Power Rankings: Philadelphia Union have one hand on the Supporters' Shield | OneFootball

By J. Sam Jones

What a week in MLS.

Toronto played to a draw, the Union won by a lot of goals, and Chicago virtually wrapped…wait, is this right? Ok, I’m being told this is right. Chicago virtually wrapped up an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs spot. It truly was a week unlike any other.

As always: The Power Rankings are voted on by, give or take, 15 people associated with MLSsoccer.com. The author does get a little rush out of moving your team down a few spots, though.

1. Philadelphia Union · +1▲

Ever since they became one of the league’s best teams a few years back, the Union have showcased an ability to put on some truly spectacular beatdowns. They delivered another over the weekend in a 6-0 demolition of D.C. United. And it just might have won them a second Supporters’ Shield.

While Philly took care of business, pretty much every other contender slipped up. The job is straightforward now: Win their final two games, and they win the Shield.

Philadelphia Union: Why they're so special in 2025

Previous: 6-0 win at DC | Next: 10/4 vs. NYC

2. Los Angeles Football Club · +4▲

The running count of consecutive LAFC goals for either Son Heung-Min or Denis Bouanga is up to 17. Bouanga scored once and Son added a brace in the Black & Gold’s 3-0 win over St. Louis on Saturday. They virtually locked up a home playoff spot with the win and are now within touching distance of third-place Minnesota. Even second place is in play now.

Regardless of where they end up, will anyone be able to slow down Bouanga and Son in the playoffs?

Son & Bouanga: LAFC's dynamic duo the best in MLS?

Previous: 3-0 win at STL | Next: 10/5 vs. ATL

3. Vancouver Whitecaps FC · -2▼

A 2-2 draw with Seattle made it six-straight without a loss for the ‘Caps. With three games remaining, they’re in pole position to finish on top of the West. Let’s not forget: other teams that have made the Concacaf Champions Cup final have cratered. Instead, Vancouver have found their footing despite multiple key injuries throughout the year. They never got derailed.

Previous: 2-2 draw at SEA | Next: 10/5 vs. SJ

4. Inter Miami CF · +3▲

The Shield seemed back in play after Wednesday night’s win over New York City. With three straight wins under their belt, the possibility that Inter Miami might win out against a weaker schedule became real.

Instead, they stumbled on the road Saturday against an already eliminated Toronto FC side and took just one point from the Reds. For the first time in a while, winning out won’t guarantee first place. They have two games in hand on first-place Philadelphia, but it’s now a seven-point gap.

Inter Miami: Fixture congestion takes its toll

Previous: 1-1 draw at TOR | Next: 9/30 vs. CHI

5. New York City FC · +3▲

There haven’t been many weeks in MLS this year that featured the kind of mixed bag NYCFC had. They floundered against Miami in a brutal 4-0 loss before bouncing back on Saturday with yet another win over their biggest rival. They’ve won four straight regular-season derbies against the Red Bulls.

Previous: 3-2 win at RBNY | Next: 10/4 at PHI

6. FC Cincinnati · -3▼

Cincy needed a win on Sunday night to keep pace with the Union in the Shield race and Eastern Conference standings. Instead, they allowed an equalizer from Orlando’s Alex Freeman – totally unmarked in the box by the way – in stoppage time. With the 1-1 draw, there's now a four-point gap between the Garys and the Union with two games to go.

FC Cincinnati: Missed opportunity in Supporters' Shield race

Previous: 1-1 draw vs. ORL | Next: 10/4 at RBNY

7. San Diego FC · -3▼

The dream of a year-one Shield win ended with a disappointing 1-0 loss to a struggling San Jose side. Winning their final two games won’t even guarantee a top-two spot in the West now.

San Diego have gone winless in three after their huge win over LAFC, and it’s kept a special season from a storybook ending.

San Diego FC: What's behind home struggles?

Previous: 1-0 loss vs. SJ | Next: 10/4 at HOU

8. Orlando City · +1▲

It took a while, but the Lions eventually found an equalizer against FC Cincinnati. Freeman hung out unmarked in the box for a while and, in the sixth minute of stoppage time, sent an open header into the back of the net.

