Soccer <\/p>\n
Between a pair of MLS vs. LIGA MX matchups in Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a> and Club World Cup<\/a> play and a whole slate of league matches, this past weekend wasn\u2019t short on drama.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Let’s look back at the latest batch of MLS games to examine some of the most interesting things we\u2019ve learned. And if you want to read up on the other key moments of Matchday 17 in detail, check out Matt Doyle\u2019s latest<\/a> column<\/a>.<\/p>\n Onwards.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Few teams have yo-yoed more aggressively than Chicago Fire FC<\/a> this season. One moment, they\u2019re looking dominant against the Columbus Crew<\/a> on opening day. The next moment, they\u2019re losing 4-2<\/a>. One moment, they\u2019re outplaying FC Cincinnati<\/a>. The next moment, they\u2019re losing 7-2<\/a> to Nashville SC<\/a>. One mome \u2013 you know what, you get the idea.<\/p>\n Between their various injury issues, absences and strong US Open Cup<\/a> lineups over the first half of the season, there\u2019s been plenty of inconsistency in their league performances. Of course, the varied outings are also \u2013 and maybe even primarily \u2013 tied to Gregg Berhalter\u2019s desire to play expansive, possession-based soccer. Because the Fire make the field big in possession, turnovers at inopportune times have cost them. They\u2019ve allowed more non-penalty xG per 90 minutes than all but eight other teams, as per FBref.<\/p>\n But as players get more comfortable with Berhalter\u2019s fluid 4-3-3 shape and possession patterns become commonplace, we\u2019ve seen better defensive outings from Chicago. We\u2019ve also seen them start to execute Berhalter\u2019s original stated aim with the USMNT<\/a>: using the ball to disorganize the opponent and create goal-scoring opportunities.<\/p>\n In a 3-1 win<\/a> over Orlando City<\/a> on Saturday, the Fire put together a brutally effective 12-pass sequence that chopped their host\u2019s defensive shape into bits. See for yourself:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n This is some lovely ball from the Chicago Fire, who’s possession play has become a legitimate threat under Gregg Berhalter. pic.twitter.com\/8VTCo7rGxB<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Joseph Lowery (@joeclowery) June 2, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n The confidence to draw Orlando City forward, the sharp positioning to break lines, the hard off-ball running to exploit space deep in the opposing half, and the final-third quality to bring it all home\u2026 the Fire\u2019s possession play is a weapon. There\u2019s still work to do to refine its impact on both sides of the ball, but what happened to Orlando up above? It can happen to anyone.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Coming into their battle with Columbus on Saturday night, Inter Miami<\/a> ranked 24th in MLS in sprints in the direction of play in possession at 43.8 per game, according to Sportec.<\/p>\n They so rarely tried to run into the depth, instead allowing opposing defenses to keep the ball in front of them. When you have four of the greatest on-ball threats at their respective positions that this sport has ever seen, it\u2019s not a hopeless approach. But it certainly wasn\u2019t optimal, either.<\/p>\n But against Columbus in what turned out to be a 5-1 win<\/a>, Miami changed their approach. Even just a few minutes into the match, Tadeo Allende<\/a> began making quick vertical runs behind the Crew\u2019s backline. The Argentine attacker had a dangerous shot called back for offside just minutes before making a heads-up run to capitalize on a quick free kick:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 31, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n In all, Miami racked up 47 sprints in the direction of play in possession against the Crew \u2013 good for 10th in the league over the weekend \u2013 in a game that was decided by halftime thanks to a 3-0 lead for the home side. If Inter Miami are going to start running, even just a little, the rest of MLS needs to watch out.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n After most teams in the league have played exactly half of their regular-season matches, guessing who\u2019s going to hop over the line and stay there in the Western Conference Audi MLS Cup Playoffs race seems almost impossible.