{"id":281032,"date":"2025-10-06T05:25:18","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T05:25:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/281032\/"},"modified":"2025-10-06T05:25:18","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T05:25:18","slug":"philadelphia-union-meet-the-moment-san-diego-make-history-more-from-matchday-38","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/281032\/","title":{"rendered":"Philadelphia Union meet the moment, San Diego make history &#038; more from Matchday 38"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s the final, full-length Sunday night column of the year, which means this is a good time to go through every game one-by-one with an overview of what was at stake, what we saw, and what the implications are.<\/p>\n<p>Is this my way of saying I\u2019ve spilled so much digital ink on these teams that there\u2019s basically nothing left to say? In part. You all know their shapes and strategic predispositions if you\u2019ve been reading this column all year, and I don\u2019t think another round of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/fc-cincinnati\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cincy<\/a> play a relatively unstructured 3-4-1-2\u201d and \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/san-diego-fc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Diego<\/a>\u2019s possession is actually what launches them into transition\u201d will do much to move the needle.<\/p>\n<p>So, overview it is! We\u2019ll go in order of the Supporters\u2019 Shield standings because the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/philadelphia-union\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Union<\/a> earned the right to lead this column two weeks in a row.<\/p>\n<p>\n      Philadelphia Union 1-0 New York City FC<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was at stake:<\/strong> The Shield for Philly, and the fight for home-field advantage in Round One for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/new-york-city-football-club\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York City FC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As I wrote on Bluesky, the Union absolutely deserved this Shield. They almost never dropped their level all year long, no matter who they were playing, and clinched it with one of their two or three best wins of the season.<\/p>\n<p>People took that \u201calmost never dropped their level\u201d bit to mean they went toe-to-toe with the best no matter what, but I actually meant it the other way: it\u2019s not against the top of the table where Philly really shone, but against the dregs. Cincy or San Diego would see a lesser opponent and the foot would come off the gas; the Union would see a lesser opponent and think \u201cwe\u2019re scoring four.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They were brutal and ruthless. And the way they smashed non-Audi MLS Cup Playoffs teams gave them room to work through the kinks that have been readily apparent against top-of-the-table teams throughout the season.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s that look like? <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/tonyelhabr.bsky.social\/post\/3m2ctgf4mfk2t\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tony ElHabr did some great work<\/a> putting this graphic together to explain:<\/p>\n<p>The Union crushed non-playoff teams at +0.88 xGD per 90. They were merely above average against playoff-caliber teams, at +0.11 xGD per 90 (and essentially a .500 record; always nice when the underlying and boxscore numbers align) heading into Saturday night.<\/p>\n<p>To me, that says what it always says about high-pressing, Energy Drink Soccer teams: the game model is great throughout the regular season (provided you get buy-in, which isn\u2019t always a given), but against quality teams who are better organized and have more talent to play through the press, that pressing is a knife that cuts both ways.<\/p>\n<p>Which, of course, makes Saturday&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/mls-regular-season\/2025\/matches\/phivsnyc-10-04-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1-0 win<\/a> over the Pigeons important not just because they won their second-ever piece of silverware, but because of who they did it against. NYCFC are a very good team playing very good soccer, and this game \u2013 which was a possible Eastern Conference Semifinal preview \u2013 was played at playoff-level intensity and quality.<\/p>\n<p>It was a huge moment for deserving champions.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>If <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/alonso-martinez\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alonso Mart\u00ednez<\/a> gets fully fit, they can win MLS Cup.<\/li>\n<li>If I were running an MLS club, I would be preparing a sizable free agency contract for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/justin-haak\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Justin Haak<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>\n      FC Cincinnati 1-0 New York Red Bulls<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was at stake:<\/strong> Postseason seeding for the Garys and possibly home-field advantage throughout, should Philly get eliminated early.<\/p>\n<p>Behold, the most Cincy goal ever:<\/p>\n<p>Eschew the simple ball to a teammate in great position to take a low-percentage shot that will probably be a waste of a transition chance? Score it anyway because you are so wildly talented?