 |
| De nada. |
Not every team below necessarily belongs in the Shield conversation, but I opted to take a wide view for this post. While I provide a lot of details on each team – e.g., their record over the past 10 games and their remaining schedule, mainly – I’m neither equipped to nor interested in strapping in for much analysis; related, while I acknowledge trades that have happened since the beginning of August, only a handful of the names rang a bell, so I don’t have much to offer beyond their name and the letter that connotes their position on the field. The notes I have will focus on past results, players that seem worth noting, and some informed speculation on the games they have left – and they won’t be lengthy or linky.
As a quick, hopeful editorial note: I intend (emphasis on intend) to spend the rest of the season focusing on the teams either closest to FC Cincinnati, or the one that did something on the past weekend that feels worth flagging. Caveat lector: that’s more concept-in-progress than work-in-progress.
Think that’s everything. Let’s start by framing…
1st) FC Cincinnati
16-7-4, 27 games played; 52 pts., 42 gf, 34 ga (+8); home 7-3-2, away 9-4-2
Last 10 Results: WWWWLWWDLW (7-2-1)
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ NE (1-0 W); @ MTL (3-1 W); @ ORL (2-1 W); v CHI (2-1 W); v CLB (2-4 L); v MIA (3-0 W); @ RSL (1-0 W); @ MIA (0-0 D); v CLT (0-1 L); @ POR (3-2 W)
Remaining Schedule: v NYC; v PHI, v NSH; @ LAG; v ORL; @ RBNY; v MTL
Additions: Ayoub Jabbari (F); Samuel Gidi (M)
Losses: DeAndre Yedlin
Don’t love the Yedlin trade in the here and now – though, to be clear, I’m open to embracing whatever value it ultimately provides – and hope it doesn’t bite ‘em. Ayoub Jabbari and Samuel Gidi are names I have read on the internet. Obligatory “hope they’re good,” and…moving on…
[UPDATE: Not yet! With the transfer window on its way to closing, reports dropped about Cincinnati calling back Brenner, a smart commentator on Bluesky (goes by Bucket of Junk) noted that Obinna Nwobodo just came off the season-ending injury list, Alvaro Barreal may be back. [UPDATE to UPDATE: This has since been revised to "wish-casting," which I support when it comes to spectator sports.] Things are in flux for Cincy, basically, but their fluxxing in a good direction for them.]
Big picture: FC Cincy’s is cobbling shit together and skipping ahead of the opposition by outscoring them. It’s fair to ask whether that can last forever, but Plan A is holding together – both overall and recently – and getting Kevin Denkey back should help the skips go a little farther. One could point to the soft patches over the past 10 games; one could also argue that Cincy stepped into most (though not all) of them on the road.
Without counting any unhatched chickens, but all of those games should be winnable; Red Bull on the road strikes me as the hardest out, but both NYCFC and Philly tend to give Cincy a game. All in all, though, all signs point to FC Cincinnati having a fair crack at a handle on their own destiny. Now, let’s go sniff around the opposition.
2nd) Philadelphia Union
15-6-6, 27 games played; 51 pts., 44 gf, 26 ga (+19); home 9-1-4, away 6-5-2
Last 10 Results: WWLLWWDWDL (5-3-2)
Strength/Location of Schedule
v CLT (2-1 W); @ CHI (1-0 W); @ CLB (0-1 L); @ NSH (0-1 L); v RBNY (2-0 W); v MTL (2-1 W); @ HOU (1-1 D); v COL (3-1 W), v TFC (1-1 D); @ RBNY (0-1 L)
Remaining Schedule: v CHI; @ CIN; @ VAN; @ NSH; v NE; @ DC; v NYC; @ CLT
Additions: Milan Iloski (F)
I believe the defense cleaned up a lot since 2024 (if not then, 2023), they find a good fit for their style in Danley Jean-Jacques, they have a (get-on-the-scene-like-an) assist machine in Kai Wagner, I’ve always liked Indiana Vassilev’s hustle, Quinn Sullivan’s having a career season, and they have solid attacking pieces in Mikael Uhre and Golden Boot converse, Tai Baribo. A pretty good hand to play, in other words.
