This marks the longest active playoff absence among all major men’s sports leagues in North America.
The Jets lost 34-10 to the Miami Dolphins after starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor left the game with an injury.

The New York Jets’ new regime now officially finds itself in the same spot where so many of the franchise’s other recent leadership groups have ended up.

With a 34-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the Jets were officially eliminated from playoff contention, extending their NFL-worst active postseason drought to 15 seasons.

New York broke its tie with the Buffalo Sabres (14 seasons) for the longest ongoing playoff absence among the major men’s sports leagues in North America. The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons are the next closest NFL teams with seven consecutive years without a postseason appearance.

On Sunday, there was little doubt as to whether the Jets would meet the same fate as they did in previous years. The Dolphins raced out to a 21-0 advantage in the first quarter, when New York also lost starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor to a groin injury. Undrafted rookie Brady Cook took over leading the offense, which would post just 207 total yards on the day.

“I didn’t have them ready to play,’ Jets coach Aaron Glenn said after the game. ‘That was obvious.”

When the Jets hired Glenn in January, the former franchise standout told fans to ‘expect a winning team that you will be proud of.’ Tensions grew after an error-filled 0-7 start, which left New York as the last team in the league to register a victory.

After scoring their first win, the Jets opted to trade two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner (to the Indianapolis Colts) and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (to the Dallas Cowboys). The moves significantly altered the organization’s outlook for both the near and long term, as they returned three first-round picks over the next two years while stripping the roster of two of its top performers.

‘I want this to be a team that the fans are proud of, but again, I never said they were going to be proud of them right now,’ Glenn said in November after the trades.

The Jets would go on to win two additional games after their Week 9 bye that preceded the trade deadline deals, helping them remain alive longer than five other teams that had already been eliminated entering Sunday. But with the defeat against the Dolphins sealing their fate, New York crept closer to the New Orleans Saints’ mark of 20 seasons for the longest NFL playoff drought in the Super Bowl era.

NFL’s longest active playoff droughts

1. New York Jets – 15 seasons
2t. Atlanta Falcons – 7 seasons
2t. Carolina Panthers – 7 seasons
4t. Chicago Bears – 4 seasons
4t. Indianapolis Colts – 4 seasons
4t. New Orleans Saints – 4 seasons

The Baltimore Ravens lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-22, dropping them a game out of first place in the AFC North.
A controversial replay review overturned a potential go-ahead touchdown catch by Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely.
Baltimore had several missed opportunities, including a dropped pass by Mark Andrews and inefficient clock management.

The Baltimore Ravens had their dreams of leading the AFC North title race ripped away like Isaiah Likely had his go-ahead touchdown taken off the board in a 27-22 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 7. 

Likely, the Ravens’ tight end appeared to catch a pass from quarterback Lamar Jackson in the end zone that would have put Baltimore up 28-27 with 2:47 remaining. But officials ruled after a replay review that Likely did not possess the ball long enough before Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. wrapped him. As Likely tried to extend the ball away from his own body and away from Porter, the ball jarred loose. 

The result left the Steelers alone at the top of the division with four games remaining. The Ravens still have a chance to even the season series in two weeks at Pittsburgh, but they are currently outside of the AFC playoff picture. 

NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth said ‘we quickly looked at the play,’ according to the postgame pool report.

‘The receiver controlled the ball in the air, had his right foot down, then his left foot down. The control is the first aspect of the catch. The second aspect is two feet or a body part in bounds, which he did have,’ he said. ‘Then the third step is an act common to the game and before he could get the third foot down, the ball was ripped out. Therefore, it was an incomplete pass.’

Asked to elaborate on ‘an act common to the game,’ Butterworth replied: ‘For this play, it would be him completing the third step.’

That tracked with what Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters.

‘The explanation was that the third foot didn’t get down before the ball came out,’ Harbaugh said. ‘That’s what they said.’

Earlier in the game, in which Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers appeared to throw an interception and was ruled as such on the field. But replay ruled that Rodgers had possessed the ball with his knee on the ground amid the commotion following his pass that was batted at the line of scrimmage.

Harbaugh disagreed with the notion Rodgers had a knee down and possession of the football amid the mangle of limbs all trying to corral the pigskin.

