So… your favorite team might not be in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs.

Or maybe you’re just resigned to your team coming up short and need a backup. Perhaps you're new to this whole thing (welcome) and are looking for a club to rally behind.

We’ve got you covered. Your perfect bandwagon team is out there. All you need to do is look through our guide and find it.

We'll first explain all the Eastern Conference teams (No. 1-9), then pivot to the Western Conference teams (No. 1-9).

• Bracket Challenge: Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs

For fans of…

• Sporting directors
• Saying things like “trust the process”
• Beating up your little brother
• Buying Celsius from a Wawa
• Snakes with arms
• Relying on a fullback for chance creation
• Getting annoyed at no one believing in you despite repeated instances of proof of concept

When the Union parted ways with head coach Jim Curtin last offseason, it seemed reasonable to think they might not reach the highs of the early 2020s again for a while. Instead, they went ahead and earned 66 points and the Supporters’ Shield title with a new coach (Bradley Carnell) and a slightly reworked roster.

Sporting director Ernst Tanner bet on himself and his preferred, Energy Drink Soccer-adjacent game model. It paid off in the regular season. But will it pay off in the playoffs? History says no. And so does the Union’s record against bona fide MLS Cup contenders this season.

They might be the most doubted Supporters’ Shield winners of all time. That could be a good thing, though. After all, everyone spent the offseason doubting them, too.

For fans of…

• Winning by exactly one goal
• Saying, “They need their match-winners to step up here.”
• Animals with swords
• Mononyms
• Overperforming expectations
• Eating breakfast for dinner

No one wins one-goal games quite like FC Cincinnati. Sixteen of their 20 wins came by one goal this season. Eking out wins like that has been a hallmark of their elite four-year run of results, though. This is nothing new for Pat Noonan and company.

On a very related note, they’ve had outstanding match-winners throughout that run. This year, Evander, Kévin Denkey and Brenner have been asked to be the difference-makers. That’s how you end up with a team that has laughed in the face of expected goals by a comical margin this year.

Pulling that trick off in the playoffs is a little more difficult, but anything feels possible when you have someone like Evander (18g/15a this season).

For fans of…

• The Hawks in "Mighty Ducks"
• The Icelandic team in "DII: The Mighty Ducks"
• The varsity team in "DIII: The Mighty Ducks"
• Shooter McGavin
• Ivan Drago
• Do you get the bit yet?
• Lampshading the bit
• Defense being for those lacking in beauty
• Insisting on pronouncing Barcelona correctly after spending a week there once. Ok fine, it wasn’t a week. You just had a layover at the airport.

If you aren’t in South Florida or you don’t have a Lionel Messi kit in your day-to-day wardrobe, you’re likely not cheering for Inter Miami.

But maybe you love a heel? Inter Miami are a perfect combination of hyped, inescapable, lucky, Luis Suárez-having and talented that makes a great sports villain. On top of that, they have the pressure of not winning a trophy this year.

Inter Miami were built in a lab to bother people. And they aren’t going to slow down this postseason.

For fans of…

• Soccer balls with a face
• Banking
• Muggsy Bogues
• Monarchy as a system of government
• Goalkeeping
• Pink buildings
• NASCAR
• “Why does soccer have ties?”
• Staying on schedule at all times
• Self-imposing a break to maintain work-life balance
• Winning streaks

The Fightin’ Sir Mintys have had to rely a lot on Kristijan Kahlina’s excellent goalkeeping as of late. They’ll probably need to keep doing that in Game 1 of their Round One meeting with New York City FC after Wilfried Zaha’s Decision Day red card.

But they’re the kind of team that can get inexplicably hot at any time. We saw that this year when they tied a league record with nine consecutive victories. That, along with an excellent fan base, could make them a bandwagon to hop on early before it gets too crowded.

At the very least, you know they won’t waste time with penalty shootouts or extra time. Charlotte had two (2) games end as a draw this year. That’s (probably) a record. If you’re a fan on the go, or you just like to stick to a plan, this could be your team.

For fans of…

• Alonso Martínez
• Nomadic living
• Quietly going about your business and getting the job done
• Pigeons
• Being playoff-ready

It feels like NYCFC haven’t gotten nearly enough credit for a 56-point season that saw them win 17 games. It’s the same as their striker, Alonso Martínez, not getting nearly enough credit for scoring 33 goals over the last two seasons. This version of NYCFC just gathers points without making a fuss about it.

That said, they’ve gathered those points against some really good teams recently. Eight of their final 10 games came against playoff teams. They won five of them. At the very least, they’ll have a clear idea of what it will take to make a postseason run. Maybe they can force folks to start paying closer attention.

