Decision Day is living up to its name this year: This coming Saturday, when all 30 Major League Soccer teams play their final match of the 2025 season, every game but one will have something at stake.
In the Western Conference, four teams are vying for the final two playoff spots. In the Eastern Conference, three teams are looking to finish in the Top 4 and secure home-field advantage in Round One of the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs. And across both conferences, five teams are looking to climb out of the Wild Card places and directly into the best-of-three Round One.
Here’s a guide to what’s on the line on Decision Day 2025, and how the day’s results will shape the playoffs that will start with the single-elimination Wild Card round played next week on Wednesday, October 22.
Decision Day 2025: 6 pm ET kickoff
• New York City FC vs Seattle Sounders
What’s at Stake: Top 4 Spot, Playoff Positioning
New York City FC currently sit in 5th Place with 56 points. They could finish in 4th Place in the East – and secure home-field advantage in Round One – but only if they get a result against Seattle Sounders FC at Citi Field and if Charlotte FC stumble and drop points at home with a draw or loss against Philadelphia Union.
New York City and Charlotte are even on points, so NYCFC could climb the table and secure Top 4 in the East with a win and a Charlotte draw or loss, or with a draw, a Charlotte loss, and a Nashville SC draw or loss.
New York City could also fall to 6th Place with a loss and a Nashville SC win.
Hudson River Blue Staff
Seattle will remain in 5th Place in the West no matter if they win, lose, or draw. But Seattle are looking to climb the MLS table. They currently sit in 13th Place overall, behind every team in the East other than Columbus Crew in 9th Place. A win could put them as high as 10th Place overall, which could be useful if they advance to the 2025 MLS Cup Final and hope to host the title game.
• Charlotte FC vs Philadelphia Union
What’s at Stake: Top 4 Spot, Playoff Positioning
Charlotte currently sit in 4th Place in the East with 56 points, and will lock that in with a win, or if New York City lose. They could also climb as high as 6th Place in the overall MLS table.
Supporters’ Shield-winning Philadelphia are playing for pride: A win will give them a club-record 69 points, beating the 67 points they took in 2022.
• FC Cincinnati vs CF Montréal
What’s at Stake: Playoff Positioning
FC Cincinnati currently sit in 2nd Place with 62 points. A win and they will keep 2nd Place in the East, and could clinch 2nd Place in the overall table. A draw or loss and Miami could climb into 2nd Place in the East, and possibly 2nd Place overall.
Cincinnati already clinched a Concacaf Champions Cup spot allotted based on the Supporters’ Shield standings, which has them in a position of automatic qualification given that teams around them in the Supporters’ Shield table like Philadelphia, Vancouver, and Miami have already automatically qualified for the next Champions Cup through other accomplishments.
• Columbus Crew vs NY Red Bulls
What’s at Stake: Playoff Positioning, Wild Card Hosting, Round One Qualification
Columbus Crew currently sit in 9th Place with 51 points and have the last playoff spot. A win and a Chicago Fire draw or loss to New England Revolution, and they will climb to at minimum 8th Place and host the Wild Card round, which will be played on short rest next Wednesday.
Theoretically, Columbus could also climb over both Chicago and Orlando City SC and up into 7th Place and entirely out of the Wild Card round. That scenario requires a Crew victory and an Orlando loss at Toronto FC and a Chicago draw or loss at New England.
• Nashville SC vs Inter Miami CF
What’s at Stake: Top 4 Spot, Playoff Positioning, Round One Qualification
Nashville currently sit in 6th Place with 54 points, and have a slim chance of climbing to 4th Place. To do that they’ll need a win and a Charlotte FC loss and a New York City FC draw or loss. If Nashville lose, they run the risk of possibly falling as low as 8th Place and into the Wild Card round – that would happen if Orlando wins at Toronto and if Chicago wins at New England.
Inter Miami sit in 3rd Place in the Eastern Conference with 62 points, and will climb to 2nd Place if they win and Cincinnati draw or lose, or if they draw and Cincinnati lose. A Miami win could see them climb as high as 2nd Place in the overall table, if they finish above Cincinnati and if Vancouver Whitecaps FC draw or lose at home to FC Dallas.
• New England Revolution vs Chicago Fire FC
What’s at Stake: Wild Card, Playoff Positioning
Chicago currently sit in 8th Place with 52 points. They could rise as high as 6th Place or fall to 9th Place, depending on their result at Gillette Stadium plus the results of the Columbus, Nashville, and Orlando games.
