Success in MLS is all about when you peak.
Shield-winners, such as the 2022 New England Revolution, often peak too early, then flop in the playoffs. Some teams struggle the first half of the year, such as the 2016 Seattle Sounders, but rally and peak late in the season on the way to an MLS Cup.
The 2022 Sounders spent their resources in the preseason and peaked in May. They earned a historic victory and now boast a CCL trophy that is the envy of all of their MLS peers. The team’s performance since then, however, has taken the club from the highest of highs down to an unfamiliar disappointment — watching the playoffs from home.