Soccer <\/p>\n
With more goals scored across Saturday and Sunday than in any previous opening weekend in league history (and more teams scoring four-plus goals<\/a> than in any opening weekend in the modern era), it\u2019s safe to say the 2025 MLS season kicked off with a bang.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n As we look back on Matchday 1, what burning questions popped up across the first set of games? And how will the answers to those questions impact Matchday 2 and beyond?<\/p>\n Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n After playing a midweek game against Sporting Kansas City<\/a> in the Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a>, new manager Javier Mascherano rotated a chunk of his squad for Saturday\u2019s clash with New York City FC<\/a>. Specifically, he swapped newcomer Gonzalo Luj\u00e1n<\/a> for homegrown Noah Allen<\/a> at center back, with the 20-year-old starting next to Tom\u00e1s Avil\u00e9s<\/a> in the heart of the backline.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Against NYCFC, the backline didn\u2019t hold. Avil\u00e9s earned himself a red card less than 25 minutes into the match at Chase Stadium, forcing his teammates to play with 10 men. And Allen, for all of the value added via his positional versatility, isn\u2019t exactly a towering presence through the middle. With David Mart\u00ednez<\/a> recovering from an ankle injury and Luj\u00e1n on short rest, Miami\u2019s pool of quality available center backs quickly dried up in the 2-2 draw<\/a>.<\/p>\n With another CCC game this week and Leagues Cup<\/a> and Club World Cup<\/a> games coming later this year, Inter Miami\u2019s defensive depth will be tested in a real way. Sure, Maxi Falc\u00f3n<\/a> and Luj\u00e1n should be able to play regular minutes as the year goes on. Mart\u00ednez should get back to full fitness soon, too. But even then, Falc\u00f3n and Luj\u00e1n are new to the league, and Avil\u00e9s and Allen (plus potentially Sergio Busquets<\/a>) post questions at center back.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve already seen how defense remains Miami\u2019s weakness \u2013 and we\u2019re literal days into the 2025 season. It\u2019s fair to wonder if they’ll find solutions when visiting Houston<\/a> for Sunday Night Soccer (7 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n For almost 40 minutes, the new-look Chicago Fire<\/a> were taking it to the Columbus Crew<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Defensively, new manager Gregg Berhalter encouraged his team to defend with aggression both in a high press and in a compact 4-3-3 mid-block \u2013 to the point where they even managed to fluster Wilfried Nancy\u2019s Crew team at times. In possession, Berhalter clearly instructed his players to control the ball with short passes in their own half while looking for space to release new Designated Player left winger Jonathan Bamba<\/a>.<\/p>\n There was a whole lot of beautiful ball from Chicago in the opening stages\u2026<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 23, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n \u2026and then, well, they crumbled. Playing out of the back went wrong. Multiple times. Continued defensive aggression turned into poorly executed tackles. Adjustments were slow to arrive after Nancy tweaked his team\u2019s positioning midway through the first half. The result? A 4-2 defeat<\/a>.<\/p>\n But, again, there were legitimately promising signs<\/a> from the Fire. They truly owned the beginning of this game on the road against a well-drilled, albeit short-handed, Crew squad.<\/p>\n It\u2019s too early to tell if Berhalter\u2019s Chicago will be a great (or even good) team in 2025. But with matches against D.C. United<\/a>, FC Dallas<\/a>, and Toronto FC<\/a> coming up next on the schedule, it shouldn\u2019t shock anybody if they start to stack points.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n I have to say: I\u2019m fascinated by what\u2019s going on in San Diego<\/a>.<\/p>\n Judging by how Sunday\u2019s performance at the LA Galaxy<\/a> backed up the stylistic comparisons the club has been making between themselves and the Columbus Crew<\/a>, it\u2019s safe to say we haven\u2019t seen an expansion team commit to controlling the ball like San Diego FC are doing this year.<\/p>\n They smothered the Galaxy in the first half of their 2-0 debut win, progressing the ball with ease out of their clearly defined 3-2-5 attacking shape:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n There were big issues in the final third all night, but San Diego FC looked so comfortable progressing the ball.