<\/p>\n<p>This is just who this team is. They will sink or swim on that overwhelming individual talent (though I thought their box defense was way more organized down the stretch in this one than last week against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/orlando-city-sc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Orlando<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>\n      Houston Dynamo FC 2-4 San Diego FC<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was at stake:<\/strong> The fight for the top of the West and an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/news\/history-san-diego-fc-set-mls-expansion-points-record\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">expansion record<\/a> for San Diego; the last, flickering embers of their 2025 postseason hopes for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/houston-dynamo-fc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dynamo<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Up at the top, where I was talking about the other Shield contenders dropping points they shouldn\u2019t? San Diego came into this game with one point from their previous two games, which were against\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/atlanta-united\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Atlanta<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/san-jose-earthquakes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Jose<\/a>. If they\u2019d taken the full six points from those games (like Philly would\u2019ve), they\u2019d now be on 65 points and we\u2019d be talking about them potentially becoming the first-ever expansion team to win the Shield.<\/p>\n<p>Instead we\u2019ll have to talk about them becoming the first-ever expansion team to hit 60 points, which is not a bad silver medal! And even better, for the sake of their playoff hopes:<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s just the second goal from a San Diego center forward in three months. I don\u2019t think that makes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/amahl-pellegrino\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amahl Pellegrino<\/a> a starter \u2013 he probably doesn\u2019t have the legs for it \u2013 but it\u2019s got to be nice for los Ni\u00f1os to see he\u2019s remembered where the goal is. That could certainly change things in the final 30 minutes of upcoming playoff games.<\/p>\n<p>Houston were officially eliminated, and once again I\u2019ll point to their April additions of DP attacker <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/ondrej-lingr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ond\u0159ej Lingr<\/a> and veteran goalkeeper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/jonathan-bond\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jonathan Bond<\/a>. Lingr now has just one goal in his past 23 appearances, while all the advanced data has Bond as one of the bottom shot-stoppers in the league this season. And he saved perhaps his worst outing of the year for Saturday night.<\/p>\n<p>\n      Vancouver Whitecaps FC 4-1 San Jose Earthquakes<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was at stake:<\/strong> The \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/vancouver-whitecaps-fc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Caps<\/a> were fighting to keep up with San Diego atop the West, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/san-jose-earthquakes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Quakes<\/a> were fighting for their playoff lives.<\/p>\n<p>This game played out exactly as we all thought it would, right? Vancouver are just too good on the ball to make the kinds of mistakes San Jose thrive on, too opportunistic on set pieces, too lethal off of turnovers, and too solid in their principles of play even when down to their fifth and sixth-string center backs.<\/p>\n<p>The Quakes give everyone space like this, and the \u2018Caps were not going to lose a game where they had space like this:<\/p>\n<p>Yeah, I chose that clip of a blocked shot instead of a goal (sorry, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/sebastian-berhalter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sebastian Berhalter<\/a>!) because that was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/ryan-gauld\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ryan Gauld<\/a>\u2019s first attacking touch in league play (he scored Wednesday in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/canadian-championship\/2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Canadian Championship<\/a> final, which the \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/news\/four-peat-vancouver-whitecaps-retain-canadian-championship-title\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Caps won<\/a> for the fourth straight year) after missing the past seven months. And look what he did. It\u2019s going to work really, really well with him in this group.<\/p>\n<p>Vancouver are 10 unbeaten across all competitions now. I think it\u2019s fair to doubt whether they can actually win MLS Cup, given all the injuries on that backline. But when it comes time to <a href=\"https:\/\/bracket.mlssoccer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">submit our brackets<\/a>, I might pick them anyway. They\u2019re that good.