MLS Power Rankings: Where Every Team Stands on the Eve of the Quarterfinals

Each of the eight teams left in the MLS is Back tournament can make a legitimate case to win the title, but one squad towers over the other seven at the moment.

Los Angeles FC's dominant round-of-16 performance installed them as the favorite to win the crown, a title they had going into the competition.

Bob Bradley's side hit a few speed bumps throughout the group stage, but it reached a whole other level in its 4-1 win over Seattle.

LAFC was one of six favored sides to win in the round of 16. Portland was the last squad to clinch a quarterfinal berth after surviving an upset bid from FC Cincinnati.

New York City FC and Minnesota United delivered the two surprises to kick off the knockout round, while Philadelphia, Orlando, Sporting Kansas City and San Jose followed up their solid group form with victories.

The quarterfinal round begins Thursday, when Philadelphia faces Sporting KC. Orlando and LAFC will square off Friday, San Jose and Minnesota open Saturday's doubleheader, while Portland and NYCFC conclude the final eight.

The New York City FC team we expected to show up in Orlando, Florida, finally appeared in the 3-1 round-of-16 win over Toronto FC.

The Maxi Moralez-led attack made Michael Bradley uncomfortable in midfield and was more accurate with its shooting, as seven of its 11 shots were on target.

NYCFC's defense deserves some credit for holding TFC to two shots on target, although Ayo Akinola was out injured and Jozy Altidore played only 33 minutes off the bench.

The Pigeons' defense will be tested much more by the Portland Timbers, who have a pair of healthy forwards in Jaroslaw Niezgoda and Jeremy Ebobisse.

If Alexander Ring, who is one of the more underrated defensive midfielders in MLS, contains the threat of Diego Valeri, NYCFC could continue to put a disastrous group stage behind it.

Minnesota United was one of two underdogs to pull off a victory in the round of 16.

The Loons shut down the Columbus Crew by taking Darlington Nagbe out of the contest and limiting scoring opportunities for Gyasi Zardes.

In penalties, Tyler Miller turned away a shot from Chris Cadden, which set up an unenviable matchup with San Jose.

Central midfielders Hassani Dotson, Osvaldo Alonso and Jan Gregus were vital in slowing down the Crew, and they could be the key to unlocking gaps in San Jose's man-marking system.

Adrian Heath's side achieved success against the Quakes in March, when it wracked up five goals and put 10 shots on target. The difference between those two matches will be the absence of Ike Opara, who is not participating in the tournament, but the Loons have performed well without him so far.

It almost seems unfair to put a group winner with a strong defensive record this low, but Sporting Kansas City underperformed in its penalty shootout win over Vancouver.

Peter Vermes' side had ample chances to put the game away in the first half, but it was thwarted by 21-year-old third-string goalkeeper Thomas Hasal.

Sporting KC managed to put only eight of its 37 shots on target, with Alan Pulido putting one-third of his nine attempts in Hasal's direction.

The Group D winner will not receive that many chances against Philadelphia, which has a pair of 1-0 victories in Orlando.

The X-factor for Sporting KC could be Tim Melia, who is 5-0-0 in shootouts and has the lowest percentage of goals allowed on penalty kicks among players who have faced 10 or more, per the team's Twitter account.

Portland overcame FC Cincinnati's frustrating defense and a poor goalkeeping error from Steve Clark to stay alive through penalty kicks.

Fortunately for the Timbers, they will not face another team so committed to putting numbers behind the ball.

Saturday's showdown with NYCFC will be a big test for Diego Chara, who is widely regarded as one of the top midfield destroyers in the league.

If Chara causes disruptions against NYCFC's wealth of attacking options, Portland could create the majority of the significant chances through Diego Valeri, Jeremy Ebobisse and Jaroslaw Niezgoda and come away with a final four berth.

Oscar Pareja's transformation of Orlando City has been amazing to watch, but it could come to an end against Los Angeles FC.

Antonio Carlos, Robin Jansson and the Orlando defense will have its hands full with containing LAFC's three-pronged attack of Diego Rossi, Bradley Wright-Phillips and Brian Rodriguez.

The attempt to limit LAFC's forays forward could impact how the Lions approach the game in the final third, especially if Ruan is forced to stay back and defend for a good chunk of the 90 minutes.

No matter what happens against the league's best team, Orlando has to be happy with its performance at the ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex.

Pareja has Orlando moving in the right direction, and if the regular season resumes after the tournament, it could be poised for its first-ever playoff berth.

Philadelphia has not done anything flashy in Orlando, but it has put in a handful of workmanlike performances to advance to the final eight.

The Union's back line has allowed only two goals over four games, and it looked firm in a pair of 1-0 victories.

U.S. Men's National Team prospect Mark McKenzie is the most notable name on the back four, but Jack Elliott, Ray Gaddis and Kai Wagner all deserve credit for the set of performances in Orlando.

Andre Blake added to his tournament haul with five more saves against New England, and he could be locked in a duel with Tim Melia on Thursday since both are such great form.

If the Union's defense remains consistent and they get more production up top from Kacper Przybylko, they could lock up the first semifinal spot.

San Jose may not be the best overall team remaining in Orlando, but it might be the most entertaining.

Matias Almeyda's men put up five goals against a Real Salt Lake defense that conceded only two goals in three group games.

Magnus Eriksson, Vako and Andy Rios had their best game as an attacking group, as they combined for five of the team's eight shots on target.

However, the Quakes have allowed five goals over four contests, and they allowed multiple goals in a game twice.

LAFC erased any doubt surrounding its title-winning credentials Monday night.

The Black and Gold outclassed Seattle for 90 minutes and should have won that contest by five or six goals.

Diego Rossi is the most in-form player in the tournament, and Bradley Wright-Phillips is back to the form he was in for years with the New York Red Bulls.

Eduard Atuesta bossed the game in midfield, like he has on so many occasions, and the defense limited Jordan Morris, Raul Ruidiaz and Nicolas Lodeiro to a single shot on target.

If LAFC plays at the same level for the next three rounds, it will likely leave Orlando with a trophy.

But if a team can find a way to exploit the defense that allowed seven group-stage tallies or silences the attack for long stretches, Bob Bradley's side could leave with a disappointing finish.