It’s my favorite month of the year, Predictuary. It’s got everything you could possibly ask for in a good month: the start of a new season, transfer drama, and sunlight that lasts longer and longer each day. Sure, predictions are difficult in a league with so much parity, and it doesn’t help that the transfer window lasts a month into the season, but hey, it’s a living. It’s time for the 2025 MLS Season Preview, and I’ve got enough spicy opinions to revive an old nickname of mine: here comes Hot Take Hayward.

While I work for one of the teams on the prediction list, I assure you, no mercy will be extended. Consider me a stoic, emotionless, and objective source of truth in this year’s predictions—except for the parts when I get carried away. You’ll just have to trust me when I get all emotional. I’ve got a decent track record in the prediction department; some might even call me an expert. They usually laugh after they say that, but I stop listening after the compliment.

2024 wasn’t my best showing. When I was wrong, I was WRONG, but overall, I’m pretty happy with how I did. I tried to resist Miami’s inevitable Supporters’ Shield triumph, and I paid the price. I did slightly better in the Western Conference, though I got more perfect predictions in the East. If it weren’t for Nashville, Charlotte, SKC, Vancouver, and the rest of the teams I got dead wrong, I would have looked like a genius. This year, I decided to actually try, so get ready for what is almost certain to be a mirror image of this year’s final standings.

Eastern Conference

If you take a look at the biggest moves of the offseason, you’ll spend most of your time reading about Eastern Conference teams. Two league-record-breaking transfers in one window, and we’re not done yet. The East is gearing up for another year of regular-season domination, and I’m not sure there’s much we can do to stop them. We aren’t taking breaks to divide the teams into little groups this year, so take a deep breath now and dive into my Eastern Conference predictions:

1. Inter Miami: I’m sorry, folks, I’ve been broken. Sure, Luis Suárez’s knees belong in a museum, and Sergio Busquets probably can’t play a full season. But Mr. Beckham was active in the transfer window this offseason, moving players out and bringing in talented replacements to rebuild Inter Messi for another run at MLS Cup. If their star man really wants a trophy or two, they’ll win them. Look for them to challenge for—and probably win—the Supporters’ Shield again this year. Boo.
2. Atlanta United: From pulling off the biggest upset in MLS Cup Playoffs memory to the most expensive signing in league history, it’s been an exciting few months for the Five Stripes. I don’t know that I’m really going out on a limb by saying they’re going to be better this year, but I might get a few sideways looks for putting them in the Supporters’ Shield race. The defense is my only concern, but they gave up the same number of goals as Miami last year. They scored 33 less, but that’s what Emmanuel Latte Lath and Miguel Almirón are here to fix.
3. FC Cincinnati: Cincy’s ability to refresh their roster with quality continues to astound me. Pending some transfer rumors that have yet to come to fruition, Boupendza and Lucho could be replaced by Denkey and Evander. I’d call that an improvement in both positions, and I think it’ll be more than enough to keep Pat Noonan’s squad in the Supporters’ Shield race for most of the season, paired with an injury-free season for talented-but-frail center backs Miles Robinson and Matt Miazga.
4. Columbus Crew: Calm down Crew fans, it’s going to be alright. Sure, you sold Cucho Hernandez and Christian Ramirez, effectively giving away 39% of your team’s goals in 2024. But Darlington Nagbe still rocks, Diego Rossi is still good, and Nancy-ball is not dependent on any individual player. There will be a drop-off—you can’t sell an MVP-caliber player and avoid that—but I don’t think it will be too large. Look for the Crew to be slightly less threatening this season, but don’t rule out a late transfer that might change that.
5. Orlando City SC: The Lions are solid all around: talented enough to expect something special from them, but not consistent enough to expect greatness. They deviated from their usual transfer strategy this offseason with DP signing Marco Pašalić from the Croatian first division, but something needed to change if they wanted to avoid staying stagnant. If Pašalić pays off, 2025 could be the breakthrough year for Óscar Pareja’s men. If not, this squad might start to go a little stale.