For fans of…

• Dynamic duos
• Realizing it’s never too late to better yourself
• Those insane commercials for that "911" show with fire tornadoes down Broadway or whatever
• Visitors from Ohio
• Letting your people goal
• Adopting a team for the short term that really only requires you to learn two guys’ names to get the gist
• Andy Najar popping up to become a Best XI-caliber fullback every couple of years

Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge run the show here. This stat from Matt Doyle sums it up nicely:

Hany and Surridge have combined for 47 goals across all competitions; nobody else on the roster has more than four.

If those two are rolling, Nashville can beat anybody. If not… well, at least they’re trying to be fun now. After years of a defense-first game model, Nashville have used the ball almost as well as anyone this year when they’ve wanted to. Thank you, B.J. Callaghan.

Oh, and they’ve got Inter Miami in Round One. This could be the team for you if you’re a hater.

For fans of…

• Playing keep away
• Quietly coasting on your reputation and collected goodwill to do slightly less work at the office
• Saying “Darlington Nagbe is underrated!!!” even after we all agreed like eight years ago that he’s one of the best to ever do this in MLS, and still probably being right
• Cats with hats
• Making a “dark horse” pick that seems interesting but is really just picking a team that earned 54 points and has multiple major trophies over the last few seasons

The Crew aren't as fear-inducing as their first two years under Wilfried Nancy, but don't go sleeping on them.

If Diego Rossi's good to go, their ceiling is super high. And Dániel Gazdag might just have rediscovered his scoring at the perfect time. Sean Zawadzki is back healthy, too, and that does wonders for their defense.

The 2023 MLS Cup champions also have the nostalgia factor, knowing Nagbe will retire at season's end. It'd be quite the story if they send their captain out with a fifth MLS Cup title.

For fans of…

• Goals
• Breaking years-long streaks
• Finally making your parents proud
• The episodes on "King of the Hill" where Bill gets a win
• Shows your parents want to watch on NBC
• More goals
• Saying “JOOOOO BAMMMMBBA” in a Sheck Wes voice
• Saying “Zinckernagel” in any voice
• Stunts where, even if you die, it will still look really cool

No playoff team allowed more goals than Chicago, and only one team (Miami) scored more. If you think the scoring totals in EAFC should be the norm, these are your guys.

And even if you’re not interested in watching your team win or lose 5-4, there isn’t a more lovable underdog in the bunch. Chicago are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and just the third time since 2009.

For fans of…

• Arriving too early at the party
• Yelling “WILD CARD” and then jumping out of the back of the van
• Having lots of potential, but deciding when and how you want to live up to it
• The 1997 Green Bay Packers
• Atalanta, but not Atlanta
• Saying “They look good on paper, they just need to be consistent.”

Orlando are… confusing. At times, they’ve looked like one of the best teams in the league. At other times, they’ve earned one win in their final seven games. It’s not totally clear what to expect from this group.

They have two of the best in the league at their position in No. 10 Martín Ojeda and right back Alex Freeman, and a collection of talent that should make them a contender. But they also tend to hit slumps pretty hard. That’s why they’re heading on the road for a Wild Card game instead of hosting a Round One Best-of-3 Series.

They’re currently in the middle of one of those slumps, but you have to give them this: There’s never been a nine-seed more likely to make a run to MLS Cup.

For fans of…

• Winning a whole bunch of games on the road so you never have to go on the road again
• Making a great first impression
• Refusing to share
• Disney movies where everyone’s dreams come true at the end
• Finishing second behind Michael Phelps in a race despite having a time that would have won gold pretty much any year that didn’t include Michael Phelps
• Starting strong so you don’t have to do as much work later
• Hammering a nail flush on your first try
• “What, like it’s hard?”

The best expansion team of all time rolled into MLS and immediately started running teams off the pitch. They play the prettiest soccer of the bunch when they’re on, and Anders Dreyer would be Landon Donovan MLS MVP if not for Messi. That, along with standout performances from guys like Best XI-caliber midfielder Jeppe Tverskov, powered San Diego to a first-place finish in the West.

Still, there are some concerns about their end-of-year performance. They weren’t nearly as good over the back half of the season. And, weirdly enough, they weren’t nearly as good at home (seven wins) as they were on the road (12 wins). That’s maybe not ideal for a team that just earned hosting rights until at least MLS Cup presented by Audi.

Regardless, they’re living out a dream year one. If you want the storybook ending, you’re riding with this group.

For fans of…

• Becoming the absolute best version of yourself
• Making sure everyone at the bar knows that you know what a Raumdeuter is
• Letting everyone get a chance
• Leaving home to find a home
• Playing in as many games as you're allowed to

There hasn’t been another group effort like Vancouver’s this year. Twenty players have scored for the ‘Caps this season, and 18 have delivered an assist. Amid injury troubles, a run to the Concacaf Champions Cup final and a fourth straight Canadian Championship, the Whitecaps have found a way to make it all work thanks to a clear understanding of their game model and general moxy.

What’s truly remarkable is they did it without notably changing the squad after years of finishing in the middle of the pack. A big chunk of credit for their leap forward has to go to new head coach Jesper Sørensen.

