Soccer <\/p>\n
We\u2019re still in the discovery phase of the MLS season. Just shy of the two-month mark, teams are discovering themselves \u2013 which means we\u2019re uncovering new things about them in real time, too.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Today, we\u2019re examining the latest slate of MLS matches to explore some of the most interesting things we\u2019ve learned so far this year.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve got the Columbus Crew<\/a> staying undefeated, Jack McGlynn<\/a>\u2019s impressive start to life in Houston<\/a>, and so much more. Oh, and if you want to read up on the rest of Matchday 7 in detail, check out Matt Doyle\u2019s column<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n When the Crew helped Cucho Hern\u00e1ndez move to Real Betis in LaLiga for a reported eight-figure fee<\/a>, they lost one of the best attackers this league has ever seen. Cucho helped lead them to MLS Cup 2023 and Leagues Cup 2024 glory. He greased the wheels of Wilfried Nancy\u2019s system in the final third, turning field position into chance creation.<\/p>\n When Cucho departed in early February, Columbus\u2019 results were supposed to dip, at least until a replacement arrived in the transfer market. But that, uh, hasn\u2019t happened.<\/p>\n Through the first seven games of 2025, the Crew are one of only two undefeated teams in MLS, along with Inter Miami CF<\/a>. They sit third in the league in points per game and are currently playing at a better points-per-game pace (2.14) than last year (1.94) when they finished second in the Supporters\u2019 Shield race. Columbus\u2019 2-1 win<\/a> over CF Montr\u00e9al<\/a> on Saturday was just the latest positive result for the Cucho-less Crew.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not that the Crew are getting lucky, either. They\u2019re constantly creating better chances than the ones they\u2019re giving up: according to FBref, Columbus sit inside MLS\u2019s top third in non-penalty xG differential per 90 minutes. Even with an attacking lineup headlined by Diego Rossi<\/a> and Jacen Russell-Rowe<\/a>, Nancy\u2019s team has way<\/em> more than stayed afloat.<\/p>\n Now, I want to be clear: the Crew still miss Cucho. The reason they\u2019ve been so successful isn\u2019t because of their dynamic final third play \u2013 they’re 13th in MLS in non-penalty xG. Last season? They were third in that metric. But where the attack has dipped, Columbus\u2019 defensive work has impressed, to the tune of the fourth-best non-penalty xG allowed tally in the league.<\/p>\n Helped by a soft schedule out of the gates (outside of Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a> play), the Crew have stacked points early. Will they keep thriving in a post-Cucho world? I bet the answer is \u2018yes.\u2019 Will they keep up this<\/em> level of form? It\u2019s not likely. Still, this team has maintained a huge chunk of what\u2019s made them so special since Nancy arrived, and that\u2019s a great sign.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n There wasn\u2019t a single offseason move that made more sense than the Houston Dynamo trading for Jack McGlynn.<\/p>\n After years of playing in Philadelphia<\/a>\u2019s energy drink style that didn\u2019t suit his finesse-heavy, on-ball sensibilities, McGlynn made his way to one of the most possession-oriented teams in MLS. Since arriving in Houston, McGlynn has finally had the chance to show off his clever left-footed distribution for a side that wants to build with the ball. And with three goal contributions through his first six starts for Ben Olsen? It\u2019s safe to say the trade is paying off for both the 21-year-old and his new squad.<\/p>\n In his first five Dynamo appearances, McGlynn was tasked with playing as part of Olsen\u2019s double pivot at the center of their 3-2-5 attacking structure. In a 1-0 win<\/a> over LAFC<\/a> on Saturday, he played as the right-sided No. 10 in that shape and still made a major impact. On top of scoring the game\u2019s only goal, McGlynn notched his second-best xA tally of the season.<\/p>\n Toss in the idea that the former Union midfielder is one of the absolute premier set-piece artists on this side of the Atlantic and you have a high-impact player. McGlynn is leading Houston in goals added, according to American Soccer Analysis, and has the makings of a cornerstone piece in Texas.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n I\u2019ve been impressed by the early signs coming out of Chicago<\/a> this season. A winter roster overhaul has helped this team take a big step forward. Plus, Gregg Berhalter has clearly communicated tactical instructions to his players that are reducing the number of unforced errors and positional redundancies that defined the Fire under some of their previous managers.