‘It’s not an officiating issue. It comes from New York. But when you’re making a catch, you have to survive the ground. He didn’t survive the ground. He’s not down by contact. He was catching the ball on the way down with another person, so you gotta make a catch there and survive the ground,’ Harbaugh said. ‘I don’t know why it was ruled the way it was on that one. All of those things I’m sure they’ll explain it to us, but they had plenty of time to look at it and they’re the ones that are the experts on the rules.’

The Ravens could blame the officials, who turned a Steelers’ field-goal drive into a possession that ended in a touchdown, for saying Travis Jones rushed the long-snapper, which is against the rules, on Chris Boswell’s attempt.

Referee Alex Moore said the snapper is a defenseless player, and contacting him triggers an unnecessary roughness flag. Although Jones contacted a different member of the offensive line first, it appeared, he can still be flagged.

‘You cannot make any forcible contact to that player.,’ Moore said. ‘The calling official felt like the contact rose to the level of being unnecessary against a defenseless player.’

But blaming the stripes wouldn’t be a proper accounting of accountability. 

‘You can’t blame it one way or the other. we know even with those calls, we still should have made enough of a difference to win this game,’ left tackle Ronnie Stanley said.

Three plays after Likely’s non-catch, on a 4th-and-5 from the Pittsburgh 8-yard line, Jackson stepped up and had tight end Mark Andrews open with a step on the defender. The throw was not ideal but catchable, and the freshly paid, favorite target of Jackson could only paw it chaotically with his left hand.

Jackson had another chance to lead a go-ahead touchdown drive with no timeouts and 1:56 left. He got the Ravens to the 30-yard line, but he took a sack on a play that began with nine seconds remaining. Instead of having two shots at the end zone, Jackson lay on the ground as the clock hit zero. 

‘We have to finish and find a way to put some points on the board,’ Jackson told reporters in the locker room. ‘They beat us by five points. We have to find a way to get a touchdown on that last drive.’

Jackson was largely inefficient through the air, going 19-for-35 with 219 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception. 

The Ravens’ defense, for all of its improvement since the beginning of the season, had two free runners for walk-in touchdowns on what ended up being Jaylen Warren’s 38-yard touchdown dash. 

Pittsburgh’s offense is a known commodity by this point in the season. Rodgers, who looked every bit the 42-year-old he turned last week over the past month or so of the season, put up a gaudy stat line – 23-for-34, 287 passing yards with a rushing touchdown and passing score. 

Even with Jackson appearing to be a more willing runner (seven carries, 43 yards), Baltimore could not muster much against a Pittsburgh defense that was embarrassed by the Buffalo Bills in the rushing category a week ago. Derrick Henry (25 rushes, 94 yards) averaged 3.8 yards per carry. 

Rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed a kick. Harbaugh opted for field goals down the stretch at times a fourth-down conversion presented itself as the more analytically sound option. 

The list of reasons why the Ravens lost Sunday is plentiful. They are a game back in the division race because of it and remain alive to make the playoffs if they can retake the division lead and host a playoff game. They can pretend all of this was a blip on the radar. But the reasons why they trail in the division have plagued them all year. 

And that should encourage them to look beyond blaming the refs for their current stock.

Franz Wagner and the Orlando Magic suffered a 106-100 road loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday, Dec. 7. But the biggest loss for the Magic may have come when Wagner left the game with a lower left leg injury.

The German forward was attempting an alley-oop on a fast break but was fouled by Ariel Hukporti with 4:43 left in the first quarter.

Wagner’s knee appeared to buckle upon landing, and he lay on the court before he was helped off. He was seen limping back to the locker room and did not return to the game.

Franz Wagner injury update

Wagner is expected to undergo an MRI once the team returns to Orlando, according to the team.

‘You never want to see anybody go down, but that hurt my heart, watching him hit the floor,’ Magic coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters after the game. ‘Now I’m just praying that everything is going to be OK with him, but we just don’t like to see that happen to him, especially (Wagner), who does everything the right way at all times he’s on the floor.’

Franz Wagner stats

Wagner has averaged 23.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 23 games this season, while shooting .487 from the field and .354 from 3-point range. He leads the team in scoring, field goals made (8.0 per game), field goals attempted (16.4 per game) and minutes (34.5 per game).

