The MLS Season is at the halfway point as teams prepare for one last push for playoff positioning. Tanking isn’t as rewarding in the MLS as it is in other North American sports that depend on a draft to build their teams.
This encourages middle-of-the-road clubs to make a push into the playoffs even if they are a little further back from the 9th seed than they would want.
There are three teams that are battling for that ninth seed, with the San Jose Earthquakes, who currently hold the last playoff spot by just a single point.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: LAFC’s Denis Bouanga Spotlight: Goals, Speed, and MVP-Level Impact
Real Salt Lake
It has been an underwhelming year for Real Salt Lake. They have struggled to compete with top competition until this past month, where they have had decent results.
Before their most recent loss to FC Cincinnati, Salt Lake had a run of competitive form as they earned positive results. For most of the season, Salt Lake appeared to be a bottom-half team that struggled to do much of anything positive.
Their bright spot has been Diego Luna who has been a pleasant surprise for Utah’s club. Luna is in his early 20s and has shown that he is comfortable in Utah with no true desire to leave unless there is a major move to Europe.
Luna has controlled games in the midfield while displaying his incredible skill on a moment’s notice in big moments. His two-goal performance for the USMNT during the Gold Cup final was a perfect display of what he can do.
Real Salt Lake is just one point away from the ninth seed as it currently stands. If they can bounce back from their loss to Cincinnati, they could find themselves playing late into the fall.
Houston Dynamo FC
Houston’s lack of form and disappointing offensive attack has led them to the bottom half of the standings, where they have had to fight their way out.
They haven’t played well this past month despite remaining in the playoff hunt, only two points away from the ninth seed. Houston may only be a few points away from the last spot, but their play has told a story of a team that wouldn’t hold its weight in the playoffs.
Houston doesn’t have the offensive firepower to keep up with high-powered offensives that they would face in the first round, and a defense that isn’t good enough to hold teams back long enough for the offense to kick in.
Even if Houston were to make the MLS Cup Playoffs, I would be shocked if they put up much of a fight against whoever they face. Of the three teams with a convincing chance, the Dynamo appear to me to have the worst chances to make it.
FC Dallas
Going into the season, I was convinced that Dallas would have been more into the playoff race and not three spots down from the ninth seed.
The addition of Luciano Acosta from Cincinnati this past offseason was a big move for Dallas. Despite it not paying off in the short term so far, there is still a chance for Dallas to make a run for the last spot.
Their next five games will be a challenge as they face four playoff contenders and the defending MLS Cup champions, LA Galaxy.
They cannot get a positive result in these games; they will drop behind in the playoff race. Dallas can turn their season from a loss into momentum for the next season. They aren’t viewed as MLS Cup contenders this year due to their poor play.
A run in August could at least give the fans something to cheer for and a little bit of hope that this team is headed in the right direction.
Main Photo
Credit IMAGO / Icon Sportswire
Recording Date 18.07.2025