I’ve harped on and on about the trophies at stake this season, haven’t I? In my defense, it’s not every year that you find yourself in the mix for silverware in this league, so just let me enjoy my time with this team, okay? As we approach this massive Western Conference matchup between the number one and two teams, a title is effectively on the line, and that calls for some Storyline recognition. We’re doing another deep dive into MLS history, this time with a focus on Western Conference regular-season champions gone by. No, it’s obviously not as sexy a title as the Supporters’ Shield or MLS Cup itself, but I’ll never disrespect the accomplishment.
Think of it like this: MLS is 1.5 times the size of most soccer leagues, with 30 teams to the usual 20. We’ve got two conferences of 15, which in essence act as two mini leagues. In most countries, the Western Conference regular season champion would be a league champion. Plus, they automatically qualify for the Concacaf Champions Cup, and that’s not too shabby. Whether I’ve convinced you to care about this title or not, I’m going to go through some thoroughly researched stats about it, so buckle up and get ready to learn the most useful information you’ll come across today.
How It Shakes Out
In 29 seasons of soccer, 11 different teams have claimed the top spot in the Western Conference at year’s end. The LA Galaxy have unsurprisingly earned the most regular season titles, topping the west eight separate times — the last of which came all the way back in 2011. Since then, no team has really been able to establish themselves as a long-term, dominant force, with eight different teams winning in the last 13 years.
I know what you’re thinking: Great, but why does this matter? Well, I could give you the usual line about league parity, then devolve into a rant about how anyone’s got a shot and this might be our time. Instead of doing that, though, I’m going to give you a few more stats.
The Western Conference regular-season champ has also won the Supporters’ Shield 11 times, while they’ve only lifted MLS Cup on five occasions. Just four teams have accomplished all three feats in a single season, as the ‘00 Kansas City Wizards, the ‘02 and ‘11 LA Galaxy, and ‘22 LAFC managed to dominate the regular season and playoffs to claim every title available. That kind of widespread dominance is rare in this league, and as teams have been added, such feats have only become increasingly hard to come by.
How It Applies
As it stands, the Loons are five points behind San Diego with five games left to play. A loss would put SD eight points clear at the top of the conference, meaning they would need to collapse and the Loons would need to be nearly perfect for the remainder of the season if they wanted to sneak in to claim the title. A win, on the other hand, would bring the Loons to within two points of the lead. They’d still need to end the season in strong form while hoping that San Diego stumbles in one of their last four matches, but they’d have a realistic shot to make a late push.
It’s never good to get ahead of yourself; it’s best to take everything one day — or one game — at a time. That said, humor me for a second. If we take a quick look at the remaining fixtures, your Loons have got a winnable final stretch ahead of them. Chicago and Colorado will be fighting for playoff positioning, making them motivated but beatable. Matchups against struggling SKC and LA Galaxy sides cap off the year with what will likely be beleaguered opposition, leaving the door open for the Black and Blue.
San Diego, on the other hand, will be facing a very stubborn Portland side, as well as Houston and San Jose teams that are fighting for postseason spots. Their only other match is against Atlanta United, who likely won’t present too much of a threat after what’s been a disappointing season.
This weekend’s hosts are most definitely in the driver’s seat in this race, but your Loons have a fighting chance. This race to the finish line could be exactly what this squad needs to keep them properly motivated and prepared to play their hearts out, and even if it doesn’t end with a regular-season title, history tells us that MLS Cup doesn’t always go to the team that finishes in the number one spot.
