Matchups at the top and bottom of the table make for some interesting reading. The two best teams in the East faced off in Foxborough, while Kansas City played host to both the NFL Draft and a struggling Montréal side to varying degrees of success. In the West, dropped points from Seattle, St. Louis, and San Jose only gave more life to LAFC on their week off.
5 takeaways from MLS Matchweek 10
#1. Portland is doing its best Robin Hood impression
Two weeks on from a galvanizing win against their Cascadian rivals, Portland produced another shock win against St. Louis. Two second-half goals from new DP signing Evander and Yimmi Chará bookended City’s equalizer. This late charge handed the expansion side its second loss at home and sent the Timbers back into the playoff places.
Just like that, Yimmi Chara makes it 2-1.#RCTID take the lead right back in St. Louis. pic.twitter.com/iHVs8xud92
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 30, 2023
Since beating Sporting Kansas City at home in Matchweek 1, Portland has only tasted victory on two occasions, with both wins coming against the two teams with the most points in the Western Conference. Poor results against the Vancouver Whitecaps and LA Galaxy will hurt to look back on for Giovanni Savarese and his side as they attempt to stay afloat and make the playoffs.
let’s hear from the man himself
Over to you, Yimmi: pic.twitter.com/uLNnMUt9fV— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) April 30, 2023
At present, the Timbers have a propensity for taking points from the rich and giving them to the poor, a habit that continues to hold them back. These good wins show that Portland can compete with the best of the best and if they begin winning against the league’s bottom-feeders, they could be able to challenge for a top spot in the West.
#2. DC’s win streak
Last season’s worst team, DC United, has come out flying in 2023. The District has earned 14 points from its first ten matches, more than half of its tally for the entirety of 2022, and looks set for more success. The battle for playoff spots and seeding in the East will be tight with 10 points separating Cincinnati in first and Philadelphia in 10th, but DC’s play has been impressive so far, and they'll no doubt be eyeing a spot in the postseason.
Jacob Greene in stoppage time with his first MLS goal for @dcunited.
3 goals, 3 points, and 3 straight wins. #VamosUnited pic.twitter.com/iaN3icf5Um— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 30, 2023
Before the ides of April, DC’s season was giving fans déjà vu all over again. One win from seven games was the third-worst return in the Eastern Conference, but since then, Wayne Rooney’s side has looked completely different. Three wins, seven goals and only one conceded in three games are the kind of stats any coach would love to see. Add in Christian Benteke’s excellent run of form and you have yourself a show.
OMG Christian Benteke bicycle kick. #VamosUnited
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 30, 2023
Christian Benteke bicycle alert. Until we get the highlight, this will do pic.twitter.com/IokjSBvCDu
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) April 30, 2023
A difficult run of games awaits United with trips to Cincinnati and Philadelphia on either side of a test at home against Nashville. If DC can keep this momentum and take a good haul of points, they’ll like their chances of being in the playoffs come the end of the season.
#3. Hany Mukhtar begins his MVP defense
Seven goal contributions on the season don’t do justice to Hany Mukhtar and his impact on Nashville SC. The German has been critical to his team’s success, and Saturday’s massive result against a fierce Atlanta United side was the canvas of yet another masterpiece for last season’s MVP to add to his oeuvre.
The man of the hour, Hany Mukhtar pic.twitter.com/dF0Q0dJJqt
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 29, 2023
Despite being credited with just one assist, Mukhtar played a crucial role in all three goals as Nashville took care of Atlanta in front of a packed Geodis Park. His inswinging corner met Walker Zimmerman’s head at the near post, clearing space for Fafà Picault to open the scoring from close range.
In the second half, Mukhtar found himself on the break and created a good shooting chance. His effort was initially saved but popped right into the path of Teal Bunbury who doubled Nashville’s advantage.
Finally, to seal the deal in added time, the 28-year-old played a devastatingly incisive pass between three Atlanta defenders for Jacob Shaffelburg to hammer home.
Hany Mukhtar
The reigning MVP had himself a day setting up all three @NashvilleSC goals. pic.twitter.com/A9Bi0nE8f8— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 29, 2023
Three goals, all created by the Berlin native but only one credited to him. As the two MVP candidates duked it out in the Music City, Thiago Almada may have grabbed the goal with a composed penalty kick, but it was Hany Mukhtar who stole the show.