Thought they’d slipped a bit more over their past 10 games, but enough of those came against measurable option that it feels reasonable to call Philly a team that will win half the games they play. The losses at Columbus and Nashville feel big-picture relevant, maybe even a little like foreshadowing…
…because I’m counting four genuinely challenging road games in Philly’s stretch run, the kind that add an inch or four at the top of the hurdle, but we’ll see.
3rd) Nashville SC
14-8-5, 27 games played; 47 pts., 44 gf, 31 ga (+13); home 9-1-3, away 5-7-2; 27 GP
Last 10 Results: WWWWLWWLLL (6-4-0)
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ CHI (2-0 W); @ NE (3-2 W); @ DC (1-0 W); v PHI (1-0 W); @ MIA (1-2 L); v CLB (3-0 W); v TFC (1-0 W); @ SD (0-1 L); @ STL (1-3 L); @ NYC (1-2 L)
Remaining Schedule: v ORL; v ATL; @ CIN; (USOC v PHI) @ ORL; v HOU; @ MTL; v MIA
Doubt I need to remind anyone about the one-two-punch named Surridge and Mukhtar, but the backups – e.g., Alex Muyl – have stepped up enough and Jacob Shaffelburg’s back in the mix. The defense continues to buy them time, at a reasonable discount, and there’s enough “oomph” in the roster, even if it isn’t fully-stocked with household names…
…or at least that was the case until Nashville knee-scraping stumbles over their past three games. They dominated on the road some weeks ago, but that earlier stretch saw more downhill, breeze-at-the-back matchups than those post three…that said…St. Louis, guys? For a team with aspirations?
Close readers will see a (shorthand for a) U.S. Open Cup tie in the above – which happens to be the meat in the toughest-stretch-sandwich for Nashville’s stretch run (at Orlando and Cincy = the bread) – most of the remaining games look manageable, at least half of them winnable. The sum of that won’t make it easy to keep up with Cincinnati, but they feel like shoe-ins for the playoffs.
4th) Orlando City SC
13-6-8, 27 games played; 47 pts., 53 gf, 35 ga (+18); home 7-4-3, away 6-2-5
Last 10 Results: WWLDDLWWWW (4-4-2)
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ COL (1-0 W); @ STL (4-2 W); v CIN (1-2 L); @ CLT (2-2 D); v MTL (1-1 D); v NYC (1-2 L); @ NE (2-1 W); @ CLB (3-1 W); v MIA (4-1 W); v SKC (3-1 W)
Remaining Schedule: @ NSH; (@ MIA; LC); @ DC; v NSH; @ CIN; v CLB; v VAN; @ TFC
Additions: Tyrese Spicer (M); Adrian Marin (D)
Losses: Rafael Santos (D)
Spicer, I know well enough. Like that signing for them. And, AUGGHGHH!!!! The ghost of Rafael Santos still haunts their roster page!
For a team with a history of bumping against the ceiling, there’s a lot to like on Orlando’s roster. Under a headliner like Martin Ojeda (having a career season), you’ve got all kinds of capable – e.g., Cesar Araujo, Eduard Atuesta, center back Robin Jansson, and goalkeeper/penalty-kicker, Pedro Gallese – plus a new star pushing his way into the headlines (Marco Pasalic), an eager, familiar understudy (Luis Muriel), and some serious speed/assist from the depth (Ivan Angulo).
To be clear, Orlando still does very Orlando things – see that run of dropped points in “Weeks” 3-6 of the above 10-game sample. But what came immediately after? D’AMN. Sure, not every game was a titanic clash between Orlando and Evil (stakes), but they’ve still won seven of their last eight, in all competitions, and are Leagues Cup semifinal-bound to boot. Also, they scored 21 goals over that stretch…at least half during Leagues Cup, perhaps not coincidentally. In short, this is a team on a tear.