6. New York Red Bulls: Red Bull may give you wings, but it remains to be seen if it can win you an MLS Cup. After falling at the final hurdle last year, New Jersey’s favorite soccer team/energy drink franchise added Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting from Bayern Munich and sold John Tolkin to Holstein Kiel. They’re always involved in additional transfer rumors, but regardless of who’s on the roster at the start of the season, I foresee the postseason record continuing for the club formerly known as the Metrostars as they make it to a 16th-straight playoff appearance.
7. Charlotte FC: What’s ‘ol Wilf got left in the tank? That’s the key to Dean Smith’s second season in Charlotte, as new DP Wilfried Zaha hopes to make a splash in MLS. The Crystal Palace legend has had an interesting last few seasons, leaving the world wondering how much of his old show-stopping skill he’s got left. If he’s the same player he used to be, the league better watch out for his partnership with budding USMNT star Patrick Agyemang. If not, knock Charlotte down a few spots.
8. Nashville SC: Hany Mukhtar is too dang good to stay down for long. Nashville has brought in a few intriguing players from around the globe, effectively freshening up the roster to see if they can get a little more life out of their tried-and-true core of Zimmerman, Mukhtar, and Shaffelburg. If this season doesn’t end with a spot in the playoffs, it’ll be time for a reboot. I think that pressure will get the gears turning once more in a resurgent season for B.J. Callaghan’s side.
9. NYCFC: The City Football Group machine keeps on churning, making my stomach turn as it effectively and efficiently does its job. After falling to their Hudson River rivals in the playoffs last season, fans will be hoping for some kind of revenge, but a quiet offseason and relatively unimpressive roster make me think that any revenge will be limited to their head-to-head matchups. No silverware on the blue side of the river this year, and maybe no playoffs either.
10. Philadelphia Union: Philly is being Philly this offseason, bringing a pair of foreign signings and adding a couple Homegrown players to the roster. They moved Jack McGlynn to Houston, which begs the question: who’s next up from the Union academy? Is this the year of Cavan Sullivan, or will someone else get a shot? Whatever happens next for one of the league’s most productive talent factories, I don’t see it happening fast enough to make this year much better than 2024.
11. New England Revolution: Caleb Porter never stays down long, and he has a habit of winning trophies wherever he goes. I have a hunch that the Revolution might break him of that habit, though, as the addition of Leo Campana doesn’t do much for me amid a mass exodus of players. He’s brought in some intriguing new guys to reshape the roster this year, but I don’t see the Revs finishing any higher than the Wild Card spots in 2025. Ask me again in 2026 if Porter survives the season, and we’ll have a longer conversation.
12. CF Montréal: The only thing that really excites me about Montréal this year is the chance to see Jalen Neal get some minutes. If that doesn’t happen, I doubt I’ll be tuning in much—unless they prove me wrong. Look for our league’s lone French-speaking club to throw a lot of ideas against the wall this year while they try to find something that sticks.
13. Chicago Fire: Can anyone really save the Fire? I’m beginning to think not, but Gregg Berhalter is ready to give it a shot. I’ve been a fan of Triple G since he was in charge of the Crew, and while I have faith he can make this club better, I don’t have high expectations. A ton of player departures and an interesting array of replacements could change fortunes, but it feels like the same old story for Chicago. It’s not your fault, Gregg; they’re cursed.
14. D.C. United: I was making a list of teams that got better or worse this offseason, and I had to do a double take to make sure D.C. was in the right bucket. Surely the 10th-place team in the east didn’t get worse, right? Wrong. Christian Benteke remains a huge threat, but without any identifiable plan to surround him with a defined style or help, I anticipate another disappointing year in the District.
15. Toronto FC: It’s time for a rebuild in Toronto. The Italian experiment hasn’t panned out, and if they don’t cut their losses soon, there’s no way this team will climb the table any time soon. If I were them, I’d start from scratch and embrace that “us against the world” mentality that helps most underdogs thrive. Good luck, Robin Fraser.

