MLS is unpredictable—so much so that the top five are in a completely different order after matchday 24 than they were before. One newcomer has entered the top five, while there’s more shakeup down in sixth through 10th. There’s not much time for the dust to settle after matchweek 24 as 28 of the 30 teams in MLS will be playing midweek matches; all of the top 10 teams will be in action. Let’s see where the teams sit ahead of what will be more craziness this midweek.
MLS Supporters’ Shield Watch after Matchday 24
1st Place: Philadelphia Union – 43 points from 22 games played
Philly needed a bounce-back game after back-to-back losses in MLS, and they got just that in a home match against the Red Bulls last weekend. The Union dominated the game with their intensity, holding the Red Bulls to no shots in the first half, while scoring two for themselves. The match was done and dusted before halftime, and Philly jumped up the standings.
The margins in this Shield race are thin. Philadelphia’s win against the Red Bulls is good, but can Philadelphia keep that momentum going into a midweek clash with Montreal, the bottom dwellers of MLS? If they want to continue to set the pace, they will need to pick up three points in a match that they should win. Two points separate Philly from the top and fifth place in the league. Points and wins at this stage are crucial.
- Next MLS match: vs CF Montreal | Wednesday, July 16 | 7:30 pm EST
2nd Place: San Diego FC – 42 points from 22 games played
San Diego FC continues to get results in what will likely be the best expansion season ever for an MLS side. They went to Chicago last weekend and scored two goals before halftime in a 2-1 win over a middle-of-the-pack Fire team. This win on the road, following their first loss in months, will they be able to keep this going?
San Diego heads home for a midweek cross-conference matchup with Toronto FC. This game is very winnable, but San Diego will do it without one of their recent stars. American forward Milan Iloski was recalled from his loan after scoring 10 goals in the last 12 matches. This could be a loss on the pitch for San Diego, but their team’s possession style should make up for his goals over time. Tune in for an MLS nightcap tonight to see if San Diego stays at the top of the West.
- Next MLS match: vs Toronto FC | Wednesday, July 16 | 10:30 pm EST
3rd Place: FC Cincinnati – 42 points from 22 games played
FC Cincinnati held the top spot in the Shield standings entering last weekend, riding a four-game winning streak. A visit from Columbus and the latest edition of the Hell is Real Derby changed that. It looked like Cincy would stay on top, scoring two goals in the match’s first five minutes. Columbus equalized before halftime and scored twice in the second half to take all three points.
Cincinnati must take this one on the chin and prepare for a midweek clash with the hottest team in MLS, Inter Miami. Can Cincy get back to its winning ways, or will Messi score twice on them as he has in the past five MLS matches? Cincinnati’s defense is stout, but they’ll have their work cut out for them. Evander and Denkey must also keep scoring to get them back to winning ways.
- Next MLS match: vs Inter Miami CF | Wednesday, July 16 | 7:30 pm EST
4th Place: Nashville SC– 41 points from 22 games played
Nashville’s 15-game unbeaten streak came to an end. They ran into the buzzsaw that is Inter Miami and Lionel Messi. The 2-1 loss is their first since April, and it was clear that they just ran out of gas in this game. Mukhtar and Surridge didn’t find the finishing touch they had showcased for months. They’ll need to find those scoring boots again with another tough midweek match.
Nashville hosts the team directly below them in the standings, Columbus. This could be a make-or-break moment for the Tennessee club. They have already gotten themselves into this shield race, but if they want to be true contenders, they’ll need to stay in the top five. Back-to-back losses to top contenders would knock their contender status.
- Next MLS match: vs Columbus Crew SC | Wednesday, July 16 | 8:30 pm EST
5th Place: Columbus Crew SC – 41 points from 22 games played
Columbus Crew looked like they may suffer their first loss since May this past weekend when they went down 2-0 to cross-state rivals Cincinnati after five minutes. However, Wilfried Nancy’s side’s resilience was not to be trifled with. They scored four unanswered goals to secure all three points. The victory saw them jump into the top five for the first time in a long time.
Columbus is now in the top five and has the opportunity to rise as high as first place in the Shield race if they can go to Nashville and get a win. That’s a tough task, but if there’s any team to do it, it’d be this Columbus team that has shown time and time again that they can defy odds no matter who is on the field in their colors.
- Next MLS match: @ Nashville SC | Wednesday, July 16 | 8:30 pm EST
Rounding out the top 10
Right now, the top six in MLS all have 40 points or above, and the teams in seventh and eighth place are a win away from hitting the 40-point threshold. There’s a drop-off after that for teams nine and 10. This shows just how close things are in this crazy MLS season. Here’s a look at the teams that round out the top 10.
- 6th place: Minnesota United – 40 points from 22 games played
- 7th place: Inter Miami CF – 38 points from 19 games played
- 8th place: Vancouver Whitecaps – 38 points from 21 games played
- 9th place: Orlando City – 35 points from 22 games played
- 10th place: Seattle Sounders – 33 points from 21 games played
Minnesota, Miami, and Vancouver are all a win away from possibly being in the top five. Orlando and Seattle round out the top 10, and are legit contenders in their conferences, but aren’t yet in the Shield race. The main outlier is Miami, as it has three games in hand on the teams above it, and is the only team currently averaging more than two points per game. Let’s see if that plays into their Shield chances as the season progresses. Don’t miss the action tonight in Matchday 25.
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