That point may look critical in a couple of weeks. The Lions are in seventh place, sitting one point back of fifth-place Charlotte with a game in hand.

Previous: 1-1 draw at CIN | Next: 10/4 vs. CLB

9. Nashville SC · +4▲

Nashville SC found a get-right moment before they head to Austin for Wednesday's US Open Cup final. Their 3-1 win over Houston snapped a three-game losing streak in league play. Maybe most importantly, they got the “boot the kickoff out for a throw-in” strategy to work practically immediately. Hany Mukhtar opened the scoring just 68 seconds in.

HIGHLIGHTS: Nashville SC vs. Houston Dynamo FC | September 27, 2025

Previous: 3-1 win vs. HOU | Next: 10/4 at MTL

10. Minnesota United FC

Minnesota won’t be carrying a head full of steam into the playoffs. Their 1-1 draw with Colorado pushed their post-Leagues Cup record to a slightly above-average 3W-2L-2D. That’s not even counting their frustrating 2-1 loss to Austin in the US Open Cup semifinals. The Loons have a couple of get-right games left on the schedule against SKC and LA, but even with two wins, fourth-place might be calling.

Previous: 1-1 draw at COL | Next: 10/4 vs. SKC

11. Seattle Sounders FC

There are worse things than a 2-2 draw with a great Vancouver team, but Seattle are still looking for their first win since lifting the Leagues Cup trophy. Maybe a rivalry matchup with Portland at the end of this week will give them some of the juice they’ve been missing.

Previous: 2-2 draw vs. VAN | Next: 10/4 vs. POR

12. Charlotte FC · -7▼

Uhh…well…we did mention they were overperforming a little bit during that nine-game winning streak. But the regression to the mean has hit a little harder than expected.

The Crown have lost two in a row, including Saturday’s 4-1 loss to a typically toothless CF Montréal side. With two games left, they’re out of a top-four spot in the East and three points away from a Wild Card spot.

Previous: 4-1 loss vs. MTL | Next: 10/4 at DC

13. Chicago Fire FC · +2▲

An elite "shross" from Andrew Gutman just might have wrapped this up. Gutman’s goal kicked off an impressive 2-0 win over the Crew that featured 22 shots from the Fire to the Crew’s seven. They’re now five points ahead of the 10th-place Red Bulls and they have a game in hand. New York have to win out now to even have a chance.

The Fire can go ahead and snap their playoff streak on their own with two points. They could even sneak out of the Wild Card game with a few more points and some help. They’re only three points behind seventh-place Orlando. Either way, a seven-year playoff drought is about to end.

WATCH: Chicago Fire near first playoff berth since 2017

Previous: 2-0 win vs. CLB | Next: 9/30 at MIA

14. Austin FC

A 3-1 loss to RSL meant a missed opportunity to jump to fifth in the West and officially avoid the Wild Card game. To be fair, they have bigger things to worry about right now. They’ll face Nashville in the US Open Cup final on Wednesday.

Previous: 3-1 loss at RSL | Next: 10/4 vs. STL

15. Columbus Crew · -3▼

This isn’t your recently born nephew’s Crew. Nothing feels easy right now for this (very injured) bunch and their 2-0 loss to Chicago over the weekend was an encapsulation of that. This is still a 50-point side, but they’re stumbling into the playoffs. They have one win since July 25 (eight games) and they allowed four goals in that game.

Previous: 2-0 loss at CHI | Next: 10/4 at ORL

16. FC Dallas · +1▲

Their 2-2 draw with Portland has them equal on points with ninth-place San Jose heading into their final three games of the year. They have a game in hand on the Quakes and eighth-place Colorado—just two points ahead. Dallas desperately needs to take advantage of back-to-back matchups with the last-place Galaxy before dealing with Vancouver on Decision Day.

Previous: 2-2 draw at POR | Next: 10/4 vs. LA

17. Portland Timbers · +1▲

A win would have pulled Portland level with fifth-place Seattle. Instead, they settled for a 2-2 draw with Dallas in a game that featured 43 total shots and two goals after the 80th minute. The Timbers have now gone three games without a win.