Western Conference

I mean this in the most loving way possible: the West is weak this year. A Puig-less Galaxy and a stagnant LAFC don’t strike fear into my heart, nor does a Seattle side that is admittedly well constructed. Don’t get me wrong; there is plenty of quality, and there will be plenty of tough games on this side of the league, but the top spot is there for the taking. Let’s see how this is going to shake out:

1. Seattle Sounders: Have you earned a few USMNT call-ups but aren’t quite good enough to be a regular feature in the squad? If this sounds like you, call Brian Schmetzer and the Seattle Sounders; they’ve got a place for you! The Rave Green have literally doubled down on their “slightly-above-average” American player recruitment strategy, adding Paul Arriola and Jesus Ferreira through the league’s new cash-for-player transfer system. They’ve made a habit of signing players that can win in this league without getting snatched up by European teams, taking away some fear factor while leaving an all-around solid roster. No major holes, no superstars, just consistency. Could be a big year in Puget Sound.
2. LAFC: Mateusz Bogusz is headed to Mexico, and there’s no sign of Antoine Griezmann in LA. There’s plenty of talent on this roster, and they’ll always be near the top of the bunch with Denis Bouanga banging in the goals. I anticipate an unimpressive, unsurprising challenge for the top spot in the West, ending in yet another frustrating lack of trophies. The potential addition of Cengiz Ünder would spice things up a bit, but not enough to change my mind.
3. Minnesota United: Yeah, they pay my checks, but I’m not a fan; I can remain impartial here. They can, however, buy reinforcements to finish the project they started last summer, and with Hoyeon Jung and Nicolás Romero coming in, the Loons have finally got the well-rounded roster they’ve been building toward. In a weaker West, I think this group could thrive.
4. San Jose Earthquakes: I know, this feels weird, but I told you there were hot takes on the way. The Quakes added both Josef Martinez and Chicho Arango in Bruce Arena’s first season in charge. None of these are long-term moves, but they certainly raise the floor and ceiling of this team for 2025 at the very least. We’ve got some chips on shoulders and some experience to draw from. I’m feeling a big bounceback year in Silicon Valley.
5. LA Galaxy: The defending MLS Cup champions will be without star man Riqui Puig for most of the season following his injury in last year’s playoff run, and Dejan Joveljić has jumped ship to Kansas City. That’s a loss of 38 goals, and while Paintsil and Pec will almost certainly continue to ball out, a backslide feels inevitable for the most successful team in league history.
6. San Diego: I learned my lesson with St. Louis: the first-year jitters don’t always drag a team down. I love Hirving Lozano and Luca De La Torre, and with an interesting mixture of experienced players, I feel like this team is primed to take the league by surprise, narrowly grabbing a playoff spot.
7. Colorado Rapids: Navarro is gone, and no one of real note has joined this offseason. I’m still excited by Chris Armas’ project, but I feel like the improvement of the squads around them might prevent the Rapids from taking the next step in 2025. Barring any significant moves, it should be another year of average soccer in the Rockies.
8. Vancouver Whitecaps: I’m a longtime admirer of Vancouver’s roster, but my faith is beginning to wane. Ryan Gauld is among the best attacking players in the league, but he lost some of the depth that surrounded him last year, as well as the fiery voice of Vanni Sartini. The addition of Emmanuel Sabbi is exciting, but I don’t think it improves the squad enough to push them much further than last year.
9. FC Dallas: Holy transfer business, Batman! As of right now, Dallas has signed 17 players and sent 18 packing. With their move for Luciano Acosta adding serious firepower, they’re poised to come out of this offseason a completely new team. It’s certainly the end of an era in Dallas, and depending on the remainder of this transfer window, it could be the beginning of something… better? With Acosta, they push for the playoffs. Without him, they miss out, like the rest of Texas.
10. Sporting Kansas City: Is Dejan Joveljić enough to revive SKC? The losses of Johnny Russell, Tim Melia, and Alan Pulido will leave teams all over the Western Conference rejoicing, while the Kansas City faithful will be missing their club legends, as well as Pulido, who, despite not having the longevity of the other two, delivered some memorable moments nonetheless. It’s a new era for Peter Vermes and company, and while I admire the wonderful standards they’ve set for their club, I fear that 2025 will be a forgettable season for our friendliest rivals. Sorry, guys; not even Joveljić can save you this year.
11. St. Louis CITY SC: Let’s face it; I’m always going to be slightly salty about St. Louis’ first season in the league. I made a joke about how they capitalize CITY and said they’d finish dead LAST, then they topped the conference. Since then, they’ve regressed to the mean, and while I feel slightly vindicated, I feel pressure to get this prediction right and redeem myself. Without the added bonus of it being their first year and a lack of new signings to improve this side, I doubt STL finishes much higher than last year. To be nice, though, I moved them up one spot. You’re welcome.
12. Real Salt Lake: Chicho Arango is gone, and Matt Crooks left a giant hole in midfield. It appears to be Diego Luna’s team now, but I’m not so sure he’s ready to be the main man. Then again, he’s tough as nails, and he’s made a career of proving people wrong so far, so I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if he thrives in the absence of Chicho and Anderson Julio. Regardless, one man won’t be enough for this squad to do anything of note; it’ll be a long season without reinforcements.
13. Portland Timbers: It’s all about Evander in Stumptown. If the Timbers lose their talisman, they lose most of their hope (not all of it, though; there’s always a little hope). This may be the most underwhelming roster in the league, and without such a raucous, passionate fanbase, I’d likely have them in last place. Alas, I think they’ll find some success at home, albeit limited.
14. Houston Dynamo: After losing a significant chunk of regular starters—including Coco Carrasquilla and Héctor Herrera—the Dynamo’s big signing was… Jack McGlynn? He’s a talented kid, and I love the Union academy, but are you serious? This team was already lucky to finish fifth in the conference last year, and after an offseason that’ll have Houston soccer fans crying into their pillows, I can’t see anything but a struggle in the year ahead.
15. Austin FC: If you’re a Texas soccer fan, may I suggest taking a year off from MLS? Or, if you’d like, you’re welcome to be a Loons fan for 2025. I promise we won’t tell anyone. Austin was uninspiring at best last season, and while I’m a big fan of Brandon Vazquez, I don’t think he moves the team forward the way they need right now. The departures of Alex Ring and Sebastian Driussi are going to limit the number of scoring opportunities the squad will be able to generate for Vazquez, rendering the signing nearly useless. El Tree are going to be competing with their state rivals for the bottom spot.

Big takeaways from this offseason: the new cash-for-players transfer mechanism is a wonderful addition to the league; it’s fairly clear which teams are at the start of a new project and which are just trying to fine-tune what they think is a winning combination; and no one is safe from a potential transfer. In the modern game, you’re getting worse if you’re standing still, and you’re only keeping up if you’re spending money. The best teams spend that money wisely; that’s the only way to get ahead.

There you have it: the 2025 MLS final standings. That is, barring any huge transfers, of course. I’m sure the next big story will break as soon as I hit publish, but that’s okay. I’m pretty confident that I’ll get at least 30 of my predictions correct in year 30. Don’t believe me? I guess you’ll just have to bookmark this page, watch MLS this season, and come back here at the end of the season. Either you accept that I’m right or you give us more clicks. Either way, I think I win; checkmate! Here’s to another exhilarating year of soccer.