<\/p>\n<p>As for the Quakes, Bruce Arena was never quite able to figure out their shape this year or get them to defend at a decent level. I feel like the issues started up top (nobody in the league is easier to play through), but these were team-wide problems.<\/p>\n<p>They still have a faint chance \u2013 win on Decision Day vs. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/austin-fc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Austin<\/a> and hope either <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/fc-dallas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dallas<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/real-salt-lake\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RSL<\/a> lose each of their last two, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/colorado-rapids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Colorado<\/a> lose or draw in their finale \u2013 so it\u2019s not quite over yet.<\/p>\n<p>But truth be told, it\u2019s felt over for a while.<\/p>\n<p>\n      Inter Miami CF 4-1 New England Revolution<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was at stake:<\/strong> Playoff positioning for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/inter-miami-cf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Miami<\/a> (and some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/news\/lionel-messi-enters-exclusive-mls-club-in-inter-miami-masterpiece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">history<\/a> for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/lionel-messi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lionel Messi<\/a>). With the win, the Herons basically guaranteed they\u2019d finish top four in the East, which means home-field advantage in their Round One Best-of-3 Series.<\/p>\n<p>The Herons blew their chance to put Shield pressure on Philly with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/mls-regular-season\/2025\/matches\/torvsmia-09-27-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">last weekend\u2019s draw<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/toronto-fc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Toronto<\/a>, followed by Tuesday night\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/mls-regular-season\/2025\/matches\/miavschi-09-30-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pretty shocking beating<\/a> they took at home against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/chicago-fire-fc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chicago<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Two big things from Miami\u2019s point of view coming out of this one:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>That was their best defensive performance in a long time, with only 0.7 xG conceded. Single-game xG is kind of wonky \u2013 it can lie, which is why we usually wait for a 10-game sample size before reading too much into it \u2013 but it matched up with the eye test in this case. They needed a showing like this.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/tadeo-allende\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tadeo Allende<\/a> got two goals and created a bunch of box danger.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Allende has been so hit-and-miss. They need this version of him over the next few months if they\u2019re going to win MLS Cup \u2013 the last trophy left for them this year.<\/p>\n<p>As for Messi, his hat-trick of assists gives him 41 goal contributions (24g\/17a) on the season, which makes him the second player in MLS history with 40-plus in one year (Carlos Vela had 34g\/15a back in 2019 with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/los-angeles-football-club\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LAFC<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>\n      Minnesota United FC 3-0 Sporting Kansas City<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was at stake:<\/strong> Playoff positioning for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/minnesota-united-fc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Minnesota<\/a>, who clinched a top-four spot (home-field advantage) with the win. And they\u2019ve still got a shot at topping the West!<\/p>\n<p>Per the excellent <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/jonmarthaler.com\/post\/3m2g7xlcj3c2y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jon Marthaler<\/a> of the Minnesota Star-Tribune, this \u201cwas the first time since July 2024 that MNUFC won a match AND had 50% possession or better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not sure if that was by design or simply an artefact of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/sporting-kansas-city\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SKC<\/a> being so poor. What I am sure of is it was very interesting to see this team, in the midst of a post-<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/u-s-open-cup\/2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">US Open Cup<\/a> slump, suddenly trying a different shape:<\/p>\n<p>That graphic is courtesy of <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/mlsstat.bsky.social\/post\/3m2g6wqwfvc25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MLSStat<\/a> on Bluesky, made using Opta data. As you can see, it\u2019s labeled as a 4-4-2, though to me it was more of a classic 4-2-3-1 with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/joaquin-pereyra\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joaqu\u00edn Pereyra<\/a> playing as a 10 underneath <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/robin-lod\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Robin Lod<\/a>, who operated as a false 9.