Soccer <\/p>\n
With each passing slate of weekend matches, we\u2019re learning more about what\u2019s real and what\u2019s just a mirage during the 2025 MLS season.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Today, we\u2019re looking back on Matchday 3 to examine some of the most interesting things we\u2019ve asborbed so far. We\u2019ve got stars in new roles, promising signs for a trophy contender and trouble out West.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
FC Cincinnati<\/a> gave off the vibe of a team playing with their food before actually eating it in their 2-0 win<\/a> over Toronto FC<\/a> on Saturday. With a rotated lineup from Pat Noonan ahead of Leg 2 against Tigres in the Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a>\u2019s Round of 16, we didn\u2019t see a full-strength Cincy lineup. But with Luca Orellano<\/a> earning his first regular-season minutes of the year, that full-strength lineup shouldn\u2019t be far away.<\/p>\n Cincy were already outplaying Toronto before Evander<\/a> entered partway through the second half. When the Brazilian started to find the game, though, everything changed. Just look at this absurd one-touch assist to release Yuya Kubo<\/a> in transition:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Evander \u27a1\ufe0f Yuya \u27a1\ufe0f goooooooooal ???? pic.twitter.com\/HhJKjqDVSK<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) March 9, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Evander & Co. made playing high-level soccer look easy in the second half, scoring two goals (one from the spot and the one above from open play) and denying Toronto a single shot from inside the box. Once Evander, Orellano and K\u00e9vin Denkey<\/a> are all starting together in the frontline? Well, you\u2019ll be hard pressed to find a more dangerous attacking group in the league outside of the one down in South Beach.<\/p>\n FC Cincinnati have the kind of talent that will allow them to turn on the magic at a moment\u2019s notice. I\u2019m eager to see more of that against one of the best defenses in MLS when they visit Charlotte FC<\/a> on Saturday (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n It sure looks like Chris Armas and his coaching staff got in the film room and did a bit of tactical tweaking over the offseason. After spending almost all of last year in a 4-2-3-1 formation, the Colorado Rapids<\/a> have been using a 4-3-3 for much of this season, including in their 1-0 road win<\/a> over Austin FC<\/a> on Saturday.<\/p>\n With a workmanlike midfield of Joshua Atencio<\/a> (playing as the No. 6), Cole Bassett<\/a> (playing as the right-sided No. 8), and Oliver Larraz<\/a> (playing as the left-sided No. 8), Djordje Mihailovic<\/a> has moved slightly wider towards the left side into a \u201cfree winger\u201d-type role. Nominally, Mihailovic is the width-provider on his side, especially when Ian Murphy<\/a> gets deployed at left back amidst Colorado\u2019s mini-outside back injury crisis.<\/p>\n But in reality? Mihailovic has the freedom to drift inside, find the ball and make the game. His assist on Rafael Navarro<\/a>‘s goal featured all three of those things, and was downright sublime:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2014 Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) March 9, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Mihailovic is no stranger to shading his touches towards the left side \u2013 he played in a hybrid left-sided\/central role under Wilfried Nancy with CF Montr\u00e9al<\/a>. So far this season, he\u2019s looking right at home after a positional tweak.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n To their credit, the Columbus Crew<\/a> are staying afloat without Cucho Hern\u00e1ndez… at least in MLS play. Still yet to replace Cucho or Christian Ram\u00edrez<\/a> in the attack, competing across multiple fronts has become exceedingly difficult for Columbus. They\u2019re currently on the ropes in the Concacaf Champions Cup\u2019s Round of 16 after losing 3-0<\/a> at LAFC<\/a> last week.<\/p>\n But in the league? The Crew have picked up seven points from three games, while allowing the third-least non-penalty xG in MLS, according to FBref. Thanks to their ability to dominate the ball under Wilfried Nancy, Columbus have allowed just 0.5 xG over their last two MLS games, a 1-0 away win<\/a> over the New England Revolution<\/a> and a 0-0 home draw<\/a> with the Houston Dynamo<\/a>, according to FBref. They\u2019re keeping pace in a competitive Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n What the Crew aren\u2019t doing, though, is creating chances. Against Houston<\/a> on Saturday, Columbus only managed four shots from inside the box and hit for 0.9 xG. Jacen Russell-Rowe<\/a> has looked like a quality attacker next to Diego Rossi<\/a>, but Nancy needs one more piece in his frontline to turn a clearly solid Crew squad into a trophy contender.<\/p>\n If Houston and New England can slow down Columbus, better squads can as well. A big test awaits on Saturday at red-hot expansion side San Diego FC<\/a> (10:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Sporting Kansas City<\/a> have played five games across all competitions to start 2025. They\u2019ve lost all five, extending their losing streak to 10 games if you include the last five matches of 2024.<\/p>\n With two new Designated Players arriving over the offseason in Dejan Jovelji\u0107<\/a> and Manu Garc\u00eda<\/a>, it was always going to take time for SKC to find their feet. Still, with two new DPs arriving over the offseason<\/em>, it was also fair to expect a little bit more from Peter Vermes\u2019 team to begin the year. But instead of seeing a rejuvenated group, we\u2019ve seen several issues from last year carry over.<\/p>\n The midfield in Vermes\u2019 4-3-3 shape is quicker in the attack thanks to Garc\u00eda\u2019s purposeful touches. In defense, though, they’re still too porous. We saw plenty of that in SKC\u2019s 2-1 loss<\/a> at D.C. United<\/a> on Saturday. In the wide areas, Sporting KC are sluggish at both winger and fullback. Center back is still a question mark and John Pulskamp<\/a> is settling in goal.<\/p>\n There were few realities in which Sporting KC were pushing up the Western Conference standings early in the year during a rebuild. But for them to still be searching for a point after games against Austin, San Jose<\/a> and D.C. is a troubling look. Perhaps something will change on Saturday against Minnesota United FC<\/a> (8:15 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+<\/a> | FS1, FOX Deportes).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Speaking of teams still searching for a point, allow me to present the LA Galaxy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Having become the first team in league history to begin their MLS Cup defense with three straight regular-season losses, there\u2019s a long list of problems facing LA right now. They\u2019ve been ravaged by injuries. Their midfield is missing a player to progress the ball. Marco Reus<\/a> needs to more consistently be a game-changer. The attacking balance has been off without any real width and dynamism on the left side opposite Gabriel Pec<\/a>.<\/p>\n And then there\u2019s the goalkeeping situation.<\/p>\n After John McCarthy<\/a> enjoyed a fantastic 2024, saving nearly five goals more than expected in the regular season and anchoring the defense en route to an MLS Cup title, Greg Vanney has started Novak Mi\u0107ovi\u0107<\/a> in all three of the club\u2019s MLS matches this season. The 23-year-old Serbian has struggled<\/em> in those starts, hitting a hospital ball to Emiro Garc\u00e9s<\/a> inside his own box that led to a concession on opening weekend and failing to claim a corner kick on St. Louis CITY<\/a>\u2019s opener on Sunday:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Cedi with the Celly after his put away ????\u200d????#AllForCITY<\/a> x @EdwardJones<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/6yF8190Jgt<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 St Louis CITY SC (@stlCITYsc) March 10, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Between Mi\u0107ovi\u0107’s mistakes and Garces\u2019 lack of positional discipline, the LA Galaxy have desperately missed McCarthy\u2019s veteran presence in goal. Vanney\u2019s player selection is something to watch next Sunday when they visit Portland (4:45 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+<\/a> | FOX, FOX Deportes).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
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