He has spent his entire career with Orlando after the Magic selected him with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He made the All Rookie first team at the end of that season.

In 4-plus seasons in the league, Wagner is averaging 19.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals, while shooting .475 from the field, .324 from 3-point range and .852 from the free throw line.

Notre Dame football was controversially left out of the College Football Playoff bracket on Sunday, Dec. 7. In turn, the Fighting Irish’s season is over.

Notre Dame, despite finishing with a 10-2 record, four wins above bowl eligibility, announced it is declining a bowl invitation a few hours after Alabama and Miami took the final two at-large bids over the Fighting Irish.

‘As a team, we’ve decided to withdraw our name from consideration for a bowl game following the 2025 season,’ a statement posted on the team’s social media account read. ‘We appreciate all the support from our families and fans, and we’re hoping to bring the 12th national title to South Bend in 2026.’

Notre Dame finished the season with 10 consecutive wins after starting 0-2 after matchups with Miami and Texas A&M, both of which made the CFP. Ultimately, the Fighting Irish’s head-to-head loss was the deciding factor.

Notre Dame was ranked No. 10 in the final rankings reveal prior to the bracket being set on Tuesday, Dec. 2. The Fighting Irish were No. 9, one spot ahead of Alabama, for multiple weeks before the committee swapped the two teams on Dec. 2.

Miami rose from No. 11 to No. 10 despite not playing in the ACC Championship game. The Hurricanes jumped No. 11 BYU, who lost in the Big 12 Conference Championship to No. 4 Texas Tech, and Notre Dame.

Iowa State and Kansas State declined bowl invites as well and were fined $500,000 by the Big 12. Both Big 12 programs lost their head coaches, though, after Matt Campbell left for Penn State and Chris Klieman retired.

Then, his contributions and the Browns’ comeback bid came to an abrupt end.

After Sanders closed the Titans’ lead to 31-29 on his third touchdown pass of the day with 1:03 remaining, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski opted to take the rookie quarterback off the field for the potentially game-tying two-point conversion. Instead, rookie running back Quinshon Judkins took the snap in a Wildcat package and bobbled the ball right when it appeared as though a pitch would materialize. Judkins backtracked and tried to fire a pass to the opposite side of the field, but his attempt was broken up by a defender and fell incomplete, all but securing Tennessee’s second win of the season.

Afterward, Stefanski offered scant details on the strategy behind the call or the decision to take Sanders off the field, but said he deserved blame for the outcome rather than offensive coordinator and play-caller Tommy Rees.

‘Not gonna get into all the specifics, but obviously did not go as we thought it would,’ said Stefanski, later adding, ‘I’m responsible for all of it.’

Sanders, who finished with four total touchdowns (three rushing, one passing) and 364 yards on 23-of-42 passing, largely shrugged off being removed from the game.

‘If I’m out there any play, I wish I would always have the ball in my hand, but that’s not what football is,’ Sanders said. ‘Sometimes you got to run the ball, sometimes you got to kick a field goal. … I know we practiced something and executed in practice, and we just didn’t seem to execute it today. So I would never go against what the call was or anything.’

Sanders’ outing was not without error, as he threw an ill-advised interception late in the third quarter that led to the Titans’ go-ahead touchdown. But Stefanski, who last week wouldn’t commit to Sanders starting beyond the game against the Titans, saw plenty of promising highs from the fifth-round draft pick.

‘He fought throughout the game, which we knew he would,’ Stefanski said. ‘Obviously with any young player, there’s going to be ups and downs, and I though there were some really, really, really good moments. He’ll keep learning from some of the plays he wants back, but (there were) some really good moments.’

The Kansas City Chiefs (6-6) host the Houston Texans (7-5) to cap off Sunday in Week 14.

It’s a rematch of the AFC divisional round playoff game from last season, which saw the Chiefs earn a 23-14 win. Kansas City has won the previous five meetings with Houston, but things look much more bleak for the reigning AFC champs entering tonight’s game.

If the season ended before Week 14, both the Texans and Chiefs would miss the playoffs. It’s rare territory for Kansas City who has won nine consecutive AFC West titles and has appeared in seven AFC championship games over that span.

Patrick Mahomes is playing at an MVP level, but his supporting cast has been inconsistent, and they have just five games left to qualify for the playoffs.

