Nations League final tonight
Canada takes on the USMNT. The broadcast is set to begin at 8:30 pm ET on Paramount+ and Univision in the US, OneSoccer in Canada.
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What happened?: The Crew were in control for most of the second half, but Gabriel Segal picked up a deflection inside the box and benefited from another deflection on the ensuing shot to find the net and keep Columbus from taking all three points.
So, did we learn anything?: That’s four points from nine MLS games for NYCFC and zero wins in the last 10 games in all competitions. Four points are better than three, but even a late equalizer didn’t inspire much confidence that this group is heading in the right direction.
There’s not much to say here for the Crew, but they’ll be disappointed to not get three points out of this. They won’t, however, be disappointed that Christian Ramirez has been fantastic since arriving in Columbus. He’s scored six times in 10 starts this season. His rate of 0.68 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes is tied for third in the league this year.
What happened?: D.C. went down a man in the 26th minute and Pablo Ruiz hauled off and scored from 68 yards away and that was pretty much that. Yeah, there were like 50 minutes and two more goals to come, but let’s be honest, it was over as soon as the ball left Ruiz’s foot.
So, did we learn anything?: That’s two straight weeks where D.C. goalkeeper Tyler Miller got caught a little too far out of goal. Teams are onto the sweeper keeper role. and D.C. will have to adjust…..or they could think about the greater good and let him stay out there on the off chance we see an AT&T 5G MLS Goal of the Year contender each week.
What happened?: Ema Boateng and Gustavo Bou each scored stunners, and the Revs cruised in the rain against Orlando.
So, did we learn anything?: If you’re Orlando, no stress. Road games are hard enough without the other team turning low-percentage chances into goals. If you’re the Revs, congrats! You’re officially out of a slump. That’s back-to-back 3-1 wins after a five-game winless stretch. It may not be a coincidence Bou has been back in the starting lineup the last two games.
What happened?: Sporting KC took an early lead, but Denil Maldonado tied things up in the second half. It seemed like we were heading to a 1-1 draw until the ball fell to Carlos Vela in behind the SKC backline. Then, moments later, it seemed like SKC equalized, but a quick Video Review spotted a foul in the buildup to the goal and LAFC escaped with a 2-1 win.
So, did we learn anything?: If you’re LAFC, any points you can get in this condensed stretch are fantastic points. Plus, they earned these without Denis Bouanga available. It’s an excellent result…even if SKC were definitely the better team for most of the game.
What happened?: Hany. Hat trick.
So, did we learn anything?: Did you need a reminder Hany Mukhtar is good at soccer? If so, you might have learned something. He’s now the third player in league history to notch 50 goals and 30 assists in a three-year stretch, and he’s only getting better.
Did we mention Nashville have an open DP spot?
What happened?: Nothing.
So, did we learn anything?: We mentioned multiple times in the buildup to this weekend that this one had 1-0 written all over it. We were wrong.
- Hany Mukhtar joined Giovinco and Robbie Keane in the MLS record books.
- Carlos Vela became introspective after LAFC rebounded for a win against Sporting KC.
- The USMNT are looking to "finish the job" in Nations League against Canada.
- Meanwhile, Canada believes "the future is now.”
- Real Salt Lake's Pablo Ruiz scored a Goal of the Year contender.
- Thiago Almada believes Lionel Messi will "enjoy" his new chapter in MLS.
Good luck out there. Try to make it through the day knowing you will never do something as impressive as this.
