Matchday 18 is in the books.<\/p>\n
What did we learn? Did the games confirm our priors or change the complexion of the league?<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s dive into some key takeaways from another weekend of MLS action.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t the same Columbus Crew<\/a> team that won MLS Cup in 2023 or that made a run all the way to the Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a> final in 2024. So many of the key pieces from the Crew\u2019s previous era \u2014 Cucho Hern\u00e1ndez, Diego Rossi, Darlington Nagbe, Wilfried Nancy, and others still \u2014 have moved on.<\/p>\n But after a bleak first three months of the season, the Crew are starting to look more like the team that took North America by storm earlier this decade.<\/p>\n Up against FC Cincinnati<\/a> in a Hell is Real rivalry clash on Saturday night, the Crew triumphed to the tune of a 2-1 victory<\/a>. Along the way, interim head coach Laurent Courtois had the hosts using the ball out of a similar, fluid back three setup to the one that served as the principled foundation to Nancy\u2019s best teams.\u00a0<\/p>\n While former manager Henrik Rydstr\u00f6m altered the team\u2019s attacking setup during his brief spell in charge to start the season, so much of the team\u2019s latest victory was familiar. Steven Moreira<\/a> was back to making marauding attacking runs from his right-sided center back position. The midfield flowed. The attackers roamed. Notably, Courtois has maintained the 4-4-2 defensive structure that his predecessor installed. But the in-possession principles? They\u2019re far closer to the best version of Columbus from years\u2019 past than the version that began the year.<\/p>\n If Columbus can maintain chemistry and form under Courtois while adding new Designated Player attacker Brais M\u00e9ndez<\/a> and center back Eric Bailly<\/a> (and maybe even another piece or two) to the fold, improvement should continue for the Crew.<\/p>\n There\u2019s little doubt that the Dynamo<\/a> are yet to reach their final form yet this season. Closer to a full bill of health than at just about any point this year, though, Houston dominated Austin FC<\/a> en route to a 3-0 home victory<\/a> on Saturday.<\/p>\n With winter additions Agust\u00edn Bouzat<\/a> and Lucas Halter<\/a> in the starting lineup after missing most of the season thus far, the Dynamo had more steel in midfield and defense than viewers have become accustomed to seeing. Bouzat made only his seventh start of this league campaign while Halter made just his fifth. As chemistry develops further downfield, it may need to grow in attack, too, following the recent acquisition of striker Duncan McGuire<\/a> from Orlando City<\/a>.<\/p>\n Even with McGuire on the bench, Houston\u2019s other attacking pieces performed and then some. Mateusz Bogusz<\/a> scored a brace from this right wing position, while fellow DP Guilherme<\/a> scored his team\u2019s third goal just after the half hour mark. At their best (and they were on Saturday), those two form a formidable attacking threat.\u00a0<\/p>\n Should the structure around them continue to stabilize, Houston\u2019s resounding win over Austin could end up looking like a trend.<\/p>\n Antoine Griezmann<\/a> has wasted no time revitalizing Orlando City. In his debut, the Frenchman scored a goal<\/a> and helped conduct a 4-0 midweek victory<\/a> over the San Jose Earthquakes<\/a>. In his encore, he shined as the Lions claimed a 1-0 win<\/a> over a Supporters\u2019 Shield-leading Nashville SC<\/a> outfit on Saturday.<\/p>\n On balance, Orlando look a far cry from the team that shipped a half-dozen goals<\/a> to FC Cincinnati in their final game before the 2026 FIFA World Cup<\/a> break.<\/p>\n Griezmann is, without a doubt, the biggest catalyst behind the turnaround for the suddenly scary Orlando City.\u00a0<\/p>\n Playing as a No. 10 behind homegrown striker Justin Ellis<\/a>, the former Atl\u00e9tico Madrid man has license to run the show. His touches against Nashville ran the width of the field, touched both boxes, and were consistently impactful. With clever combination play and well-weighted passes galore, it might be that only Lionel Messi<\/a> is a more influential on-ball playmaker in this league than the fellow World Cup winner.<\/p>\n Plus, that Griezmann and Orlando are having so much early success \u2014 two wins from two games \u2014 without yet playing alongside the team\u2019s other two best attackers in Mart\u00edn Ojeda<\/a> and Marco Pa\u0161ali\u0107<\/a> speaks to just how transformative the new superstar can be. He\u2019s already formed an impressive connection with Ellis, portending some special play alongside the team\u2019s other stars.<\/p>\n Orlando City aren\u2019t perfect, with defensive concerns looming. But they are surging towards the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs line and seemingly destined to climb above it. Would you want to match up against this Orlando City team in the postseason?<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not already on board the New York City FC<\/a> hype train, now\u2019s the time.<\/p>\n Despite a lengthy injury list, the Cityzens took down the Chicago Fire<\/a> in a 3-1 victory<\/a> on Saturday, showing off their impressive depth along the way.<\/p>\n New DP\u00a0B\u00e9nie Traor\u00e9<\/a> made his home debut for NYCFC, playing the final 20-plus minutes mostly on the left wing after starting as a striker in his midweek inaugural MLS appearance. Traor\u00e9, who brings a strong European pedigree, has wheels. It\u2019s easy to imagine the newcomer and Nicol\u00e1s Fern\u00e1ndez Mercau<\/a> forming a tight bond in the attack.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not just Traor\u00e9\u2019s appearance that should encourage NYC fans. It\u2019s James Sands<\/a>\u2019 return from his spell in the Bundesliga. It\u2019s Malachi Jones<\/a>\u2019 recent return from injury \u2014 against the Fire, the 22-year-old winger scored his first goal since his devastating leg break in 2024. Then, of course, there\u2019s Alonso Mart\u00ednez<\/a>, who could be back from his ACL injury sometime this fall.<\/p>\n Even with seven key first-team players sidelined with leg injuries, New York City didn\u2019t have an issue pushing past the Fire. There\u2019s another level for this team to hit, too. Don\u2019t be shocked if they climb into a home playoff spot in the East before the season is out.<\/p>\n LAFC<\/a> know exactly what they want to be: transition monsters.<\/p>\n Happy to defend in their own half for long stretches, LAFC rank 24th in possession so far this season, as per FBref. While compact defending is a mechanism to help keep the ball out of Hugo Lloris<\/a>\u2019 net \u2013 and a good one at that, with the team having allowed just 18 goals in 18 games this season \u2013 it amounts to something more for LAFC. By setting a low line of confrontation, the Black & Gold can bait opponents forward, win the ball, and attack into the swathes of open space.<\/p>\n That very setup worked a treat in a 3-1 midweek victory<\/a> over Real Salt Lake<\/a> and it had the same effect in a 4-0 demolition<\/a> of Sporting Kansas City<\/a> on Saturday. Sparked by Son Heung-Min<\/a>\u2019s opener and capped off by a goal from David Mart\u00ednez<\/a> and a brace from Denis Bouanga<\/a>, every member of Marc Dos Santos\u2019 attacking trio got in on the action. Though SKC knew what was coming, they still looked powerless to stop LAFC from making their own way in transition.<\/p>\n LAFC blitzing an opponent on the break is hardly an isolated incident. According to American Soccer Analysis, LAFC generate the second-most fast break xG in the league on a per-game basis.<\/p>\n Sure, Dos Santos will need to dip into his team\u2019s possession play at times this year when they\u2019re faced with battling a compact block. But as far as a Plan A goes? You\u2019d be hard-pressed to find a more devastatingly effective one than LAFC\u2019s in all of MLS.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Matchday 18 is in the books. What did we learn? 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