Sporting KC

In a word, forgettable. Following one of the most exciting matchdays of the MLS season, the league’s first foray into midweek play definitely did not live up to the billing, but there were still a few moments that caught our attention. Despite MLS Matchday 13 being promoted as a continuation of Rivalry Week, there were few games that truly fit that description, and it showed both on the field and in the scorelines.

Shock results rocked the boat in MLS Matchweek 11, with upsets happening from Seattle to Miami and San Jose to Charlotte. Frontrunners have emerged in both the league standings and the MVP race as several big names set the scoresheets alight and dazzled in front of packed crowds. 

Given the limelight on Sunday afternoon to show viewers why they'd gone winless through the opening 10 matches of the MLS season, Sporting Kansas City disappointed everyone who was looking for more of the same by beating the Seattle Sounders 2-1 at Lumen Field.

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. 

The league table is finally taking shape as the top teams separate themselves from the pack while the league's cellar dwellers cling to every point that will hopefully save their seasons. There were several struggling teams that earned massive wins while some top teams slipped up, making for another thoroughly entertaining matchweek. 

A week on from international matches and MLS has returned to full strength. The superstars have reappeared, replacing the excuses that swam in their wake and results are once again indicative of each team’s true ability. 

5 takeaways from MLS Matchweek 6

#1. Columbus is scoring goals for fun

Life under new manager Wilfried Nancy left a bit to be desired for the Crew. The former CF Montréal boss saw his new side secure just four points from its first four matches, but back-to-back dominant displays have given this marriage a new outlook. 

A grain of salt. Perhaps the perfect idiom for MLS Matchweek 5. As teams traversed the FIFA-recognized international break, it became abundantly clear that some squads were better at handling life without their superstars than others. This imbalance made for some surprising results, but overall, a thoroughly entertaining week of games. 

Jordan Morris tallied four times to put him atop Major League Soccer's goal-scoring race as the visiting Seattle Sounders overcame an early deficit and defeated 10-man Sporting Kansas City 4-1 on Saturday night.

Léo Chú had three assists and goalkeeper Stefan Frei made two saves for the Sounders (3-1-1, 10 points), who snapped a 10-match road winless streak (0-9-1), the longest in franchise history. William Agada scored and John Pulskamp made three saves for Sporting K.C. (0-3-2, 2 points).