MLS Eastern Conference Check-In, A Word at the One-Third Mark

What I have to work with...

Welcome to this broad and necessarily shallow check-in on where things stand in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference about one-third of the way through the 2025 season. To set expectations a little:

I watch just one Eastern Conference team every week – FC Cincinnati – and most of the additional (somewhat) in-depth watching I’ve done involved teams that they played on the upcoming weekend. So, no, I’m not coming at any of this from some all-knowing, all-absorbing perch.

Against that, I sincerely believe that a lot of the week-to-week global coverage I see from this league (almost all of it from Official Organs) has a pernicious tendency to read too much into the last game played – i.e., Content, particularly the stuff around failure and progress in players, formation shifts, etc., tends to over-value the latest details, often at the expense of considering broader details like, say, did your team look like some hot-rod shit last weekend because they ran over Montreal at home? Basically, all of the everything below looks at the same things, just over a longer arc. That follows for necessity, for sure, but it’s also about patterns, particularly when it comes to results, where they happened and against which teams and in what condition.

Just to note it, I constructed the information boxes that top each section for each team from the (current) Conference Standings (that link will be stale by Sunday), the much-reduc’d Form Guide (still mourning the loss, contemplating egging MLS HQ…so long as that’s not a felony, because I can’t have another), and applying a filter one team at a time to the official stats page. (Just to note it, MLS has gutted its non-app content. Jesus fucking Christ, the home pages for must teams are like shopping malls circa 2022, i.e., tacky little ghost teams haunted by advertisements to no one.)

The teams below are listed in their order in the Eastern Conference standings and whatever comments I provide come from a combination of things I’ve read, both in the Official Organ and strays caught on Bluesky, watching highlights and longer chunks of games when I had to, or told myself I had to, and watching MLS Wrap-Up – which, to the credit of all concerned, has improved now that they have stuff to chew on.

I feel like the format speaks for itself. Oh, and one final important meridian that runs through all of what’s below: the averages for goals scored and allowed are 14.67/game in the East, 15.2/game in the West, and 14.93 across the league. That’s for reference on the goals scored and allowed for each team listed. With that, away we go…

Columbus Crew SC
7-1-3, 24 pts., 18 gf, 10 ga (+8); home 4-1-2, away 3-0-1
Last 11 Results: WWDDDWWWLWW
Strength/Location of Schedule
v CHI (4-2 W); @ NE (0-1 W); v HOU (0-0 D); @ SD (1-1 D); v NYC (0-0 D); @ DC (2-1 W); v MTL (2-1 W); @ STL (2-1 W); v MIA (0-1 L); v SJ (2-1 W); v CLT (4-2 W)

Their early wobble (games 3-5) hardly went unnoticed and it had heads flapping about what they needed to do to replace Cucho Hernandez in the summer window. Because the Crew have risen to the top of the East, the answer changed to never mind. Diego Rossi has risen to the occasion, with Jackson Russell-Rowe serving as a steady second banana, and Columbus has assists coming from all over, e.g., Max Arfsten, Mo Farsi, Steven Moreira (the object of a many of drool-fest, i.e., “how often do you see a center back do that?”), and…wow, Dylan Chambost, who, truth be told, I couldn’t pick out of police lineup. Their top-line numbers look good, sure, but they also have their share of one-goal wins, a few against some of the East’s early sad-sack outfits – i.e., the book-ending, big-number wins at the bottom of the infobox above (v Chicago in Week 1 and v Charlotte last weekend) pad those numbers. Those little wrinkles don’t keep the big picture from looking good and the trends from looking better, but they do have some tough tests between today and the end of May (@ PHI, @ MTL, v CIN, @ CLT, v NSH, @ MIN). Seeing what they do there – up and including any stumbles at Montreal – will signal to the rest of the East whether they’re dealing with some shit, or dealing with some serious shit when they play Columbus.

