Houston's brilliant rise

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2012 Power Rankings: July 30
 RK (LW)TEAMRECCOMMENT
San Jose1 (1)San Jose13-5-5On Steven Lenhart Wig Night, it was fitting that the Quakes forward scored a late, late equalizer against Chicago, allowing San Jose to continue its uncanny ability to conjure up stoppage-time magic.
Houston2 (8)Houston10-5-7The league's hottest team is about to get stronger, with U.S. international Ricardo Clark reportedly set to return to Houston. On the field, the Dynamo extended their unbeaten streak to seven with a 2-0 win over Toronto.
New York Red Bulls3 (2)New York Red Bulls11-6-5New York announced the signing of Tim Cahill late last week. Then on Saturday, the Red Bulls reminded everyone that it's the performance of their back line that will determine their championship fate.
Real Salt Lake4 (7)Real Salt Lake13-7-3The dynamic forward duo of Alvaro Saborio and Fabian Espindola wreaked havoc once again, and a makeshift back line held up just well enough to beat Vancouver 2-1. Now we'll see what toll the CONCACAF Champions League takes on RSL's league form.
DC United5 (3)DC United10-7-3United's exertions were limited to a friendly draw with Paris Saint-Germain, and while New York and SKC couldn't take advantage, DCU fell further behind a resurgent Houston in the Eastern Conference standings.
Los Angeles6 (9)Los Angeles10-10-3Even without David Beckham and Landon Donovan, the Galaxy continued their revival with a 1-0 road win over Dallas. They now are unbeaten in five games. Among the unsung heroes has been midfielder Marcelo Sarvas, who has come on strong over the past two mo
Chicago7 (4)Chicago9-7-5Sean Johnson put on a show for all but the last few seconds of Chicago's 1-all draw in San Jose. Almost forgotten is the fact that the Fire had several good opportunities to put the game away and didn't. That said, a draw was a fair result.
Kansas City8 (5)Kansas City11-7-4SKC finally scored at home thanks to Kei Kamara. Unfortunately it gave up two at the other end in losing to Columbus 2-1 at home. Kamara was among those wearing the goat horns, as late in the match he contrived to put a glorious chance wide.
Vancouver Whitecaps9 (6)Vancouver Whitecaps9-7-7The Whitecaps had their chances to salvage a point against RSL but squandered some gilt-edged looks at goal, with Jun Marques Davidson and Kenny Miller among the culprits. Nothing wrong with Darren Mattocks, as he scored his seventh of the season.
Seattle Sounders FC10 (10)Seattle Sounders FC9-5-7Eddie Johnson's reputation is that of a goal scorer and not a setup man. But against Colorado, he showed off both qualities, as his sublime cross allowed Osvaldo Alonso to volley home the game winner. The Sounders are unbeaten in five matches.
Columbus11 (11)Columbus8-7-4With designated player Federico Higuain on the way, Jairo Arrieta made sure he stayed in the thoughts of manager Robert Warzycha by bagging two goals. The Crew then delivered a defensive display that was equal parts gritty and fortunate in a 2-1 win.
Philadelphia Union12 (12)Philadelphia Union7-10-2Against New England, Philly caught a massive break on the penalty that led to Freddy Adu's equalizer, as the foul occurred outside the box. The Union then made some luck, with Jack McInerney crashing the net to score a dramatic game winner.
Chivas USA13 (13)Chivas USA7-8-5The Goats' playoff hopes are still alive -- barely -- after beating Portland 1-0. Now they'll have two weeks to prepare for a critical SuperClasico against Los Angeles.
Toronto FC14 (14)Toronto FC5-12-4Paul Mariner's impact on Toronto has been evident in recent weeks, but TFC was no match for a Houston Dynamo side that is operating at peak form, losing 2-0.
New England15 (15)New England6-10-5The Rev's season has become a bad summer rerun. New England creates great chances and plays some fluid attacking soccer, yet can't close the deal on the defensive end. All of that was on display in losing a heartbreaker to Philadelphia.
Montreal Impact16 (16)Montreal Impact8-13-3Marco Di Vaio finally got on the score sheet for Montreal in the Impact's 3-1 win over New York, but the big difference was on defense, where Alessandro Nesta and Nelson Rivas gave the home side more solidity.
FC Dallas17 (17)FC Dallas5-11-7A record crowd in Frisco couldn't propel Dallas to a win over Los Angeles, with manager Schellas Hyndman admitting his side was outworked on the night.
Colorado18 (18)Colorado7-14-1There were periods in Saturday's match against Seattle in which the Rapids used Sounders goalkeeper Michael Gspurning for target practice, but Colorado has been unable to eliminate the defensive mistakes that have led to a six-game losing streak.
Portland Timbers19 (19)Portland Timbers5-12-4Unlike last week's debacle in Dallas, the effort was there, but not the finishing touch. When combined with a game-changing error by goalkeeper Troy Perkins, the nightmare season continued for the Timbers with a 1-0 home loss to Chivas USA.