Major League Soccer (MLS) once again showcased an abundance of goals this weekend, with five matches featuring four or more goals. This weekend’s action was highlighted by Minnesota’s 5-1 dominant win over San Jose and Vancouver’s 5-0 win against Dallas to put them back on top of the Western Conference.
Nashville extends win streak and opens 10-point gap over Inter Miami
With a lead at the top of the Eastern Conference extending over the past few gameweeks, Nashville knew a big win would further extend their dominance up top. After trailing 2-1 heading into stoppage time, Nashville scored in the 93rd and 95th minutes to seal a victory over Columbus Crew.
Hany Mukhtar was once again the star of the show for Nashville with yet another goal and assist. It’s been a successful campaign for Mukhtar once again with 9 goals and 5 assists across 21 league appearances.
Inter Miami’s bad form continues
Since their 1-0 win against Montreal on July 25, Inter Miami have now gone four league games in a row without a win. After a tough midweek draw against Philadelphia, Miami returned home but were unable to capitalize in front of their fans at Nu Stadium. Toronto scored two second-half goals, and Messi’s 82nd-minute goal was not enough to end their winless streak.
Vancouver moves back to the top of the Western Conference
Vancouver’s midweek loss to Houston dropped them down to 2nd in the West, so the Whitecaps needed to respond as they hosted a Dallas team coming off back-to-back victories. Edier Ocampo played a big role for the Whitecaps, providing a goal and an assist in their shutout win. With four first-half goals, Vancouver asserted early dominance and secured a 5-0 victory to put them back on top of the West.
Poor results from other Western Conference contenders
Vancouver’s win held even more value considering the other results from the top of the Western Conference. Houston (2nd) lost to St. Louis City, LAFC (3rd) drew against DC United, San Jose (4th) lost to Minnesota, and FC Dallas (5th) lost to Vancouver. Following these negative results, just five points separate 2nd place Houston and 6th place St. Louis City.
Results from all 15 games on Saturday/Sunday
| Fixture | Score |
|---|---|
| Montreal vs LA Galaxy | 2–2 |
| Charlotte FC vs DC United | 3–1 |
| Cincinnati vs Seattle Sounders | 1–1 |
| Inter Miami CF vs Toronto | 1–2 |
| Orlando vs Salt Lake | 2–1 |
| NY Red Bulls vs Chicago | 1–1 |
| Nashville SC vs Columbus | 3–2 |
| St. Louis City vs Houston | 2–1 |
| Austin FC vs Philadelphia | 1–1 |
| Vancouver vs Dallas | 5–0 |
| LAFC vs Portland | 1–1 |
| San Diego FC vs Colorado | 3–0 |
| San Jose vs Minnesota | 1–5 |
| New England vs NYCFC | 1–1 |
| Atlanta United vs Sporting KC | 2–1 |
MLS returns to action this weekend, while Chicago, Salt Lake, Columbus, and Austin will play midweek in the Leagues Cup quarterfinal.
