Thanksgiving invites us to gather with loved ones to enjoy delicious meals, navigate lively discussions, and take stock of the past year. As the 2025 MLS season approaches its climactic finale, it’s the perfect opportunity for teams in the Eastern Conference to reflect on their journeys throughout the year and highlight what they are grateful for.
Atlanta United
After a season that was a disappointment for the Five Stripes, the Thanksgiving table feels a bit warmer with the return of some friends who have been away for a bit. Fan favorite Miguel Almiron returned to Atlanta at the beginning of the season after a spell in England. With only six goals and three assists, it may not have been the explosive return fans had hoped for, but Almiron is a steady hand during a bit of a transitional period for Atlanta and, wait, is that a knock at the door? A surprise guest showing up late to dinner? Who could it be?
Its Tata Martino! Atlanta United announced earlier this month that Tata would be returning to the club as head coach for the upcoming season, a welcoming sign for a better future. Atlanta fans will be feeling thankful for the return of these familiar faces as they look to adjust and retool for 2026.
Charlotte
Charlotte FC and coach Dean Smith have a lot to be proud of in 2025. They might still be eating some feelings after an early playoff exit; some time and distance will hopefully help them appreciate that they were able to finish fourth in a tough Eastern Conference table. Part of that success comes from their ability to keep clean sheets this season – which they were able to keep the second-most among all teams with 14.
So, while Tim Ream might be hiding in the kitchen to clean dishes, he’ll hopefully be remembering all those clean sheets.
Chicago Fire
The Chicago Fire dinner feels a lot more in control with Gregg Berhalter sitting at the head of the table. Fire fans can be thankful that he helped make this team competitive again. Berhalter had a winning percentage of 44% which the Fire have not seen the likes of since 2017 – which is coincidentally the last time they made the playoffs.
The Fire can also be grateful for Brian Gutierrez having another strong season. At just 22 years old, he was able to log 11 goals and 4 assists and is one of the team leaders in chance creation and shots per 90 minutes. While he may not be carving the turkey this year, he’s definitely earned his seat at the adults’ table.
Columbus Crew
The dinner in Columbus is going to be an emotional one as there are going to be some tough goodbyes. First off, Darlington Nagbe announced he would be hanging it up after an amazing 15-year career. The Ohio legend was able to return to Columbus in 2020 where he played over 200 games for the Crew winning multiple trophies including two MLS Cups.
Similarly, it sounds like Wilfried Nancy might also be leaving Columbus as he is heavily rumored to be in line for the manager role at Celtic in Scotland. Nancy has certainly earned the European interest as he has an average win rate of 52% with the Crew.
Here’s to hoping the Crew Thanksgiving is full of fond memories over glasses of a good vintage.
FC Cincinnati
I’m sure its hard for the Cincy fans to feel anything but disappointment right now and that they were so close but fell flat. But that is just a bit of recency bias clouding up what has been a stellar season for Cincinnati. Head coach Pat Noonan has helped this team come within one point of winning the Supporter’s Shield and finish second in the Eastern Conference. Although they lost to Miami in the playoffs, they were able to knock out in-state rivals Columbus in a three game “Hell is Real” series. There’s no trophy for that, but the bragging rights alone should be more than enough to bring some smiles out around the table.
Similarly, Cincy can be thankful for the success that came from the Evander deal. This was a great move for both parties: Evander was able to get a fresh start at a new club and Cincinnati got a player who is put up MVP caliber numbers.
DC United
Sometimes the best thing you can be thankful for is that something is over. That’s probably how DC United are feeling right now. Their 2025 season is definitely one they will want to forget, finishing last overall with just five wins all season.
But one season ending means another season will start and for DC, that means a chance to improve. With all their Designated Player spots open, DC will hopefully be able to sign quality players to help revitalize the team. Here’s to hoping there are some new faces around the table this time next year.
Inter Miami CF
While the easiest thing for Miami to be thankful for might be a fantastic Messi season or a great playoff run that currently has them in the Eastern Conference final, Thanksgiving is also a time of reflection.
