What a week in MLS. The Philadelphia Union lost at home, FC Cincinnati had a setback at center back, and Kei Kamara found the back of the net. It was truly a week unlike any other.
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The Kei Kamara week.
Kamara is now second in MLS history in goals scored and LAFC are first in the Western Conference in points per game after following up a late draw in Austin with an absolute mollywhopping of San Jose. They have one loss since the start of April and have taken 22 points from their last eight games.
Previous: 6-2 win vs. SJ | Next: 6/29 vs. COL
They just keep rolling.
Inter Miami needed 11 men instead of nine to pull out a big win midweek, but that doesn’t take away from going shorthanded against a full-strength Columbus side and taking a 2-1 win. They’re doing more than surviving in their toughest stretch of the year and are again leading MLS in points per game.
Previous: 2-1 win vs. CLB | Next: 6/29 at NSH
Uh-oh.
After losing center back Matt Miazga to a long-term injury, center back Nick Hagglund broke his fibula in a 2-1 home loss to the Revs. Cincy snuck out a 4-3 win against Philadelphia earlier in the week, but there are only so many losses your defensive spine can take before things start going sideways in MLS. With Miles Robinson gone to Copa América, Cincy already needed to start fullbacks Alvas Powell and DeAndre Yedlin in their back three. They really couldn’t afford to lose more depth at center back.
Did we mention defensive midfielder Obinna Nwobodo picked up a red card in the loss?
Previous: 2-1 loss vs. NE | Next: 6/29 at DAL
Just 21 minutes into RSL's biggest regular-season match in years, Chicho Arango left the field with a cut on his head that required 15+ stitches. They came up short in a 1-0 loss to the Galaxy.
It’s a tough result, but Arango’s untimely injury negated any chance of having real takeaways from the game. RSL are still equal on points with the LAs at the top of the West and Arango shouldn’t be gone long (if at all).
Previous: 1-0 loss vs. LA | Next: Bye
The Crew semi-officially said goodbye to Aidan Morris last weekend in a 4-0 win over Sporting KC. Cucho earned a hat trick in the win, but it’s the only win the Crew got last week. On Wednesday, they fell 2-1 to a short-handed Inter Miami side. For now, they’ll have to settle with being four points out of third place in the East with three games in hand.
By the way, Columbus are quietly allowing just one goal per game. That’s tied with Charlotte for the best mark in the league. They aren’t putting all of their skill points into attack.
Previous: 4-0 win vs. SKC | Next: 6/29 at NE
The Galaxy had a perfect week. First, they welcomed New York City FC and kept one of the most dynamic attacks in the league quiet in a 2-0 win. Then they went to Salt Lake and earned a 1-0 victory thanks (in small part) to Arango's injury and (in large part) to a brilliant moment from Gabriel Pec.
Pec has three goals and five assists in his last six games. LA have won five of six. The last three have come without Riqui Puig. And now, they’re tied on points for the top spot in the West.
Previous: 1-0 win at RSL | Next: 6/29 at SJ
The Red Bulls picked up four points against two Canadian sides. They’re comfortably at the top of the second tier in the East. There’s not much more to add other than this run and finish from Cam Harper will make you feel things.
Previous: 3-0 win vs. TOR | Net: 6/29 vs. DC
After blowout wins over St. Louis and Montréal, the Rapids are fourth in the West and quietly putting up something close to elite underlying numbers. They’re third in MLS in expected goal differential, third in expected points and tied for fourth in ASA’s all-encompassing goals added (g+) metric. It’s time to start paying attention, if you weren’t already. Especially to Djordje Mihailovic, who has 9g/8a on the year.
Previous: 4-1 win vs. MTL | Next: 6/29 at LAFC
We’re 20 games into Charlotte FC's season and it’s still not entirely clear exactly how good they are. What's clear is a stellar defense and insert attacker of the week\] is a formula for points. This week, [Patrick Agyemang led the way.
Charlotte are sitting seventh in the Supporters’ Shield standings and fourth in the East. It sure seems like the two DPs that could arrive this summer will enter a team on the verge of earning a top-four spot in the East. Year one under Dean Smith couldn’t be going much better.
Previous: 2-0 win at PHI | Next: 6/29 at HOU
MLS is mean. You can be humming along looking like one of the best teams in the league and suddenly you’ve lost three in a row. That’s especially plausible if you’re the youngest team in the league. There’s going to be some volatility.
Fortunately for New York City FC, their next seven MLS games come against teams in eighth place or lower in their conference standings. They’re going to be fine.
Previous: 1-0 loss at NSH | Next: 6/28 vs. ORL
Houston nearly had a perfect week. They went up 2-0 on Seattle in the first half thanks to a brace from Latif Blessing, but only got a draw out of it. They followed that up by blasting D.C. United, 4-1, thanks to a Sebastián Ferreira hat trick. That came at an awkward time, though.
Ferreira went off a few days after the Dynamo signed Ezequiel Ponce, a DP forward from AEK Athens and Houston’s new club-record signing. Maybe they end up keeping both around, but it seems like Ponce is Ferreira’s replacement for now. A few more hat tricks would go a long way toward convincing the Dynamo to use two strikers, though.
Previous: 4-1 win at DC | Next: 6/29 vs. CLT
A six-point week and six-game unbeaten streak has the Timbers quietly moving up the standings. They’re sitting sixth in the West and four points outside the top four. Who knows if they’ve actually turned a corner or if this is just the West being the West, but things look pretty good.
