A first glimpse at the Western Conference standings might be surprising. The perennial powerhouses – defending MLS Cup presented by Audi champion LA Galaxy, LAFC and Seattle Sounders FC – aren't among the top eight.
While those traditional contenders are slow out of the gate, others have raced to the front of the pack through seven matchdays.
Who has impressed? Who are the elite? It sparked some debate on MLS Wrap-Up among analysts Bradley Wright-Phillips, Dax McCarty and Sacha Kljestan.
Is it Vancouver Whitecaps FC? Expansion side San Diego FC? Perhaps Minnesota United FC?
Let's dive in.
- Record: 5W-1L-1D (16 points)
- Standings: 1st in Western Conference
The Whitecaps lead the Western Conference, so BWP presented the most logical argument for their place among the elite.
Led by new head coach Jesper Sørensen, Vancouver have managed the delicate balance of starting the MLS season and Concacaf Champions Cup – and they've done so while their best player, Ryan Gauld, has been sidelined with a knee injury.
"They're playing some good football, they're getting the results, they have good players in every position, a legit goalscorer," Wright-Phillips said. "The backline had been questioned. The partnership with [Ranko] Veselinović and Tristan Blackmon, it's been really good.
"I look around that team, I can't fault them. I thought, 'Ok, they get an injury; they're going to struggle.' Ryan Gauld's not in the team. He's one of the best No. 10s we have and they're still performing."
- Record: 4W-1L-2D (14 points)
- Standings: 2nd in Western Conference
Maybe the story of the 2025 season has been expansion side San Diego, whose 14-point haul is the third-most by an expansion team through seven matches.
They've stacked up results against the Galaxy, LAFC and Seattle, plus dealt with an injury to Chucky Lozano. But the Mexican superstar returned over the weekend, tallying one goal and two assists in a 3-0 win over the Sounders.
"They are the no-brainer choice for the best team in the West right now," McCarty said. "A couple of years ago, I played for an expansion team in Nashville SC and we were told, and we were built, to just tread water. And that's fine.
"This San Diego team, it seemed like they were being built the same way, but then as preseason moved on, they started preaching 'We are going to play beautiful soccer and we are going to play the right way, our own style, our own identity.' ... What they are doing is so impressive."
- Record: 4W-1L-2D (14 points)
- Standings: 3rd in Western Conference
The team perhaps best suited for a long-term stay atop the West? That might be Minnesota.
The Loons could be top of the table right now, if it weren't for squandering points against Sporting Kansas City and the Galaxy in back-to-back weeks. But Kljestan argues there are elements of an elite squad.
"They have difference makers at every level in their formation," Kljestan said. "They play in that 5-3-2. [Dayne] St. Clair, good goalkeeper in MLS. Center backs, [Jefferson] DÃaz, very good. Wingbacks, [Joseph] Rosales and [Bongokuhle] Hlongwane, those guys are top-level wingbacks in Major League Soccer. A solid midfield and two very good strikers that understand how to play with each other."
"I think by the end of the season, they have the highest potential of that group."