• Toronto FC vs Orlando City SC
What’s at Stake: Wild Card, Playoff Positioning
Orlando currently sit in 7th Place with 53 points. They can’t secure a Top 4 spot, but they could climb to 6th Place with a win and a Nashville draw or loss. At the same time, they could fall to 8th Place and be forced to play in the Wild Card Round with a loss and a Chicago win or draw, or with a draw and a Chicago win.
• Atlanta United FC vs DC United
What’s at Stake: The Wooden Spoon
This battle between the cellar dwellers has the Wooden Spoon on the line: A DC United win and Atlanta United will finish last in the league for the first time in club history. But if Atlanta win or draw, then DC will lift this year’s Wooden Spoon, and add it to the one they earned in 2022.
Decision Day 2025: 9 pm ET kickoff
• Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs FC Dallas
What’s at Stake: Making the Playoffs, Playoff Positioning
Vancouver sit in 1st Place in the West with 63 points. They already secured a spot in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup by winning the 2025 Canadian Championship. But a win means they will guarantee having the best record in the West and the second-best record in MLS overall, giving them home-field advantage over every team in MLS save the Supporters’ Shield winners from Philadelphia. They could also finish first in the West if they lose and if San Diego earns only a draw or loss on the road in Portland.
FC Dallas currently sit in 8th Place with 41 points. A win coupled with a Portland Timbers loss and they will climb to 7th Place, free from the Wild Card spots. A draw or loss and they could fall as low as 10th Place and miss the playoffs entirely, depending on the results put up by Real Salt Lake, Colorado Rapids, and San Jose Earthquakes.
• Colorado Rapids vs LAFC
What’s at Stake: Making the Playoffs, Playoff Positioning, Concacaf Champions Cup
Colorado are currently in 10th Place in the West with 40 points, and are one of four teams competing for a the final two playoff spots in the conference. They could finish as high as 8th Place, and host the Wild Card round on Wednesday. A win over LAFC at home combined with either a draw or loss by Dallas or Real Salt Lake will see them make the playoffs. They could even sneak into the playoffs with a draw, but then they’ll need Dallas, Real Salt Lake, or San Jose to drop points.
LAFC are currently in 3rd Place with 59 points, and are looking to climb into 2nd Place in the West and as high as 4th Place overall with a win. A win combined with a San Diego FC draw or loss would also earn them an automatic Concacaf Champions Cup berth for next season’s tournament.
• LA Galaxy vs Minnesota United FC
What’s at Stake: Playoff Positioning, Concacaf Champions Cup
Minnesota United currently sit in 4th Place with 58 points. A win and they could climb as high as 2nd Place, which will give them advantageous playoff positioning and a guaranteed spot in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup if San Diego FC lose and if LAFC earn a draw or loss. A draw or loss and they will miss the automatic Concacaf Champions Cup spot.
LA Galaxy currently sit in 15th Place with 27 points, and will miss out on the Wooden Spoon because their six wins has them above both Atlanta and DC.
• Portland Timbers FC vs San Diego FC
What’s at Stake: Wild Card, Playoff Positioning, Concacaf Champions Cup
Portland sit in 7th Place with 44 points. They can’t climb any higher, but a loss combined with a Dallas win and they will fall to 8th Place and be forced to play in the Wild Card round next week.
San Diego FC sit in 2nd Place with 63 points. A win combined with a Vancouver loss and they will take 1st Place in the West, have home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs, and clinch a spot in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup. But if they drop points and LAFC and Minnesota put up strong results, they could fall as low as 4th Place, and possibly miss out on the automatic Champions Cup berth.
• San Jose Earthquakes vs Austin FC
What’s at Stake: Making the Playoffs
San Jose sit in 11th Place with 38 points. They need a win to make the playoffs, and they need help in the form of losses from some combination of Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas, and Colorado.
Austin sit in 6th Place with 47 points. They can’t climb or fall in the West or in the overall table – they own 6th Place in the West, 15th place overall.
• St. Louis City SC vs Real Salt Lake
What’s at Stake: Making the Playoffs
Real Salt Lake sit in 9th Place with 40 points. A win guarantees them a spot in the playoffs and could clinch 8th Place and hosting rights for the Wild Card round, should Dallas pick up a draw or loss in their match. A draw or even a loss could still get RSL in the playoffs, if the results break right elsewhere in the West, or could see them miss the playoffs entirely.
• Sporting Kansas City vs Houston Dynamo
What’s at Stake: Nothing
David Lee’s first game in charge of Sporting Kansas City will have nothing on the line.
Enjoy the evening, Mr. Lee!
Figures. While we’re battling for position, David Lee gets a night off to have a pint and take a good look at what he has on his hands. Make that two pints.