From frigid winter days to cooling breaks, the first half of the 2025 MLS season is in the books, and what a first half it has been.
Ahead of the campaign, who would have expected Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the Philadelphia Union to be leading their conferences with new head coaches, and relatively unchanged rosters from 2024? How about head coach Javier Mascherano's struggles, and quick rebound with Inter Miami CF?
It has been a whirlwind first half of the 2025 season, and one that won't soon be forgotten. Yet, before teams look ahead to the second half, we're giving them a grade on how the first part of the season went, compared to their expectations heading into the campaign, in combination with our weekly Sports Illustrated MLS Power Rankings.
Of course, this weekend was a quieter one with nearly 140 players away on international duty. However, it still included an illness-stricken Whitecaps side beating Seattle Sounders 3–0 and Chicago Fire FC putting up a 7–1 win over D.C. United, among the five games.
If you missed last week's Power Rankings, check those out too.
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MLS Power Rankings and Season Grades after Matchday 18: Clubs 30-16
30. CF Montreal – Season Grade: 2/10 (Previous: 30)
29. D.C. United – Season Grade: 4/10 (Previous: 27)
28. Real Salt Lake – Season Grade 5/10 (Previous: 29)
27. LA Galaxy – Season Grade 1/10 (Previous: 28)
26. St. Louis CITY SC – Season Grade 3/10 (Previous: 24)
25. FC Dallas – Season Grade: 4.5/10 (Previous: 26)
24. Sporting Kansas City – Season Grade: 6/10 (Previous: 22)
23. Toronto FC – Season Grade: 6/10 (Previous: 25)
22. Atlanta United – Season Grade: 2/10 (Previous: 23)
21. New York Red Bulls – Season Grade: 5.5/10 (Previous: 21)
20. Houston Dynamo – Season Grade: 6.5/10 (Previous: 20)
19. Colorado Rapids – Season Grade: 6.5/10 (Previous: 17)
18. New England Revolution – Season Grade: 6/10 (Previous: 18)
17. Austin FC – Season Grade: 4/10 (Previous: 19)
16. New York City FC – Season Grade: 6/10 (Previous: 14)
15. Portland Timbers FC (Previous: 15)
Season Grade: 6.5/10
The Portland Timbers have had a challenging adjustment from their Evander era, but Kevin Kelsy, Antony, David Da Costa, Felipe Mora and Santiago Moreno have begun to hit their stride.
This weekend, Antony scored a goal of the season contender as well, in a 2–1 comeback win against Sporting Kansas City. Yet, they still seem to be a team without an outright game breaker just yet, at least not in the same way that Evander was for them.
Sitting fourth in the Western Conference on 29 points, look for the Timbers to be one of the better teams in the second half.
14. Seattle Sounders FC (Previous: 11)
Season Grade: 5.5/10
Seattle Sounders FC have been ravaged by injuries to key players this season, and it has not helped their cause in improving from last year.
This weekend, they also dropped a 3–0 result and picked up two red cards against a Vancouver Whitecaps FC side that had dealt with gastrointestinal issues and had nine players on international duty.
Significant injuries have already ended the season for marquee offseason signing Paul Arriola and have hampered the availability of Jesus Ferreira, Jordan Morris, Pedro de la Vega, Jackson Ragen, and others. Still, the Sounders find themselves in a playoff spot with 26 points after 18 games.
A slow start to the season is nothing new to head coach Brian Schmetzer and the Sounders, so they shouldn’t have any worries as they look ahead to the second half of the regular season.
First up, though, they will look to advance from their group at the FIFA Club World Cup, which pits them against UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, La Liga’s Atlético Madrid, and top Brazilian side Botafogo.
13. Charlotte FC (Previous: 13)
Season Grade: 6.5/10
Charlotte FC took a big swing when they brought in Wilfried Zaha on loan from Turkey’s Galatasaray, but it hasn’t quite worked to plan. So far, the former English Premier League star has just four goals and two assists in 15 games.
Yet, they continue to be a fun team to watch, with the dynamic midfield play of Pep Biel and Liel Abada, combining with Zaha’s flair and USMNT striker Patrick Agyemang up top, helping the team score 28 goals this season.
They have a good roster and one that probably deserves to be higher than eighth in the Eastern Conference, yet things just haven’t gone their way as much as head coach Dean Smith would have hoped.
12. Chicago Fire (Previous: 16)
Season Grade: 6.5/10
Chicago Fire FC put up one of the most significant wins in their MLS history with a 7–1 victory against D.C. United this weekend, and continue to put the league on notice as a potential outside shot at MLS Cup.
While head coach Gregg Berhalter took some time to adjust to the club game, the Fire have now won four of their last five matches, and have received standout attacking play from Hugo Cuypers, Jonathan Bamba, and Philip Zinckernagel, with Cuypers leading the squad with X goals.