In particular, Portland's DPs are living up to their price tag. Felipe Mora has 9g/3a, Evander has 8g/10a and Jonathan Rodríguez has 8g/4a. Having one of the most productive attacking trios in the league can take you a long, long way. Now if they could only sort things out defensively…
Previous: 2-0 win vs. VAN | Next: 6/29 vs. MIN
I can’t imagine Canada’s loss to Argentina in the opening match of Copa América sparked joy for anyone as much as it did for Minnesota fans. The Loons clearly need Tani Oluwaseyi and Dayne St. Clair back ASAP.
Related: Minnesota have lost three straight.
Previous: 1-0 loss vs. ATX | Next: 6/29 at POR
A late Jordan Morris brace turned a deflating result into one of the first truly bright moments of Seattle's season. Is that enough to turn things around for good? Probably not. But it’s definitely better than taking a loss.
Previous: 3-2 win vs. DAL | Next: 6/29 vs. CHI
Counting the game that preceded Gary Smith's dismissal – remember, Nashville won his last match – The Boys In Gold have earned 15 points in eight games and reached seventh in the East. Hany Mukhtar is starting to find his groove in a role that’s closer to a No. 10 than a second forward, and it’s all starting to feel a little bit more like a normal Nashville season. Rumba Munthali is doing nice work as an interim manager.
Previous: 1-0 win vs. NYC | Next: 6/29 vs. MIA
The Whitecaps are one of the more disappointing teams in MLS right now. They’ve followed up a two-game winning streak with a two-game losing streak (including this week’s loss to Portland) and not a lot seems to be working.
On a related note, they’re ninth in the West. They were supposed to be above the typical pile-up in the West, not in the middle of it. But here we are.
Previous: 2-0 loss at POR | Next: 6/29 vs. STL
Atlanta are doing their best to enter survival mode with multiple players on international duty and Giorgos Giakoumakis officially gone to Cruz Azul. Lately, that's meant a four-point week over two road games.
The grinding isn’t going to stop anytime soon. They’re going to need to find ways to get results until the transfer window opens if a reported deal to send Thiago Almada to Lyon by way of Botafogo goes through.
Previous: 1-1 draw at STL | Next: 6/29 vs. TOR
Austin nearly pulled out an excellent 1-0 home win against LAFC (emphasis on nearly). They then got the job done in Minnesota, snagging their first win in six games.
Previous: 1-0 win at MIN | Next: 6/29 at SKC
DON’T LET THE REVS GET HOT.
New England went to Cincinnati and earned their most impressive win yet in a four-game string. It helps when your opponent is missing multiple starters at center back, but it also helps when Giacomo Vrioni is doing this.
The Revs are up to 12th in the East and are only two points below the playoff line with two games in hand despite having a negative-13 goal differential.
Previous: 2-1 win at CIN | Next: 6/29 vs. CLB
Hello, Facundo Torres.
Torres’ brace powered Orlando City to a 4-2 beatdown against Chicago and gave them a much-needed four-point week after drawing with Charlotte on Wednesday. Things are still far from perfect, but they’re at least in 10th place instead of last. There’s still time to salvage this, especially if Torres gets hot.
Previous: 4-2 win vs. CHI | Next: 6/28 at NYC
It isn’t getting better.
The Union went 0-for-2 this week and are on a three-game losing streak. They’re winless in their last six and have just one win since April 6. We’ve officially reached the point of the downturn where fans are protesting. It’s been a rough, rough year.
Previous: 2-0 loss vs. CLT | Next: 6/29 at MTL
Toronto are spiraling.
Instead of bouncing back from their 4-1 loss to Chicago, they followed it up with losses to Nashville and New York despite having Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne in the starting lineup. They’ve dropped to eighth in the East and given up more goals than all but two teams in the East.
It sorta feels like all of TFC’s early-season magic has disappeared.
Previous: 3-0 loss at RBNY | Next: 6/29 at ATL
It looked for a moment like Dallas had started to turn a corner. They were up 2-0 in Seattle, looking for their third straight win after beating Minnesota 5-3 earlier in the week. Then they were up 2-1. Then they weren’t up. Then they weren’t even tied. Oops. At least the general vibes still feel better?
Previous: 3-2 loss at SEA | Next: 6/29 vs. CIN
Chicago followed up a huge 4-1 win over Toronto with a 4-2 loss to Orlando. So it goes. And goes. And goes…
Previous: 4-2 loss at ORL | Next: 6/29 at SEA
This just isn’t going to happen, is it? The underlying numbers are still fine, but nothing goes right for this team. They don’t have enough quality to control games and haven’t caught a break all year. They fell 1-0 to Atlanta midweek, then got boat-raced by Houston.
Previous: 4-1 loss vs. HOU | Next: 6/29 at RBNY
St. Louis had a rough week. Let's just skip to the important part.
Previous: 1-1 draw vs. ATL | Next: 6/29 at VAN
Maybe one week we’ll see Montréal with all their key pieces available. This week was not that week and the next one likely won’t be either. They’re getting close, though.
Previous: 4-1 loss at COL | Next: 6/29 vs. PHI
After a year and a half, Luchi Gonzalez is out as head coach of the last-place Earthquakes. LAFC delivered the final blow in a 6-2 loss on Saturday. It’s a tenure that felt like its best moments were at the very beginning. San Jose had an atrocious second half in 2023 and never recovered. Who knows where they go from here.
Previous: 6-2 loss at LAFC | Next: 6/29 vs. LA
SKC parted ways with technical director and vice president of player personnel Brian Bliss after a 4-0 loss to the Crew dropped them to a 0.7 points-per-game pace. A big rebuild is on the way.
Previous: 4-0 loss at CLB | Next: 6/29 vs. ATX
