Matchday 6 is in the books.
What did we learn? Did the games confirm what we already knew or change the complexion of the league?
Let’s dive into some key takeaways from another weekend of MLS action.
For LAFC fans, it’s perfectly reasonable to be excited about the club’s 6-0 win over Orlando City on Saturday. Beatdowns of that size don’t come around very often, after all. But there was something at BMO Stadium to be even more excited about than scoring a touchdown against the Lions: head coach Marc Dos Santos tinkered with Son Heung-Min’s role, and those changes helped supercharge LAFC’s attack.
Still yet to concede a goal in MLS play, which is downright astonishing, no one is doubting LAFC’s defensive bona fides. But some (me!) spent the international break doubting LAFC’s ability to find quality looks in the attack while being ultra-locked in defensively. According to American Soccer Analysis, LAFC hadn’t posted more than 1.3 expected goals in any of the four matches between their season-opening win over Inter Miami and the demolition of Orlando.
So, what helped unlock LAFC’s attack on Saturday? Besides Orlando's lackluster showing, Dos Santos moving Son into a second forward-type role worked a treat. No longer responsible for all of the hold-up play as a lone No. 9, Son let Nathan Ordaz do some of the central dirty work so that he could receive the ball facing forward and break open the game.
LAFC’s second goal of the game (and Son’s first of four assists on the night) serves as a perfect example. With Ordaz wiped out on the ground after his back-to-goal work, Son has space to run into and a streaking Denis Bouanga to find. It’s a perfect sequence:
The second forward role might not be a perfect fit for Son in every game, but it worked a treat on Saturday and gives LAFC another way to unlock their superstar.
So, uh, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino might have a decision to make about Zavier Gozo this summer:
Realistically, with exactly zero USMNT camps left before Pochettino names his 2026 FIFA World Cup roster, it’s probably too late for Gozo to push his way into this summer’s squad. But it seems inarguable that the 19-year-old homegrown is doing things that few other players in MLS – or in the USMNT pool – are capable of.
In Real Salt Lake’s 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City, Gozo displayed an impressive mix of skills. There was the audacious goal up above. There was his quick-twitch one-v-one work on the right wing that saw him go three-for-four on dribble attempts. Then there was his athleticism, clever off-ball movement, and rapidly improving decision making on the ball in the final third, all of which popped up on his assist in the second half:
Gozo’s aggressive underlapping run helped RSL break out of their own half. Then his patience and on-ball gravity saw a pair of visiting center backs overcommit to the youngster, creating space for a simple layoff to Sergi Solans for the finish.
It truly seems like Gozo is improving from one weekend to the next. It won’t be long before he’s starting USMNT games.
Quick: Guess the number of games last season where FC Dallas held more than 45% possession following Lucho Acosta’s exit.
Zero? You guessed it. Towards the end of 2025, Eric Quill wasn’t afraid to pack things into Dallas’ own third, absorb pressure and try to hit on the break. Without a heliocentric attacking midfielder like Acosta in the team, it wasn’t crazy to think FC Dallas would maintain their extremely conservative line of confrontation in 2026. But as it happens, things have taken a different turn in Texas.
Saturday’s 4-0 win at D.C. United marked the third time in six games where FC Dallas held at least 49% possession this season. Of course, more possession does not a better team make. But with a willingness and, crucially, an ability to use the ball more effectively in the right moments, Quill’s team looks more dangerous than ever.
With a growing list of players comfortable on the ball – see: Ramiro and Logan Farrington combining for one of the goals of the weekend, but also Petar Musa being one of MLS’s most well-rounded strikers, while Joaquín Valiente and Santi Moreno bed into the attack – it’s easy to see why Quill has eased the possession reins a bit in 2026.
FC Dallas won’t be San Diego FC-esque with keeping the ball. But early signs point to them being very, very tough to beat.
During the first-ever match at Nu Stadium, the stage was set for Inter Miami to christen their freshly minted digs with a win.
Instead, Austin FC scored the first goal in front of a sold-out crowd and nearly stole all three points before a late goal from Luis Suárez salvaged a point in Saturday's 2-2 draw.
Don’t get it twisted: the hosts created more than enough chances in the second half to earn a victory. But Miami started below the pace and had to come from behind to avoid defeat. It was also the fourth game in six during the regular season where Miami have found themselves playing from behind. The other two games? A flat 2-1 win over D.C. United and a 0-0 draw at Charlotte FC (albeit with a rotated lineup).
With slow starts, even while sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference, Inter Miami’s growing pains are very real right now.
After an offseason filled with change, head coach Javier Mascherano has used the same starting lineup in consecutive regular-season games just once this season. And Germán Berterame losing his starting spot just weeks into the season wasn’t on my bingo card coming into 2026.
The takeaway? Mascherano is still searching for his best personnel grouping. If last year is any indication, he’ll find it. But at present? Inter Miami look closer to flawed than flawless.
Last season, only six teams in MLS allowed more xG per game than Chicago Fire FC’s 1.75, as per American Soccer Analysis. This season, only three teams in MLS have allowed less xG per game than Chicago's 1.02.
We’re witnessing a true defensive turnaround, one that can, perhaps, be best visualized by a few additions to the starting lineup. In midfield, newcomer Anton Saletros provides far more physicality than Sergio Oregel and Robin Lod adds noticeably more defensive heft than Brian Gutiérrez. Along the backline, South African international Mbekezeli Mbokazi has been imposing at center back in his first MLS season.
All three of those players were effective in a 1-0 win over Nashville SC on Saturday, where Philip Zinckernagel scored after 17 seconds and the Fire never looked back. Despite all of Nashville’s attacking might, Chicago didn’t buckle under pressure. They even kept just 43.2% possession, one of the lowest tallies of the Gregg Berhalter era. It was a grit-and-bear-it type of evening for Chicago – and they did just that. It’s hard to imagine saying that about last year’s Fire squad.
Now, there’s work to do for Chicago's attack to be as dangerous as last year. But as the team gets healthier and has more time to gel (and maybe even take a big swing or two in the summer window), it’s not difficult to picture the Fire reaching that level.
No matter how you slice it, the Fire are a team to be taken seriously. Last weekend’s win over Nashville proved it.
