Soccer <\/p>\n
We\u2019re basically 15 percent of the way through the 2026 MLS season.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
It\u2019s early days, but several storylines are already standing out.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Nashville are as good as advertised (and maybe a little more)<\/strong><\/p>\n When\u00a0Nashville<\/a> won the race to sign Designated Player winger Cristian Espinoza<\/a> in free agency, everyone assumed they\u2019d take a step forward. Well, congrats to everyone. You got it right. Maybe more than you even realized.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last year\u2019s Nashville side finished sixth in the East with a very respectable tally of 54 points. This year\u2019s Nashville side has 13 points through five matches and looks like one of the few teams capable of challenging for a Supporters\u2019 Shield. DP attackers Sam Surridge<\/a> and Hany Mukhtar<\/a> have been their usual productive selves, while Espinoza has added another problem for defenses to worry about. He\u2019s picked up 2g\/3a in four starts so far. And Nashville have scored 13 times through five matches, tied for the best mark in the East.<\/p>\n Oh, and they went ahead and knocked Inter Miami<\/a> out of the Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a>, too. They haven\u2019t just looked like one of the league\u2019s better teams; they look like one of the best teams on the continent.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n LAFC are never going to allow a goal again (probably)<\/strong><\/p>\n Meanwhile, out west,\u00a0LAFC<\/a> are the only side to match Nashville\u2019s point total so far. Strangely enough, their undefeated run hasn\u2019t been powered by Son Heung-Min<\/a> and Denis Bouanga<\/a> bulldozing their way to goals and points. Instead, LAFC are putting in an all-time great defensive performance. In five matches, they\u2019ve allowed as many goals as you and I have. They\u2019re on a record-setting<\/a> run of clean sheets to start the year.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be worried about the attack, though. Even when Son and Bouanga aren\u2019t overwhelming folks, the Black & Gold have increasingly been able to turn to rising star David Mart\u00ednez<\/a>. They have the firepower to bombard teams when needed. They just haven\u2019t needed to yet.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n When are Philadelphia going to start winning?<\/strong><\/p>\n The only team without a single point in MLS this year happens to be the same team that won the Supporters\u2019 Shield last year.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth noting the Philadelphia Union<\/a> underwent a ton of changes this offseason. Losing their primary chance creator, fullback Kai Wagner, might have been enough to derail things alone. But they also lost center back Jakob Glesnes<\/a> and forwards Mikael Uhre and Tai Baribo<\/a>. Midfielder Quinn Sullivan<\/a>\u2019s long-term injury hasn\u2019t helped matters either.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a rude awakening for a club that\u2019s earned more points than any other Eastern Conference team this decade. Even when there have been changes, things have typically been plug-and-play for whoever arrived next. For the first time in a long time, that\u2019s not the case.<\/p>\n At this point, the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs are already starting to feel like a long shot.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Inter Miami are out of CCC. Now what?<\/strong><\/p>\n Welp. Inter Miami had one more trophy to win in the\u00a0Lionel Messi<\/a> era. Fresh off their MLS Cup 2025 triumph<\/a>, they came into the year with a refreshed roster of stars that seemed more than capable of doing what previous Miami teams haven\u2019t. They\u2019d never made it to the Concacaf Champions Cup final\u2026 and they won\u2019t be there this year either. After falling in last year\u2019s semifinals, they didn\u2019t even make it past the Round of 16 this time. Considering the names on their roster, it\u2019s fair to call that a failure.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s try to take advice from the most annoying people on LinkedIn, though, and attempt to see this as an opportunity. No CCC means a reduced workload. The Herons will be able to put nearly all of their energy into piling up points and earning another Supporters\u2019 Shield\u2026 or at least just figuring out how to make all of their new pieces work together. They\u2019re averaging 2.00 points per game through five games, but they\u2019ve looked far from cohesive.<\/p>\n Expectations are, and will stay, sky-high for this team. A +1 goal differential and an early CCC exit are below the standard they\u2019ve set.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n San Diego don\u2019t care about a sophomore slump (or missing Chucky)<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s always reason to worry about year two for expansion sides that were great in year one. It can be tough to capture the same energy and momentum that comes from the highs of an inaugural season. Some teams build on what they started (LAFC,\u00a0Atlanta United<\/a>) and other teams don’t (St. Louis CITY<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n San Diego<\/a> are clearly trending towards the LAFC side of the divide. Even with DP attacker\u00a0Chucky Lozano<\/a> cast off from the team, they haven\u2019t missed a beat. They\u2019re still playing the same gorgeous soccer and they\u2019re still pummeling teams into a fine powder.