What is the Supporters’ Shield worth to the Union? Our writers debate the trophy’s value.

The MLS has always had playoffs and a championship match to crown the league champion. The Supporters' Shield was first awarded to the MLS points winner in 1999. Union won the Shield in 2020 and are currently tied with LAFC on points. Neither team has ever won MLS Cup.

The Supporters' Shield is not worth much to the Union. The winner of the trophy often gets bounced in the playoffs.

The Union are trying to win the Supporters’ Shield. The trophy got stuck in a shipping delay two years ago. Just seven times in MLS”s 26 seasons has the best team in the regular season won it all in playoffs. Only one Shield winner in history has lost the final. The last few years the No. 1 seed would have to wait up to three weeks for its first playoff game. There is no FIFA window between the end of the season and the start of playoffs this year. If the Union win, they will play the title game in SoCal.

The Union should go for the Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup double. Andrea Canales and John Sutter think it's a legacy that will put them in the history books. The writers debate the trophy's value. They think the Union have proven they can do hard things and should do it again. The best team in MLS can often come down to the best players. It's not easy to win both the SS and the MLS cup. But the team that does it will go into the league history. John and Satter think that the players are that good to overcome the pressure.

The Union are aiming for the Supporters’ Shield. The trophy is attractive for recruiting purposes and for bragging rights. Supporters Shield winners get a bonus pot of $150,000 to split among the players. The Union is the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They play their playoff games at Subaru Park. It's possible to reserve seats for their first playoff game in a week. There is a chance to win the trophy.

The Union are aiming to win the Supporters’ Shield. Tannenwald thinks Curtin gets that.