Soccer <\/p>\n
Lionel Messi<\/a>‘s Vice City gal\u00e1cticos frustrated by a bunch of plucky kids. An eight-goal barnburner in suburban Denver. And the unmistakable scent of desperation in Portland and Montr\u00e9al.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n MLS Matchday 7 was, as the kids say, a movie. Let\u2019s sift through the clips.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 13, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n RBNY kids stymie the stars<\/strong><\/p>\n As lovely as Inter Miami CF<\/a>\u2019s Nu Stadium looks, the Herons are still seeking their first victory in the brand-new facility, after 17-year-old wunderkind Adri Mehmeti<\/a> bagged his first career MLS goal to secure a hard-earned 2-2 road draw<\/a> for Red Bull New York<\/a> on Saturday.<\/p>\n Miami rallied from an early deficit to snatch the lead 10 minutes after halftime via Mateo Silvetti<\/a> and the long-awaited first goal from their big-ticket winter signing, Germ\u00e1n Berterame<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yet it was\u00a0Julian Hall<\/a>, one of three homegrown teenagers in the RBNY XI alongside Mehmeti and Matthew Dos Santos<\/a>, who really grabbed the spotlight with two assists, setting up Jorge Ruvalcaba<\/a> via a surging solo run before leaving Rodrigo De Paul<\/a> in his wake to center a telling pass for Mehmeti to bundle in.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 12, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n \u201cWe\u2019re really proud of these guys,\u201d Red Bulls head coach Michael Bradley said of his teen trio. \u201cWe have challenged them in big ways, to step on the field and show everybody how good they are, to not be fazed by anything, to not be overawed by the moment, by an opponent, by anything.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to keep doing everything we can to push these guys, to move these guys forward. They continue to show that they\u2019re going to respond in every moment and be up for everything that gets thrown at them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Rose City cinema<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s just something about a big game at Providence Park.<\/p>\n Thanks to rich supporter culture, the city\u2019s deep soccer history and its truly special downtown setting, the Portland Timbers<\/a>\u2019 century-old home offers unparalleled atmosphere, especially when the stakes are high. Which they certainly were on Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n A five-game winless skid had Timbers head coach Phil Neville feeling the heat as star-studded, undefeated, league-leading LAFC<\/a> \u2013 just the type of glitzy adversary the Rose City faithful love to hate \u2013 hit town. And even with the visitors rotating their lineup heavily ahead of a Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a> quarterfinal Leg 2 trip to Mexico\u2019s mighty Cruz Azul, this occasion did not disappoint.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Kristoffer Velde<\/a> opened the scoring and leaped onto Timber Joey\u2019s iconic log to celebrate. LAFC responded with a gorgeous<\/a> debut MLS goal from 17-year-old homegrown Jude Terry<\/a>, and saw a late Ryan Porteous<\/a> winner chalked off by a tight Video Review offside decision, the Black & Gold hanging tough despite a raft of youngsters and reserves on the pitch.<\/p>\n Then, just when it seemed the reeling Timbers had missed their chance to exploit a vulnerable opponent, substitute Kevin Kelsy<\/a> nodded home the 2-1<\/a> game-winner deep into second-half stoppage time to raise the roof, and maybe even save the Neville era in Portland. Pure entertainment!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Truth and consequences in Qu\u00e9bec<\/strong><\/p>\n Across the continent in Montr\u00e9al, the setting was similar at Stade Saputo, albeit with a much harsher outcome for the hosts.<\/p>\n Qu\u00e9bec\u2019s long, frigid winters and an ongoing renovation at alternate venue Stade Olympique made CF Montr\u00e9al<\/a> road warriors to start 2026. After a 1W-5L-0D record on those travels, the Bleu-blanc-noir (\u2018Blue-white-black\u2019) were beyond eager for their home opener \u2013 the league\u2019s latest \u2013 on Saturday afternoon, and winless, point-less guests Philadelphia<\/a> seemed like a promising opportunity for a positive result.<\/p>\n Iv\u00e1n Jaime<\/a>\u2019s composed early strike fueled those hopes. Yet it all came tumbling down for Montr\u00e9al in the second half, as goals from Japhet Sery Larsen<\/a> and Jes\u00fas Bueno<\/a> snatched away the three points and deepened the mood around CFMTL.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Neither head coach Marco Donadel nor his players were made available after the 2-1 defeat<\/a>, and on Sunday morning, we learned why: Montr\u00e9al parted ways<\/a> with Donadel and two of his assistants, signaling another new start for a club that\u2019s cycled through managers at a higher rate than anyone in MLS since their arrival in 2012.