MLS is back in full swing! Last week saw both a midweek matchday and a weekend matchday. Things are heating up after the short break, and the top teams in the league are all battling for the Supporters’ Shield. 21 matchdays in, and the top five are separated by only two points. Looking at the broader top 10, the teams on the outside looking in are just a few good results away from breaking into the top five. Heading into matchday 22, will we see more tightening and a bigger shakeup?
MLS Supporters’ Shield Watch after Matchday 20
1st Place: Philadelphia Union – 40 points from 20 games played
The Union’s 11-game MLS unbeaten streak ended last weekend as they lost 1-0 to the Columbus Crew in a game where both clubs were shorthanded. Philly’s loss and matchday 20 wins for San Diego, Cincinnati, Vancouver, and Nashville made the race for the Supporters’ Shield much tighter.
Just three points separate the top four in the East, and two points separate the top teams in the shield race. Philly is still leading the pack, but they face another tough test going to Nashville on matchday 21. If they can get back to their winning ways, they will still lead the pack. Failing to get points will likely result in more changes in the standings.
- Next MLS match: @ Nashville SC | Saturday, July 5 | 8:30 pm EST
2nd place: San Diego FC – 39 points from 20 games played
San Diego is making their case for being the best team in MLS. They play beautiful soccer in their possession-based style, and it’s giving results. San Diego got a huge midweek result last week, beating Vancouver, and then followed it up by going to Dallas and getting another three points, this time in a come-from-behind fashion.
The leaders in the west went down 2-1 to Dallas with about half an hour left. A Chucky Lozano goal right when he got subbed on in the 77th minute, and a Tomas Angel winner was scored in the 90+6 minute. This team continues to win and is nipping at the heels of Philly in the Shield race.
- Next MLS match: vs Houston Dynamo | Saturday, July 5 | 10:30 pm EST
3rd Place: FC Cincinnati – 39 points from 20 games played
Cincinnati is a team that will always be competitive. They are set up to get points and wins from games where they may not be the best team. That is key to being a contender. FCC showed this again in their last game, as they beat Orlando 2-1 in a match, which could have been one of the consequences.
Cincinnati’s star number 10, Evander, is heating up just as the summer is. His 11 goals and six assists have kept his club at the top of the MLS. He scored twice against Orlando in their 2-1 win. With both he and Kevin Denkey scoring double-digit goals already, Cincy is poised to continue putting pressure on the top teams in MLS.
- Next MLS match: vs Chicago Fire | Saturday, July 5 | 7:30 pm EST
4th Place: Nashville SC – 38 points from 20 games played
Nashville is a team that hasn’t been getting much love from MLS fans this season, but they are in the midst of a crazy run. They are 13 games unbeaten in all competitions, after beating DC United 1-0 last weekend. Now they look to move up the standings and keep their unbeaten streak against a team that just ended their long unbeaten streak.
Nashville hosts Philly this Saturday, and we could see the top two players in the Golden Boot race on the field. Sam Surridge and his 16 goals will be on the field, but will Tai Baribo and his 13 goals be there for Philly? We will have to wait and see, but this match will be a huge determining factor in where these teams will be after match week 21. Could we see a new team atop the standings?
- Next MLS match: vs Philadelphia Union | Saturday, July 5 | 8:30 pm EST
5th Place: Vancouver Whitecaps – 38 points from 20 games played
*Has already played their matchday 21 game*
Vancouver has been on a rollercoaster ride in 2025. They were top of MLS while making the final of the Concacaf Champions Cup. They fell short of winning that tournament, which, in turn, let their hold on the top of the league slip out of their grasp. Ahead of Matchday 21, they did their best to right the ship, beating LAFC. However, they had to stay in LA to play the Galaxy on the 4th of July and didn’t fare as well.
Having played on a Friday night in matchday 21, Vancouver fell 3-0 to the last-place Galaxy. They conceded inside the first two minutes and then failed to get back into the game. They got scored on twice in the second half en route to a significant loss. They are on the verge of being knocked out of the top five this weekend. We’ll see if that happens or not as the rest of MLS plays their Matchday 21 games.
- Next MLS match: @ Colorado Rapids | Saturday, July 12 | 10:30 pm EST
Rounding out the top 10
Last week, the top 10 teams saw a bit of a shakeup. Columbus scored a massive three points against first-place Philadelphia. Minnesota had a win snatched away from them in the 90th minute, and Orlando failed to show well and get points against Cincinnati. Portland dropped a “winnable game” against Toronto. A new team has entered the top 10, displacing Miami for now.
- 6th place: Columbus Crew – 37 points from 20 games played
- 7th place: Minnesota United – 34 points from 20 games played
- 8th place: Orlando City – 33 points from 20 games played
- 9th place*: NYCFC – 31 points from 20 games played
*Has already played their matchday 21 game* - 10th place: Portland Timbers – 30 points from 19 games played
NYCFC has entered the chat. They failed to win in Matchday 21, but played the first game of Matchday 22 last night and got a big win over Toronto. This win has moved Miami down the standings, but they return to MLS play this weekend as they travel to Montreal with four games in hand on the rest of the competitors. Matchday 22 is being played between Thursday and Sunday of this holiday weekend. Let’s see what kind of chaos ensues!
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