What a couple of weeks in MLS. Inter Miami outperformed their underlying numbers, New York Red Bulls underperformed their underlying numbers and El Tráfico provided the most entertaining game of the weekend. It was truly a week unlike any other.
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What a weird stretch for the Crew. They got blasted by Seattle over the international break when a perfect storm of very MLS events combined to turn defender Sean Zawadzki into a goalkeeper for the final 45 minutes of the game. Seattle sorta kicked the ball toward the goal whenever they could at that point and earned a 4-0 win.
Columbus followed that up with a 0-0 draw against FC Cincinnati that didn’t live up to the hype. Now, they’re two points behind Cincy for second place in the East with a game in hand. It could be worse. Still, it’s been an odd blip in what’s mostly been a flawless year.
Previous: 0-0 draw at CIN | Next: 9/18 at TOR
So this guy is back.
Lionel Messi went the full 90 in a 3-1 win over Philadelphia. The Supporters’ Shield is a formality at this point.
Previous: 3-1 win vs. PHI | Next: 9/18 at ATL
The Galaxy put on a show in their biggest game of the year and now they’re in the driver’s seat for the top spot in the West. With Dejan Joveljić back and putting in performances like that, it’s hard to see them giving that up.
Previous: 4-2 win vs. LAFC | Next: 9/18 at POR
Cincy probably feel better about a 0-0 Hell is Real draw than the Crew. But they still have work to do. They’re only two points up and Columbus have a game in hand.
Don’t forget, whoever finishes in second will have home-field advantage in the Conference Semifinals. That means whoever finishes in second will likely have home-field advantage in the most important Hell is Real since last year’s Eastern Conference Final.
Previous: 0-0 draw vs. CLB | Next: 9/18 at MIN
That all could have gone better. Honestly, it hasn’t really been going great since they reached the Leagues Cup final. LAFC have one win in their last five games across all competitions after they imploded in the second half of El Tráfico. Suddenly one of the surest bets in MLS doesn’t seem so sure anymore.
Maybe Carlos Vela will fix everything? He's back, folks.
Previous: 4-2 loss at LA | Next: 9/18 vs. ATX
Colorado hosted one of the few teams that have been as hot as them over the second half of the season and earned a 2-1 win over Portland. The Rapids are on a 2.2 points-per-game pace over their last 10 games. Only Seattle and Miami have earned more points per game in that span.
Previous: 2-1 win vs. POR | Next: 9/18 at SKC
The Dynamo entered their toughest stretch of the year a couple of weeks ago and, so far, have been nearly perfect. It’s tough to say if their best performance of the last three games is the 2-0 win at LAFC or the 4-1 beatdown they put on RSL over the weekend. They are going to be a nightmare matchup for whoever they end up against in the playoffs.
Previous: 4-1 win vs. RSL | Next: 9/18 vs. VAN
The Sounders caught an incredible break in their mid-international break mollywhopping of Columbus and poor defender-turned-goalkeeper Sean Zawadzki. They followed it up with a straightforward 2-0 win over Sporting KC. They’ve bounced back from losses to LAFC and Portland and are back to climbing up the standings. They’re the hottest team in the West and just one point behind third-place Colorado. Their 2.27 points per game over the last 11 games is the second-best mark in MLS over that span.
Previous: 2-0 win vs. SKC | Next: 9/18 vs. SJ
Vancouver followed up a 0-0 draw with Dallas by beating San Jose 2-0. New DP Stuart Armstrong got on the board in that one. The Whitecaps have at least a game in hand on nearly everyone in front of them and are only three points behind second-place LAFC. Things are about to get a whole lot more difficult though. They get Houston and LA this week, a Canadian Championship final and Portland next week, then matchups with Seattle, Minnesota, LAFC and Real Salt Lake. It doesn’t let up.
Previous: 2-0 win vs. SJ | Next: 9/18 at HOU
I went in-depth on this in Monday’s Daily Kickoff, but few teams in MLS are hotter than Orlando. They’ve earned seven wins over the last 10 games. The problem is those wins have come against Nashville (2x), New England (2x), Chicago, Toronto and D.C. United. They’re playing as well as they have all year, but they haven’t been tested in a while. We’ll find out a lot more this week when they take on Charlotte and Columbus.
Previous: 3-0 win vs. NE | Next: 9/18 vs. CLT
Should we be worried? RSL got clobbered in a 4-1 loss to Houston over the weekend and now they’re in real danger of missing out on a home playoff spot. They’ve won just twice in their last seven MLS games. Something isn’t clicking right now and they need to get right in a hurry. That largely comes down to how well new DP No. 10 Diogo Gonçalves can gel with his new side.
Previous: 4-1 loss at HOU | Next: 9/18 vs. DAL
The Timbers couldn’t put together a second big win in a row after coming up short against the Rapids. Now, they have three more games of playoff-caliber competition to work through and time is running out on their hopes to avoid the Wild Card round. They’re four points behind seventh-place Houston with matches against LA, RSL and Vancouver on the way.
