GOAL takes a look at three managers whose seats are heating up near the mid-point of the MLS campaign
Matchday 15 of the MLS season is in the books, with the halfway point of the 2025 campaign nearly here. Patterns have developed, and a clear hierarchy in MLS has emerged – particularly in the Eastern Conference, where first-through-fifth place is only separated by three points.
Then, there's the bottom of the league.
Reigning champions LA Galaxy are winless in 15, but nonetheless handed manager Greg Vanney a contract extension after Matchday 13 – a move the club ultimately deemed a necessary risk, despite the poor on-pitch performance.
Not every club has shown that willingness with their manager – both CF Montreal and Sporting Kansas City already moved on from their coaches, with Laurent Courtois and Peter Vermes already dismissed. There have now been 14 total managerial changes across MLS over the last year, showing that clubs are not wasting time with underperforming play.
St. Louis CITY's Olof Mellberg, D.C. United's Troy Lesesne and Real Salt Lake's Pablo Mastroeni are all on watch, as each manager's team is currently treading water amid early-season struggles.
GOAL takes a look at MLS coaches on the hot seat.
Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images SportOlof Mellberg, St. Louis CITY SC
Mellberg may have the hottest seat in MLS. In his first year with CITY, the Western Conference side sits 28th in MLS on just 11 points.
The Swedish manager has yet to get the most out of his roster, with the club struggling across all areas of the pitch. They've scored just 11 goals, with noticeable struggles taking center-stage in the final-third. Defensively, they have had some impressive showings – notably the first four matches of the season, in which they kept four straight clean sheets and began the campaign 2-0-2 (WLD).
Since? It's been a disaster. They're winless in 11 straight, and have scored just seven goals during that span – earning three points.
Speculation surfaced after Matchday 14 that Mellberg could be on his way out, but called that talk premature. However, it is clear his performance has been under evaluation.
After missing out on the 2024 postseason, CITY have little room for error – if things don't turn around fast, they could be on to their fourth manager since the start of the 2024 season.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTroy Lesesne, D.C. United
Lesesne has faced an uphill battle since taking charge of D.C. United ahead of the 2024 season. Since the departure of Wayne Rooney in 2019, the Eastern Conference side have been non-contenders.
They haven't made the postseason since the Englishman's final campaign with the club, missing out on the playoffs for five straight seasons – including Lesesne's debut 2024 campaign.
Sure, Christian Benteke is a terrific forward – but he's the only card Lesesne has been able to play since his appointment. The club has made some baffling transfer decisions – notably loaning Designated Player Mateusz Klich to Atlanta United for the 2025 season, while still keeping him on their books – which includes his DP slot.
On top of that, they've failed to spend at the caliber of some of top MLS teams – which isn't all on Lesesne, but it is up to him to maximize what he has. And he hasn't.
D.C. sit 13th in the Eastern Conference and have conceded a staggering 27 goals in 15 matches. Offensively, they've scored just 13 goals – six of which belong to Benteke, their Belgian star. Heading into Matchday 16, the club are winless in four straight – including a pair of scoreless draws.
As it stands, D.C. are set to make it six straight seasons without a postseason appearance. It's not all on Lesesne, as ownership and their front-office has failed to spend at the scope of their competitors. But the 41-year-old coach needs to get more out of his current squad.
USA Today ImagesPablo Mastroeni, Real Salt Lake
Since taking charge of RSL in 2021, Mastroeni's side have not missed the postseason. They've been competing in the West each season, and at one point or another, emerged as a competitor against the best teams in their conference.
However, they've exited the playoffs in the first round three years in a row, and nearly halfway into the 2025 campaign, have hit a plateau. Can Mastroeni actually take them higher than what they have achieved in the four previous seasons?
The club sit 12th in the West on just 14 points through 15 games, with a record of 4-9-2. They've lost four of their seven games at home, while on the road, have a record of 2-5-1.
Their roster, spearheaded by USMNT midfielder Diego Luna, boasts talent – but they're incredibly inconsistent. Beyond the 21-year-old playmaker, who leads the team in scoring with eight goals, six other players have scored one goal each – but none more than one.
In the final-third, nothing is coming together, and they're falling short of expectation – which ultimately falls on the shoulders of Mastroeni. Defensively, they've conceded 22 goals – the fifth-most in the conference, highlighting another area of concern.
Curiously, the RSL manager has also struggled with roster selection. Only one player, goalkeeper Rafael Cabral, has started all 15 matches for the club in 2025. The coach has tried a multitude of players on the pitch, but with inconsistent performances outside of Luna, he's struggled to trust his group week-in and week-out.
Has Mastroeni reached his ceiling with the club?
Getty Images SportOthers to watch
+ Javier Mascherano is in a challenging stretch. The Inter Miami head coach is winless in seven of his last eight across all competitions, and the team has conceded three goals in three straight games. If things don't get sorted out by the end of Matchday 17 in a double-game week, could the make a change ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup?
+ Ronny Deila and Atlanta United FINALLY won a game, snapping an eight-game winless streak on Matchday 15. The highest-spending club of the offseason, the have massive expectations for 2025, and they've failed to live up to them. Deila, a former MLS Cup-winning coach with NYCFC, will be tasked with turning around their poor start.