GOAL takes a look at the five MLS coaches who have short leashes as the 2025 season nears kick

The 2025 MLS season is just over two weeks away, and those competing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup will take the pitch competitively in less than a week.

Heading into this campaign, there are higher expectations than we have ever seen in MLS. The league sells parity and every team wants silverware. Ultimately, that means coaches are under a magnifying glass through the first months of the season — more than ever before. MLS saw just five coaches fired in 2010, it had 12 coaching departures. With those raised expectations, even well-known coaches could see their future with their current clubs at stake.

Sporting Kansas City's Peter Vermes and the New England Revolution's Caleb Porter are both proven winners in this league but had woeful domestic campaigns last year. Then, there's a newcomer like Nico Estevez at Austin FC, which has spent over $20M this offseason to rebuild the club's attack — results will be needed, immediately. Steve Cherundolo, meanwhile, is one of MLS' best head coaches — however, he made poor decisions on the touchline last year that ultimately cost LAFC in the postseason.

The Portland Timbers then enter the equation. Phil Neville has reportedly lost his superstar Evander, the individual who was the lone point of success for the club in 2024. Can he recover and still find a way to succeed without the Brazilian?

GOAL takes a look at all five managers' scenarios, offering some insight into where they stand heading into the 2025 MLS season.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty5Steve Cherundolo, LAFC

Cherundolo is an excellent manager. He led LAFC to an MLS Cup title in 2022 and a Supporters' Shield in the same season. He also won the U.S. Open Cup in 2024. All three are fantastic and incredible achievements; but by doing so, he's set expectations for both himself and the club's performances.

All-in-all, despite their Open Cup win, 2024 was a disappointing season for LAFC. They were stagnant throughout the campaign, scraping by with narrow victories, despite securing the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference come the MLS Cup Playoffs. In the postseason, they were nearly shocked by the Whitecaps in Round 1 of the competition, where the Wildcard side took them to three games before bowing out in Game 3. Come the Conference semifinals, the were stunned by the Seattle Sounders in extra-time, after playing a cautious game that ultimately cost them their season.

Cherundolo switched to a back-five midway throughout the season, playing with three central defenders and two wingbacks, and it's fair to say it worked because it secured them the top seed in the West come the regular season. However, against MLS' best teams, it cost them.

Despite having loads of talent like Mateusz Bogusz, Olivier Giroud, Denis Bouanga, and Cristian Olivera, the former U.S. international deployed tactics that didn't play to the strengths of his roster. It was a forced game of caution and absorbing pressure, instead of playing the fluid attacking soccer that they had previously found success with.

In 2025, Cherundolo will be expected to compete for a CONCACAF Champions Cup, a Leagues Cup, the Supporters' Shield, and MLS Cup — if he can't find himself lifting at least one of those trophies come the end of the campaign, it's tough to imagine their front office being patient for another season.

AdvertisementImagn4Nico Estevez, Austin FC

Estevez was appointed as Austin FC head coach this offseason in a relatively surprising hire. He was sacked by FC Dallas in 2024, and never truly impressed in the role there. With Austin, he has since been handed a war chest, which he's massively spent to overhaul their attack.

U.S. international Brandon Vazquez was brought in for $10 million from Liga MX side Monterrey, while La Liga 2 ace Myrto Uzuni was signed for a club-record fee of $12.2 million from Granada. Together, they're set to form a new attacking tandem as look to finally become a competitive and formidable side in MLS.

Estevez, meanwhile, needs to impress — and immediately.

He only managed a 36 percent winning percentage at FCD, but Austin saw something in him to appoint him after the sacking of Josh Wolff in 2024.

His best year with FCD came in 2022, when he led them to a third-place finish in the Western Conference and the No. 3 seed in the postseason. In 2023, they returned to the playoffs but exited in Round 1 of the competition. In 2024, he was sacked after a 3-8-5 start to the season.

At Austin, there will be expectations to compete in both domestic competitions, as well as secure a spot in the Western Conference playoffs. They've missed the postseason for two consecutive years after making the Conference Semifinals in 2022.

IMAGN3Phil Neville, Portland Timbers

Neville is in make-or-break territory in 2025. He didn't impress in Miami, but with Portland, he's made small waves. Those small waves need to amount to something larger in 2025, or his time as a manager in MLS could be coming to an end.

In 2024, the Timbers were MLS' most uneven team. They bagged goals like it was a training exercise, but had a naive approach defensively. During the regular season, they scored 65 but conceded 56 — the fifth-most in the Western Conference.

Evander, of course, broke out with 15 goals and 19 assists. As did striker Jonathan Rodriguez, who arrived from Liga MX side Cruz Azul to bag 16 goals and 17 assists in 29 appearances. However, for as brilliant as their attack was, Neville could never shore up his defense, despite trying multiple players. It ultimately led to them never being able to climb the Western Conference standings, only earning a playoff spot in a Wildcard Play-In game, where they were obliterated by the Vancouver Whitecaps 5-0 at home.

Now, heading into 2025 without Evander, and nearly the same exact defense that struggled in 2024, Neville has a tall task ahead of him. If he can't figure out how to sort out his defense, while also getting his offense to click once again, his days could be numbered.

USA Today Images2Caleb Porter, New England Revolution

The 2024 season was a disastrous one for both the Revolution and Porter.

A two-time MLS Cup winner, the Revs manager underwhelmed in his debut season with the Eastern Conference side. Their defense was shambolic, their attack was equally poor. Off the pitch, he also got into hot water. He was fined just a few weeks into the season by the league for criticizing the during PRO's lockout of their pool of officials in March, and come May, he was heard on audio arguing and criticizing a media member for their question following a defeat.

Then, in September, he was fined and suspended by the league for criticizing refereeing, as well.

It was a genuine mess.

However, 2025 is a new year, and the club has essentially cleaned house — allowing Porter to start fresh with a nearly completely new starting XI and some top players to build around. He has shown he knows how to be successful in this league and take a cub to the top. However, his leash is tighter than ever as the 2025 season begins.

Since the end of the 2024 season the Revs, 11 players have departed, while big signings like Leonardo Campana from Inter Miami have arrived as they revamp their roster. Wyatt Omsberg, Jackson Yeuill, and Maxi Urruti all joined through free agency, as well, giving Porter some veteran experience from within the league on his roster.

Porter was trusted by the front office to clean house, and he did. Now, he's brought in a group of players he thinks will help turn things around — ultimately meaning, that's now an expectation.

If he doesn't start off hot, though, things could turn sour fast.