Philadelphia Union
7-3-1, 22 pts., 21 gf, 10 ga (+11); home 4-1-1, away 3-2-0
Last 11 Results: WWWLWLDLWWW
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ ORL (4-2 W); v CIN (4-1 W); @ NE (2-0 W); v NSH (1-3 L); v STL (1-0 W); @ MIA (1-2 L); v ORL (0-0 D); @ NYC (0-1 L); v ATL (3-0 W); v DC (3-0 W); @ MTL (2-1 W)

Stormed out of the gate like a team poised to run over the league, before taking what soon turned out to be reasonable stumbles – e.g., losing away to Miami and NYC and the goal-less draw versus Orlando, because who hasn’t? – i.e., they looked a little like Bradley Carnell’s St. Louis from their Year One. I like Philly, both as a team and their chances (like to admit biases), but I do have some “hold that thought” impulses after seeing the opposition on which they built their late resurrection (see the last three results above). Still, most of the extended time I put into Philly showed a team that had a system/approach and enough quality in the personnel to pull it off – so seeing them post big wins over your weaker teams tracks with that. Once you take Tai Baribo’s freakish early hit-rate out of the equation, the Union tends to spread around the scoring, but it seems they have a budding assist machine in Quinn Sullivan. I don’t rate everything about this team – e.g., I have doubts I can’t shake about Jakob Glesnes and I see the total minutes fall off pretty steeply after his league-leading 990 – but their collective numbers are good, if gently inflated on the attacking side, and pretty steady. Their schedule through May 31 (v CLB, v LAG, @ ATL, v MIA, @ TFC, @ FCD) is a mixed bag, so I’ll be interested to see what they do with it.

FC Cincinnati
7-3-1, 22 pts., 15 gf, 13 ga (+2); home 4-0-1, away 3-3-0
Last 11 Results: WLWLDWWWWWL
Strength/Location of Schedule
v RBNY (1-0 W); @ PHI (1-4 L); v TFC (2-0 W); @ CLT (0-2 L); v ATL (2-2 D); @ NSH (2-1 W); v NE (1-0 W); @ DC (1-0 W); @ CHI (3-2 W); v SKC (2-1 W); @ NYC (0-1 L)

Le mood.

Again, I watch this team a lot, I know their triumphs and travails intimately, and to the point where it’s hard to condense them, but here goes. Cincy’s two biggest problems are 1) missing a key player or two (but Obinna Nwobodo, mostly), and 2) connectivity issues around and between Evander, Kevin Denkey and a returning to his best self, Luca Orellano. This has only hurt them to the extent they are third in the East, as opposed to first (le SIGH!), and conceivably spent a little over their return on production, but the defense would be in single digits on goals allowed absent that loss at Philly, and the One-Goal Win Reign, made famous from prior seasons, continues. The defense is good – i.e., every time I see Cincy’s defense cover a play that just destroyed Portland’s afternoon, I die a little inside – and Evander and Denkey have six goals each, even if separately. Last week’s loss at NYCFC raises some nagging doubts about how they’ll hold up against MLS’s better, more complete teams, both in the regular season and after it, and I’d call that the big question around this team. Their schedule through the end of May (v ATX, @ TFC, @ CLB, @ ATL, v FCD, v DC) won’t give much an answer…unless they eat a little too much shit through there, of course.

Inter Miami CF
6-1-3, 21 pts., 20 gf, 11 ga (+9); home 3-1-2, away 3-0-1
Last 10 Results: DWWWWWDDWLW
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ NYC (2-2 D); @ HOU (4-2 W); v CLT (1-0 W); @ ATL (2-1 W); v PHI (2-1 W); v TFC (1-1 D); @ CHI (0-0 D); @ CLB (1-0 W); v FCD (3-4 L); v RBNY (4-1 W)

I ignore this team as a policy and feel no shame about it. Big picture, however, they generally back up the hype I see and read about them…despite the three-loss stretch that saw them lose twice to Vancouver in the CCC and one at…checking my notes…wow, Dallas. Still, the record’s good, the numbers solid, they’ve been juggling some shit and have the rotated minutes to show for it. The bulk of their production still comes from the big names – e.g., Lionel Messi’s four goals and two assists, and Luis Suarez’s two goals and six (nice!) assists – and maybe that’s a warning of what could come if either player’s minutes taper off because, I don’t know, old. I hear the stray cause for doubt – e.g., an over-reliance on emergency defending – but they have a game in hand on both Cincy and Philly and would likely pull ahead of Columbus with any win. They’re fine, they’ll be around, etc…but I won’t pretend I’m not dying to see what happens post-Messi.