Baby on the field! 😂 pic.twitter.com/68tDmyt0Jo
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 8, 2025
They recently announced plans for a new soccer-specific stadium as well, and have been linked to global superstars including Neymar, Thomas Müller and Kevin De Bruyne, as they eye a finishing piece to a team that already has a very strong base.
11. San Jose Earthquakes (Previous: 12)
Season Grade: 6/10
It remains a challenge to determine exactly how good the San Jose Earthquakes will be in 2025.
New head coach Bruce Arena certainly has them scoring, but they still lack a very balanced roster and the ability to outplay the best teams in the conference and the league. However, many of their defensive issues have been highlighted by the absence of Daniel in net due to injury, with Earl Edwards Jr. simply not up to the MLS level.
This season, Edwards Jr. is allowing 2.27 goals per 90, the second most among Western Conference goalkeepers with at least five matches played, compared to the 1.36 Daniel was allowing before he sustained his injury.
The attack of Chicho Arango, Joséf Martinez and Beau Leroux has been fun, but it’s not quite enough to this point, to erase the defensive issues.
10. Columbus Crew (Previous: 9)
Season Grade: 5/10
Head coach Wilfried Nancy continues to have exceptionally high standards for Columbus Crew SC, and they have not met them this season, despite some solid performances.
After losing Cucho Hérnandez and Christian Ramirez, Columbus have less potency in their attack and have scored just 27 goals this season, ranking seventh among Eastern Conference teams, with Jacen Russell-Rowe, Ibrahim Aliyu and Diego Rossi unable to lift them to the same level.
While Max Arfsten has stood out at the back, Columbus has also struggled defensively and could have a rough June, with Arfsten on international duty and starting goalkeeper Patrick Schulte out with an injury.
9. Nashville SC (Previous: 8)
Season Grade: 6.5/10
Sam Surridge brace!!@NashvilleSC are two goals to the good! pic.twitter.com/Wjlv1rZKhB
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 25, 2025
The first full season under head coach B.J. Callaghan took a little while to get up to speed, but Nashville SC have been among the best teams in MLS in recent weeks.
Led by the attacking duo of 2023 MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surrudge, Nashville ranks second in MLS with 30.9 xG, nearly on par with their actual goalscoring mark of 30, 11 of which come from Surridge’s bid for the MLS Golden Boot.
They had to go through an extended spell without Walker Zimmerman on their backline, as the longtime USMNT defender recovered from a concussion, but the consistency of having him back should help them in the second half of the season.
8. LAFC (Previous: 10)
Season Grade: 6.75/10
LAFC has more fixture congestion than initially hoped for, but they are participating in the FIFA Club World Cup and received an extra $10 million for the club, even if the amount and the players’ share have caused some disputes.
In MLS play, they defeated Sporting Kansas City 3–1 this week and have now gone 10 games undefeated in all competitions, rounding into form after a slower-than-expected start to the season.
While the hopes of Olivier Giroud being an impact player have fallen short, they have gotten plenty of success from 21-year-old Nathan Ordaz and 19-year-old David Martinez, while Denis Bouanga has elevated his form recently and is up to eight goals and four assists.
The Club World Cup group stage against Chelsea, ES Tunis and Flamengo will be challenging, but things are looking good in head coach Steve Cherundolo’s final season.
7. Orlando City SC (Previous: 7)
Season Grade: 7/10
Orlando City SC have created the most big chances this season with 57, but they’ve also missed the most big chances this season, with 41 of those opportunities falling short of fruition.
Head coach Oscar Pareja has seen plenty of positives throughout his roster, though, with Martin Ojeda standing out with 13 goal contributions, and Luis Muriel rekindling his form, while Marco Pašalič rounds out a solid front three with another six goals.
There has also been plenty of good work in the backend of the pitch, with Pedro Gallese posting seven clean sheets so far, and 20-year-old fullback Alex Freeman enjoying a breakout season, which has him spending the summer with the U.S. men’s national team.
They will want to balance out the rest of their play and improve their finishing in the second half of the season, as there is some real potential that they have yet to tap into.
6. FC Cincinnati (Previous: 6)
Season Grade: 7.5/10
FC Cincinnati have hit its stride in MLS after a disastrous Concacaf Champions Cup run, but still looks to have lots of room to grow with the talents on its roster.
After quickly moving on from the ugly exit of former superstar Luciano Acosta, Cincinnati has found a system that works with Evander as their realtor, and Kévin Denkey up top, while also keeping Pavel Bucha involved in the attack.
So far, Evander has seven goals and six assists, while Denkey is in the running for the MLS Golden Boot with 10 goals of his own.
That attacking trio, combined with the standout goalkeeping of Roman Celentano, has won them several games this season and are key to any further success this season. However, they might need to improve the backline, given the rocky starts from Luca Orellano and Matt Miazga, if they are to make a deep run.