The visitors are in pursuit of the AFC South title, trailing the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Indianapolis Colts. They were in third entering Sunday and have won four straight, making a surge behind an outstanding defense.

Standout edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter are key players in tonight’s game as the Chiefs’ offensive line has numerous injuries. Left tackle Josh Simmons (IR), right tackle Jawaan Taylor, and guard Trey Smith are not expected to play. Mahomes has been sacked at least three times in five straight and will have his hands full against the NFL’s top-ranked defense.

Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud has struggled at times this season behind his much beleaguered offensive line. Houston’s offense ranks 21st in points per game (21.9).

Despite its struggles, Kansas City has averaged 25.4 points per game (ninth-best in the NFL) and ranks second in offensive EPA per play, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

The Chiefs are in desperation mode, and Houston is playing with a ton of confidence. Both teams are looking to gain momentum in the AFC playoff picture with a win tonight.

USA TODAY Sports will provide updates, analysis and highlights from the Week 14 ‘Sunday Night Football’ matchup below. All times are Eastern.

What TV channel is Sunday Night Football? How to watch Chiefs-Texans

TV channel: NBC
Live stream: Peacock, NFL+

NBC is the broadcast home of ‘Sunday Night Football.’ Mike Tirico will be on the call alongside Cris Collinsworth. Melissa Stark will provide updates from the sidelines.

Watch ‘Sunday Night Football’ with Peacock

What time is the Chiefs vs. Texans game?

Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET | 6:20 p.m. MT

The ‘SNF’ matchup between the Chiefs and Texans will get underway at 8:20 p.m. ET, the customary start time for ‘SNF.’

Chiefs-Texans live stream

Live stream:Peacock, NFL+

Peacock, NBC’s proprietary streaming service, will broadcast ‘SNF.’

Watch ‘Sunday Night Football’ with Peacock

Chiefs vs. Texans picks, predictions

Here’s how the expert panel at USA TODAY Sports sees this game shaking out:

Jarrett Bell: Texans, 24-23
Nick Brinkerhoff: Texans, 27-23
Chris Bumbaca: Chiefs, 22-19
Nate Davis: Texans, 23-20
Tyler Dragon: Chiefs, 25-20
Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz: Chiefs, 24-23

Chiefs vs. Texans odds, moneyline, O/U

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list.

Moneyline (ML): Kansas City -185 (Bet $185 to win $100) | Houston +154 (Bet $100 to win $154)
Against the spread (ATS): Kansas City -3.5 (-110) | Houston +3.5 (-110)
Over/Under (O/U): 41.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

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What time is the Chiefs game today?

The Chiefs vs. Texans game will kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 7. Kansas City will host the game at Arrowhead Stadium as both teams look to improve their position in the AFC playoff picture.

AFC West standings

The Chiefs enter ‘Sunday Night Football’ third in the AFC West.

Denver Broncos (10-2)
Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)
Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)

Chiefs schedule 2025

Chiefs vs. Texans injury report

Texans schedule 2025

AFC South standings

The Texans enter tonight’s game in third place in the AFC South:

Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4)
Indianapolis Colts (8-5)
Houston Texans (7-5)
Tennessee Titans (2-11)

So much drama, so few answers to a college football postseason that, now more than ever, is a raging dumpster fire. 

This much we know about the annual beauty pageant of a demolition derby: Everyone knows the surest, safest way to get to Valhalla is to win every single game.  

Lose, and you’re at the contradictions and consternation of the College Football Playoff selection committee, and the human condition that fuels it.

And by human condition, I mean that absolute absurdity of it all. 

If strength of schedule was raised this offseason to the top of the metrics for the 12-member committee, how does James Madison — with the 128th-ranked schedule and without a win over a Power conference team — earn one of the five precious automatic qualifying spots for conference champions?

If winning a conference championship game is a critical metric, why wouldn’t losing a conference championship game be the same?

Indiana won the Big Ten Championship game, and earned the No. 1 seed. Texas Tech won the Big 12, and Georgia won the SEC, and both earned a first-round bye. 

But Duke won the ACC, had a significantly tougher schedule and better wins than JMU, yet JMU earned the final automatic bid for the top five conference champions because it coasted through the Sun Belt and Duke lost five games in the ACC.

Ohio State lost to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship game, and fell. 