Charlotte FC
6-4-1, 19 pts., 18 gf, 12 ga (+6); home 5-1-0, away 1-3-1
Last 11 Results: DWLWWLWWWLL
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ SEA (2-2 D); v ATL (2-0 W); @ MIA (0-1 L); v CIN (2-0 W); v SJ (4-1 W); @ COL (0-2 L); v NSH (2-1 W); @ MTL (1-0 W); v SD (3-0 W); v NE (0-1 L); @ CLB (2-4 L)

The rare, random team I’ve watched more than a little and I’ve generally come away impressed. Until, frankly, last week’s blowout at Columbus, they’ve been brick-shithouse sturdy in defense and, in a departure from seasons past, have added the odd multi-goal game to their repertoire. Charlotte folded a couple eye-catching results into their early season – beating Cincy (at a stroll, if I recall) and the more recent win over San Diego heats up their stock. Dean Smith has impressed me as a coach since joining MLS; moreover, I feel like they have some unknown amount of room to grow on the attacking side before they bump against their ceiling – and that’s not just about Wilfried Saha (him being weird with fans…no notes, love it) and, so long as the defense holds up – and that first string is good - they’ll compete. Between Pep Biel having a strong season and having a guy like Patrick Agyemang (perhaps?) under-performing, they could go higher; if Zaha explodes, they could go big. The schedule ahead (@ NSH, @ ORL, v CHI, v CLB, @ RBNY, @ TFC) takes them out of their comfort zone, aka, home field, but those things take care of themselves when a team’s playing well…and all that that means.

Nashville SC
5-4-2, 17 pts., 20 gf, 14 ga (+6); home 4-1-1, away 1-3-1
Last 11 Results: DLWWWLLWLWD
Strength/Location of Schedule
v NE (0-0 D; @ RBNY (0-2 L); v POR (2-0 W); @ PHI (3-1 W); v MTL (3-0 W); v CIN (1-2 L); @ CLT (1-2 L); v RSL (2-1 W); @ SEA (0-3 L); v CHI (7-2 W); @ ATL (1-1 D)

Another team I’ve watched more than expected (a rare team that played both Cincy and Portland and close together), so I have a decent enough sense of them to understand, say, why they might have lost 0-3 at Seattle and then kicked the fucking toes and testicles off Chicago the very next weekend. First and foremost, it’ s been fun watching them evolve past Hany Mukhtar & Co. of 2022(?) – e.g., the way Sam Surridge has settled in shows up in more than just the numbers, Ahmed Qasem looks interesting (enough), Andy Najar’s doing enough, and it looks like they found someone special in Edvard Tagseth – but the second-most impressive thing is seeing them survive some time without Walker Zimmerman. Going the other way, the way they slaughtered Chicago obscures the fact they’re gently subpar on the attacking side, but they have some good results in the above and they generally get it done, if mostly at home. Nashville’s in sixth now and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them stay there…though the games between now and May 31 (v CLT, v RBNY, v DC, @ TFC, @ CLB, v NYC), and the home games in particular, will stress-test that trust.

New York City FC
5-4-2, 14 pts., 13 gf, 13 ga (0); home 4-1-0, away 1-3-2
Last 11 Results: DLWWDLLWLWW
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ MIA (2-2 D), @ LAFC (0-1 L); ORL (2-1 W); v NE (2-1 W); @ CLB (0-0 D); @ ATL (3-4 L); v MIN (1-2 L); v PHI (1-0 W); @ NE (0-2 L); @ TFC (1-0 W); v CIN (1-0 W)

To start with a confession, and let this stand as a general caveat, I would have discounted NYC’s chances had I not watched their win over Cincinnati last weekend (plus some other, possibly irrelevant shit). They looked good against Cincy – could have won it in a riot, honestly – and their recent results support a loose theory of a team that has started to figure out some things. Their shitty little abomination of a home field matters to them, sure, but that’s the present advantage and they use it well. Alonso Martinez is the star, of course, and the supporting cast is spare (see “gf” above), but, to their very real credit, NYCFC has a decent enough record against a tough schedule to where a little improvement could go a long way – particularly when it comes to picking up points between now and the end of May (v MTL, @ DC, v RBNY, v CHI, v HOU, @ NSH) – but that will have to translate into points earned over the next month.