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n A Mile High mauling<\/strong><\/p>\n Pop quiz, no cheating: Who\u2019s the highest-scoring club in Major League Soccer?<\/p>\n Two teams are tied atop the goal charts at present, with 19. Relatively few would be shocked that Vancouver<\/a>, last season\u2019s third-most prolific attack, are one of them. What\u2019s less expected is that the Colorado Rapids<\/a> are the other \u2013 and it\u2019s all about their dominance in the thin air of Dick\u2019s Sporting Goods Park.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The Mile High Club smashed Houston<\/a>, 6-2<\/a>, Saturday night, paced by a brace each from Rafa Navarro<\/a> and debutant Kosi Thompson<\/a>, and a relentless hunger across the entire squad. Matt Wells\u2019 side have taken all nine points from their three home games, scoring 12 goals along the way and playing some legitimately intricate, attractive soccer in the process.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was incredible. What a night here,\u201d said Rapids midfielder\u00a0Josh Atencio<\/a>, who notched his first career tally at DSGP. \u201cFrom minute 1 to minute 90, I felt like the crowd was doing an amazing job giving us energy on the field. It was a special win.\u201d<\/p>\n Colorado will aim to keep that energy flowing next week in one of Matchday 8\u2019s marquee fixtures, as they host defending Lionel Messi and his reigning MLS Cup champs Miami at their former home, Empower Field at Mile High, in a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Rapids\u2019 inaugural home match, with a bumper crowd expected to pack the NFL venue.<\/p>\n Like LAFC, Nashville SC<\/a> rotated their lineup significantly ahead of a demanding midweek CCC journey to Mexico City as they swung through Charlotte<\/a> for a clash of Southern near-neighbors.<\/p>\n The Boys in Gold, however, secured all three points on their travels with a 2-1 victory<\/a> \u2013 and sit alone atop the Eastern Conference standings as a result \u2013 thanks in large part to a 1g\/1a outing from Australian 2026 FIFA World Cup<\/a> hopeful Patrick Yazbek<\/a>. His exploits were such that his teammate Eddi Tagseth<\/a> cited a Norwegian turn of phrase to compare him to a potato (complimentary). Confused? My esteemed colleague Ben Wright has the full story<\/a> you need.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Nashville\u2019s closest pursuers are the Chicago Fire<\/a>, who grabbed their third straight win by stifling Atlanta United<\/a>, 1-0<\/a>, at Soldier Field on the strength of a Maren Haile-Selassie<\/a> finish. That\u2019s the fourth clean sheet in seven games for the Men in Red, and a drastic turnabout from a group that only mustered six shutouts in 34 league matches last season. Is Gregg Berhalter dialing in the defense?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Chicago Fire HC Gregg Berhalter on the team\u2019s 1-0 win over Atlanta United \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8: #vamosfire<\/a> #chicagofirefc<\/a> #mls<\/a> #greggberhalter<\/a> #cf97<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/PmLBdfhmOB<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 LMD Media Group (@LMDMEDIAGROUP_) April 12, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n With LAFC tasting defeat for the first time this year, we have new leaders in the West: the Whitecaps and San Jose Earthquakes<\/a>, who both extended their best-ever starts to the campaign with well-taken wins on Saturday vs. New York City FC<\/a> and Sporting Kansas City<\/a>, respectively.<\/p>\n While Brian White<\/a>, who bagged his sixth of the year to salt away the 2-0 triumph<\/a> for the \u2018Caps, is a familiar hero, the Quakes gained a brace from the unexpected source of Jack Skahan<\/a>, a midfielder who\u2019d scored just three goals in 68 career regular-season appearances before this weekend’s 3-1 road win<\/a>. It\u2019s the epitome of the resourceful, team-first attitude head coach Bruce Arena has installed to turn things around so dramatically in San Jose.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The Columbus Crew<\/a>\u2019s home scoring drought is over, and for one night at least, Orlando City<\/a>\u00a0are no longer a sieve.<\/p>\n That\u2019s about the most optimistic view on offer from the two East strugglers\u2019\u00a01-1 draw<\/a> in Ohio on Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire, a tense affair with plenty of endeavor and also lots of palpable angst.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a point they both can use, albeit not at the price paid. The Crew\u2019s star striker Wessam Abou Ali<\/a> appears to have sustained a serious knee injury, and the Lions\u2019 linchpin defender Robin Jansson<\/a> made a much-needed return only to limp off again in the second half. Where these teams go from here is anyone\u2019s guess.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nAround the grounds<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
\n