I’m pulling for them in Leagues Cup, for one, but I see a lot of complicated hosting in Orlando’s future and not much for relief on the road. With that entirely in mind, Orlando feels like a team to watch – with reasons to do piling up in direct proportion to the points they can pick up.
5th) Inter Miami CF
13-5-6, 24 games played; 45 pts., 53 gf, 39 ga (+14); home 7-2-3, away 6-3-3
Last 10 Results: WWWWWLWDLW (7-2-1)
Strength/Location of Schedule
v MTL (4-2 W); v CLB (5-1 W); @ MTL (4-1 W); @ NE (2-1 W); v NSH (2-1 W); @ CIN (0-3 L); @ RBNY (5-1 W); v CIN (0-0 D); @ ORL (1-4 L); LAG (3-1 W)
Remaining Schedule: @ DC; (v ORL, LC); @ CLT; v SEA; v DC; @ NYC; @ TFC; v CHI; v NE; v ATL; @ NSH
Losses: Federico Redondo (M); Drake Callendar (GK)
Definitely a case of, “anything Orlando can do, we can do better,” only with getting their asses kicked by Orlando in the mix. The Leagues Cup final will either be lit, or Miami will be embarrassed.
Look, we all know the drill on this team (drilled into our heads, after all), but Miami backs it up…just not against Orlando or Cincinnati, which sure seems notable. Still, they can score against anyone – including the two before-named bogey teams – and that keeps them does more than keep them in every game, it keeps them consistent.
I see a fair amount of padding in Miami’s last 10 games, which pairs nicely with those three games in hand. If you treat that as the effective ceiling for Miami against the four teams above them, you have a team that’s very much alive in the Shield race. The more points they punch out of their tough games – e.g., at Charlotte, vs. Seattle, at NYCFC and Nashville…maybe, at Toronto? – the more plausible they look for the Shield. Pains me to say it, but Miami might be the gaudiest dark horse in MLS history.
6th) Columbus Crew
12-5-9, 26 games played; 45 pts., 42 gf, 37 ga (+5); home 8-2-4, away 4-3-5; 26 GP
Last 10 Results: LWWWDWLWLD (5-3-2)
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ MIA (1-5 L); v VAN (2-1 W); v ATL (3-1 W); v PHI (1-0 W); @ SEA (1-1 D); @ CIN (4-2 W); @ NSH (0-3 L); v DC (2-1 W); @ ORL (1-3 L); @ TFC (1-1 D)
Remaining Schedule: v NE; @ RBNY; @ ATL; @ NYC; v TFC; @ CHI; @ ORL; v RBNY
Currently, a team that thrives more collectively than individually. For all the good Jacen Russell-Rowe has done in 2025, everyone after “star” attackers like Diego Rossi and Max Arfsten fits well enough into the capable, selfless mold of guys like Sean Zawadski, Steven Moreira, Mo Farsi, and, putting the “hyper” into hyper-capable, Darlington Nagbe.
Their past 10 results make a plausible case for a team that can beat any other, Columbus’ past four results leave one wondering whether that road win over Cincy drew the high-water mark. Seven points isn’t so far off the pace that the Crew will never catch up, but the reality of seeing a team coached by His Holiness, Wilfried Nancy, loitering at the edges of the conclave strikes me as a meaningful datapoint. [Ed. – I have nothing against Nancy, honest, but I haven’t seen pundits (captive ones, admittedly) fawn over a coach like they do over Nancy in years.]
With a side-eye at that away game in Orlando, I’m keeping a sharp eye on Columbus’ games against the New York teams. They’re stubborn in a way that should give some hint at the kind of juice Columbus can bring to the post-season. For what it’s worth, I’ll be surprised if they keep up in the Shield race. It’ll take the village, if they do.
