The Eastern Conference has been tight this season, as they have provided viewers with the most exciting table to watch. The other side of the league has been dealing with Western Conference playoff drama as the stakes have increased at both ends of the table.
The top three teams in the league are all surprises that have been fun to watch battle it out to determine who the top three seeds in the West will be. Although this may seem like the most interesting of the storylines, it has become the second most exciting storyline in the West.
The ninth seed could be anyone’s, as four teams are fighting over the right to play in the MLS Cup playoffs. Out of these four, only three seem to have the pace to be able to obtain the last spot.
Only time will tell if any of these teams will make any noise in the playoffs; getting there could be all the motivation a team needs to make a run.
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Western Conference Playoff Drama: A Battle for Ninth
San Jose
The Quakes have shown some promise this season that they are a capable playoff team compared to years past. With an increase of talent and a manager who is as well respected as they come in the MLS.
Though they may not be a true championship contender yet, they are not to be taken lightly as they have enough quality to win the play-in game and steal a game from an unsuspecting one-seed.
They are the best option to win the ninth seed, even considering the teams trailing them could overtake them at any point during this run. One thing to point out for the Quakes is that their supporters have shown up this season as the game has grown and reached around the Bay Area.
San Jose may have desired a better spot up the table rather than holding on for dear life, but the fact that they are at the table is something to be proud of, as this club has had to come a long way.
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake has been a tough watch this year as they lack the talent to take it to the next level. Diego Luna is a rising star for the USMNT and in the MLS, as he is the only true standout on this roster.
Their 34 points are not a lot; most years, that would have them eliminated in the West by this point in the season. They remain alive in the hunt thanks to everyone else around them struggling to gain points in a weak West.
They are only one point out of the final spot in the playoff, which means a lot can happen in the next month as they will be trying to play their best soccer at the most important time of the year. If they do make the playoffs, it will be hard to imagine them winning in the play-in game, let alone making a run.
This season hasn’t been ideal by any means, as they have been disappointing to their own standards. A playoff appearance will be enough to lift their spirits headed into next season.
FC Dallas
What a strange season for FC Dallas, after making a go-for-it transfer during the offseason, they added big expectations to their 2025 campaign. After adding Lucho Acosta, who was the 2023 MVP from FC Cincinnati, many thought that Dallas would be a consistent winner and a playoff contender.
Acosta’s time in Dallas was so poor that he was sent not just out of Dallas but out of the MLS as he was transferred to Brazil’s Serie A. Rarely do you see the addition of a proven MV caliber player in the MLS go so poorly so fast.
Despite that, they still find themselves a point out of the ninth seed and a chance to be in the playoffs.
This team’s path to be a point out hasn’t been ideal as they have seemed to struggle at every corner. If they can finish strong and hope for things to go their way against the other two teams, Dallas could find itself in the playoffs.
Main Photo
Credit IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire
Recording Date 28.03.2025