Previous: 2-1 loss at COL | Next: 9/18 vs. LA
After their 1-1 draw against D.C. United, NYCFC are up to seven games without an MLS win and two wins in their last 12 games. Their only solace is things are just about the same for…
Previous: 1-1 draw at DC | Next: 9/18 vs. PHI
Make it two wins in 13 games for the Red Bulls after an ugly 1-1 draw with Sporting KC and a disastrous 2-1 loss to Chicago. The underlying numbers are much, much better than their record over that stretch, but the results are so bad it’s hard to really care about xG.
The good news is Emil Forsberg will reportedly be back soon. They desperately need him to provide a shot in the arm.
Previous: 2-1 loss at CHI | Next: 9/21 vs. ATL
The Loons have won back-to-back games and are almost totally clear of the playoff line. They may even be able to host the Wild Card game if they can find a way to jump over Portland. As new DPs Joaquín Pereyra and Kelvin Yeboah start to find their way, the Loons could very well start to look like their early-season selves at the right time.
Previous: 3-1 win at STL | Next: 9/18 vs. CIN
The Union out-created Inter Miami by almost a goal worth of xG, but Inter Miami have Lionel Messi and the Union don’t. They’ll have to regroup for matchups with NYCFC and D.C. this week followed by a matchup with Atlanta that will play a huge role in whether or not they find their way into a WIld Card spot.
Previous: 3-1 loss at MIA | Next: 9/18 at NYC
Toronto just find ways to win about every other week or so. They took down Austin last weekend, look almost certain to make it over the playoff line and now they have more wins than fourth-place New York. They also have more losses than anyone in the East but New England, but let’s focus on the wins this week.
Previous: 2-1 win vs. ATX | Next: 9/18 vs. CLB
Did Charlotte maybe somehow add two DPs and get… worse? They’ve lost two in a row after Saturday’s miserable performance at Montréal. They’ve lost both games with Liel Abada, Karol Swiderski and Pep Biel in the starting lineup. They’re suddenly in real danger of falling into a Wild Card spot.
Previous: 2-1 loss at MTL | Next: 9/18 at ORL
A 1-1 draw against New York City FC put one more point between D.C. and the playoff line. Their upcoming six-pointer against 11th place Philadelphia on Sunday may make or break their season.
Previous: 1-1 draw vs. NYC | Next: 9/22 at PHI
Mercedes-Benz Stadium started to clear out early in Atlanta’s 2-0 loss to Nashville. The Five Stripes put together a wholly disheartening performance in a disheartening season.
Previous: 2-0 loss vs. NSH | Next: 9/18 vs. MIA
Dallas may be done for good after their 0-0 draw with Vancouver during the international break. There are five points between them and ninth place with games against RSL, LAFC and Orlando on the way.
Previous: Bye | Next: 9/18 at RSL
Austin are almost definitely done for good after their 2-1 loss to Toronto over the weekend. There are five points between them and ninth place with games against LAFC, Houston, RSL, Portland, LA and Colorado on the way.
Previous: 2-1 loss at TOR | Next: 9/18 at LAFC
Despite a negative-22 goal differential, Montréal are still in the playoff race after their 2-1 win over Charlotte. They’re three points out of ninth with a game in hand and their schedule is incredibly kind the rest of the way. Only two of their final six games are against teams above the line, and those two are against struggling Charlotte and NYCFC sides.
Previous: 2-1 win vs. CLT | Next: 9/18 at NE
Still not technically dead! They pulled out a 2-1 win over the Red Bulls and are only four points back of the playoff line. The problem is they’ve played a game more than nearly everyone else ahead of them and, well, you know… it’s Chicago. They probably aren’t breaking the drought this year. But they aren’t laying down either.
Previous: 2-1 win vs. RBNY | Next: 9/18 at NSH
Nashville aren’t going to make the playoffs barring something spectacular, but we saw something close to proof of concept for new coach B.J. Callaghan against Atlanta on Saturday. They were as expansive as I’ve ever seen them in a 2-0 win where they were on the front foot from the jump.
Previous: 2-0 win at ATL | Next: 9/18 vs. CHI
St. Louis drew with the Revs during the international break and then lost to Minnesota on Saturday. They’re still not technically mathematically eliminated.
Previous: 3-1 loss vs. MIN | Next: 9/21 at SJ
Sporting KC drew with the Red Bulls over the international break and then lost to Seattle on Sunday. They’re still not technically mathematically eliminated.
Previous: 2-0 loss at SEA | Next: 9/18 vs. COL
The Revs’ playoff hopes might have gone by the wayside with their 3-0 loss to Orlando City over the weekend. They still have a game in hand on everyone in front of them, but it’s getting late.
Previous: 3-0 loss at ORL | Next: 9/18 vs. MTL
San Jose are, in fact, mathematically eliminated from playoffs.
Previous: 2-0 loss at VAN | Next: 9/18 at SEA