<\/p>\n<p>Something to keep an eye on, for sure.<\/p>\n<p>One other note: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/anthony-markanich\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Anthony Markanich<\/a> might be the best second-ball, set-piece threat I\u2019ve ever seen. Real \u201cDennis Rodman hunting down a rebound\u201d stuff.<\/p>\n<p>\n      D.C. United 0-1 Charlotte FC<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was at stake:<\/strong> Playoff positioning for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/charlotte-fc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Charlotte<\/a>, who finished the weekend fourth in the East \u2013 just ahead of NYCFC on the first tiebreaker (wins).<\/p>\n<p>The Crown went up a man inside 21 minutes and up two men on the half-hour, and only managed to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/mls-regular-season\/2025\/matches\/dcvsclt-10-04-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">win 1-0<\/a>. I kind of feel like the less said about this game, the better.<\/p>\n<p>Just\u2026 1) good job getting the three points after a few pretty grim outings, and 2) they have to play a lot better on Decision Day if they want to dent Philly and clinch home-field.<\/p>\n<p>\n      LAFC 1-0 Atlanta United<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was at stake:<\/strong> LAFC wanted to keep the good vibes flowing, lock up a top-four seed and come out of the night with a chance to win the West.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/atlanta-united\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Atlanta<\/a> did two things really well:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>They mirrored (more or less) LAFC\u2019s shape, which allowed them to defend touchline-to-touchline, which prevented LAFC from hitting the types of big switches they\u2019ve used, over the past month and a half, to open up the field.<\/li>\n<li>When they got pinned deep, they dropped into a solid, low-block 5-4-1 that never allowed space in behind.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>LAFC will probably face a lot of this over the final three games and then into the playoffs. They have to figure out how to be less static off the ball and more incisive on it. Part of that should be dropping one of the functional, 8-type midfielders for a more creative sort (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/andrew-moran\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Andrew Moran<\/a> \u2013 who come on in the 64th minute \u2013 or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/david-martinez\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">David Mart\u00ednez<\/a> are the obvious shouts here); another part should, in most cases, be flexing out of the 3-5-2 they spent most of this night in and into the 3-4-2-1 they\u2019ve used in their best performances.<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, Atlanta made an attacking sub in the 78th minute, the game opened up, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/denis-bouanga\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Denis Bouanga<\/a> found LAFC\u2019s winner. They got their three points.<\/p>\n<p>Everybody else got 90 minutes of film on how to slow down \u2013 not stop, but at least slow down \u2013 one of the most prolific goalscoring duos in league history in Bouanga and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/son-heung-min\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Son Heung-Min<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\n      CF Montr\u00e9al 1-1 Nashville SC<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was at stake:<\/strong> The \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/nashville-sc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yotes<\/a> still had hopes of a spot in the East\u2019s top four, but those are mostly gone with the draw. Still a pretty great week for them, given their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/news\/champions-nashville-sc-win-us-open-cup-over-austin-fc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">US Open Cup title<\/a> on Wednesday!<\/p>\n<p>My guy Calen Carr was on the mic:<\/p>\n<p>B.J. Callaghan told me over the course of calling their last two matches in MLS play (sandwiching their US Open Cup trophy) that as the pressure ratchets up, they want to double down on what makes them great. And while Callaghan was quick to deflect praise to his players (which I loved) after Wednesday\u2019s victory, in one year he&#8217;s adapted Nashville into a side that can win both with and without the ball without losing their identity we\u2019ve seen over the years \u2013 being elite defensively.<\/p>\n<p>This wasn\u2019t on full display on Saturday in Montr\u00e9al, which is no surprise as the absence of starting central midfielders <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/edvard-tagseth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eddy Tagseth<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/patrick-yazbek\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Patrick Yazbek<\/a> \u2013 rotated out for rest \u2013 was felt.