Previous: 2-2 draw vs. DAL | Next: 10/4 at SEA

18. Real Salt Lake · +4▲

RSL needed a win and they got it. Three goals and three points against Austin have RSL within a point of ninth place.

Previous: 3-1 win vs. ATX | Next: 10/4 vs. COL

19. San Jose Earthquakes · +2▲

It felt like they’d lost all hope. Then they went out and stunned San Diego in a 1-0 win that may have saved their season. They still need some help to get over the line, but, for now, they’re in ninth place.

HIGHLIGHTS: San Diego FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes | September 27, 2025

Previous: 1-0 win at SD | Next: 10/5 at VAN

20. New York Red Bulls · -4▼

The longest playoff streak in professional sports is almost certainly over. The Red Bulls’ 3-2 loss to NYCFC put them five points behind ninth-place Chicago with two games left. The Fire have a game in hand.

We were in the first year of the Obama administration the last time the Red Bulls missed the playoffs. The fact that this streak is wrapping up the year after an MLS Cup appearance has to make this one of the more disappointing MLS seasons ever.

Previous: 3-2 loss vs. NYC | Next: 10/4 vs. CIN

21. Colorado Rapids · -2▼

A 1-1 draw against Minnesota is a solid result all things considered, but it isn’t enough to take the pressure off the Rapids heading into their final two games. They’re virtually a lock to be a Wild Card team if they make it, but they’ve got to hold off three of the four teams within four points to do it.

Previous: 1-1 draw vs. MIN | Next: 10/4 at RSL

22. Houston Dynamo FC · -2▼

The Dynamo are running out of time. They fell 3-1 to Nashville on Saturday and are sitting two points below the playoff line with three teams in front of them. They need points and some luck the rest of the way.

Previous: 3-1 loss at NSH | Next: 10/4 vs. SD

23. Toronto FC · +1▲

No one has embraced the spoiler role like Toronto. And no one has ever been committed to draws quite like this. Their 1-1 draw with Inter Miami made it seven straight draws for the Reds. In addition to the Herons, they’ve taken points from Philadelphia, Columbus, and Columbus again. They’ve still got opportunities to make life difficult for Chicago, LAFC and Orlando.

Previous: 1-1 draw vs. MIA | Next: 10/4 at CHI

24. New England Revolution · +1▲

The Revs got the job done at home against Atlanta United, thanks to 1g/1a from new star striker Dor Turgeman. They’re officially stuck as your 11th-place finisher in the East.

Previous: 2-0 win vs. ATL | Next: 10/4 at MIA

25. St. Louis CITY SC · -2▼

St. Louis fell 3-0 to LAFC. They won’t finish higher than 13th in the West this season.

Previous: 3-0 loss vs. LAFC | Next: 10/4 at ATX

26. CF Montréal · +4▲

If all you have left is spoiling someone else’s day, you might as well make the most of it. Montréal did just that in a shocking 4-1 win over recently red-hot Charlotte.

WATCH: Dante's Inferno! Sealy torches the net in golazo!

Previous: 4-1 win at CLT | Next: 10/4 vs. NSH

27. LA Galaxy · +1▲

The Galaxy dismissed Sporting KC in a 4-1 win. Now they have their eyes on winning one trophy and avoiding another. They’ll face Toluca at 10:30 pm ET on Wednesday for a somewhat strange Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup final between the league leaders in LIGA MX and the last-place MLS side. But maybe LA can surprise everyone and grab another trophy before setting their sights on avoiding the Wooden Spoon.

Player of the Matchday 37: Joseph Paintsil

Previous: 4-1 win vs. SKC | Next: 10/4 at DAL

28. Atlanta United · -2▼

The Five Stripes are officially back on Wooden Spoon watch following their 2-0 loss to the Revs. They’re tied for the fewest wins in MLS in Ronny Deila’s first season in charge.

Previous: 2-0 loss at NE | Next: 10/5 at LAFC

29. Sporting Kansas City · -2▼

A 4-1 loss to the Galaxy put the Wooden Spoon back in play for SKC.

Previous: 4-1 loss at LA | Next: 10/4 at MIN

30. D.C. United · -1▼

They played Philadelphia. It did not go well.

Previous: 6-0 loss vs. PHI | Next: 10/4 vs. CLT