BYU was routed by Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship game, and fell.

Alabama was routed by Georgia in the SEC Championship game, and didn’t move — and stayed in the CFP as the only (and first) three-loss team.

I ask you, who in their right mind believes Alabama, which lost to Oklahoma at home three weeks ago, nearly lost Auburn, and got blown out by Georgia, should be part of the party?

Meanwhile, there is Texas, which has three wins over the CFP Top 14, penalized for playing a nonconference game at No. 2 Ohio State — and losing by seven points.

Then there’s the curious case of Notre Dame, the epicenter of the contradictory absurdity of the selection committee. 

For a month the 12-member committee explained Notre Dame wasn’t the same team that lost to Miami in the season opener and deserved to be among the fortunate 12. The Irish, they say, were playing as well as anyone in the country. 

Until Championship Week arrived and Notre Dame wasn’t playing, and somehow fell out. How, you ask? We don’t really know, so maybe committee chairman and Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek can help. 

Or maybe he can’t. 

This is why no one trusts the selection committee. What in blue blazes does BYU have to do with the Notre Dame-Miami argument? 

Because, Yurachek tried to awkwardly explain, the committee never really looked at Notre Dame and Miami — and Miami’s head-to-head win over Notre Dame was never considered — until the two teams were right next to each other in the poll. And BYU’s big loss to Texas Tech made that happen.

Really, he said that. 

Look, the process has to change. The idea college football can have a playoff to determine a national champion and 10 teams are evaluated one way, and two teams (Tulane and JMU) are evaluated a completely different way, is the craziest looney of all.

That the CFP can sell Ole Miss playing host to Tulane — a game we saw in September, where Tulane lost by 35 — and JMU playing at Oregon as part of four elite games to begin the postseason, isn’t realistic or productive for the health of the sport.

One Group of Five team is fine. Not preferable, but doable. 

A second at the expense of a Power conference champion or a more deserving team, is absolutely mind-numbing. This isn’t the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, where a mid-major can shock a Power conference team because one player gets hot and scores 30. 

There’s no comparison, and the fanciful pollyanna idea of anyone selling it is ridiculous.

There will be tweaks to the format this offseason, with or without the move to 16 teams. It should start with a limit on Group of Five teams, and a minimum threshold to earn a spot.

No more gifts, no more automatic qualifications. The gift is reaching the threshold to be considered.

Not rolling into the sport’s marquee event as a raging dumpster fire.

STORRS, CT — Sue Bird remembers her first unofficial visit to UConn.

The now basketball Hall of Famer came with her coaches from Christ the King High School in Middle Village, New York.

‘We saw a game and Gampel Pavilion was filled, everybody going nuts, and I was like, ‘Well, this is kind of cool,” said Bird, who made her return to Storrs to have her number retired on Sunday, Dec. 7.

‘And I remember thinking to myself, which is just so kind of silly … ‘Well, if I went here, I could probably go home on weekends to do my laundry, so that’s a plus.”

Bird, who won two national titles at UConn, remains the school record holder in 3-point field goal percentage (45.9) and free throw percentage (89.2). She is the third women’s player to have her jersey number retired at UConn joining Rebecca Lobo (50) and Swin Cash (32).

When asked how many many schools she got offers from back then, Bird joked: ‘A lot. Like, a lot. Like all of them.’ All but Tennessee, which had just signed its point guards of the future. She said she quickly narrowed the list to five, Duke, Notre Dame, Stanford, UConn and Vanderbilt, and took official visits to the latter three.

She remembers sitting in UConn coach Geno Auriemma’s office on that visit and being a little overwhelmed.

‘He is extremely confident, charismatic, he can be intimidating, especially for a teenager,’ Bird said. ‘I just remember sitting in his office, listening to him talk about who knows what, and I was just … Like, what’s going on right now? And then you fast forward, and you get to the whole process.’

Auriemma honored Bird on Sunday calling her: ‘Maybe, wait, no maybe, she is the greatest point guard to play basketball, man or woman.’

Bird had a nothing but praise for her alma mater, which is currently ranked No. 1 and won its 11th national championship against South Carolina last spring.

‘There’s something really wonderful about, not just what they built, in terms of the winning, but it’s why you’re doing it,’ Bird said. ‘They’ve really built something where, when players come here, it’s because something is speaking to them, something’s connecting for them.