<\/p>\n They\u2019re undefeated through five MLS games, and only one team,\u00a0Vancouver Whitecaps FC<\/a>, has scored more goals. They even managed to take down Pumas UNAM and give fellow LIGA MX side Toluca a genuine scare in their first CCC runout. They\u2019re here to stay.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n San Jose are taking a leap forward<\/strong><\/p>\n Only one team has allowed fewer goals than the\u00a0Quakes<\/a> in 2026. And only two teams have more points. San Jose are off to a stellar start in Bruce Arena\u2019s second year in charge.\u00a0<\/p>\n They\u2019re athletic, they press effectively and new DP Timo Werner<\/a> adds an extra element of danger in attack. He\u2019ll determine where their ceiling is this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n While Werner\u2019s getting settled in MLS, keep your eye on striker Preston Judd<\/a>. He\u2019s got two goals in five starts so far and finds chances consistently. He\u2019s quickly becoming one of those guys you\u2019ll know just by people talking about how underrated he is.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anyway, the Quakes have a huge match on Saturday against San Diego and then they face LAFC a couple of weeks later. We should have a decent idea of exactly how good this team is by the end of April.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Real Salt Lake are playing the kids (and getting healthier)<\/strong><\/p>\n RSL<\/a> have been practically forced into playing the kids at the start of the year. They\u2019ve been dealing with injuries to multiple starters and are just now beginning to get stars like Diego Luna<\/a> back in the lineup. Those absences might have been a blessing in disguise, though. Turns out, the kids are pretty dang good.\u00a0<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s 18-year-old Aiden Hezarkhani<\/a> scoring twice through five starts or 19-year-old Zavier Gozo<\/a> becoming a clear candidate to be the next major outgoing transfer from MLS, Pablo Mastroeni & Co. have found a little magic from their supplemental roster spots this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n On top of that, it sure seems like the senior roster guys have some juice, too. New DP Morgan Guilavogui<\/a> looks to be a match-changing player, and new Uruguayan international wingback Juan Manuel Sanabria<\/a> has been very effective.<\/p>\n With Luna returning and RSL already on 10 points through five games, it\u2019s hard to be anything but optimistic about this team.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Petar Musa leads the charge in Dallas’ playoff push<\/strong><\/p>\n Petar Musa<\/a> has quietly been one of the best DP signings of the last few years. Only three players have scored more often than FC Dallas<\/a>\u2019 No. 9 since he arrived in 2024: Lionel Messi, Denis Bouanga and Sam Surridge.<\/p>\n He\u2019s keeping very good company again this year. Musa has six goals in four starts so far. Only Surridge has scored more.\u00a0<\/p>\n He\u2019s playing so well that he received a call-up to the Croatian national team this window. He played 45 minutes in their win over Colombia on Thursday. There\u2019s a real chance he plays his way onto their FIFA World Cup<\/a> roster.\u00a0<\/p>\n Regardless, Dallas are going to lean on him to continue putting up numbers. Musa and fellow striker Logan Farrington<\/a> have scored nine of Dallas\u2019 10 goals this year. That pace likely won\u2019t keep up, but thanks to those two, Dallas are dangerous and good enough to keep up with the best sides in the league.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Toronto’s rebuild continues<\/strong><\/p>\n This one is a bit more speculative, but, hey, when a player arrives for a potential league-record transfer fee<\/a> to a team clawing its way out of the wilderness, you\u2019ve got to talk about it.<\/p>\n Toronto<\/a> reportedly spent up to $27 million to bring\u00a0Josh Sargent<\/a> in from Norwich City. Now, they just have to wait and see if he\u2019s the final piece they needed to return to the highs of the late 2010s.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve done a ton of heavy lifting to hit reset on their roster. Sargent signing for one of the league\u2019s highest-spending teams shows that they\u2019re ready to be a contender again. Now we have to wait and see if they got the rebuild right.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Orlando City make a major signing and a major change<\/strong><\/p>\n After six years of guiding\u00a0Orlando City<\/a> from a playoffless bottom dweller to a consistent postseason participant, Oscar Pareja<\/a> is no longer in charge. The Lions parted ways with one of the league\u2019s most consistent managers after consistent results turned into consistent uncertainty.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Lions have just one win in five matches. The other four results were losses… and not particularly close ones. Their -12 goal differential is by far the worst mark in the league. It was time to make a change.\u00a0<\/p>\n There\u2019s good news at least. Whoever takes over as head coach will join at the same time as a signing that can only be rivaled by Kak\u00e1 in the club\u2019s history. Antoine Griezmann<\/a> will arrive from LaLiga giants Atl\u00e9tico Madrid this summer after spending a decade becoming the club\u2019s all-time leading scorer. The 2018 World Cup winner with France should provide a notable boost to Orlando\u2019s attack. The question now is if he\u2019ll arrive in time to save the season\u2026\u00a0 or if this summer might be too late.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n