Soccer
Matchday 7 is in the books.
What did we learn? Did the games confirm what we already knew or change the complexion of the league?
Let’s dive into some key takeaways from another weekend of MLS action.
There are few better ways to get the attention of the league at large than by dropping six goals in a single game. The Colorado Rapids did exactly that on Saturday, besting the Houston Dynamo, 6-2, in front of an energized crowd at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Treated to a team playing some of the most delightful soccer MLS has seen in recent years, the crowd had good reason for their energy.
Simply put, the Rapids ripped their way through the Dynamo. While the game was more open than first-year Colorado coach Matt Wells would’ve preferred, the precision with which an even short-handed Rapids team played through Houston was a sight to behold.
Their short passing and commitment to moving the ball on the ground through pressure against Houston weren’t an aberration, either. According to American Soccer Analysis, Wells’ outfit averages the third fewest vertical passes in the league. The only two teams more horizontal (think: patient) than Colorado? San Diego FC and Inter Miami. Being in that company sure paints a picture of what the Rapids are all about under Wells.
It wasn’t just Colorado’s unique comfort in the buildup that stood out on Saturday. It was also their skillful utilization of the wide areas. After the club splashed millions of allocation money on signing wingers Dante Sealy and Georgi Minoungou in the Primary Transfer Window, both players snagged assists against the Dynamo.
There will be bumps in the road, and other teams will serve as a stiffer test than Houston, but ignore the Rapids at your own risk.
They’re playing some of the most interesting and, at times, most effective ball in the league.
Between injuries that carried over from last year and some fresh nibbles from the injury bug, we still haven’t seen the Whitecaps at full strength in 2026. That fact should send the rest of the league into something approximating a panic.
Much like in 2025 when they put together one of the most impressive seasons of any club in MLS history en route to reaching the Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS Cup finals, this year’s version of Vancouver looks fully capable of running right over you regardless of which players Jesper Sørensen has at his disposal.
Against a NYCFC squad that had a top-10 xG differential coming into the weekend, as per American Soccer Analysis, the Whitecaps were so good that, well… let’s just say the Pigeons no longer can boast a top-10 xG differential.
With clever open play attacking patterns, genuine control with and without the ball, and best-in-class set piece service from Sebastian Berhalter, the Whitecaps are every bit as well-rounded this year as they were in 2025.
They’re on top of the Supporters’ Shield race with the best xG differential in MLS through seven games. The conversation for “best team in the league” starts in Vancouver.
𝘽𝒆𝙨𝒕 𝒔𝙩𝒂𝙧𝒕 𝒊𝙣 𝙤𝒖𝙧 𝙈𝑳𝙎 𝙝𝒊𝙨𝒕𝙤𝒓𝙮 🌊😤
✅ 700 goals
✅ Extended our record to 6W-1L-0D yesterday in front of our second straight crowd of over 25,000
✅ First place on the MLS table ❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/M0TqKJmABi— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) April 12, 2026
If you were to look through the top goal contributors in MLS so far this season, you’d see plenty of obvious names.
Right behind co-league leaders Guilherme and Rafael Navarro (nine apiece) sits star FC Dallas striker Petar Musa (eight). Then there’s Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge. Tied with Surridge with seven goal contributions so far in 2026 is none other than Julian Hall.
The 18-year-old was at the heart of Red Bull New York’s 2-2 draw with Inter Miami on Saturday at Nu Stadium, notching his first two assists of the season.
His first helper came after an impressive run and change of direction against Miami center back Micael. After cutting back to his left foot, Hall slotted the ball towards Jorge Ruvalcaba for the finish:
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 11, 2026
Later, Hall showed off excellent composure inside the box to extend a set piece before sliding the ball to fellow teenager Adri Mehmeti for the second-half equalizer:
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 12, 2026
“He has really good qualities,” RBNY head coach Michael Bradley said postgame of Hall. “His ability to not only score goals, but with his skill and with his quickness and speed – like he did tonight – to set up goals.”
With that varied skillset, one that features plenty of aggressive pressing, skillful off-ball movement, goal threat inside the box, and heads-up distribution, Hall has been one of the breakout stars of the young MLS campaign.
He doesn’t look likely to slow down anytime soon, either.
It’s been slow going in Austin FC’s attack this year, their 2-1 home loss to the LA Galaxy on Saturday afternoon serving as the latest example.
According to American Soccer Analysis, Austin sit 23rd in MLS in xG per game, just behind Atlanta United and CF Montréal. After a somewhat promising attacking display at Inter Miami’s Nu Stadium opening, where set pieces led the charge for the visitors, Austin’s flaw reared itself again on Saturday: they struggle to manufacture chances in open play. They’re 24th in MLS in open play xG, again per American Soccer Analysis.
Even after spending reportedly $9.5 million on Facundo Torres in the transfer market, the attack has looked somewhat stagnant this year. Torres, who is more scorer than creator, hasn’t suddenly begun picking locks upon his arrival.
Nico Estévez has tried a couple of different ways to kickstart the attack. First came a 4-2-3-1, with Torres as a No. 10 flanked by Joseph Rosales and Jayden Nelson. Now Austin are using a 4-4-2 with Christian Ramírez and Myrto Uzuni up top, with Torres on one wing and Rosales on the other.
But the absence of well-executed patterns in the final third, mixed with the lack of genuine chance creators in the attack, has Austin hurting. They have just one win on the season. They’re 13th in the Western Conference. Perhaps Owen Wolff’s return from injury, followed by Brandon Vazquez doing the same, will help Austin find their attacking groove.
It’s certainly needed in Austin.
When Kévin Denkey earned a second yellow card in as many minutes on Saturday in what turned out to be a 1-1 draw at Toronto FC, FC Cincinnati leaped closer to putting their name in the history books. They’ve had a player sent off in four consecutive MLS games, just one game shy of the record set by the Houston Dynamo in 2009.
For Denkey, frustration boiled over against Toronto – frustration no doubt rooted in his team’s struggles so far this season. With just two wins in league play (against Atlanta on opening day and Montréal in a barnburner last month), FC Cincinnati’s on-field story has been filled with concern. Even before their DP striker was ushered off the field, Cincinnati looked listless on the road in Toronto, creating just 0.43 xG with all 11 players on the field, according to FotMob.
Consistent execution has been lacking from Pat Noonan’s squad.
The underlying numbers paint FC Cincinnati as a mid-table team, with their xG for and xG against both falling in that range based on American Soccer Analysis’s data. After four straight impressive seasons in Ohio, it’s safe to say that the club’s ambition is far higher than mid-table.
In defense, buy-in from the frontline is needed. In the buildup, a closer proximity between players to help play through pressure is needed. In possession, more creative talent to help take the burden off Evander is needed.
There’s work to do in Cincinnati, and the clock is ticking.
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