Orlando City SC
4-2-5, 17 pts., 18 gf, 12 ga (+6); home 3-1-1, away 1-1-4
Last 11 Results: LWLDWWDDDWD
Strength/Location of Schedule
v PHI (2-4 L); v TFC (4-2 W); @ NYC (1-2 L); @ RBNY (2-2 D); v DC (4-1 W); @ LAG (2-1 W); @ PHI (0-0 D), v RBNY (0-0 D); @ MTL (0-0 D); v ATL (3-0 W); @ CHI (0-0 D)

Ahh....

At this point, I mostly feel sorry for Orlando fans. Just three goals in the past five games, and all in one game. Don’t know about you, but I watch this sport to feel something. For the glass half-full side, three of those draws represent three points on the road; for the glass half-empty side, dropping points at Montreal and Chicago probably feels like admitting to your friends in the wee hours of the morning that 2025, yet again, will not be Orlando’s year. Speaking from experience, an eighth-place finish will only have the upside of your jailers agreeing to give you a second final meal before an inevitable death sentence. I haven’t had much cause to watch Orlando – and they looked that familiar combination of fine and frustrated when I did – but their top-line team numbers, especially when set beside their points-production leaders (Marco Pasalic, 5g, 2a; Martin Ojeda, 4g, 3a; Luis Muriel, 4g, 3a; hell, Alexander, 3g, 1a) speaks to another Orlando classic pattern: the odd big, splashy win (or loss; see Weeks 1 and 2), with soul-sucking, season-killing draws all around. Decisive as Hamlet, this bunch, but their longer trends (as in year-on-year) have been good enough to make the stretch between now and the end of May (v NE, v CLT, @ MIA, v POR, @ ATL, v CHI), pretty damn interesting. Or not, depending on what Orlando does with it.

New England Revolution
5-4-1, 16 pts., 9 gf, 7 ga (+2); home 2-2-0, away 3-2-1
Last 10 Results: DLLLWLWWWW
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ NSH (0-0 D); v CLB (0-1 L); v PHI (0-2 L); @ NYC (1-2 L); v RBNY (2-1 W); @ CIN (0-1 L); @ ATL (1-0 W); v NYC (2-0 W); @ CLT (1-0 W); @ TFC (2-0 W)

The short version: not bad for a team that looked doomed and cooked through the sixth game of the season. To borrow an overworked cliché from an overworked MLS hack, the Revs are rising like a salmon. Two things make that look…reasonably sustainable: that defensive record – currently MLS-best and with most teams five-and-well-over-plus goals behind – and three straight road wins – one at a consensus legit team (Charlotte). The weight of the early struggles tilted toward a failure to score as the cause – just two goals in their first two games (one of them an own-goal, true story), but that has picked up lately, what with Leo Campana back in the fold (still shit for numbers), Ignatius Ganago back in his favored position (still shit for numbers) and Carles Gil (more from what I hear than what I’ve seen) in a free role and doing just fine. But, again, a good defense goes a long goddamn way and the Revs have played and, for the most part, survived one of the East’s tougher schedules. They have a game in hand, generally, and will only get to their 15th game by the end of May (most teams will be at 17); more to the point, they have road games against some weak teams in the weeks ahead (@ ORL, v SJ, @ SKC, @ DC, @ MTL), so they’ll either pad the account and keep rising (I mean outside the inevitable draw at Orlando) or show their limitations in the weeks to come.

