MLS Shield watch: Philly holds serve, Miami pushes into top 5 with 4 weeks left

Only four weeks remain in the 2025 MLS regular season, and things are still as close as they have ever been when looking at the coveted Supporters' Shield race. The difference between the top spot and fifth is just five points, and teams sitting in 10th, 11th, and 12th are all just 10 points off the top. As we get closer to the final weeks, some of the 12 teams in this guantlet of a Shield race will begin to fall off; this weekend's matches will be a huge tell into who will still be fighting for this trophy come Decision Day.

MLS Supporters’ Shield watch after matchday 36

1st Place: Philadelphia Union – 60 points from 31 games played – Max. points: 69

The Philadelphia Union had been in a week-long slump that saw them get thwacked by Vancouver 7-0 and then crash out of the US Open Cup at the Semifinal stage. Philly knew they needed to get back to winning ways to get that bad taste out of their mouth, and they did just that against New England last weekend, securing a 1-0 win. They keep the top spot in MLS for now, heading to lowly DC United this weekend.

The Union isn't the flashy team with star players; they are gritty with a collective greater than the sum of their parts. Diamonds in the rough have emerged to carry this team on the field, while Bradley Carnell has led from the touchline. Can Philadelphia's car crash style of soccer carry them to the Shield? If they win their last three games, they will be in a great position to do so; any more slip-ups could see their grasp on the trophy loosened.

Next MLS Match: @ DC United | Saturday, September 27 | 7:30 pm EST

2nd Place: FC Cincinnati – 58 points from 31 games played – Max. points: 67

FC Cincinnati was struggling before heading into September's international break; they had lost two matches in a row at home by a score of 1-0. Since then, they have won their last two games and now sit just two games behind Philly in the race for the Shield. A 3-2 win out west vs. the LA Galaxy has Cincy flying high. This weekend, they'll face a team that is still looking to punch its ticket to the playoffs in Orlando.

Cincinnati's star attackers have produced this year. Evander has 17 goals and 12 assists, Denkey has 13 goals, and on-loan striker Brenner has come back to Cincy and scored three goals in his last two games. Is this enough to power Cincinnati to the Shield? It will definitely have to be with the injuries their defense and midfield have suffered. A win this weekend at home vs. Orlando would go a long way toward hoisting the preseason Shield favorite.

Next MLS Match: vs Orlando City SC | Sunday, September 28 | 7 pm EST

3rd Place: San Diego FC – 57 points from 31 games played – Max. points: 66

San Diego has been one of the heartfelt stories of 2025 in MLS. The expansion side came into the league and really took it by storm. However, their recent form in the home stretch of the season has been up and down. Two wins, two draws, and a loss in their last five matches have them three points off the Shield with just three games to play. Can San Diego do the unthinkable and win it in their first year? They'll need a win this weekend vs San Jose to have a shot at it.

The 2025 MLS MVP should be on this San Diego team; Anders Dreyer has 15 goals and 16 assists for his team this season, and as he goes, so does San Diego. He'll need to lead the line once again against a tough San Jose side that his three points out of a playoff spot. Dreyer scored in the reverse fixture a little over a month ago. If he does so again, San Diego can make history as the expansion team that took the most points in their inaugural season.

Next MLS Match: vs San Jose Earthquakes | Saturday, September 27 | 10:30 pm EST

4th Place: Vancouver Whitecaps – 56 points from 30 games played – Max. points: 68

Vancouver has had a historic season. They made the Concacaf Champions Cup final, secured the most points in club history in an MLS season with four games to go, are in yet another Canadian Championship, and made one of the signings of the summer, bringing World Cup winner Thomas Müller to the Cascadia club. Now, their eyes are set on defying all odds and pushing for the Shield, but an old river awaits this weekend in Seattle.

The Whitecaps have not lost since the ninth of August in all competitions. They were on the outside looking in for the Supporters' Shield at that point, but have planted themselves in the thick of the race when it matters most. Now, they will look to manage the end of a gruelling season, pushing for the chance to win multiple trophies. Can they do it? They're just four points back of the lead and have a game in hand, which could just give them the edge they need to do so.

Next MLS Match: @ Seattle Sounders | Saturday, September 27 | 10:30 pm EST

5th Place: Inter Miami CF – 55 points from 29 games played – Max. points: 70

Well, well, well; look who is finally in the solidified picture for MLS's 2025 Supporters' Shield. It's Messi and Friends CF, and they are back with a vengeance. Their 2025 season has been riddled with long runs in tournaments like the Club World Cup and the League Cup, giving them an odd advantage late in the year of having what feels like a billion games in hand. In reality, they had as many as four over the teams at the top of the Shield race. They played two of those these last two weeks and won them both.

Miami may be five points off the Shield lead, but they still have the upper hand. Because of their games in hand, they have the highest maximum remaining: 70, one more than Philadelphia. They have played midweek-weekend for the last two weeks and have been perfect. Can they do the same this weekend as they go to Toronto? If they do, they'll keep climbing, and then they will need to play midweek and weekend matches next week. They will also play a match during the international break to finish out their games in hand. Can Messi really do the thing, and have Miami repeat as Supporters' Shield champs?

Next MLS Match: @ Toronto FC | Saturday, September 27 | 4:30 pm EST

Rounding out the rest of the contenders

The top five are the best teams in MLS at the moment, and the teams just below them are the crowd that many would expect heading into the last month of the season. Substantial charges from Minnesota, Charlotte, NYCFC, and LAFC have helped them secure MLS playoff berths, but they aren't in a current position to truly challenge without a late-season collapse from multiple teams in the top five. Here's a look at the teams sitting sixth to twelfth in MLS.

6th Place: Minnesota United – 54 points from 31 games played – Max. points: 63

7th Place: Charlotte FC – 53 points from 31 games played – Max. points: 62

8th Place: NYCFC – 53 points from 31 games played – Max. points: 62

9th Place: Orlando City – 51 points from 30 games played – Max. points: 63

10th Place: Nashville SC – 50 points from 31 games played – Max. points: 59

11th Place: LAFC – 50 points from 29 games played – Max. points: 65

12th Place: Columbus Crew SC – 50 points from 31 games played – Max. points: 59

Orlando has the chance this weekend to join the teams mentioned above to secure a playoff spot, but two teams in this group are officially out of the Shield race based on their maximum points remaining. Nashville and Columbus both have 50 points from 31 games played. This means they can only accrue 59 points this year, one point shy of Philly's current standing. We could see more teams join them this weekend if they fail to win and Phill and the rest of the contenders continue to stack points.

Don't miss this crazy conclusion to the MLS season this weekend on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+!

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