Sørensen spent his entire footballing life in Denmark before coming to Vancouver. Nothing about his time as a manager of multiple Danish clubs signaled this would be an amazing hire. It apparently just took a change of scenery for him to become an elite head coach. Maybe there’s something about Canada that lets him thrive? Like how Superman is powered by the Earth’s sun, but is just some dude on Krypton?

Oh, Thomas Müller is also here. He’s been awesome since showing up. Make it 8g/4a in eight games (all competitions) for the German star.

For fans of…

• Watching Tottenham Hotspur players win things
• Falcons
• Adopting a team for the short term that really only needs you to learn like two guys’ names to get the gist (but in the Western Conference)
• Function over aesthetic

The pitch is pretty simple for LAFC: Come watch Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-Min be better than everyone else.

That’s it. That’s the whole deal. They’ve scored virtually every goal for LAFC over the past two months. And LAFC have scored a lot of goals.

Will that work in the playoffs? It’s not totally clear. LAFC had maybe the softest schedule of any playoff team over the final stretch of games. But it will be entertaining as hell to find out.

For fans of…

• Getting it into the mixer
• Long throws
• Set pieces
• Rory Delap
• Marginal advantages adding up over time
• Just sending it towards the goal
• Going backward to go forward
• Wearing the same thing every day so you don’t have to think about an outfit each morning
• Seriously, set pieces

The set-pieceiest team in the world (really, the world) gets the job done by launching dead balls toward the box and heaving throw-ins at the goal. It’s beautiful in a brutalist architecture kind of way.

Minnesota are for the soccer watcher who see themselves as built differently. Possession and tiki-taka is for try-hards. The sport can be much simpler than that if you let it.

Or, I dunno, maybe you’re really into Oasis or something.

For fans of…

• Overcoming injuries
• Being great at tests despite only having fine grades otherwise
• Saying, “They’ve got a lot of depth. That’s big for a playoff run.”
• Saying, “Cristian Roldan is underrated!!!” even after we all agreed like five years ago that he’s great, and still probably being right
• Feeling bad for Mariners’ fans and wanting at least a few of them to have something positive in their lives

The Sounders already have a Leagues Cup title under their belt this year. And even still, it feels like we haven’t seen this team at their absolute best. We probably won’t get to after Pedro de la Vega’s season-ending injury, but this is the deepest roster in the league. They still have plenty of firepower.

Also… you know… they're the Sounders. If anyone will show up to a tournament and get the job done, it’s them. This is your team if you just want some consistency in a chaotic world. Another Sounders trophy will feel like a familiar warm blanket on a rainy day.

For fans of…

• Getting a passing grade
• Moontowers
• The University of Texas’ collegiate gridiron football team’s current level of offensive production
• Trying to workshop a “Hungry like the Wolff” joke to your friends
• Wanting someone who saved up a lot of money and spent it on a major purchase to have that major purchase finally pay off

We’ve officially reached the section of teams that are long shots to win MLS Cup. If you’re serious about rooting for the underdog, you’ll find your home in one of the remaining teams

Then again, Austin have found a way to make things work regardless of what people think of them. Despite making major DP signings in attack over the last year-plus, they scored just 37 goals this season. That’s not only the lowest mark among playoff teams, but it’s also the lowest mark in the entire Western Conference. Even still, they’re here in sixth place.

Maybe you think scoring is too flashy, and you just want to see a team get the job done with hard work and grit. Oh, homegrown midfielder Owen Wolff is their leading scorer and chance creator. That's fun.

For fans of…

• “I cut out the toxic relationships in my life and now I’m thriving.”
• Winning the breakup
• Fire-breathing lightning horses

For anyone who’s become a better person after leaving an ex, FC Dallas are for you. They transferred Lucho Acosta in early August and immediately went on a season-saving run. They weren’t even really a playoff threat until Acosta left. They ended up moving above the Wild Card spots anyway.

If that’s not enough of a selling point, perhaps you’ll just want to watch Petar Musa. The DP striker has 34 goals over the last two seasons.

For fans of…

• I'm gonna level with you: I don't have much for this group. They don’t do anything particularly well or terribly, they just kind of… are.
• The Timbers Army

Their most productive player, Antony, has seven goals and seven assists this season. That’s… probably not enough firepower to make a serious run.

But you could be the kind of person who loves to see the pundits and experts look bad. A deep Timbers run would make a whole lot of people wrong. It would also be extremely funny in a very MLS way.

For fans of…

• As always: Diego Luna
• Being pretty cool with just being here
• Five is a streak, boys

Diego Luna is a cool as hell, and RSL are on a five-year playoff streak.

You’re here if you want to see both of those things rewarded with a deep playoff run. Otherwise, you’re probably an RSL fan who’s mostly cool with just making it into the playoffs after a late push.