<\/p>\n There\u2019s only a six-point (!) gap from the Houston Dynamo<\/a> in ninth place, which functions as the final Wild Card spot, to 14th place in the West. Plus, that team in 14th is St. Louis CITY SC<\/a>, and they have a game in hand on most of the teams above them. Compared to the Eastern Conference, where there\u2019s a 12-point gap from New York City FC<\/a> in ninth to Toronto FC<\/a> in 14th and an eight-point gap from them to Atlanta United<\/a> in 13th.<\/p>\n This past weekend\u2019s results out West only served to further cloud the playoff future, with Sporting Kansas City<\/a> and St. Louis respectively picking up wins against other playoff bubble teams in Houston and the San Jose Earthquakes<\/a>. Toss in Austin FC<\/a> continuing to tumble down the standings, and you\u2019ve got something bordering on pure chaos.<\/p>\n Put that chaos straight into my veins.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Ahead of their expansion season, it was easy to imagine that Chucky Lozano<\/a> and Anders Dreyer<\/a> would be high-impact attacking players who could change games for San Diego FC<\/a>. But looking at their roster in the winter, it was harder to see the sort of necessary depth that a long season played across multiple competitions necessitates. Building out the team\u2019s depth even after opening day was part of the plan, according to what SDFC\u2019s sporting director, Tyler Heaps, told Charlie Boehm in November<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cWe may actually play a month of games and then determine, actually, it makes more sense to go get this guy now. So just trying to leave ourselves as much roster flexibility as possible, so we don’t put ourselves in a difficult situation where we’re chasing the salary cap, or we’re chasing to try to get rid of somebody whenever maybe we don’t need to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n By adding Milan Iloski<\/a>, who scored his third of the season off the bench in a 2-0 win<\/a> over Austin this weekend, Luca Bombino<\/a>, and Oscar Verhoeven<\/a> after their inaugural match, Heaps followed through on that quote up above.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Milan in under a minute. pic.twitter.com\/N2NlyLFZiz<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) June 1, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n But it\u2019s not just the new signings that have given San Diego FC more functional depth than many \u2013 myself included \u2013 expected. It\u2019s that their more unknown initial signings have hit for a team that\u2019s rowing in unison. Onni Valakari<\/a> looks like one of the best midfield rotation pieces in the league. Alex Mighten<\/a> has played valuable minutes on the wing. And there\u2019s no shortage of outside backs ready to step in and do a job.<\/p>\n To stop simply naming dudes who play for San Diego FC, I\u2019ll offer this simple stat: in the 12 games without starting striker Marcus Ingvartsen<\/a>, who made his return to the field in Saturday\u2019s win, San Diego played at a 1.58 points-per-game pace. That would\u2019ve put them tied for fifth in the West last year, if averaged out over a full season.<\/p>\n This team has top-end talent and<\/em> depth. That sound you hear? That\u2019s the rest of the league gulping nervously.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n It\u2019s happened quietly, but the New York Red Bulls<\/a> have climbed all the way up to sixth in the uber-competitive Eastern Conference. They\u2019ve won their last three games, including a 2-0 victory<\/a> over Atlanta United on Saturday, and have gone 5W-3L-0D in their last eight regular-season games \u2013 all while advancing to the US Open Cup quarterfinals.<\/p>\n What\u2019s behind the Red Bulls\u2019 push up the East\u2019s table? Well, perhaps that\u2019s not the right question. No, the right question just might be: Who\u2019s<\/em> behind the Red Bulls\u2019 push up the East\u2019s table?<\/p>\n After a string of phenomenal showings in goal to close during last year\u2019s playoffs, Carlos Coronel<\/a> has been back to his old tricks in 2025. The Paraguayan international shot-stopper leads the entire league in goals saved above expected, according to FBref, at 6.8. Averaged out, Coronel is saving 0.42 goals more than expected every 90 minutes. That per-90 figure also leads the league.<\/p>\n Based on xG differential, the Red Bulls are just the 15th-best team in MLS. But thanks to Coronel\u2019s work in goal, they\u2019re 11th in PPG with the sixth-best defensive record in the league. Great goalkeeping goes a long way, and that\u2019s exactly what the Red Bulls have been getting.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
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