USMNT x MLS: Miles Robinson's FC Cincinnati seal second seed, while Toronto FC's Djordje Mihailovic and Colorado Rapids' Zack Steffen send messages to Mauricio Pochettino

Robinson remains one of the USMNT’s bigger what-ifs. In 2017, the centerback was viewed as a cornerstone of the team's future defense, especially after playing a small part in Atlanta United’s 2018 MLS Cup win. Despite plenty of European interest, Robinson chose to stay in MLS as a free agent, accepting a lucrative offer from FC Cincinnati.

That decision has drawn its share of criticism over the years, with some suggesting it’s cost him consistency in national team call-ups. But the fortunes of the FCC star may finally be turning.

Now 28, Robinson was a surprise starter for Pochettino during the October camp, benefitting from the Argentine’s decision to roll with a three-man backline. He rewarded that faith with two solid outings in positive USMNT results. Even more telling, Robinson started ahead of well-established defenders - Toulouse’s Mark McKenzie and Celtic’s Cameron Carter-Vickers.

After those matches, Robinson returned to anchor Cincinnati's defense against CF Montréal on Decision Day. Sure, Montreal are out of the playoff picture, but as Toronto FC showed, the standings don’t always tell the story. For Cincy, a win would lock up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Robinson made sure there’d be no slip-ups for Pat Noonan's side.

He delivered one of his best performances of the year - six interceptions, six clearances, three tackles, and a blocked shot - while completing 94.4 percent of his passes. Things will only get tougher from here, with an in-state showdown against the Columbus Crew looming in a Hell is Real playoff edition.

Last season, Cincy’s run ended early in an upset loss to NYCFC. This time, with big additions such as Evander and a stingier backline, Robinson’s form could make all the difference.

Speaking of what-ifs, there Mihailovic. From an ill-fated run with AZ to missing a January camp invite by Pochettino with an injury, there is a reality in which the attacking midfielder is also a part of the mix for the USMNT.

Just consider all of those involved in January - including Patrick Agyemang, Diego Luna, Max Arfsten and Matt Freese - who ultimately became core players at the Gold Cup and have been largely part of Pochettino's call-ups since. 

Mihailovic drew controversy for asking out of a then-playoff-bound Rapids side for a better contract with Toronto FC, a team that was chaotic and well out of the playoffs. Yet, since arriving, the Reds' star quietly put together a strong end to the season, notching four goals and four assists in Toronto's final 10 games.

Equally as important, Toronto have lost just one game since his arrival in early August - and that was against Son Heung-Min and LAFC. Yes, there were eight draws, but for Mihailovic and manager Robin Fraser - who has also impressed considering Toronto's past few years - it points to a positive future.

The pair showed as much in the season finale. Up against a desperate Orlando City SC side which wanted to avoid the play-in game, the Reds took the game to their opponents, winning 4-2. It was Mihailovic at the center of all of it, with the No. 10 proving incisive and scoring two backbreaking goals against Oscar Pareja's team.

Regular season closers for non-playoff teams tend to be dead rubbers, but Mihailovic couldn't have picked a better time to have a dominant game. 

Christian Pulisic is expected to miss the USMNT's November camp with the hamstring injury sustained against Australia. Let's make it clear, Mihailovic isn't Pulisic. But with Pochettino also switching away from forward wingers to wing-backs and two attacking midfielders, he could be a worthy addition as a backup No. 10 in the coach's new system.

Steffen was a call-up at goalkeeper for Pochettino's November 2024 camp. He missed it due to injury. He was also called up for this March's Nations League finals, and was expected to play a role - yet he also missed that camp due to injury. When the call-ups for June came out, Steffen was included - but you guessed it, he was unavailable due to an ailment.

Outside of January camp, where he performed strongly in a start, Steffen's lack of availability has proved costly. His window appeared all but closed - especially with the emergence of Freese as starter - but he might have slightly cracked it open on Saturday. 

With the Rapids battling for a play-in spot, Steffen turned in arguably his best performance against LAFC, one of MLS's top attacks. The Rapids star made seven saves, keeping a LA attack at bay. That included an incredible effort to stop Denis Bouanga from scoring an all-time goal after he beat three Colorado defenders.

Ultimately, Steffen's heroics weren't enough - his team's 2-2 draw knocked them out of the playoffs - but his efforts shouldn't go unnoticed, considering the talent of Son and Bouanga.

Paxten Aaronson was another Rapids player who stepped up in the team's 2-2 season-ending draw, scoring his first official goal for the club after his previous one was reclassified as an own goal. Aaronson was named to Pochettino's Gold Cup side after an impressive on-loan season with Utrecht and stressed his move to MLS was to take on a bigger role in a bid to make the U.S. World Cup roster. 

Aaronson has not been called in since and is now facing almost five months without club soccer. The 22-year-old made it clear, however, that he will not be joining another club on loan in a bid for more playing time. 

"Definitely not a loan option. But I have a great program with my father back home," he said. "I think some of the best preseasons I've came into at my sharpest have been when I've just been able to train with my dad. I haven't really been able to with the European off-season, just because they're so condensed. So yeah, I think off-season is a great time to kind of just work on the things you don't get to in the real season - just because you're so focused on the match minutes and your body's always fatigued." 

While Aaronson showed some flashes, especially according to advanced metrics, he finished with just one goal contribution on the season. The midfielder interestingly pointed to his role under manager Chris Armas and the team's coaching staff as different to what he was accustomed to. 

"I think the position I was playing, I spoke with the coaching staff as well, was a position that I was not normally used to playing. I think it took some time for me to get used to that," he said. "I played deeper all last season, and that's where I kind of created my goals, just kind of arriving late in the box. Whereas earlier here I was kind of just playing as a second striker. So that took some time to get used to."

Charlotte FC sealed their best regular season with fourth place, meaning the ambitious side will get homefield advantage in the first round for the first time in their history. U.S. international Tim Ream played a significant part in their overall success this season and showcased his impact once again in their regular season finale. 

Ream had an incredible 10 clearances against the league-leading Philadelphia Union, to go along with four interceptions and passing at 93.8 percent. However, the Charlotte FC faithful will be fuming with star winger Wilfried Zaha after he received a red card in the dying seconds of the contest, ruling him out of his club's postseason opener against NYCFC. 

Charlotte's defense should be fine as they conceded a respectable 46 goals, led by Ream and Christian Kalina. But Zaha, in many ways, is the closer for this team. His unpredictability is something opposing teams struggle to account for and it often turns into a positive factor for Dean Smith's side. In some ways, it might negate the home field advantage in Game 1.

+ Freese had two saves in NYCFC's 2-1 loss to the Seattle Sounders, and they slipped to fifth in playoff seeding. Cristian Roldan did not play for the Sounders. 

+ Patrick Schulte and Max Arfsten had strong showings as the Columbus Crew climbed out of the play-in matches in a 3-1 win over the New York Red Bulls. Arfsten had two assists and Schulte had two saves. Former USMNT midfielder Darlington Nagbe was also honored in the match - his final regular season game after announcing his retirement.

+ Matt Turner notched four saves in the New England Revolution's 2-2 draw with Chris Brady's Chicago Fire. Brady had two saves. 

+ Diego Luna was held without a goal contribution, but it didn't matter with RSL just holding on to secure the Western Conference's final play-in spot.