. (tie) Toronto FC (0-1-0, 0 points)
– L 0-2 @ CLB
If fan support was factored in, TFC would be tops. It was all too appropriate and predictable that they would miss a penalty just before the half after so much hard work.

Not rated – New York Red Bulls
Not rated – San Jose Earthquakes