Red Bull New York
4-4-3, 15 pts., 11 gf, 13 ga (-2); home 4-1-1, away 0-3-2
Last 11 Results: LWDDWLWDLWL
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ CIN (0-1 L); v NSH (2-0 W); @ ATL (0-0 D); v ORL (2-2 D); v TFC (2-1 W); @ NE (1-2 L); v CHI (2-1 W); @ ORL (0-0 D); v DC (1-2 L); v MTL (1-0 W); @ MIA (1-4 L)

The outline of a dream

The Red Bulls tease the familiar conundrum of a team that doesn’t do nearly enough, but that’s only because they rode the same bullshit all the way to (a frankly disappointing MLS Cup) in 2024. They’ve established some definite patterns on the field – good at home, if largely against crap opposition (something to keep an eye on), and useless to bad on the road. On the occasions I’ve watched them (150 minutes or thereabouts), I’ve been bored shitless because not much of interest happens. They’re getting middling production out of their big-ticket players, Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting (4g, 1a) and Emil Forsberg (3g, 2a), and just 90 minutes (so far! and again!) out of their other, oft-absent star, Lewis Morgan. At this early point in the season – because, again, the Red Bulls couldn’t stop tying until the fraying fucking end of 2025 and still made MLS Cup, predictions are delusions and/or lies, etc. – they present as a Porsche tuned with Volkswagen Super Beetle parts, aka, 10th feels appropriate. Moreover, the path ahead (v LAG, @ NSH, @ NYC, @ DC, v CLT, v ATL) hardly points to a revival.

Chicago Fire FC
3-4-4, 13 pts., 18 gf, 22 ga (-4); home 0-1-4, away 3-3-0
Last 11 Results: DDWWWDLDLLD
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ CLB (2-4 L); v DC (2-2 D); @ FCD (3-1 W); @ TFC (2-1 W); @ VAN (3-1 W); v MTL (1-1 D); @ RBNY (1-2 L); @ MIA (0-0 D); v CIN (2-3 L); @ NSH (2-7 L); v ORL (0-0 D)

I swear the Fire have started the past two-three seasons going on a run that sells people on some kind of revival and, again, I mostly feel for their long, LONG-suffering fans on that one. They did the same in 2025 when they rattled off three straight road wins – the Fire handed Vancouver their only loss of the season! what?! – between Weeks 3 and 5, but then they caught the Evil Eye, tripped over their annual allotment of black cats, or just remembered their the Chicago fucking Fire and duly reverted to form. To be open about it, there are no teams in MLS that I pull for like Chicago – and, to be clear, that might even apply to Cincy and Portland. The Fire have suffered unreasonably and for longer than any fan outside the greater Chicago area should have to (hello, Cubs fans!). On the plus side, they’re finally getting production out of Hugo Cuypers (good production, too), and Philip Zinckernagel (#BestNameInMLS) and Jonathan Bamba have throw down their share as well, but their defense has arguably/probably fucked them out of three results this season (v DC and Cincy, plus the disaster at Nashville), thereby stranding that better than average offense. I haven’t watched them a bunch in 2025, but what I’ve seen tells me they can play the damn game. If Chicago wants to improve before the…think it’s an international break (seriously, will there even be a World Cup in 2026?), they’re obliged to do it on the road (v ATL, @ CLT, @ NYC, @ ORL), and none of that (outside hosting Atlanta) looks promising.

DC United
3-5-3, 12 pts., 13 gf, 23 ga (-10); home 2-2-2, away 1-3-1
Last 11 Results: DDWDLLLLWLW
Strength/Location of Schedule
v TFC (2-2 D); @ CHI (2-2 D); v SKC (2-1 W); v MTL (0-0 D); @ ORL (1-4 L); v CLB (1-2 L); @ SJ (1-6 L); v CIN (0-1 L); @ RBNY (2-1 W); @ PHI (0-3 L); v COL (2-1 W)

The big concern here – and I mean besides the lopsided road losses in every venue besides Red Bull Arena – is the general failure to pick up wins at home, if you can’t go it there, can you do it anywhere, etc. The positives include Christian Benteke and a couple bangers by Joao Peglow, but the excitement and success tops out there and dies a muddy death on the back of the worst defense in MLS. I think they’re young back there, but I’m also seeing DC’s roster dip 300 minutes below the alleged maximum of 971 minutes (set by David Schnegg) within seven places and that eighth player is their current favorite in goal. That’s to say, the lineup has been unstable so far – something that would feel like a tragedy if I saw more game-winning players on this roster, but, as I scroll down, I mostly see things that make me think, “oh, that’s how a team lands in 12th.” The schedule ahead, blah, blah, blah (fine, it’s @ TFC, v NYC, @ NSH, v RBNY, v NE, @ CIN), but, to spin a paraphrase out of something said about Charlotte above, every game looks hard to a certain kind of team.