‘For me, it was being at a place where I knew I was going to get challenged.’

Bird averaged 11.7 points and 4.9 assists in 118 games for the Huskies. She won the 2002 National Player of the Year and was the first UConn player to be drafted No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft. Bird won four WNBA championships with the Seattle Storm (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020). She also captured five Olympic gold medals (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020) and four FIBA World Cups (2002, 2010, 2014, 2018).

Bird has spent most of 2025 being honored. First, she was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in June. Then, the Storm unveiled a statue of Bird in front of Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle in August. Finally, she was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in September. 

‘What’s been great about this year, is it’s been in this excuse to get all my family, all my friends, all my former teammates, former coaches, you name it, anyone who has touched my life in any way, shape or form, it’s been bringing them together,’ Bird said. ‘… To get to share it, I already mentioned, like, reminiscing, that’s really what all of these moments have represented.’

From D.C. United’s win in the inaugural MLS Cup in 1996, to Inter Miami’s win over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2025 title game, here’s a ranking of all 30 Major League Soccer championship games.

30. 2008: Columbus Crew over New York Red Bulls, 3-1

This is the only MLS Cup appearance ever for NYRB (previously the MetroStars), and they were no match for the Crew. League MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto assisted on all three goals in the rout.

29. 1998: Chicago Fire over D.C. United, 2-0

The Fire halted D.C. United’s quest to win the first three titles in league history with a comfortable dispatching of the league’s dominant team at the time. Chicago scored twice in the first half to cruise to the first (and still only) championship won by an MLS expansion team.

28. 1999: D.C. United over Los Angeles Galaxy, 2-0

After winning the first two MLS Cups, D.C. United fell to the expansion Chicago Fire in the championship game in 1998. The team was back in the title game in 1999, and cruised to a pedestrian win.

27. 2010: Colorado Rapids over FC Dallas, 2-1

The last of the neutral-site MLS Cups is a somewhat forgettable affair. Neither team was really expected to be there. Colorado prevailed on a game-winning own goal in extra time, set up by Rapids striker Macoumba Kandji, who injured himself on the play. 

26. 2004: D.C. United over Kansas City Wizards, 3-2

Freddy Adu was a mega-hyped 15-year-old MLS rookie and came on as a second-half sub in the last of four MLS Cup wins for D.C. United. Despite being up a man for more than 30 minutes of play, KC found the equalizing goal to be particularly elusive. 

25. 2000: Kansas City Wizards over Chicago Fire, 1-0

This was Tony Meola at his finest. The one-time U.S. national team goalkeeper had a season for the ages in 2000, earning goalkeeper of the year and MVP honors. That run of excellence carried over into MLS Cup, as he offered a clean sheet against the league’s highest-scoring team and was named game MVP.

24. 2016: Seattle Sounders over Toronto FC, 0-0 (Seattle won 5-4 on penalties)

The Sounders won the championship despite not registering a single shot on goal on a frigid evening at Toronto’s BMO Field. Stefan Frei’s save on a Jozy Altidore shot was tremendous, saved the Sounders’ title hopes and is among the greatest plays in MLS Cup history.

23. 1997: D.C. United over Colorado Rapids, 2-1

D.C. United won its second straight MLS Cup against a team that had no business even being in the championship game. But, such is often the nature of the MLS playoffs, which has featured more than its share of randomness over the years.  

22. 2015: Portland Timbers over Columbus Crew, 2-1

This was a weird one. Diego Valeri scored the fastest goal in MLS Cup history 27 seconds into the game after Crew ‘keeper Steve Clark badly botched a back pass. In the seventh minute, Rodney Wallace scored the Timbers’ second goal and that held up as Portland claimed the city’s first major men’s sports championship since the Trail Blazers’ 1977 NBA title.

21. 2007: Houston Dynamo over New England Revolution, 2-1

As the Dynamo won back-to-back titles, the Revs lost MLS Cup for the third consecutive year. Taylor Twellman put the Revs on top in the 20th minute and for a while it appeared as if maybe this would finally be their day. Then, Houston scored twice in a 13-minute span in the second half — with Dwayne De Rosario netting the game-winner.

