The final day of the 2025 Major League Soccer regular season, known as Decision Day, delivered all the drama and last-minute heroics that fans have come to expect. As the dust settled on October 18, Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas emerged as the last two teams to punch their tickets to the Western Conference playoffs, while heartbreak struck for the Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes, who both narrowly missed out despite valiant efforts.
The Western Conference race was wide open heading into the final round, with four teams—Colorado Rapids, San Jose Earthquakes, Real Salt Lake, and FC Dallas—vying for just two available postseason berths. The tension was palpable across stadiums, with every goal swinging the playoff picture.
FC Dallas sealed their fate with a nail-biting 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps. Kaick’s decisive strike proved the difference, capping a wild contest that saw Thomas Muller continue his remarkable run of form. Muller's penalty had earlier cancelled out Osaze Urhoghide’s opener, which came after Vancouver’s Mathias Laborda saw red in the opening stages. According to match data, "Thomas Muller has now recorded at least one goal contribution in each of his first six MLS starts." That’s a feat not seen since Chicago’s Brandt Bronico in 2018, highlighting the German star’s instant impact since arriving in North America.
For Dallas, the win was doubly sweet—it snapped a six-match winless streak on the road and marked their first victory in Canada since 2018. The Whitecaps, meanwhile, saw their impressive eight-game unbeaten run come to an abrupt end at the worst possible moment.
Meanwhile, Real Salt Lake faced a relentless St. Louis City SC, who fired off 27 shots and racked up 3.53 expected goals. Joao Klauss’s late equalizer for St. Louis sent nerves jangling, but RSL held on for a 2-2 draw—just enough to edge ahead of San Jose and Colorado on the tiebreaker. With 41 points apiece, it was RSL’s superior win total that clinched ninth place and a wild card date with the Portland Timbers. As the final whistle blew, Real Salt Lake fans could finally exhale, knowing their team had survived one of the most cutthroat Decision Days in recent memory.
San Jose Earthquakes, under first-year coach Bruce Arena, nearly doubled their points haul from a dismal 2024 season and capped their campaign with a 2-1 win over Austin FC. Niko Tsakiris notched his first career MLS goal in the 77th minute, and Josef Martínez found the net as well. However, despite matching RSL and Colorado’s point totals, the Earthquakes lost out on the postseason due to that all-important tiebreaker. It’s a cruel twist for a team that showed so much improvement, but as Arena’s squad knows all too well, in MLS, the margins are razor thin.
Colorado Rapids also finished with 41 points but saw their playoff dreams dashed in the dying moments of their clash with Los Angeles FC. Darren Yapi’s 87th-minute header appeared to have put the Rapids into the postseason, but Andrew Moran struck back in the 90th minute for LAFC, securing a 2-2 draw and eliminating Colorado from contention. The Rapids’ late stumble—going 0-2-2 in their last four matches—proved costly, and they officially finished 11th in the West. LAFC, meanwhile, locked up third place and will face Austin FC in the opening round.
Heung-Min Son continued his sensational form for LAFC, scoring his ninth goal in just 10 MLS matches. The South Korean star’s influence has been pivotal for LA, and his strike on Decision Day was a reminder of the firepower the club will bring into the postseason. LAFC outshot the Rapids 13-1 in the first half but couldn’t translate their dominance into a comfortable lead, leaving the door open for late drama.
Turning to the Eastern Conference, the playoff field was already set before Decision Day, with only the final seedings left to be determined. Inter Miami made a statement, crushing Nashville SC 5-2 in a high-octane showdown that doubled as a preview for their first-round playoff matchup. Lionel Messi, continuing to dazzle in his debut MLS season, led Miami to victory, setting up a mouthwatering rematch against Nashville with everything on the line.
Elsewhere in the East, Charlotte FC stunned Supporters’ Shield winners Philadelphia Union with a 2-0 victory, while Columbus Crew dispatched New York Red Bulls 3-1 to secure a first-round derby against FC Cincinnati. Orlando City’s 4-2 defeat to Toronto FC dropped them to ninth, meaning they’ll travel to face the Chicago Fire in the Wild Card round. For Chicago, it’s a long-awaited return to the postseason—their first since 2017—secured in dramatic fashion after a 2-2 draw with New England Revolution that saw Dor Turgeman score a late own goal to level the match.
The Wild Card round, set for Wednesday, October 22, features two high-stakes matchups: Chicago Fire hosting Orlando City at 8:30 p.m. ET, and Portland Timbers taking on Real Salt Lake at 10:30 p.m. ET. The winners will advance to face the top seeds in their respective conferences, with the rest of the playoff bracket featuring tantalizing pairings: Philadelphia Union awaits the Chicago/Orlando winner, FC Cincinnati faces Columbus Crew, Inter Miami battles Nashville SC, and Charlotte FC takes on NYCFC in the East. In the West, San Diego FC, fresh off a 4-0 demolition of Portland, will play the Portland/Real Salt Lake winner, while Vancouver Whitecaps face FC Dallas, LAFC meets Austin FC, and Minnesota United squares off with Seattle Sounders.
For teams like San Jose and Colorado, Decision Day was a bitter pill, but for Dallas, RSL, and the rest of the playoff qualifiers, the journey is just beginning. With stars like Messi, Muller, and Son lighting up the league, and with so many matchups too close to call, the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs promise to deliver more twists, turns, and unforgettable moments.
As the postseason looms, fans across North America are left with one burning question: Who will seize the moment and lift the MLS Cup? The only certainty is that, after a Decision Day like this, anything can happen.