#4. Inter Miami finally gets a win after six straight losses
Make no mistake, the pressure put on Phil Neville is not misplaced. This Inter Miami side began the season with two impressive wins against Montréal and Philadelphia before losing six straight games, which included five shut-outs. Performances have been terrible and the English manager is rightfully in the hot seat. With that being said, Miami’s 2-1 win over Columbus should not fly under the radar.
18-year old Benja Cremaschi was called into Argentina’s u20 national team when he was 17, and has played for the USA u19s
The Inter Miami academy graduate is getting his first start tonight and picked up an assist in just 7 minutes pic.twitter.com/ggqfQAAYlj— MLS Buzz (@MLS_Buzz) April 30, 2023
Yes, Columbus was probably the better team and yes, there was a possible penalty shout for the Crew at the very death, but through it all Miami found a way to win and keep what is a very lively and dangerous Columbus team to just one goal. In the midst of all this, star signing Josef Martínez still has not hit the ground running since joining over the winter and was reduced to an unused substitute this weekend. It does stand to reason that a first goal in pink for the 2018 MVP would very much help his confidence and get not just his campaign, but Inter Miami’s back on track.
7’—Campana
41’—CampanaInter Miami might have found the hero they’ve needed ♂️(via @MLS)pic.twitter.com/M6TREar2Pk
— B/R Football (@brfootball) April 30, 2023
All this is to say that Neville is very much not out of the woods yet. He must keep this momentum and get through two home matches against Atlanta and New England followed by a trip to Nashville with some decent points. Poor results won’t be ignored for much longer and this early season slump has already proven that Neville’s seat is anything but safe.
#5. Who will win the Wooden Spoon?
In a league without relegation, the worst teams fight to avoid winning the Wooden Spoon, a trophy given to the worst regular season team with the hope that it will shame bad owners into putting more effort towards winning. While New England had the enviable task of welcoming Cincinnati to Gilette Stadium for a top-of-the-table clash, Kansas City hosted CF Montréal for a matchup of two of the league’s worst sides. This is not the first time Sporting KC has played host to poor-performing opposition, yet the outcome was the same.
This comment on Cauldron FB (I know…) by Joseph Ronald Gathje speaks to how legitimately unprecedented the current Vermes situation is compared to similar circumstances elsewhere in sport.
Just like the old days, #SportingKC are breaking new ground in MLS. #VermesOut pic.twitter.com/Zt30zegMUv— SKC LB Option #7 Jeff (@Jeff_CCTuba) April 30, 2023
They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If that definition is to be believed, then Kansas City’s soccer faithful may be on the verge of going mad. Early this season, Sporting had already hosted the LA Galaxy and Colorado Rapids, scoring in neither game and earning a meager 0-0 draw against the former while losing 1-0 to the latter.
Against Montréal, the result was somehow even worse.
The Canadian side had a dreadful away record heading into the game: five losses in five games, 14 goals conceded and not a single goal scored. Fortunately for them, matches highlighted by incompetence tend to themselves be won or lost by incompetence and it was Kansas City’s inability to create goal-scoring chances that proved fatal on the day.
Choinière doubles the lead for @cfmontreal just before the break!
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 30, 2023
Two first-half goals for the visitors, including one just before the break, doomed Sporting to its league-worst seventh loss and kept the wait for a first win this season going. In the “race” for the Wooden Spoon, there's now a clear and obvious frontrunner, and ironically, it's the Soccer Capital of America.
Proud to support the cause tonight #VermesOut pic.twitter.com/nDH6jZ7j7r
— Eli Forssberg (@eforce22) April 30, 2023
From inside Children’s Mercy Park, it's clear that changes need to happen and fast. Fans left their seats in the second half as if there was a fire drill and at full time, those who were left made their presence known with boos that echoed around the ground and #VermesOut signs.
#SportingKC Peter Vermes: "...I understand it's not good enough (and) the responsibility is on me. I get it." pic.twitter.com/aPRXQ8MPIK
— Aaron Ladd (@aaronladdtv) April 30, 2023
When you see Johnny like this you know Sporting are truly down bad… https://t.co/cPuHVohtC3
— Andrew Wiebe (@andrew_wiebe) April 30, 2023
This is not a team or a fanbase that is used to losing and that sentiment of confusion and frustration is shared by the supporters, the staff and the players on the pitch alike. What those changes will be remains to be seen, but this level of play cannot continue for much longer.