20. 2024: Los Angeles Galaxy over New York Red Bulls, 2-1

The Galaxy stormed out to a 2-0 lead just 13 minutes into this one, and it looked as if the Red Bulls would be run out of Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Instead, a 28th minute goal made of a game of it. That was it for the goal-scoring action in this one, which resulted in the Galaxy extending their MLS Cup wins record to six. The victory ended a decade-long title drought for the most successful club in MLS history.

19. 2023: Columbus Crew over Los Angeles FC, 2-1

LAFC entered the 2023 season with a chance to win six trophies (MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield, U.S. Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, Leagues Cup, Campeones Cup), and came within a game of being the league’s first back-to-back champion, but it was Crew coach Wilfried Nancy who made history. Nancy became the first Black coach to win MLS Cup. His team built a 2-0 lead in the first half, with the first goal coming on a penalty kick from Cucho Hernández and then Yaw Yeboah scored four minutes later. LAFC’s Denis Bouanga — the 2023 season’s Golden Boot winner — trimmed the Crew’s lead in the second half, but Columbus held on to win its third league championship and second in four seasons.

18. 2011: Los Angeles Galaxy over Houston Dynamo, 1-0

Entering 2011, no team with a ‘designated player’ had won an MLS Cup. That changed in Carson, California, when David Beckham, Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan (L.A.’s three designated players) combined for the game’s lone goal.

17. 2005: Los Angeles Galaxy over New England Revolution, 1-0

‘Pando’ Ramirez was a disappointment all season for the Galaxy, but came through when it mattered most when he karate-kicked a shot into the back of the net in extra time for the game winner.

16. 2017: Toronto FC over Seattle Sounders, 2-0

Toronto FC completed the most impressive single season in league history with a thoroughly dominant performance in an MLS Cup rematch against the Seattle Sounders. In doing so, TFC became the first MLS team to pull off the domestic treble, winning the Canadian Championship, Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup in the same season.

15. 2020: Columbus Crew over Seattle Sounders, 3-0

Nearly three years removed from possible extinction, the Crew pulled off a dramatic rise to glory with a dominant performance against the reigning league champions. Lucas Zelarayan — the most expensive signing in team history — saved his best performance for the Crew’s most crucial moment, scoring two goals and assisting on another.

14. 2019: Seattle Sounders over Toronto FC, 3-1

In the third championship showdown between these two teams, Seattle prevailed in the so-called ‘rubber match.’ After a scoreless first half, the Sounders lit up the scoreboard in the second half, building a 3-0 lead before Jozy Altidore finally put TFC on the board with a stoppage-time goal. Attendance at Seattle’s CenturyLink Field was 69,274, making this the second-biggest crowd — behind the 2018 MLS Cup in Atlanta — in league championship history.

13. 2014: Los Angeles Galaxy over New England Revolution, 2-1

This was the ‘first to five’ for both teams. While the Galaxy won their fifth MLS Cup, the Revolution lost their fifth. The game went to extra time after a 79th minute goal by the Revs’ Chris Tierney, but league MVP Robbie Keane scored the winner in the second period of extra time.

12. 2012: Los Angeles Galaxy over Houston Dynamo, 3-1

The Galaxy made sure David Beckham ended his MLS career as a winner. L.A. scored three second-half goals after Houston had taken a 1-0 first-half lead to win back-to-back MLS Cups. 

11. 2009: Real Salt Lake over Los Angeles Galaxy, 1-1 (RSL won 5-4 on penalties)

RSL became the last MLS team to win the Cup after posting a losing record in the regular season, and did so against a Galaxy team that reached its first title game since David Beckham’s much-ballyhooed arrival. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando helped RSL prevail in the penalty shootout, which included an uncharacteristic Landon Donovan miss. The RSL title, it turned out, wasn’t an anomaly. The team emerged as one of the league’s finest, returning to MLS Cup in 2013, only to lose in a penalty shootout.

10. 2021: New York City FC over Portland Timbers, 1-1 (NYCFC won 4-2 on penalties)

NYCFC, playing in its first MLS Cup, won New York’s first major club soccer championship since the Cosmos won Soccer Bowl ‘82. NYCFC prevailed thanks to its veteran goalkeeper, Sean Johnson, who stopped two penalty kicks in the shootout to secure the win. 2021 MLS Golden Boot winner Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos opened the scoring late in the first half, and it took until second-half stoppage time for Portland’s Felipe Mora to equalize and send the Providence Park crowd into euphoria.