5. Inter Miami (Previous: 5)
Season Grade: 7/10
Inter Miami CF had a Concacaf Champions Cup to forget, as well as a 10-game spell where they won only twice in all competitions. However, despite all the troubles and learning experiences for rookie head coach Javier Mascherano, they sit second in the Eastern Conference in points per game with 1.81, only trailing the Philadelphia Union’s 2.00.
Although the squad rotation has improved, and the contributions of Tadeo Allende, Fafa Picault, and Telasco Segovia cannot be ignored, the team continues to be as good as Lionel Messi can be.
The 37-year-old Argentine has been on a tear in MLS in recent weeks, with his 10 goals and five assists in 13 matches, making him he outright favorite for the MLS MVP Award at the halfway mark.
Things could be better, but they could be a lot worse for Miami. Now, they look to the FIFA Club World Cup, before the second half of the season and the MLS Cup Playoffs, where they hope to avenge their first-round loss against Atlanta United from last season.
4. San Diego FC (Previous: 4)
Season Grade: 9/10
San Diego FC didn’t play in MLS this weekend, but came away with a 3–0 friendly win against Liga MX’s Club América, in just the latest bright spot of what has been an incredible inaugural season.
Heading into the campaign, questions surrounded how head coach Mikey Varas would fare in his first full-time professional role, as well as how players like Hirving Lozano, Anders Dryer, and Luca de la Torre would fit into a brand-new club.
The answer? Pretty good.
That Cali Connection. pic.twitter.com/7dxqzgirdN
— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) June 9, 2025
Lozano has five goals and five assists and has worked his way back into the Mexican national team picture, while Dreyer has six goals and seven assists. The duo has established itself as one of the best attacking pairs in the league.
At the same time, relatively untested goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos has made 51 saves on 70 shots against, keeping his squad in games, while the spine of Aníbal Godoy, Chris McVey and Paddy McNair have made the team tough to break down in midfield.
As with any expansion team, questions will remain until proven otherwise, but it’s been a fantastic first half of the season on the pitch for San Diego.
3. Minnesota United (Previous: 3)
Season Grade: 8/10
Minnesota United are a team for the MLS super-fans, and one that has been among the most fun to watch this season. Led by 33-year-old head coach Eric Ramsay, Minnesota has abandoned many of the ideas that make a successful team, shunning the ideology of possession and reliance on wide attackers.
Instead, Ramsay has his team surrender much of the ball, averaging 38.2 percent possession per match, with a centrally-focused counterattack led by Tani Olwauseyi and Kelvin Yeboah, who have combined for 12 of Minnesota’s 26 goals this season.
While the playing style can find success in the regular season, it could come under question in high-pressure games down the stretch and the MLS Cup Playoffs, when contests become tighter and more defensively focused.
2. Philadelphia Union (Previous: 1)
Season Grade: 9/10
There were plenty of questions around the Philadelphia Union after they dismissed longtime head coach Jim Curtin after the 2024 season. Yet, things have gone nearly perfectly under new manager Bradley Carnell, and they find themselves atop the Eastern Conference with 34 points in 17 matches.
Carnell has allowed the Union to continue playing similarly, and has gotten significant improvements from Quinn Sullivan and Danly Jean Jacques, which have helped elevate the contributions of fullback Kai Wagner and striker Tai Baribo.
The Union sit third in the league in total xG with 29.6, and have outperformed the metric with 32 goals so far, 13 of which from Golden Boot leader Tai Baribo, who has hit the best form of his career in the first half of this season.
1. Vancouver Whitecaps (Previous: 2)
Season Grade: 9.5/10
The Vancouver Whitecaps entered this weekend with 18 players listed as either out or questionable on the MLS Player Availability report on Saturday, after many fell ill upon returning from their 5–0 loss in the Concacaf Champions Cup Final against Cruz Azul in Mexico City.
Yet, they were still able to field a mostly first-team lineup and trounced the Seattle Sounders 3–0 to regain their spot at the top of the MLS Supporters’ Shield standings, despite being without a full team due to international duty and missing nine players.
Slots it in like a vet. 🎯 Jeevan Badwal officially secures his first as a ‘Cap.
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) June 9, 2025
📺 https://t.co/702Uz1sfsF #VWFC | #VANvSEA pic.twitter.com/Qs0VqVyCwu
Nearly everything has gone better than planned for the Whitecaps this year. While falling in the Champions Cup Final is a black mark on the season, the fact that they advanced to that point and currently hold a five-point lead atop the Western Conference is better than anyone at the club could have imagined under first-year head coach Jesper Sorensen.
At the same time, they have been able to utilize the depth throughout their squad and have turned to the elevated play of Sebastian Berhalter, Pedro Vite, Andres Cubas, and several others to fill the gap left by the injured Ryan Gauld.
To be this good, with only one healthy DP? It’s dreamland for Vancouver.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLS Power Rankings: Season Grades for Every Team at the Halfway Mark.