7th) Charlotte FC
14-11-2, 27 games played; 44 pts., 45 gf, 39 ga (+6); home 10-2-1, away 4-9-1
Last 10 Results: LLLDWWWWWW (6-3-1)
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ PHI (1-2 L); @ SKC (1-2 L); @ CHI (2-3 L); v ORL (2-2 D); v NYC (2-0 W); v DC (2-1 W); @ ATL (3-2 W); v TFC (2-0 W); @ CIN (1-0 W); v RSL (1-0 W)
Remaining Schedule: v RBNY; @ NE; v MIA; @ NYC; v MTL; @ DC; v PHI
Additions: Harry Toffolo (D); Archie Goodwin (F); Drake Callendar; (Adilson Malanda traded, but loaned back)
Losses: Patrick Agyemang
Did I write this team off halfway through its brutal, mid-season slump? Yes. Yes, I did, especially Agyemang moving to greener pastures and leaving those fallow fields behind.
Keeping Malanda(?) until the end of the season was big (assuming they did it), but all the relevant things looked up the day Charlotte’s defense snapped back to and returned to buying minutes for Pep Biel, (new guy) Idan Toklomati, and, from what I’m told, a more-locked-in Wilfried Zaha.
Happily for Charlotte, a six-game (league-only) winning streak returned a beaming sun to their sky (Charlotte’s Leagues Cup…a couple more clouds). The competition hasn’t been the stiffest – the (motherfucking) away win at Cincinnati stands tallest in a field of, “any-team-with-aspirations-needs-to-win-that.” Charlotte, to their credit, did – even against a Toronto team that has tripped its share of strivers.
Running in their favor – and quite a bit, if they’re lucky – Charlotte plays most of their toughest games at home, where they’re pretty damn strong. With at least two of their road games looking winnable…well, Charlotte’s chances of lifting the Shield don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy ol’ world, but the balance of the teams above them need to keep Charlotte in their rearview – and assume they’re larger than they appear until further notice.
8th) New York City FC
12-8-5, 25 games played; 41 pts., 36 gf, 30 ga (+6); home 9-3-0, away 3-5-5
Last 10 Results: LDWLWLWDWW (5-3-2)
Strength/Location of Schedule
v HOU (0-3 L); @ NSH (2-2 D); v ATL (4-0 W); @ MTL (0-1 L); v TFC (3-1 W); @ CLT (0-2 L); @ ORL (2-1 W); @ SKC (1-1 D); @ FCD (4-3 W), NSH (2-1 W)
Remaining Schedule: @ CIN; v DC; @ CHI; v CLB; v CLT; v MIA; @ RBNY; @ PHI; v NYC
Additions: Raul Gustavo (D)
Losses: Mounsef Bakrar (F)
It should go without saying that I see NYCFC as the longest of longshots in the mix, the least-likely-to, and all that. Against that, their games in hand (two on most teams), their last four results, and the number of times they pop up in the schedules of six of the teams above make them impossible to ignore. They might have a snowball’s chance in Albuquerque at the Shield, but I give them an damned good chance at breaking hearts around the league.
NYC has its weapons – Alonso Martinez, Hannes Wolf and the seemingly-undead Maxi Moralez – but, per the numbers above, this is a team getting by on thin margins. Or it was…
Their brightest likely future has them stealing points and growing into a scarier post-season nightmare with each point, but it’ll take a miracle run to keep them in this particular sample.
And, yeah, that’s the post. I’ll be back with something on this soon. Concept in progress, and so on.
Without counting any unhatched chickens, but all of those games should be winnable; Red Bull on the road strikes me as the hardest out, but both NYCFC and Philly tend to give Cincy a game. All in all, though, all signs point to FC Cincinnati having a fair crack at a handle on their own destiny. Now, let’s go sniff around the opposition.
