MLS Shield Watch: Is it a two-horse race with 6 weeks left?

The MLS season continues tonight after the September international play window! Before the week off, things took a turn in the Supporters' Shield race. For the majority of the summer, MLS saw an unprecedented number of teams competing for the League's top spot. There were legitimate cases to be made for the teams between first and 10th place. Now that we are approaching fall, we still have a race, but the number of teams that could cross the finish line has diminished. Here's a look at how the top five in MLS are faring, and where the rest of the teams fall in the top 10 heading into Matchweek 33.

MLS Supporters’ Shield Watch After Matchday 32

1st Place: Philadelphia Union – 57 points from 29 games played

The team at the top of MLS's Supporters' Shield standings before the international break is still on top. The Philadelphia Union has defied expectations this year to be the best team in the league, and they showed why in their last match. Philly went to Cincy and ground out a 1-0 win over the team that is second in the East. They did so while being a man down for the last 30 minutes. It was a statement win, and they'll be looking for more this weekend.

Philadelphia is on the road again this week, this time across the country to play a strong Vancouver side. Philly is relatively healthy and will be pushing for three points yet again. However, they do have a semifinal of the US Open Cup to think about this coming Tuesday. We'll see if this impacts who plays and how much effort they put into the cross-conference clash. They are just one point up on the team in second in the Shield race; can they put some distance between themselves and San Diego?

Next MLS Match: @ Vancouver Whitecaps | Saturday, September 13 | 9:30 pm EST

2nd Place: San Diego FC – 56 points from 29 games played

San Diego has been just as impressive, if not more, than the team they're chasing, Philadelphia, for the Supporters' Shield. Their expansion season has seen them compile 56 points with five games to play. They are just one point off the record set by LAFC back in 2018. San Diego beat LAFC in their house in their previous match, raining on Son Heung-min's home debut. Now, they head home for a clash with the team currently in second place in the West.

Minnesota United comes to San Diego tonight for the final MLS game of the matchweek. Minnesota has jumped into the top five in recent weeks and looks like a formidable foe. Could they take points off San Diego, causing them to stumble in the Shield race? We'll have to watch to find out! One thing is for certain: San Diego will need an MVP frontrunner, Anders Dreyer, to keep producing moments of magic to continue their run at the Shield.

Next MLS Match: vs Minnesota United | Saturday, September 13 | 10:30 pm EST

3rd Place: FC Cincinnati – 52 points from 29 games played

Before the 2025 season started, FC Cincinnati was one of the favorites to win MLS's Supporters' Shield. Now, with five matches to play, they are five points off of leaders Philadelphia for both the Shield and the top spot in the Eastern Conference. They fell to Philly in their last game, their third straight 1-0 loss at home since returning to MLS play after their League Cup break. Now a team in free fall, they take on Nashville at home, looking to break their home losing streak.

The team Cincy welcomes to TQL Stadium, Nashville, was in the top five of MLS for most of the summer, but now they find themselves on the outside looking in after losing three of their last four games themselves. Who will put an end to their bad form? Will it be a Cincy side that can still claw their way back into the Shield race, or will it be Nashville who can jump Cincinnati with a win? Tune in to one of the first matches of the night to find out!

Next MLS Match: vs Nashville SC | Saturday, September 13 | 7:30 pm EST

4th Place: Minnesota United – 51 points from 29 games played

Minnesota United has had an impressive 2025 season and seems to be peaking at the right time, as they have secured a spot in the 2025 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. With five matches to play in the MLS season, the Loons sit six points off of the Supporters' Shield. That might be too much to overcome for this side, but a few wins and some losses from teams above them could be enough to see them make a shock run.

They will look to do just that starting tonight as they take on West leaders San Diego FC. If Minnesota can go there and get a huge three points, they would be just two points off the top of the West, and if Philly falls to Vancouver, they could be three points off the Shield. That's a lot of "if's," but Minnesota could be the type of team to pull something off like this under the tutelage of rising star coach Eric Ramsay.

Next MLS Match: @ San Diego FC | Saturday, September 13 | 10:30 pm EST

5th Place: Charlotte FC – 50 points from 29 games played

The hottest team in MLS right now is not who you expect; it's Charlotte FC! They have won eight games in a row and are now in the top five of the League. Seven points off the Shield with five games to go is just as daunting a task as the one that Minnesota is facing, but if they can turn an eight-game win streak into 13 to end the season, there's a chance they could just be hoisting the Shield; however unlikely that is.

CLTFC hosts Inter Miami this weekend, in a meeting between two teams with championship aspirations. Miami is a wildcard of a team at the end of this MLS season. They still have NINE games to play after making runs in the Club World Cup, and the Leagues Cup failed to produce silverware. Will we see Charlotte take down Messi and Friends CF, or will the newly branded villains of MLS, Miami, get a victory and still have four games in hand in MLS play?

Next MLS Match: @ Inter Miami CF | Saturday, September 13 | 7:30 pm EST

Rounding out the top 10

While the race for the Supporters' Shield is likely to come down to the top two teams in MLS, there is still a lot of quality in the top 10 in the League. The teams just outside the top five all have chances to be strong competitors as we get close to playoff time, and teams seven through 10 also have an advantage over the rest of the field.

6th Place: Nashville SC – 50 points from 29 games played

7th Place: Vancouver Whitecaps– 49 points from 27 games played

8th Place: Orlando City – 47 points from 28 games played

9th Place: Inter Miami CF – 46 points from 25 games played

10th Place: Columbus Crew SC – 46 points from 28 games played

Vancouver (two), Orlando (one), Miami (four), and Columbus (one) all have games in hand on the rest of the top 10, who have five games to play. Could we see any of these teams make a late-season push up the standings to compete for the Shield? The leading contender from this group is Miami, as they play weekend and midweek matches for the next four weeks in a row. Will the Shield race be between Philly and San Diego, or will Miami make a run to go back-to-back? Tune in to find out!

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