Nashville SC is firmly positioned in the Supporters' Shield race. It’s not just hype or hope; they’re here and competing.
The 2025 Shield race looks set to be one of the greatest yet, with five – arguably six – teams in the running. I've analyzed the schedule and past results to evaluate Nashville's chances and what they need to do to win their first trophy in club history.
• It has been awarded annually at the MLS Supporters' Summit since 1999, with prior winners awarded after the fact
• DC United and LA Galaxy have each won the Shield four times
• Inter Miami CF are the current holders, winning the Shield in 2024 and setting the single-season points record with 74
The contenders
Above is a colorful and distracting grid showing every game played by the top five Shield contenders and their remaining games. I’ll make it more digestible and go through it team by team in a moment.
Latest MLS table projections, based on home/away PPG averaged over the remaining schedule. The Supporters' Shield race is going to be 𝑡𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡!
— Ben Wright (@benwright) July 21, 2025
1. Cincinnati (68)
2. Philadelphia (67)
3. Miami (66)
4. Nashville (66)
5. Vancouver (63)
6. San Diego (61)
7. Columbus (61) pic.twitter.com/9RgCc2uJm1
Based on current form, FC Cincinnati have the highest projected point total at 68. So, for the sake of discussion, we’ll use 68 points as the target to reach.
Let's dive in!
Nashville SC
