Atlanta to Vancouver: Biggest surprises of the 2025 MLS season

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We're five weeks into the 2025 Major League Soccer season and we're starting to see some trends, both good and bad.

Let's look at some of the biggest surprises so far this year.

Newcomers & youngsters

We all know about Leo Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba and what they bring to this club. But let's not forget that Inter Miami lost Diego Gómez, Leo Campana and Matías Rojas from their 2024 roster – creating some big holes this past offseason.

Enter newcomers Telasco Segovia and Tadeo Allende. We didn't know what to expect, but both have been superb. They've stepped right into starting positions and proved to be difference-makers. Segovia looks like a special player who could follow the Gómez path to becoming a locked-in starter for his national team and securing an eventual move to a big club in Europe.

On the backline, Noah Allen and Ian Fray have really impressed and continued to progress in their careers. These two should play big minutes this season and have been two of Inter Miami's best defenders.

Maybe this one shouldn't come as a surprise since the Union still have a strong roster. But after missing the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs and parting ways with Jim Curtin in the offseason, there were question marks.

Philadelphia have started this season on fire under new coach Bradley Carnell, who fits like a glove with the club's philosophy. Tai Baribo has been the star, scoring six times already. Quinn Sullivan is one of the league's brightest young players, putting in a major shift on both sides of the ball every single game. Jovan Lukic looks like a fantastic signing. Take away the two banger goals he's scored and he's still been one of the best two-way midfielders in MLS after five games.

The Union, yet again, are a contender in the Eastern Conference.

I can't lie: I didn't think Nashville would look like a playoff-caliber team in 2025, but they've surpassed expectations with a really strong start.

B.J. Callaghan has set up this team for success and we are seeing something we have never seen in Nashville: some beautiful, flowing, attacking football. Andy Najar was a great signing this offseason who has added some attacking quality from the right back position. Ahmed Qasem looks fantastic as well.

Nashville were once a team known for sitting back, defending well and hitting you on the counter. Today, they are one of the most enjoyable teams to watch in MLS.

The vision was there. The idea was that Gregg Berhalter could coach the Fire to play in his style. There was attacking talent with Hugo Cuypers, Brian Gutiérrez, Jonathan Bamba and Philip Zinckernagel.

I had Chicago as a definite playoff team in a tough Eastern Conference, but I didn't think they would have three road wins after five matchdays, especially with some early-season injuries and absences. Winning games this soon helps build confidence and helps you grow quickly as a team.

Chicago is one of the biggest markets in MLS and should be a top-five club year in and year out. It's exciting to see the Fire playing good football and winning games again.

We all had the Whitecaps leading the Western Conference after five weeks, right? Yeah, right. We all had the Whitecaps going to Mexico and getting past Monterrey in Concacaf Champions Cup, too? Yeah, right.

Vancouver's midfield has come of age this season. Pedro Vite and Sebastian Berhalter have taken a big step in their careers, while Andrés Cubas remains one of the best defensive midfielders in MLS.

The big surprise has been how new head coach Jesper Sørensen has the Whitecaps playing so well, so soon. Can he keep them consistent enough to compete for the top spot in the Western Conference?

Brand new club, first-time head coach, unfinished roster. We all predicted San Diego to finish last in the West this season.

But from the first whistle against LA Galaxy in the first-ever Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire game, they showed intent and passion to play their style of football. They haven't been perfect just yet, but eight points from their first five games is something to be proud of.

Anders Dreyer has been the star, as the former Anderlecht attacker has been SDFC's most consistent player. He's stepped up while Chucky Lozano deals with a hamstring injury.

When you spend more than $50 million on attacking pieces, fairly or not, the expectation is that you deliver from day one.

Yet Atlanta United are 12th in the Eastern Conference with just five points. Their one win came against CF Montréal, who already dismissed their manager and haven't scored a goal since.

It's been surprising to see Atlanta not yet put together a solid 90-minute performance to hang their hat on. First and foremost, Ronny Deila has to figure out how to get the front four attacking players to click with each other. After that, he has to figure out who his two center midfielders are because the pairs he keeps putting out there simply aren't working.

It's been the worst-ever start to an MLS campaign by a defending champion.

Yes, there have been injury issues and yes, the roster was overhauled a bit with the departure of key players like Dejan Joveljić, Mark Delgado and Gastón Brugman.

Yet this is what Greg Vanney is paid the big bucks for. It's not an easy task to balance MLS games and the Concacaf Champions Cup early in the season with key injuries, but there is still enough quality in that roster to pick up more points. On top of that, LA have created a goalkeeper controversy with their decision to flip-flop on Novak Mićović and John McCarthy.

• Voices: Sacha Kljestan
• Inter Miami CF
• Philadelphia Union
• Nashville SC
• Chicago Fire FC
• Vancouver Whitecaps FC
• San Diego FC
• Atlanta United
• LA Galaxy
• Matchday

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