<\/p>\n<p>It took away the ground coverage and ability to raise the tempo (both with and against the ball) that has quietly become Nashville\u2019s secret weapon, a line or two behind <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/hany-mukhtar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hany Mukhtar<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/sam-surridge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sam Surridge<\/a>. And while Nashville have options to play through or around now (they are understandably heavily weighted towards <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/andy-najar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Andy Najar<\/a> on the right side), when Callaghan speaks of doubling down on what they\u2019re best at, he might as well be discussing these two and their defensive pressure.<\/p>\n<p>\n      Orlando City 1-1 Columbus Crew<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was at stake:<\/strong> The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/columbus-crew\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Crew<\/a> were trying desperately to climb out of the Wild Card spots, and Orlando were trying desperately to stay out of the Wild Card spots.<\/p>\n<p>The Crew \u2013 who got <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/diego-rossi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Diego Rossi<\/a> (72 minutes) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/sean-zawadzki\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sean Zawadzki<\/a> (the full 90) back weeks before they were reportedly going to be available \u2013 played their best game in ages. Honestly, I think it was better than their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/mls-regular-season\/2025\/matches\/cinvsclb-07-12-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">4-2 win<\/a> over Cincy a few months back, and might be the best game they\u2019ve played all year against a playoff team.<\/p>\n<p>They just lacked the end product, which has been the story for them time and again since about mid-May. And to that point, it is certainly notable that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/daniel-gazdag\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">D\u00e1niel Gazdag<\/a> has finally played his way out of Wilfried Nancy\u2019s XI on one side of the field, while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/patrick-schulte\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Patrick Schulte<\/a> (whose howler gifted Orlando their equalizer) seems determined to do the same on the other.<\/p>\n<p>As you can tell from the numbers above, Orlando really struggled to get on the ball in any sort of meaningful way. And when they struggle to get on the ball through central midfield, it\u2019s hard to get <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/alexander-freeman\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alex Freeman<\/a> forward from right back, and if Freeman\u2019s not getting forward, this team tends to lack attacking balance.<\/p>\n<p>Orlando, who finished the weekend in seventh, have a game in hand on both the Crew and eighth-place Chicago. But if they don\u2019t play better than this, they\u2019ll leave the door open for one or both to burst through on Decision Day.<\/p>\n<p>\n      Chicago Fire FC 2-2 Toronto FC<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was at stake:<\/strong> After having clinched their first postseason appearance since 2017 with that huge win at Miami, the Fire were looking to pull themselves out of the Wild Card spots.<\/p>\n<p>I think if you\u2019d offered the Fire a four-point week seven days ago, they\u2019d have grabbed it with both hands and been grateful for it. And I\u2019m sure they still are, given it secured that postseason spot, and they did log that win over Miami \u2013 the type of win over the profile of opponent that\u2019s mostly eluded them this year.<\/p>\n<p>But this is the Fire, so nothing\u2019s ever truly as good as it could\u2019ve been. First there was the devastating news that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/andre-franco\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Andr\u00e9 Franco<\/a>, the midseason addition who\u2019d been so good since his arrival (and who was rapidly becoming one of my favorite players in the league to watch), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/news\/chicago-fire-fc-midfielder-andre-franco-suffers-season-ending-injury\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tore his ACL<\/a> in the win over Messi &amp; Co. Then there was the needless challenge from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/jonathan-bamba\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jonathan Bamba<\/a> to concede a late penalty equalizer to the Reds, which is why it was only a four-point week instead of a six-point week, and which is why they\u2019re still in eighth instead of up in seventh.<\/p>\n<p>Gregg Berhalter has mostly stuck with a 4-2-3-1 this year, but he toyed around with a 3-4-2-1 in both of these games. That\u2019s the network passing graphic from the first half of this one (they switched to a 4-2-3-1 at the break), and it was a 3-4-2-1 (that became a 5-4-1, really) for the duration against Miami.<\/p>\n<p>Their principles of play are all still the same, but this is a noteworthy club to add to the bag late on.