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| Poised to catch their nuts. |
15-6-6, 27 games played; 51 pts., 44 gf, 26 ga (+19); home 9-1-4, away 6-5-2
Last 10 Results: WWLLWWDWDL (5-3-2)
Strength/Location of Schedule
v CLT (2-1 W); @ CHI (1-0 W); @ CLB (0-1 L); @ NSH (0-1 L); v RBNY (2-0 W); v MTL (2-1 W); @ HOU (1-1 D); v COL (3-1 W), v TFC (1-1 D); @ RBNY (0-1 L)
Remaining Schedule: v CHI; @ CIN; @ VAN; @ NSH; v NE; @ DC; v NYC; @ CLT
Additions: Milan Iloski (F)
I believe the defense cleaned up a lot since 2024 (if not then, 2023), they find a good fit for their style in Danley Jean-Jacques, they have a (get-on-the-scene-like-an) assist machine in Kai Wagner, I’ve always liked Indiana Vassilev’s hustle, Quinn Sullivan’s having a career season, and they have solid attacking pieces in Mikael Uhre and Golden Boot converse, Tai Baribo. A pretty good hand to play, in other words.
Thought they’d slipped a bit more over their past 10 games, but enough of those came against measurable option that it feels reasonable to call Philly a team that will win half the games they play. The losses at Columbus and Nashville feel big-picture relevant, maybe even a little like foreshadowing…
…because I’m counting four genuinely challenging road games in Philly’s stretch run, the kind that add an inch or four at the top of the hurdle, but we’ll see.
 |
| Or do our eyes deceive us? Like Satan. |
14-8-5, 27 games played; 47 pts., 44 gf, 31 ga (+13); home 9-1-3, away 5-7-2; 27 GP
Last 10 Results: WWWWLWWLLL (6-4-0)
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ CHI (2-0 W); @ NE (3-2 W); @ DC (1-0 W); v PHI (1-0 W); @ MIA (1-2 L); v CLB (3-0 W); v TFC (1-0 W); @ SD (0-1 L); @ STL (1-3 L); @ NYC (1-2 L)
Remaining Schedule: v ORL; v ATL; @ CIN; (USOC v PHI) @ ORL; v HOU; @ MTL; v MIA
Doubt I need to remind anyone about the one-two-punch named Surridge and Mukhtar, but the backups – e.g., Alex Muyl – have stepped up enough and Jacob Shaffelburg’s back in the mix. The defense continues to buy them time, at a reasonable discount, and there’s enough “oomph” in the roster, even if it isn’t fully-stocked with household names…
…or at least that was the case until Nashville knee-scraping stumbles over their past three games. They dominated on the road some weeks ago, but that earlier stretch saw more downhill, breeze-at-the-back matchups than those post three…that said…St. Louis, guys? For a team with aspirations?
Close readers will see a (shorthand for a) U.S. Open Cup tie in the above – which happens to be the meat in the toughest-stretch-sandwich for Nashville’s stretch run (at Orlando and Cincy = the bread) – most of the remaining games look manageable, at least half of them winnable. The sum of that won’t make it easy to keep up with Cincinnati, but they feel like shoe-ins for the playoffs.
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| Kid, trailer park, etc. Not a comment on Florida. |
13-6-8, 27 games played; 47 pts., 53 gf, 35 ga (+18); home 7-4-3, away 6-2-5
Last 10 Results: WWLDDLWWWW (4-4-2)
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ COL (1-0 W); @ STL (4-2 W); v CIN (1-2 L); @ CLT (2-2 D); v MTL (1-1 D); v NYC (1-2 L); @ NE (2-1 W); @ CLB (3-1 W); v MIA (4-1 W); v SKC (3-1 W)
Remaining Schedule: @ NSH; (@ MIA; LC); @ DC; v NSH; @ CIN; v CLB; v VAN; @ TFC
Additions: Tyrese Spicer (M); Adrian Marin (D)
Losses: Rafael Santos (D)
Spicer, I know well enough. Like that signing for them. And, AUGGHGHH!!!! The ghost of Rafael Santos still haunts their roster page!
For a team with a history of bumping against the ceiling, there’s a lot to like on Orlando’s roster. Under a headliner like Martin Ojeda (having a career season), you’ve got all kinds of capable – e.g., Cesar Araujo, Eduard Atuesta, center back Robin Jansson, and goalkeeper/penalty-kicker, Pedro Gallese – plus a new star pushing his way into the headlines (Marco Pasalic), an eager, familiar understudy (Luis Muriel), and some serious speed/assist from the depth (Ivan Angulo).
