The Pitch: Five Clubs Sprinting Out of the Gates in 2024

MLS Communications

Cross-Conference Chaos Across Matchday 6

Nine teams remain unbeaten across MLS ahead of Matchday 6, with three competing in cross-conference action and two going toe-to-toe on Saturday, March 23 on MLS Season Pass.

St. Louis CITY SC vs. D.C. United (8:30 p.m. ET): Bradley Carnell will look to extend St. Louis’ unbeaten start to the season against and Troy Lesesne’s D.C. side as both clubs face off against each other for the first time.
Sporting Kansas City vs. LA Galaxy (8:30 p.m. ET): Both sides enter the match unbeaten this season behind big performances from star forwards Alan Pulido (Sporting Kansas City) and Joseph Paintsil (LA Galaxy), both of whom scored for their sides last time out.
Los Angeles FC vs. Nashville SC (10:30 p.m. ET): Golden Boot winners Hany Mukhtar (2022) and Dénis Bouanga (2023) face off and look to open their goal-scoring accounts for the 2024 season.
Portland Timbers vs. Philadelphia Union (10:30 p.m. ET): Cross-conference action concludes as the Union’s unbeaten run is tested against the Timbers, who have been on a roll behind 22-year-old Brazilian break-out star Antony’s three goals in four games.

Five Clubs Sprinting Out of the Gate in 2024

A small group of teams jumped out to a strong start as of Matchday 5. Below is a look at five of those clubs and their early results in the conference standings.

The Columbus Crew (10 points, 3-0-1) have picked up where they left off in 2023 as the defending MLS Cup winners strive to become the first repeat champions in more than a decade (LA Galaxy, 2011-12). Behind the continued MVP-caliber play of Cucho Hernández (three goals, one assist), the Crew have matched D.C. United (1997) and LAFC (2023) for the best four-game start by a defending MLS Cup champion. Both clubs advanced to MLS Cup in those respective seasons.
Inter Miami CF (10 points, 3-1-1) is off to a club-record start, setting the best five-game opening stretch in team history, and has been powered by the dynamic duo of Lionel Messi (three goals, three assists) and Luis Suárez (four goals, three assists), who have guided Miami to a league-best 13 goals through Matchday 5.
Minnesota United FC (10 points, 3-0-1) matched their best four-game start to a season (2020) and with new head coach Eric Ramsay picking up his first win on Saturday – he became the second-youngest head coach in MLS history to record a first win (32 years, 227 days old) – the Loons look poised to continue their positive, early-season trajectory when they return to play on Matchday 7 (March 30).
Another team succeeding under a new head coach (Phil Neville) is the Portland Timbers, who, despite a Matchday 5 loss to Houston, sits tied for second in the West with seven points (2-1-1). Leading the charge for the Timbers is U22 Initiative forward Antony, who has three goals across four matches in his first full season with the club.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC (seven points, 2-0-1) remain unbeaten entering Saturday’s match against Real Salt Lake and are off to their best start since 2012. The Whitecaps have allowed just two goals through three matches and seen six different players score, including Brian White, who opened his 2024 account against Dallas last week.

History in the Making for Canada's MLS Stars

Canada face Trinidad & Tobago this Saturday, March 23 for a spot in this summer’ Copa America. The qualification would be Canada’s first appearance in the tournament in the federation history.

Should Canada Qualify, they would be placed in Group A with reigning World Cup champions Argentina as well as Chile and Peru.

The roster entrusted with punching that ticket is MLS made, including:

11 active MLS players, including CF Montréal midfielder Samuel Piette, Portland Timbers defender Kamal Miller, and Nashville SC midfielder Jacob Shaffelburg as well as four active MLS players aged 23 or younger, including reigning MLS Cup champion Jacen Russell-Rowe (Columbus Crew) and CF Montréal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.
7 MLS clubs are represented on the roster, with CF Montréal (four) being the most represented club.
14 current and former MLS Homegrowns (8) and SuperDraft selections (6), such as Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies and Inter’s Tajon Buchanan.

Providing a player development pathway for players across North America, MLS clubs continue to develop players contributing to a golden generation of Canada Soccer talent.

Sporting Kansas City announced that MLS Cup champion and World Cup veteran Benny Feilhaber will be formally inducted into the Sporting Legends Hall of Honor in an on-field ceremony on August 24.
On March 14th, the Leagues Cup 2024 Group Stage schedule and the tournament’s hub venues were unveiled as the second edition of the World Cup-style tournament gears up for kickoff on Friday, July 26.
Minnesota United FC fans sang “Wonderwall” by Oasis after Eric Ramsay’s debut win on Saturday, March 16, indoctrinating their new head coach into Minnesota soccer culture and introducing him to the club's post-game tradition.

MLS Homegrowns Leading Concacafs Next Generation

In the leadup to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, several young players with ties to MLS will have the chance to represent their countries and the league in the upcoming Concacaf Nations League matches.

New York City FC Homegrown defender Tayvon Gray was called up to compete with the Jamaican national team during this March international break as Jamaica will face the United States in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals this Thursday, March 21. Gray has been a key component to the club’s defense since their 2021 MLS Cup-winning season, and he is beginning to make similar strides at the international level.

Other rising stars to watch include Homegrown midfielders and MLS NEXT Pro alumni Ajani Fortune of Atlanta United and Inter Miami CF’s David Ruiz. Fortune, who made his debut with the Trinidad and Tobago national team in 2021, was called up for a play-in match against Canada on Saturday, March 23. Ruiz, another NEXT Pro alumnus who has played in all five of Miami’s contests this season, will represent Honduras as the second-youngest player on the roster in a play-in game against Costa Rica on Saturday, March 23.

With wins in their respective matches, Fortune and Trinidad & Tobago would qualify into Group A of the 2024 Copa America with Argentina, Chile, and Peru while Ruiz and Honduras would qualify into Group D with Brazil, Colombia, and Paraguay.

From the Spot - LA Galaxys Dejan Joveljić

LA Galaxy’s Dejan Joveljić has started the 2024 season off in style, scoring in each of his first four matches and becoming just the eighth player in league history to do so.

The Serbian can join Brian McBride (1998) as the only players to score in the first five matches of a season with a goal this weekend.

Joveljić always seems to be in the perfect position going forward, which suits the Galaxy’s playmakers of Riqui Puig and Joseph Paintsil.

That awareness could also stem from his love for chess – something he started playing when he was a young boy. Joveljić is working to become a chess master (a level defined by the Federation Internationale des Echecs) and will either participate online at the Santa Monica Chess Club’s open play, or at tournaments like the European Rapid and Blitz Championships, which was held in Zagreb during the offseason.

With Joveljić’s tactical influence making headways on the field, the LA Galaxy look to ‘capture’ their momentum to lead them up the Western Conference this year.

To assist in your coverage of the 2024 MLS season, the MLS Communications staff has provided the following media resources, all of which are available on MLSsoccer.com/Media-Resources.