<\/p>\n<p>\n      Seattle Sounders FC 1-0 Portland Timbers<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was at stake:<\/strong> Playoff positioning in the West and the end of a very weird streak. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/seattle-sounders-fc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Seattle<\/a> basically have a death grip on fifth now, while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/portland-timbers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Portland<\/a> suddenly have to worry about the Wild Card.<\/p>\n<p>It is almost beyond belief that the Sounders had not beaten the Timbers in Seattle since 2017. We\u2019re talking regular season only \u2013 there\u2019ve been home wins for Seattle in other competitions \u2013 but still, it\u2019s a very bizarre streak, and if you were wondering why the Sounders bench practically erupted at the final whistle, well, there you go.<\/p>\n<p>The Sounders will be happy that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/pedro-de-la-vega\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pedro de la Vega<\/a> (he got the game\u2019s only goal) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/cristian-roldan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cristian Roldan<\/a> (who has not missed time, but has looked worn out over the past month) both looked spry. They will be even happier that, after weeks of poor defensive performances, they allowed almost nothing to a Timbers team that spent the entire last half hour throwing numbers forward in search of an equalizer.<\/p>\n<p>Ok, those Timbers: One win in their past nine, and just two in their past 13. They\u2019re not as bad as that \u2013 they\u2019ve been in most of those games, and a lucky break here or there could\u2019ve changed things (for the better) at least once or twice \u2013 but they\u2019re not really that much better than that, either. We\u2019ve reached \u201cyou are what your record says you are\u201d hours, and Portland\u2019s record says they\u2019re a team that scrambles heroically on defense but are being let down by their DP attackers.<\/p>\n<p>I will also say the patient and productive patterns of play the Sounders strung together on their goal? The Timbers don\u2019t do that. And I don\u2019t think that\u2019s solely a mentality thing.<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, they did <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/news\/portland-timbers-clinch-audi-2025-mls-cup-playoffs-spot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">make the postseason<\/a>, backing into a spot with San Jose\u2019s loss. Job done, kinda.<\/p>\n<p>\n      Austin FC 1-3 St. Louis CITY SC<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was at stake:<\/strong> The Verde &amp; Black were trying to shake off the US Open Cup hangover and keep pressure on the Sounders in the race for fifth.<\/p>\n<p>Eight days ago, Austin had won three of four heading into the biggest week in team history: at RSL, home against Nashville in the Open Cup final, and then hosting this already-eliminated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/st-louis-city-sc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CITY<\/a> side. They had it in their hands to eliminate RSL, win a trophy and pass the Sounders.<\/p>\n<p>They lost all three. Zero points, zero trophies. This one, the culmination, was maybe their worst performance of the season.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think it&#8217;s a horrible week for us,&#8221; head coach Nico Est\u00e9vez said afterward, as per our friends at <a href=\"https:\/\/verdeallday.com\/morning-after-atxvstl-100425\/?ref=verde-all-day-newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Verde All Day<\/a>. &#8220;Horrible. I mean, it&#8217;s terrible. &#8230; you cannot know how we feel. We feel really bad &#8230; but this is sports, this is life.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Est\u00e9vez clearly has to get his team mentally right. That\u2019s job No. 1.<\/p>\n<p>When he goes into the film room, he&#8217;ll see some ghastly stuff on the ball. All three St. Louis goals came from sloppy play on the ball from Austin\u2019s midfield, and two of the three came from some brutal field balance in defensive transition.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re not talented enough to get away with defending like that. They\u2019ve got to win with structure first, and for most of the season, they\u2019ve been pretty good at clearing that bar.<\/p>\n<p>Still, with San Jose\u2019s loss, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/news\/austin-fc-clinch-audi-2025-mls-cup-playoffs-spot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Austin qualified for the playoffs<\/a>. Big exhale.<\/p>\n<p>\n      FC Dallas 2-1 LA Galaxy<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was at stake:<\/strong> With a win, Dallas were guaranteed to climb above the playoff line for the first time in ages, and give themselves a decent chance to host the Wild Card game.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLike I\u2019ve said time and time again, starting with [a 2-2 draw at] San Jose [on July 16], I saw what a true team looks like in this group, and they haven\u2019t stopped being that team that\u2019s bought in together,\u201d is what head coach Eric Quill said afterward. \u201cOur training environment is different. There\u2019s a purpose, and it\u2019s one they all believe in and contribute to.