To be clear, Orlando still does very Orlando things – see that run of dropped points in “Weeks” 3-6 of the above 10-game sample. But what came immediately after? D’AMN. Sure, not every game was a titanic clash between Orlando and Evil (stakes), but they’ve still won seven of their last eight, in all competitions, and are Leagues Cup semifinal-bound to boot. Also, they scored 21 goals over that stretch…at least half during Leagues Cup, perhaps not coincidentally. In short, this is a team on a tear.
I’m pulling for them in Leagues Cup, for one, but I see a lot of complicated hosting in Orlando’s future and not much for relief on the road. With that entirely in mind, Orlando feels like a team to watch – with reasons to do piling up in direct proportion to the points they can pick up.
5th) Inter Miami CF
13-5-6, 24 games played; 45 pts., 53 gf, 39 ga (+14); home 7-2-3, away 6-3-3
Last 10 Results: WWWWWLWDLW (7-2-1)
Strength/Location of Schedule
v MTL (4-2 W); v CLB (5-1 W); @ MTL (4-1 W); @ NE (2-1 W); v NSH (2-1 W); @ CIN (0-3 L); @ RBNY (5-1 W); v CIN (0-0 D); @ ORL (1-4 L); LAG (3-1 W)
Remaining Schedule: @ DC; (v ORL, LC); @ CLT; v SEA; v DC; @ NYC; @ TFC; v CHI; v NE; v ATL; @ NSH
Losses: Federico Redondo (M); Drake Callendar (GK)
Definitely a case of, “anything Orlando can do, we can do better,” only with getting their asses kicked by Orlando in the mix. The Leagues Cup final will either be lit, or Miami will be embarrassed.
Look, we all know the drill on this team (drilled into our heads, after all), but Miami backs it up…just not against Orlando or Cincinnati, which sure seems notable. Still, they can score against anyone – including the two before-named bogey teams – and that keeps them does more than keep them in every game, it keeps them consistent.
I see a fair amount of padding in Miami’s last 10 games, which pairs nicely with those three games in hand. If you treat that as the effective ceiling for Miami against the four teams above them, you have a team that’s very much alive in the Shield race. The more points they punch out of their tough games – e.g., at Charlotte, vs. Seattle, at NYCFC and Nashville…maybe, at Toronto? – the more plausible they look for the Shield. Pains me to say it, but Miami might be the gaudiest dark horse in MLS history.
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| Sturdy, reliable, scores the odd absolute banger. |
12-5-9, 26 games played; 45 pts., 42 gf, 37 ga (+5); home 8-2-4, away 4-3-5; 26 GP
Last 10 Results: LWWWDWLWLD (5-3-2)
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ MIA (1-5 L); v VAN (2-1 W); v ATL (3-1 W); v PHI (1-0 W); @ SEA (1-1 D); @ CIN (4-2 W); @ NSH (0-3 L); v DC (2-1 W); @ ORL (1-3 L); @ TFC (1-1 D)
Remaining Schedule: v NE; @ RBNY; @ ATL; @ NYC; v TFC; @ CHI; @ ORL; v RBNY
Currently, a team that thrives more collectively than individually. For all the good Jacen Russell-Rowe has done in 2025, everyone after “star” attackers like Diego Rossi and Max Arfsten fits well enough into the capable, selfless mold of guys like Sean Zawadski, Steven Moreira, Mo Farsi, and, putting the “hyper” into hyper-capable, Darlington Nagbe.
Their past 10 results make a plausible case for a team that can beat any other, Columbus’ past four results leave one wondering whether that road win over Cincy drew the high-water mark. Seven points isn’t so far off the pace that the Crew will never catch up, but the reality of seeing a team coached by His Holiness, Wilfried Nancy, loitering at the edges of the conclave strikes me as a meaningful datapoint. [Ed. – I have nothing against Nancy, honest, but I haven’t seen pundits (captive ones, admittedly) fawn over a coach like they do over Nancy in years.]