<\/p>\n Things are about to get real for the Chicago Fire, though. Really, that process began on Saturday against the New York Red Bulls<\/a> in a 2-1 road loss<\/a>. After a friendly schedule to open the season, the Fire have Inter Miami, FC Cincinnati<\/a>, Nashville SC<\/a>, Orlando City<\/a>, Atlanta United<\/a>, and Charlotte FC<\/a> as their next six games. Gulp<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n To make it out of that stretch with a solid-to-good set of results, the Fire would be helped by focusing on their defensive rotations. Playing in Berhalter\u2019s 4-3-3 defensive block, teams have begun to spot the weak points in their structure. Namely, the space on the far side, just behind and outside Chicago\u2019s midfield trio.<\/p>\n Let me show you what I\u2019m getting at.<\/p>\n Keep an eye on Rominigue Kouam\u00e9<\/a> here, the Fire\u2019s right-sided central midfielder, who has midfielders Kellyn Acosta<\/a> and Sergio Oregel<\/a> to his left. As Kouam\u00e9 moves towards the ball, the Red Bulls almost immediately find the gap and send the ball right past him, eliminating Chicago\u2019s entire midfield from the play:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n You\u2019d better believe Inter Miami will attack that space around the Fire midfield with more precision than the Red Bulls. If teams hit that gap against Chicago over the next six weeks, the Fire could end up hurting.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Look, let\u2019s be honest: Sporting Kansas City<\/a>\u2019s 2-0 win<\/a> over St. Louis CITY SC<\/a> didn\u2019t feature a wildly different-looking SKC squad. Sure, Kerry Zavagnin was in charge on the sidelines after taking over for Peter Vermes earlier in the week. But, as Zavagnin himself has publicly acknowledged, chopping and changing SKC following Vermes\u2019 exit will take time \u2013 and more than a few training sessions.<\/p>\n Still, if there was a positive for Sporting (outside of the obvious \u201cwe just won our first game of the season over a team we despise to kick off a new era on the right foot\u201d), it was the impact of their two new Designated Players.<\/p>\n Perhaps the biggest reason why Vermes’ exit surprised me was that Sporting KC’s ownership had just spent nearly eight figures on Dejan Jovelji\u0107<\/a> and Manu Garc\u00eda<\/a>. Jovelji\u0107, a proven quality striker in MLS, and Garc\u00eda, a promising No. 10 from overseas, were signed to help elevate Vermes\u2019 attack. While I\u2019m not attempting to argue that Vermes got too short<\/em> of a leash in Kansas City after years of struggle, the legendary manager only had six regular-season games to work with his shiny new toys.<\/p>\n Zavagnin got a chance to do so over the weekend, and the two DPs proved a chunk of their worth for the game\u2019s opener.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2014 Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) April 6, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n With Garc\u00eda operating between the lines, drawing a center back out of position, and feeding Jovelji\u0107, and Jovelji\u0107 running into the vacated space and finishing, it doesn\u2019t take much to imagine SKC\u2019s brass dreaming up a goal like this over the offseason. They got it on Saturday, with a win arriving less than a half hour later.<\/p>\n Sporting Kansas City can march to a new era, provided they get more moments like that one from their big-money stars.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n If conceding six goals in a single game doesn\u2019t convince you that there are probably<\/em> some defensive screws to tighten, I\u2019m not sure what will.<\/p>\n D.C. United<\/a> fell 6-1<\/a> to the San Jose Earthquakes<\/a> on Sunday, in a game that got out of hand early. Troy Lesesne\u2019s squad was in a three-goal hole by the 20th minute, effectively ending their hopes for a road result. In total, D.C. allowed a whopping 3.2 xG on the day. This was the second time that the Black-and-Red had allowed 3.0 xG or more this season, doing so back on March 22 in a 4-1 road loss<\/a> to Orlando.<\/p>\n No team has allowed more actual goals than D.C. this season and only three have allowed more non-penalty xG per 90 minutes. It\u2019s been tough, folks.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s not just one issue. New goalkeeper Kim Joon-Hong<\/a> has more goals than expected (1.7) than any other shot-stopper with seven starts this season. Before the responsibility even shifts to the 21-year-old, D.C. are allowing their opposition high-quality shots. D.C. are 29th in MLS in opposing shot quality, at 0.13 non-penalty xG per shot. On a player level, Matti Peltola<\/a> hasn\u2019t impressed as half of the double pivot and Kye Rowles<\/a> is yet to find his footing at center back.<\/p>\n Until their defensive foundation takes a big leap, it\u2019s hard to picture D.C. as an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs team in the Eastern Conference. This team has work to do.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n