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course we make mistakes, like any team, but the recovery from those mistakes shows what we\u2019re about. You see the reactions of teammates getting behind the ball, sliding, throwing their bodies in the way. A lot of that doesn\u2019t even show up in statistics. It\u2019s about trying to be a winner for each other, and that\u2019s what the collective is doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It needs to be said that Luciano Acosta didn\u2019t play that game against the Quakes, nor the subsequent one, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/mls-regular-season\/2025\/matches\/dalvsstl-07-19-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">3-0 win<\/a> over St. Louis. He did play the one after that, which was a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/mls-regular-season\/2025\/matches\/dalvsnyc-07-25-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">4-3 loss<\/a> to NYCFC on July 25. That was his final appearance in MLS.<\/p>\n<p>And folks, that\u2019s the only loss Dallas have suffered in the past two-and-a-half months. Quill could\u2019ve shouted \u201caddition by subtraction!\u201d at the top of his lungs, and his point would not have been clearer.<\/p>\n<p>Dallas, now, are exactly as he described them against the ball. On the ball, they have two big old forwards who make life hell for opposing center backs in the box, and they have wingbacks who make sure the field stays wide:<\/p>\n<p>It is not the most complex system in the world, but it doesn\u2019t have to be, because what they\u2019re doing is working. And with two games left, and both Portland and Austin shifting into reverse, there\u2019s a chance this team can climb to sixth.<\/p>\n<p>\n      Real Salt Lake 1-0 Colorado Rapids<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was at stake:<\/strong> The Rocky Mountain Cup and probably a playoff spot.<\/p>\n<p>I think this was an elimination game for the Rapids, who only have one match left: against LAFC on Decision Day. It\u2019ll be a motivated LAFC as well \u2013 they could very well be playing for the top spot in the West.<\/p>\n<p>Which means if they lost to RSL, RSL would jump them, and with Dallas playing the way they have been (and benefitting from a much more forgiving schedule as well as a game in hand), they\u2019d probably jump the Rapids too. And Colorado don\u2019t really have a way to climb back past them. They have run out of ladder.<\/p>\n<p>Here is the frustrating part for Rapids fans: It did not have to be this way. This team\u2019s an order of magnitude better with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/cole-bassett\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cole Bassett<\/a> as a No. 8 and an actual winger on the wing \u2013 which is how they lined up over the final half-hour as they battered RSL \u2018keeper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/rafael-cabral\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rafael Cabral<\/a> in search of an equalizer \u2013 but for whatever reason, head coach Chris Armas has spent the whole stretch run playing Bassett as a winger instead.<\/p>\n<p>It is a likely fatal, self-inflicted wound.<\/p>\n<p>RSL, who have switched to a 4-4-2 over the past month and are now strictly a transition attacking team, were lucky to win \u2013 Cabral was named Man of the Match, and deserved it. Even so, they\u2019ve done enough over the past six weeks to climb into ninth, and are now in complete control of their own destiny as a win in either of their two remaining games (at Seattle, then at St. Louis on Decision Day) clinches a spot in the Wild Card.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s the final, full-length Sunday night column of the year, which means this is a good time to&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":281033,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5132],"tags":[5229,81968,139327,139328,139326,139325,139329,139338,139330,139331,139332,139333,1448,2830,1311,139334,139335,139336,139337,37638,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,139339],"class_list":{"0":"post-281032","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-philadelphia","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-armchair-analyst-matt-doyle","10":"tag-atxvsstl-10-04-2025","11":"tag-chivstor-10-04-2025","12":"tag-dalvsla-10-04-2025","13":"tag-dcvsclt-10-04-2025","14":"tag-houvssd-10-04-2025","15":"tag-lafcvsatl-10-05-2025","16":"tag-miavsne-10-04-2025","17":"tag-minvsskc-10-04-2025","18":"tag-mtlvsnsh-10-04-2025","19":"tag-orlvsclb-10-04-2025","20":"tag-pa","21":"tag-pennsylvania","22":"tag-philadelphia","23":"tag-phivsnyc-10-04-2025","24":"tag-rbnyvscin-10-04-2025","25":"tag-rslvscol-10-04-2025","26":"tag-seavspor-10-04-2025","27":"tag-sendtonews","28":"tag-united-states","29":"tag-united-states-of-america","30":"tag-unitedstates","31":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","32":"tag-us","33":"tag-usa","34":"tag-vanvssj-10-05-2025"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281032","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=281032"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281032\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/281033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=281032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=281032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=281032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}