<\/p>\n Clear ideas and strong execution in the controlled possession phase. pic.twitter.com\/SEV8i63Sae<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2014 Joseph Lowery (@joeclowery) February 24, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n And on the defensive side, even the stars were bought in on the counter press:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n “[Chucky Lozano] plays both ways,\u201d San Diego FC sporting director Tyler Heaps told me earlier this month.<\/p>\n Safe to say he was right. Lozano was a genuine defensive asset for San Diego tonight. pic.twitter.com\/vaIvT3okmX<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2014 Joseph Lowery (@joeclowery) February 24, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n I think San Diego FC\u2019s progression play and defensive effort will be close to constants when their first-choice starters are on the field. Still, there are big questions about their ability to create in the final third. After all, San Diego created nothing in the first half and their two goals arrived via a brutal LA Galaxy giveaway inside the 18-yard box and a counterattack in second-half stoppage time.<\/p>\n Exactly how willing Mikey Varas is to slide up the risk scale in the final third against a compact block is absolutely something to watch on Saturday in their first-ever home game against St. Louis CITY SC<\/a> (10:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Don\u2019t look now, but the San Jose Earthquakes<\/a> are on top of the Supporters\u2019 Shield standings!<\/p>\n Okay, fine, that distinction is just about as meaningless as it gets after only one weekend\u2019s worth of games. Still, San Jose looked incredibly competent in their season-opening 4-0 win<\/a> against Real Salt Lake<\/a>.<\/p>\n Under new manager Bruce Arena, the Quakes set up in a 3-4-1-2 attacking shape, with Hern\u00e1n L\u00f3pez<\/a> playing underneath Josef Mart\u00ednez<\/a> and Chicho Arango<\/a> while Cristian Espinoza<\/a> and Jamar Ricketts<\/a> operated as wingbacks. Despite the star power up front, it really was Espinoza (two assists) and Ricketts (a goal in his first MLS start) who stole the show.<\/p>\n Defensively, San Jose weren’t airtight. Diego Luna<\/a> found looks from his spot in the left halfspace and Salt Lake managed a 21-to-14 shot edge over their hosts. There\u2019s work to do without the ball, a fact that showed even against a rotated RSL squad amid Concacaf Champions Cup play.<\/p>\n But for the team that allowed more goals last season than any other in MLS history? It\u2019s worth celebrating a massive win ahead of next weekend\u2019s road trip to Kansas City (8:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n As it turns out: Emmanuel Latte Lath<\/a> isn\u2019t just fast. He\u2019s bouncy, too.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 23, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n The reported $22 million man, who arrived for an MLS-record fee this offseason, became the first player in Atlanta United<\/a> history to score a brace on his debut. Latte Lath was an absolute menace in the Five Stripes’ 3-2 win<\/a> over CF Montr\u00e9al<\/a>, showing off his aerial ability, predatory scoring instincts inside the 18-yard box and line-stretching pace. It\u2019s early days, but Atlanta United\u2019s attack looked reborn with Latte Lath up top and Miguel Almir\u00f3n<\/a> floating inside from the right wing to drive the ball downhill.<\/p>\n Atlanta\u2019s visit to Charlotte FC<\/a> on Saturday will provide a tougher test for Latte Lath against Dean Smith\u2019s traditionally solid defensive outfit (2:15 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+<\/a>; FOX, FOX Deportes).<\/p>\n Of course, Latte Lath wasn\u2019t the only big-money striker signing to find the back of the net this past weekend. K\u00e9vin Denkey<\/a>, who arrived from Belgium for a then-record $16.2 million transfer fee early in the offseason, scored the game-winner for FC Cincinnati<\/a> against the New York Red Bulls<\/a>:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n K\u00c9VIN DENKEY DEBUT GOAL! ????@FCCincinnati<\/a> takes the late lead. pic.twitter.com\/LGyPUM4mSk<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 23, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n His mixture of off-ball movement, size, strength and crisp hold-up play gave Pat Noonan\u2019s team a valuable reference point ahead of Evander<\/a>, who made his first start for Cincinnati since an MLS-record trade with the Portland Timbers<\/a>.<\/p>\n With a trip to Philadelphia<\/a> on Saturday (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+<\/a>) after a midweek CCC clash with Motagua, we won\u2019t have to wait long to see more of Cincy\u2019s new stars.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
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