It’s only been two weeks, but that’s half a month, folks. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got only the foggiest of memories regarding the state of the MLS regular season, the details lost somewhere in a Leagues Cup haze that you didn’t see coming until it surrounded you on all sides. Was it a dream? A nightmare? Both? Oh, you don’t think about Leagues Cup when you’re asleep? Just me, I guess.
Regardless of what you dream about, I’m sure we could all use a refresher on where your Loons were before the interruption. Form has changed since then, but the standings have been frozen since the last week of July, and it’s worth taking a quick look at what’s ahead before we hit the pitch again this weekend. Let’s do it.
Where Was I?
Previously on Major League Soccer: Loons Edition, your favorite soccer team took down St. Louis CITY SC before the Leagues Cup break to go out on a high, securing their spot at third place in the Western Conference. Their 44 points put them within touching distance of the top spot, as San Diego leads with 46 points from 25 games played. Vancouver is in second at the moment, but with their game in hand, they could be as many as four points ahead of the Loons. Whether the Caps win that extra game or not, MNUFC is firmly in the fight for the Western Conference regular-season title and the Concacaf Champions Cup spot that comes with it.
Every good conference title challenge doubles as a Supporters’ Shield challenge, and this year’s race is no exception. While the Eastern Conference is slightly ahead, this year’s regular-season points champions could still very realistically come from either conference, but I’m only going to give six — maybe eight — teams the honor of being considered real participants in the race.
The contenders in the west are clear: San Diego, Vancouver, and Minnesota United. Seattle (38) could make a late push if they can put together an extremely strong end to the season, but it would have to be almost historically strong to catch the leaders. In the east, Philadelphia leads the way with 50 points from 25 games, just one ahead of Cincinnati’s 49. Nashville rounds out the top three with 47, leaving just Columbus (44) and … Inter Miami (42) as the only other teams I feel could lift that circular ray of sunshine. Don’t get me started on how much I genuinely love the Supporters’ Shield; we’ll be here all day.
As far as the MLS Cup Playoffs go, it seems very likely that your Loons will be among the first to clinch a spot, but it’s far too early for me to attempt to calculate all the clinching scenarios. As things stand, 15 points separate MNUFC from San Jose in tenth place, and with nine games left for both teams to play in the regular season, that’s a nice cushion to have. Hopefully, it’s not a cushion we’ll have to mention again, but it’s nice to have nonetheless.
While league titles are always at the top of every club’s wishlist, there’s another, even more glorious trophy that Loons fans shouldn’t forget about this season: the U.S. Open Cup. Yes, the greatest cup competition in the world is still without a champion in 2025, and your Loons are among the final five teams in the competition. They’re set to host a September 17 semifinal showdown against Austin FC, a team they’ve already beaten once and drawn once this season. The other semifinal will be between Nashville and the winners of Philadelphia and the New York Red Bulls, who are set to play the last remaining quarterfinal match on Wednesday, August 13.
Tomorrow, Tomorrow
I love ya, tomorrow! Oh, Little Orphan Annie, what a wise little ginger you are. It’s never a good feeling to be eliminated from trophy contention, regardless of the competition. But the best players, coaches, and world-famous orphans in the world know this all-important truth: the sun’ll come out tomorrow. And your Loons have set themselves up for one heck of a sunrise, with a chance to chase three trophies that are, in my humble opinion, far more prestigious than the one they missed out on.
With just nine matches left in the regular season and one, hopefully two, games left in the Open Cup, the clock is ticking on the 2025 season, and the stakes are going to continue to rise with every minute on the field. It’s already been an exciting season at Allianz Field, but excitement isn’t enough to be remembered. Titles, continental soccer, and glory are all on the line.
History is remembered, and trophies make history. Let’s go write some of our own.
