MLS is known for its parity, but 2025 shows just how good the top teams have been almost two-thirds of the way through the season. The difference between the Shield lead and sixth place is just four points, and nine points separates first and 10th place. Wins, losses, and draws inside the top five are excruciatingly counted amongst the top five teams, leading to shakeups when points are dropped. This is precisely what we saw in matchday 22 last weekend.
MLS Supporters’ Shield Watch after Matchday 22
1st Place: FC Cincinnati – 42 points from 21 games played
The shakeup at the top of MLS started when FC Cincinnati took on the Chicago Fire. Evander and Kevin Denkey scored again in a 2-1 win, which has been Cincy’s trademark one-goal win. That attacking duo has 24 goals and eight assists combined for the season. Couple that with Cincinnati’s stout defense and marauding midfield; this team looks to be the most complete in MLS.
This weekend, FCC takes on cross-state rival Columbus Crew in the Hell is Real Derby. Cincy is looking to stay top of the Shield standings while the Crew is looking to break into the top five of the league for the first time in a long time. The first time these teams met this season, it was a 1-1 draw. Could we see that same in their final MLS regular season meeting of 2025?
- Next MLS match: vs Columbus Crew SC | Saturday, July 12 | 7:30 pm EST
2nd Place: Nashville SC – 41 points from 21 games played
Nashville has been one of the great stories of 2025. They were mediocre last year and have pushed up to the second spot in MLS. They’re doing so with heart and a never-say-die attitude. We saw this last weekend as they beat Philly after going down a man, and scoring the lone goal of the match from the PK spot in second-half stoppage time. Another tough test awaits this underdog this week.
Messi and Miami welcome red-hot Nashville for a matchday 23 showdown. This is going to be a big match for both sides. Nashville has the chance to keep its hot 2025 going after advancing to the semifinals of the US Open Cup this past midweek. Miami is making up the games it missed while at the Club World Cup; they have three games in hand on the contenders and look to rise into the top-10 standings.
- Next MLS match: @ Inter Miami CF | Saturday, July 12 | 7:30 pm EST
3rd Place: Philadelphia Union – 40 points from 21 games played
The Union was flying high as the first team to get to 40 points this season; since then, they have had two straight 1-0 losses to Columbus and Nashville. They have fallen to third in the race for the Supporters’ Shield. As other teams seem to be heating up this summer, Philly seems to be burning out a bit. Their high-intensity style of play may be harder to execute in the summer heat, but Carnell’s boys will go again.
Philadelphia welcomes the New York Red Bulls to town on Matchday 23 as they look to return to winning ways. Both teams play their own version of car-crash football, and will be chomping at the bit as their midweek US Open Cup quarterfinal was postponed thanks to a storm that flooded the pitch. The Union is welcoming back players from the Gold Cup, and a few from injury; will that be enough to help them rise up the standings?
- Next MLS match: vs New York Red Bulls | Saturday, July 12 | 7:30 pm EST
4th Place: San Diego FC – 39 points from 21 games played
San Diego has had a fantastic first season in MLS so far. They play the game beautifully and are on top of the West as a result. However, last weekend, they faltered in a wild 4-3 loss to the Houston Dynamo. With a 3-2 lead and 23 minutes left, they conceded twice, their first loss since the end of May. They’ll be looking for a turnaround this weekend.
MVP favorite Anders Dreyer leads San Diego FC to Chicago to take on the Fire in a cross-conference battle. After last weekend’s loss, San Diego needs a “get right” game, and that’s what this one could be. Chicago has only won three of their last eight games and has only won one of their previous three home matches. Can San Diego get back to winning ways and put more pressure on the top teams in MLS?
- Next MLS match: @ Chicago Fire | Saturday, July 12 | 8:30 pm EST
5th Place: Vancouver Whitecaps – 38 points from 20 games played
Vancouver’s free fall has been drastic since their Concacaf Champions Cup Final loss. They were MLS’s sweethearts, and now have been a .500 team. Vancouver played a match last weekend that provided fireworks for the worst team in the league, the LA Galaxy, as LA won 3-0. With all that being said, the Whitecaps are only a point off the top of the West, and four points off the Shield lead.
The Whitecaps will look to get back to winning ways on the road at Colorado this weekend. Like some of the other contenders in this Supporters’ Shield race, Vancouver will be getting back some vital players after their Gold Cup journey. Could that be the spark they need to race back up the standings, or will they fall to a team that is looking to get into the West’s playoff mix?
- Next MLS match: @ Colorado Rapids | Saturday, July 12 | 9:30 pm EST
Rounding out the top 10
We have seen a consistent top five in MLS over the last few match weeks, but could this weekend provide a change where a team sitting sixth to 10th jumps up the standings? Columbus, Minnesota, and even Miami can all make it to at least fifth place after this weekend with wins. Here’s a look at the teams that round out the top 10.
- 6th place: Columbus Crew – 38 points from 21 games played
- 7th place: Minnesota United – 37 points from 21 games played
- 8th place: Inter Miami CF – 35 points from 18 games played
- 9th place: Orlando City – 34 points from 21 games played
- 10th place: Portland Timbers – 33 points from 20 games played
The margins for error in this league are thin, especially for the teams in the top 10. This weekend could prove crucial for the teams looking to make it into the top five. Columbus and Miami play teams above them in the top five, while Minnesota, Orlando, and Portland all take on teams lower in the standings. Could we see even more shakeup after this weekend? Tune in to Apple TV to catch the action and find out!
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Featured Image Credit: Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire
