By Charles Boehm
The days are growing shorter, and the kids are going back to school. The FIFA World Cup is in the rearview mirror, and so is Phase One of Leagues Cup.
You might not have heard a starter’s gun or a bell tolling, but make no mistake: Matchday 20’s busy slate marked the unofficial start of the MLS stretch run. Aside from the newly combined September-October FIFA international window, it’s all systems go from here until early November as clubs race for their spot in the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Here’s how it all kicked off this weekend.
Nashville SC
Music City statement
Afterwards, Hany Mukhtar insisted it wasn’t one, and his outlook is understandable, considering it’s still mid-August and his side still have 15 league fixtures left to play. Nashville SC’s leader will stay on guard for any sort of complacency that could lead to an autumn swoon.
We’ll respectfully disagree with Hany on this, though. The Coyotes’ 4-1 demolition of Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami absolutely was “a statement” of their trophy credentials, handing the Herons their first league loss since May 2 via a rousing rout before an appreciative home crowd at GEODIS Park.
Mukhtar bagged a brace as the hosts showed their most vicious opportunism, though we’re rather partial to Sam Surridge’s utterly filthy backheeled finish for NSC’s third, keeping the Englishman in the thick of the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi race.
Miami are Nashville's closest pursuers in both the Supporters’ Shield and Eastern Conference standings, and the gap between them is now five points. That’s not an impossible gap, but it’s a healthy one. As Goal.com’s Tom Hindle put it, Nashville “surely have one hand on the Supporters’ Shield now, barring a shocking collapse.”
WATCH: Nashville SC outshine Inter Miami in Supporters' Shield clash
Houston Dynamo FC
Orange rising
Nostalgia is a tricky thing, and not always helpful for sports teams pining for salad days of the past. But it sure did feel right when the Houston Dynamo commemorated their 2006 MLS Cup-winning side for the LA Galaxy’s Saturday night visit to a sold-out Shell Energy Stadium.
Two decades on from that team’s memorable introduction to their new city, La Naranja saluted their OGs, trotting out their new ‘Archive’ third kits – based on the ‘06 and ‘07 looks – for the occasion. And the 1-0 win over LA was the best possible tribute: Their fourth straight shutout win, running their Western Conference-best record over the past 13 games to 9W-2L-2D, pushing them to the top of the West table – until the Vancouver Whitecaps reclaimed their spot atop the perch on Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire – whilst riding a seven-game unbeaten run.
With superb organization and timely scoring, Ben Olsen’s squad have very quietly climbed into the MLS elite. It was also fitting that Guilherme slotted home Saturday’s winner from the penalty spot, considering how central the well-rounded Brazilian star’s been to their success with 12g/7a.
Those 19 goal contributions are 67.9% of Houston's league output this season, the highest in MLS, and well within striking distance of the record of 71.4% set by Sebastien Le Toux for the 2010 Philadelphia Union.
WATCH: Red-hot Guilherme guides Houston to fourth straight win.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Don’t sleep on Vancouver Whitecaps FC, though. The ‘Caps dug deep to beat their neighborly rivals from Seattle, 2-0, in Matchday 20’s nightcap out at Lumen Field, three points that propelled them back into first place in the West standings and clinched their second consecutive Cascadia Cup title.
Thomas Müller fired home the clincher after Nouhou gifted Vancouver a free kick inside the Sounders’ penalty box, an opportunity they had the perfect set-piece routine for:
Vancouver, Miami and Nashville are the only teams in MLS picking up two points per game or better on average. Something tells us we’ll be talking about them plenty more between now and December.
Philadelphia Union
Another Philly Lazarus act
Suddenly, the woebegone Philadelphia Union are unstoppable again.
Last year’s Supporters’ Shield winners are utterly transformed since a coaching change and some ensuing lineup tweaks from interim boss Ryan Richter during the World Cup pause. They’ve now won four straight since the season restart, and their last two have been truly jaw-dropping comebacks from 2-0 down to 3-2 victors.
Last time out it was Atlanta United they stunned. On Sunday evening it was New York City FC, who led by two at halftime in the Bronx thanks to penalty kicks converted by Pigeons newcomers Bénie Traoré and Luighi. No worries – all Philly had to do was storm back with three unanswered goals, the team from the City of Brotherly Love inspired by assists on all three from the sibling duo of Cavan and Quinn Sullivan.
And look what it meant to little bro and the DOOP faithful:
Still just 16 years young, Cavan is making the leap before our very eyes, showcasing the prodigious talent that made him one of the footballing world’s most prized prospects. And incredibly, a Union group that won just one of their first 15 league games is now a modest five points back of the East’s playoff places.
WATCH: Sullivan bros spark stunning Philadelphia Union comeback
St. Louis CITY SC
STL surging
A rough 1W-6L-3D start to the year? Concerns about the reliability of your front line? Team-leading scorer just returned to Germany for personal reasons?
None of it appears to have fazed St. Louis CITY SC, who just trounced the San Jose Earthquakes, 3-1, in their own house to run their current unbeaten streak to 10 matches across all competitions, the longest in the young club’s short history.
The oft-criticized Simon Becher notched a brace to lead the way, making up – for one night, at least – for the recent departure of Marcel Hartel.
First-year boss Yoann Damet has done admirable work with STL, installing a daring high-tempo system reminiscent of his former boss Wilfried Nancy, and it’s raised the floor dramatically for a club already in the playoff places and eager to push on.
New signing Carlo Holse is working his way up to speed, and sporting director Corey Wray still has a couple of weeks left in the transfer window to fill the Designated Player slot vacated by Hartel.
WATCH: Simon Becher leads surging St. Louis CITY SC
Toronto FC
Finally, TFC
Thanks mainly to their home’s role as a World Cup venue, Toronto FC haven’t played at BMO Stadium in three long months. And it’s been even longer since their last win, a wild 3-2 result over Colorado by the lakeside on April 4.
So imagine the relief when the Reds ended their 13-game winless skid with Saturday’s 2-1 victory over New England, a result they hope will turn out to be “what you need to kick-start your season,” in the words of head coach Robin Fraser.
That said, this wasn’t exactly a blueprint type of performance. TFC produced a measly 0.1 expected goals compared to the Revolution’s 2.7, a frankly absurd disparity that reflects A) the quirky Will Sands own goal that nudged the Reds in front and B) just how incredible new signing Niklas Dorsch’s long-range game-winner really was.
This one is worth your time:
Around the grounds
Your current Golden Boot leader is Petar Musa, who bagged his 14th goal of the season to pace FC Dallas past their I-35 adversaries Austin FC by a 2-1 scoreline that puts the North Texans in pole position for Copa Tejas bragging rights over their two in-state rivals.
As good as ATX have been in Leagues Cup, where they advanced and will face LIGA MX heavyweights Toluca in the quarterfinals later this month, the Verde & Black defended sloppily on the Croatian crack’s clinical winner:
Signs of life in ATL! Atlanta United have been in a similar boat to Toronto’s, away from home for months and star-crossed at every turn, drearily drifting toward the bottom of the standings despite enormous investment in the roster.
The Five Stripes showed us something to rally from a goal down to edge Red Bull New York, 2-1, though, their first W in over three months.
Central midfielder Tristan Muyumba shook off a glaring early miss to curl a beauty of an equalizer into the top corner. Young’un Adrian Gill, once a teen phenom at FC Barcelona, looked quality in his MLS debut. And ATLUTD are reportedly close to sealing a massive transfer deal for Switzerland international Breel Embolo. Let’s see if their season has a pulse left in it after all.
We reckon there is no men’s professional soccer team in North America hotter than Chicago Fire FC, who kept the momentum rolling from a perfect (3W-0L-0D) Leagues Cup Phase One by beating Portland, 2-1, at Soldier Field on Sunday.
It’s their fifth win in five, and sets up a tasty trip to meet Antoine Griezmann and Orlando City at midweek.