With a side-eye at that away game in Orlando, I’m keeping a sharp eye on Columbus’ games against the New York teams. They’re stubborn in a way that should give some hint at the kind of juice Columbus can bring to the post-season. For what it’s worth, I’ll be surprised if they keep up in the Shield race. It’ll take the village, if they do.
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| Looking up, y'all. |
14-11-2, 27 games played; 44 pts., 45 gf, 39 ga (+6); home 10-2-1, away 4-9-1
Last 10 Results: LLLDWWWWWW (6-3-1)
Strength/Location of Schedule
@ PHI (1-2 L); @ SKC (1-2 L); @ CHI (2-3 L); v ORL (2-2 D); v NYC (2-0 W); v DC (2-1 W); @ ATL (3-2 W); v TFC (2-0 W); @ CIN (1-0 W); v RSL (1-0 W)
Remaining Schedule: v RBNY; @ NE; v MIA; @ NYC; v MTL; @ DC; v PHI
Additions: Harry Toffolo (D); Archie Goodwin (F); Drake Callendar; (Adilson Malanda traded, but loaned back)
Losses: Patrick Agyemang
Did I write this team off halfway through its brutal, mid-season slump? Yes. Yes, I did, especially Agyemang moving to greener pastures and leaving those fallow fields behind.
Keeping Malanda(?) until the end of the season was big (assuming they did it), but all the relevant things looked up the day Charlotte’s defense snapped back to and returned to buying minutes for Pep Biel, (new guy) Idan Toklomati, and, from what I’m told, a more-locked-in Wilfried Zaha.
Happily for Charlotte, a six-game (league-only) winning streak returned a beaming sun to their sky (Charlotte’s Leagues Cup…a couple more clouds). The competition hasn’t been the stiffest – the (motherfucking) away win at Cincinnati stands tallest in a field of, “any-team-with-aspirations-needs-to-win-that.” Charlotte, to their credit, did – even against a Toronto team that has tripped its share of strivers.
Running in their favor – and quite a bit, if they’re lucky – Charlotte plays most of their toughest games at home, where they’re pretty damn strong. With at least two of their road games looking winnable…well, Charlotte’s chances of lifting the Shield don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy ol’ world, but the balance of the teams above them need to keep Charlotte in their rearview – and assume they’re larger than they appear until further notice.
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| Watch that six, y'all. |
12-8-5, 25 games played; 41 pts., 36 gf, 30 ga (+6); home 9-3-0, away 3-5-5
Last 10 Results: LDWLWLWDWW (5-3-2)
Strength/Location of Schedule
v HOU (0-3 L); @ NSH (2-2 D); v ATL (4-0 W); @ MTL (0-1 L); v TFC (3-1 W); @ CLT (0-2 L); @ ORL (2-1 W); @ SKC (1-1 D); @ FCD (4-3 W), NSH (2-1 W)
Remaining Schedule: @ CIN; v DC; @ CHI; v CLB; v CLT; v MIA; @ RBNY; @ PHI; v NYC
Additions: Raul Gustavo (D)
Losses: Mounsef Bakrar (F)
It should go without saying that I see NYCFC as the longest of longshots in the mix, the least-likely-to, and all that. Against that, their games in hand (two on most teams), their last four results, and the number of times they pop up in the schedules of six of the teams above make them impossible to ignore. They might have a snowball’s chance in Albuquerque at the Shield, but I give them an damned good chance at breaking hearts around the league.
NYC has its weapons – Alonso Martinez, Hannes Wolf and the seemingly-undead Maxi Moralez – but, per the numbers above, this is a team getting by on thin margins. Or it was…
Their brightest likely future has them stealing points and growing into a scarier post-season nightmare with each point, but it’ll take a miracle run to keep them in this particular sample.
And, yeah, that’s the post. I’ll be back with something on this soon. Concept in progress, and so on.
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