With that, Miami should take the time to appreciate the careers of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. The pair announced that they would retire at the end of the season (though when that happens is up to Miami at this point). The two Spaniards are legends for Barcelona, Spain and the sport. When Inter Miami became the “Messi and Friends” show in 2023, these two not only helped the team succeed but also helped draw more attention and viewership to the league. It’s been a fun ride watching the gang get back together for one last ride.
I’d say pop some champagne for a toast this Thanksgiving, but they might be saving the bubbly for early December.
CF Montreal
While it might be hard for Montreal to feel gratitude this year, they should feel positive that things are starting to move in the right direction. Marco Donadel looks like the right move for head coach, and he certainly was a steady hand after inheriting a team in a tricky situation. Pair that with players like Prince Owusu and Dante Sealy (who had an underappreciated 2025 season) getting more familiar with each other and the system, and you have some good building blocks for the 2026 season.
The Thanksgiving table conversation should be filled with a lot of ‘getting to know you’ drinking games as both the players and staff work to strengthen their relationship going into the new year.
Nashville SC
Nashville is really just happy to be home after their long delay in Miami. While their playoff run might not have been what they pictured, they can be thankful for their shiny new centerpiece: the 2025 U.S. Open Cup.
They can also be grateful for the season Sam Surridge had. In his third season with the club, the 27-year-old Englishman had a knack for finding the back of the net resulting in 25 goals which landed him third in the Golden Boot race.
So, while their Fall travel may not have been ideal, the silverware on the table surely makes everything a little better.
New England Revolution
This year was a bit of a transition period for the Revs who parted ways with head coach Caleb Porter in September. Though it may be difficult to change things up, the fact of the matter is that it just wasn’t working out. Under two seasons with Porter at the helm, the Revs were only winning about a quarter of their games which is not a pathway to success.
What the Revs really need to be grateful for is change, such as change in head coach and change in squad personnel like the addition of Leonardo Campana. The Campana deal (one of the largest
domestic deals in MLS history) looks like it could be a good investment as Campana’s per 90 stats are some of the best on the team rivaled only by the likes of club legend Carles Gil.
New York Red Bulls
One of the nice parts about Thanksgiving is that it is a reason for people to gather at home, and for the Red Bulls there’s no better place than home. In 2025 their home record was far superior to their away record with the team scoring three times as many goals at home vs. on the road and winning five times as many games.
Sports Illustrated Stadium was a fortress for a Red Bull team that struggled to find consistency this year so hopefully the team takes time to recognize the home field advantage they had in 2025.
New York City FC
An important, though often underappreciated, aspect of Thanksgiving is timing. Allowing time for travel, how long things need to be in the oven, when guests are arriving, etc. all exemplify how important timing can be. For NYCFC, their 2025 can also show the importance of hitting your stride at the right time. Even though they lost three of their last four matches to finish the regular season, this team kicked into gear once they entered the postseason. NYCFC won two of the three games against Charlotte (only losing the one game after penalties) and then went on beat Philadelphia on the road to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
Matt Freese is also the beneficiary of this too as he seems to be finding his form for both club and country right now and is competing for the starting spot on the US Men’s National Team as a result.
Orlando City
We can all appreciate when something turns out to be better than expected and Matin Ojeda’s 2025 was just that. According to FOTMOB, Ojeda’s expected goals (xG) was 11.98 and his expected assists (xA) was 7.7 but he finished the season with 16 goals and 9 assists.
On top of that, Orlando also had Alex Freeman recording a stellar year. Not only did he play in 30 regular season games (compared to 3 in the previous two seasons) but the 21-year-old also scored 3 goals (6 in all competitions). All of this as a right back!
Orlando can reflect on some stellar individual contributions this past season and look ahead on how to get the pieces around them working together.
Philadelphia Union
The Union are going to have to do Thanksgiving dinner family-style since they’ll be sharing with all of their supporters. A great defense helped the Union top not only the Eastern Conference, but the whole league in order to win the 2025 Supporter’s Shield. They conceded on average the fewest goals per match as well as kept the most clean sheets (15) in 2025.
There should be a lot of love shown to players like Glesnes and Wagner as well as Andre Blake for helping the Union to such a successful 2025 (even if their playoff hopes fell short of their expectations).
What are you most thankful for in the 2025 MLS season? Leave a comment below!
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