Atlanta United FC
2-5-4, 10 pts., 12 gf, 20 ga (-8); home 2-2-3, away 0-3-1
Last 11 Results: WLDLDWDLLLD
Strength/Location of Schedule
v MTL (3-2 W); @ CLT (0-2 L); v RBNY (0-0 D), v MIA (0-1 L); @ CIN (2-2 D); v NYC (4-3 W); v FCD (1-1 D); v NE (0-1 L); @ PHI (0-3 L); @ ORL (0-3 L); v NSH (1-1 D)

They seemed to take enough of the right steps – e.g., returning team icon Miguel Almiron from Newcastle, the big, splashy signing of Emmanuel Latte Lath, and bringing in recently-successful-in-MLS head coach Ronny Deila to lead them – but all that investment has bought them two slim wins and a headful of doubts. The stars have produced, if minimally, but they’re getting perilously close to jack-shit out of Aleskey Miranchuk and everyone else. The attack that was supposed to storm the East hasn’t even broken average, the defense isn’t buying it time to congeal, they suck on the road, etc. etc. etc. There’s nothing for them to do, but get back at it, but it’s hard to see the current incarnation doing much between today and the end of May (@ CHI, @ ATX, v PHI, v CIN, v ORL, @ RBNY), which makes one wonder when heads will roll and who’s goes first.

Toronto FC
1-6-4, 7 pts., 8 gf, 16 ga (-8); home 0-3-2, away 1-3-2
Last 11 Results: LLLDDDWLL
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ DC (2-2 D), @ ORL (2-4 L); @ CIN (0-2 L); v CHI (1-2 L); @ RBNY (1-2 L); v VAN (0-0 D): MIA (1-1 D); v MIN (0-0 D); @ RSL (1-0 W); v NYC (0-1 L); v NE (0-2 L)

Canada’s reddest team fell down just over a half decade ago and, despite throwing piles of money at their myriad problems, they have yet to get up. The scoring sucks, Lorenzo Insigne has still struggles with changing a game, never mind a season (quiet nod of respect to Fernando Bernardeschi, who seems committed), and, yeah, it’s just grim up in Toronto. They didn’t win until the 7th game of 2025 and returned promptly to losing ways in the games immediately after, both of them at home. They have five home games coming up to get that straightened out and really could have used some help with the selected opposition, but I see only 180 minutes of relief between now and the end of May (v DC, v CIN, @ MTL, v NSH, v PHI, v CLT). One would say things can’t get worse, and yet…

No, I'll just get in. Toss the dirt on top.

Club du Foot Montreal
0-8-3, 3 pts., 5 gf, 16 ga (-11); home 0-2-1, away 0-6-2
Last 11 Results: LLLDLDLLDLL
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ ATL (2-3 L); @ MIN (0-1 L); @ VAN (0-2 L); @ DC (0-0 D); @ NSH (0-3 L); @ CHI (1-1 D); @ CLB (1-2 L); v CLT (0-1 L); v ORL (0-0 D); @ RBNY (0-1 L); v PHI (1-2 L)

Probably wise to shit-can everyone from the GM all the way down to the janitor at this point, but Montreal is on track for a historically bad season. They’re one of two winless teams just ahead of the 1/3 mark of the season and they only excuse they had – playing their first seven games on the road – went poof over three (admittedly difficult) home games thereafter. The only “names” on the roster are the ones people recognize because they’ve stuck around long enough. I get that one team has to be the wrong species of goat in any sports league, but I don’t see anything that looks like a sign of life.

Thus endeth the check-in. Didn’t get too predictive up there and that feels right. Plenty of season left…