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• 1️⃣ 1️⃣ MLS Match Day 11 Recap

• 🇺🇸 Yanks Abroad

• 🏔️ The Vancouver Whitecaps

• 🔢 MLS by the Numbers

• ⚽️ Goal of the Week

• 😂 Tweet of the Week

MLS Match Day 11 Recap

Lots of lopsided games this week. Let’s talk about it.

San Diego FC smacked FC Dallas 5-0 to hand Dallas their first road loss this season. After 3 straight losses by a combined score of 9-3, San Diego gets back on track behind 2 goals and 2 assists from Chucky Lozano. It’s hard to name a better winger duo than Lozano and Dreyer.

The Seattle Sounders, now unbeaten in their last four, put together their most complete performance in their 4-1 win over St. Louis City. Their 3.83 expected goals were their second-most in a single game since 2015. St. Louis City, tied for second-to-last in goals(8), remains allergic to scoring.

The San Jose Earthquakes beat a hot Timbers team 4-1 and snapped their 7-game unbeaten streak. The Earthquakes lead the league in goals (24) but sit 20th in the standings. Bruce Arena has brought in reinforcements over the last few weeks with hopes of shoring up a leaky defense and bringing consistent results to this team.

The Columbus Crew finally had their onslaught of goals, beating Charlotte 4-2. Watch this 17-pass build-up leading to the last goal. Nancy ball at its finest! The Crew and the Whitecaps are both ahead of Miami’s record-setting points-per-game pace from last season.

Minnesota United beat Austin FC 3-0 on the road. The Loons remain far too reliant on counterattacks and quick transition moments, but Julian Gressel’s arrival will hopefully add some variety to their attack. Do yourself a favor and watch this goal from DP Joaquin Pereyra. Meanwhile, Austin has one win in their last five and now gets Cincinnati on the road.

Yanks Abroad

Josh Sargent has been named Norwich City’s Player of the Season and to the EFL Championship Team of the Season. He has 15 goals and 5 assists in 28 games started. Norwich sit 13th in the table, so Sargent will stay in the Championship unless a Premier League team makes a move for him.

Folarin Balogun scored a goal in his first start after coming back from shoulder surgery. Due to injuries, Balogun hasn’t played much this season, but still has 4 goals in 13 games played in his first season for Monaco.

Brendan Aaronson and Leeds won the English Championship and will be back in the Premier League next season. He started 43 out of 46 games and appeared in all 46, scoring 9 goals and 2 assists. Leeds won the Championship with a dramatic goal in extra time to reach 100 points for the first time in club history.

Juventus extended Weston McKennie’s contract to 2028, making him one of the highest earners at the club.

Daryl Dike scored his first goal in 482 days and added an assist. After back-to-back achilles tears, it’s so good to see the big man back on the pitch. Look at what it means to him 👇️ 

The Vancouver Whitecaps

We simply cannot talk enough about the Vancouver Whitecaps right now. They are the best story in MLS and probably the best team on the continent right now.

Last week, they finished off Inter Miami in the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-final with a 3-1 win on the road (5-1 on aggregate). They’re the third Canadian team to play in this tournament’s final, joining the 2015 Montreal Impact and 2018 Toronto FC.

Brian White is leading the charge with 12 goals in 16 appearances in all comps. Then there’s Sebastian Berhalter, who’s been the best #8 in MLS. He has 3 goals and 3 assists in their last 4 games and is deserving of a USMNT call-up soon. But they’ll be without him in the final because of yellow card accumulation (this is one of the worst rules in all of sports).

In the midst of a packed schedule, Vancouver is rotating their squad and still taking care of business in league play. With their 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake on Saturday, they became the 6th team in league history to take 26 points from their first 11 games.

What first-year head coach Jesper Sorensen has accomplished 3 months into the job is remarkable. They’ll play Cruz Azul on June 1st in the Concacaf Champions Cup Final. They’re such an easy team to root for.

MLS By the Numbers

We curated some fun stats for you to dig into.

-7 - The Colorado Rapids dismal goal differential from minute 40 to the halftime whistle this season. They gave up both goals in this time frame in their 2-1 loss to DC United on Saturday.

0 - Sporting KC became the first team in MLS history to win a game without attempting a single shot. Maya Yoshida’s own goal was the decider in this one. That about sums up the Galaxy’s season.

2.00 - For the first time in MLS history, a conference has 4 teams averaging at least 2.00 PPG through this point in the season. Columbus(2.18), Philadelphia(2), Cincinnati(2), and Miami(2.1)

8 - The number of games the NY Red Bulls will play in all competitions in the month of March. Seven of which are league play, including Saturday’s 4-1 loss to Inter Miami.

16 yrs, 342 days - The age of Christopher Cupps, who became the youngest player in Chicago Fire history to start a game (his full highlights here). The young center-back helped limit Orlando to two shots and a clean sheet, all while playing down a man for the majority of the game.

22 - The Philadelphia Union have 22 points, which is their best start through 11 games in club history.

Goal of the Week

Montreal can score?? Apparently, sick one-time volleys.

Tweet of the Week

🤣 

Quick Hits

• Alyssa Thompson assists her sister Gisele in her first professional goal (Link)

• Leaked photos of the 2026 World Cup ball (Link)

• LAFC will play Club America in a one-off playoff for the final Club World Cup spot on May 31st at BMO Stadium (Link)

• Chicago Fire move closer to signing Kevin de Bruyne (Link)

• MLS sponsorship revenue doubles year over year (Link)

• Why American soccer culture is different (Link)

That’s all, have a great week everyone!

Max & Mason