9. 2006: Houston Dynamo over New England Revolution, 1-1 (Houston won 4-3 on penalties)

For a brief (very brief) moment, it seemed New England would finally claim its long-elusive MLS Cup. Taylor Twellman scored in the 113th minute, only to have Houston’s Brian Ching answer a minute later. That set up a penalty shootout in which Ching netted the clincher. 

8. 2001: San Jose Earthquakes over Los Angeles Galaxy, 2-1

Landon Donovan was just a 19-year-old bleached-blond soccer football wunderkind when he helped lead San Jose to its first MLS Cup title (fun fact: the highlights reveal a lot of bleached-blondness going on in this one). Donovan didn’t disappoint, scoring a game-tying goal. Six minutes into sudden-death overtime, Dwayne De Rosario scored the ‘golden goal’ winner.

7. 2002: Los Angeles Galaxy over New England Revolution, 1-0

More than 60,000 fans (then an MLS Cup record) packed brand-new Gillette Stadium to witness the final league championship decided by a ‘golden goal’ (starting in 2004, MLS Cups were decided with 30-minute extra-time periods, and if necessary penalty shootouts). Carlos Ruiz scored the winner in the 113th minute, disappointing the large partisan crowd and putting the Revs on a path toward unenviable recognition as MLS’s version of the Buffalo Bills.

6. 2018: Atlanta United FC 2, Portland Timbers 0

It’s tempting to look back at this game as a possible seismic shift for MLS. A team as ambitious as any at the time in the Western Hemisphere won a title in just its second season in front of a MLS Cup-record crowd of 73,019 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was an absolute spectacle, and Atlanta showed the immense potential of MLS.

5. 2025: Inter Miami over Vancouver Whitecaps, 3-1

The bodacious Lionel Messi experiment by Inter Miami and co-owner David Beckham paid off in grand fashion. Inter Miami scored two late goals — both off assists from game MVP Messi — to clinch its first Major League Soccer championship. Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano, former FC Barcelona and Argentina teammate of Messi, won the title in his first season at the helm. For Beckham, he now has MLS Cup wins as both a player and team owner.

4. 2003: San Jose Earthquakes over Chicago Fire, 4-2

Having already won the U.S. Open Cup and Supporters’ Shield, the Fire were going for the treble against the Earthquakes. Pregame hype centered around Landon Donovan (of the Earthquakes) and DaMarcus Beasley (of the Fire), and rightfully so, because the two provided three goals (two by Donovan) in the high-scoring game.

3. 2013: Sporting Kansas City over Real Salt Lake, 1-1 (SKC won 7-6 on penalties)

A wildly entertaining championship clash played in frigid conditions ended in an epic 10-round penalty-kick shootout. Watch Sporting KC goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen, just watch him. Somehow, Nielsen managed to get the better of his goalkeeping counterpart Nick Rimando in that crazy shootout. This was just a really fun game to watch.

2. 1996: D.C. United over Los Angeles Galaxy, 3-2

A classic Nor’easter at Foxboro helped set a memorable and dramatic backdrop for the league’s inaugural championship game. While at first the team from sunny L.A. thrived, United pulled off a late-game rally from two goals down to force overtime, during which Eddie Pope’s header cemented D.C. as MLS’s first title winners. 

1. Los Angeles FC over Philadelphia Union, 3-3 (LAFC won 3-0 on penalties)

A sporting rarity pitting the regular season’s two best teams was a dramatic confrontation that produced back-and-forth action with plenty of goals, a world-class player delivering in the most crucial moment and an unsung hero giving the game a Hollywood ending befitting of the host city. Tied 2-2 at the end of regulation, extra time produced a plot twist. LAFC went down to 10 men after goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau badly injured his leg while committing a red-card foul on Cory Burke. The Union took a 3-2 lead only to have Welsh star Gareth Bale rescue the game in the 128th minute with the breathtaking equalizer, forcing a penalty kick shootout. LAFC’s backup goalkeeper John McCarthy — a Philadelphia native and former Union player — had been pressed into action after Crépeau’s injury, and stopped two shots in the shootout as LAFC won its first MLS Cup.