Soccer
Matchday 10 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.
Following their run to MLS Cup 2025 presented by Audi, the Vancouver Whitecaps lost a couple of key pieces in wingers Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson. Ahmed was transferred to Norwich City in the English Championship, while Nelson was traded to Austin FC.
Rather impressively, it looks as though Vancouver’s talent gap out wide has been filled – and then some – after a savvy bit of offseason recruitment.
Cheikh Sabaly, a Senegal international who played nearly 1,000 minutes for Metz at the start of the still-ongoing Ligue 1 season, and Bruno Caicedo, an Ecuador youth international, have wasted no time making an impact this year.
Both newcomers, in fact, were influential in Vancouver’s 3-1 win over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday.
Sabaly found the opener by finishing off a Thomas Müller cross. Consistent defensive effort mixed with a balanced attacking skillset makes Sabaly a regular threat:
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 26, 2026
For his part, Caicedo looks like one of the most physically gifted players in all of MLS. He dusted Colorado’s Keegan Rosenberry late in the match, getting in behind and serving the ball on a platter for Brian White:
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 26, 2026
Head coach Jesper Sørensen has garnered much-deserved attention for his influential system in Vancouver. But the club’s front office-driven recruitment has been nothing short of elite as well, bringing in players like Sabaly and Caicedo to arguably upgrade major needs.
It’s like Matt Turner never left, isn’t it?
Once a load-bearing pillar in the New England Revolution’s 2021 Supporters’ Shield-winning team, Turner is up to his old tricks after returning from his English sojourn.
Up against Inter Miami at Nu Stadium on Saturday, the USMNT goalkeeper made a whopping nine saves en route to saving 1.45 goals more than expected, as per FotMob, in a 1-1 draw.
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 25, 2026
This wasn’t a one-off performance from Turner, either. According to American Soccer Analysis, he has saved 6.71 more goals than expected across his nine games in 2026. That’s the best tally in the league.
The 2021 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year truly looks to be back to his best while helping New England kickstart life under new head coach Marko Mitrović.
A regular in camps for Mauricio Pochettino and fresh off having started the USMNT’s loss to Belgium in the March international window, could Turner make a play to pass New York City FC’s Matt Freese in the depth chart to become the team’s starting goalkeeper? If the 2022 FIFA World Cup veteran carries over this form into the pre-tournament camp, anything is possible.
There’s been plenty of chopping and changing in Columbus this season under new head coach Henrik Rydström.
In hopes of shoring up the team’s frailties in defensive transition, we’ve seen the Crew adopt a 4-4-2 shape instead of the back three that became the norm under Wilfried Nancy. In possession, the team primarily uses two center backs (rather than three) and pushes their fullbacks inside to overload the midfield.
On an individual level, those structural changes mean new roles for key players – including Max Arfsten.
Arfsten, who entered the USMNT fold via standout showings at left wingback, has been tasked with playing higher upfield this season. First, the 25-year-old became something closer to a true left winger under Rydström. However, Arfsten’s role changed yet again this past week as an inverted winger on the right.
With plenty of dribbling ability and a dangerous left foot, it didn’t take long for Arfsten to reward that choice. He picked up an assist in a 2-1 midweek win over the LA Galaxy and scored in a 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday:
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 25, 2026
It’s too early to tell if Arfsten will be a mainstay on the right. But Rydström seems eager to put him in goal-dangerous positions, and for good reason.
Marc Dos Santos hasn’t made sweeping changes to LAFC after taking over as head coach. The team is still focused on stout defending first and pushing numbers forward into the attack second.
But even with slight personnel tweaks, Dos Santos has raised LAFC’s ceiling. Most notably, David Martínez consistently being in the lineup has changed the team’s outlook.
Want proof? Here you go:
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 25, 2026
Martínez, who scored the only goal in LAFC’s 1-0 win at Minnesota United FC on Saturday, initiated the scoring sequence, made a clever third-man run, and capped things off with an impressive finish. The 20-year-old Venezuelan international thrives in exactly the sort of moments where LAFC often stalled out last season: up against a set defense in the final third.
But Martínez’s attacking skillset has been obvious since he arrived in MLS. It’s become easier for his manager to trust him on the field, however, thanks to his improved defensive output.
Against Minnesota, the young attacker’s effort in the counterpress was notable. Just look at how quickly Martínez reacts after LAFC lose the ball on this play – and how aggressively he works to win it back:
David Martinez putting in major shifts against the ball has been crucial to him getting on the field for LAFC this season.
Sky is the limit for the young Venezuelan attacker.
— Joseph Lowery (@joeclowery) April 27, 2026
With Martínez making plays with and without the ball, he’s evolving in a way that makes LAFC far more than the Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-Min show.
I submit, dear reader, that there’s no more underrated player in MLS than Prince Owusu.
In 2024, the Ghana international bagged nine goals for a struggling Toronto FC team. In 2025, he notched 13 for a CF Montréal outfit that finished near the bottom of the overall table.
This season, the striker has already collected 6g/3a for Montréal, who appear to be loving life at Stade Saputo under interim manager Philippe Eullaffroy. Unsurprisingly, Owusu’s goal put Montréal ahead against New York City FC on Saturday, a lead they never relinquished en route to winning 1-0.
With a difficult-to-defend-against mixture of size and savvy movement, he makes things look easy inside the 18-yard box:
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 25, 2026
Since the start of the 2024 season, the German-born forward’s first full year in MLS, only 15 players in the league managed more regular-season goals. Owusu has simply been the model of consistency, one whose physical play serves as a crucial outlet for a Montréal team that’s direct and combative at their core.
Keep underrating Owusu all you like, but the man will keep scoring all the same.
Read MoreZonia Mote