Hey friends,

The packed summer schedule has come to an end. All MLS for the foreseeable future, with another full slate of games tonight. In we go…

• 2️⃣ 3️⃣ MLS Match Day 23 Recap

• 🌎️ Club World Cup Recap

• ⬅️ Western Conference Snapshot

• ➡️ Eastern Conference Snapshot

• ⚽️ Goal of the Week

• 😂 Meme of the Week

MLS Match Day 23 Recap

Once again, Hell is Real did not disappoint. FC Cincinnati seemed on their way to a rout after getting off to a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game. The Crew stormed back to score 4 unanswered goals from 4 different goal scorers in one of their most resilient performances to date (full goal highlights). It was eerily similar to the 2023 Conference Final where the Crew came back down 2-0 to win it.

The Colorado Rapids got their biggest win of the season with their 3-0 rout of Vancouver. Djordje Mihailovic had three assists, including the opener to Calvin Harris. With Zack Steffen and Cole Basset healthy, they should be able to hold onto a playoff spot in the west. The Whitecaps have fallen to earth after their historic start, losing 4 of their last 5 games.

The Seattle Sounders ended Sporting KC’s three-game unbeaten streak with a 3-2 win. Jordan Morris returned from injury and scored a header after an incredible build-up. But it was the fourth straight game the Sounders have received a red card after Nouhou was given a straight red for throwing the ball at a fan. Apparently, the fan gave him the finger. Ugh.

Inter Miami ended Nashville’s 15-game unbeaten streak with their 2-0 home win. And rightfully so, the story is all about Messi. He scored a brace for the 5th consecutive game and also added 5 assists in the same span. After his midweek brace against the Revolution, he became the first player in league history to score multiple goals in 4 straight games. If he keeps this form, he’ll be the first player in MLS history to repeat as MVP.

Club World Cup Recap

The Club World Cup concluded on Sunday with Chelsea’s 3-0 win over PSG. The Blues captured their second Club World Cup title in a surprisingly dominant performance over heavily favored PSG.

Chelsea Manager Enzo Maresca's tactical setup and heavy press helped neutralize much of the attacking threat we’ve seen from the Parisians throughout this tournament. Cole Palmer (no, we aren’t related, unfortunately) proved once again he’s one of the best attackers in the world. Game highlights here.

While the Club World Cup had its fair share of hiccups, this new rendition was mostly a success. The expansion to 32 teams, the media attention, and the massive prize money worked. We saw upsets. We saw raucous fan bases from around the world. We saw clubs from Africa, Asia, and North America push traditional European powerhouses to the brink. The majority of matches were well attended, and the big European teams took the tournament seriously. What originally felt like a FIFA money grab ended up feeling like the beginning of an important tournament. A Champions League-style event with global reach.

It was a little teaser for the madness to come next summer.

Western Conference Snapshot

Nobody expected the top of this conference to look like this, aside from maybe Minnesota.

San Diego is atop the West in points, points per game played, and goal differential. Chucky Lozano and Anders Dreyer are two of the best DP signings in league history. Against Chicago, Dreyer had a brace, making it 11 goals and 15 assists, while Lozano provided both assists.

Expect Seattle and LAFC to continue to inch their way up as we close out the season. Seattle is finally healthy and has a busy schedule behind them. LAFC has won three of their last four, but now lost Aaron Long for the season.

Austin FC already had the least amount of goals scored in the league (15), and now they have lost Brandon Vazquez for the season. I’m not sure if they can hold on to that last playoff spot, but their remaining schedule is very reasonable. Who’s going to put the ball in the back of the net, though?

The LA Galaxy have gotten a result in 5 of their last 6, enough to peel themselves off the bottom of the league table (Hi Montreal!). Marco Reus has 2 goals and 3 assists in their last 5 games and has been instrumental in this upward swing of games.

Eastern Conference Snapshot

It’s crowded atop the East. The Supporters Shield winner is likely whoever wins this conference, and you can make a good case for any of those top 5 teams. Inter Miami has three games in hand, though, and Messi is playing like, well, he’s playing like peak Messi. This will be one of the better Shield finishes in recent memory.

Charlotte FC is barely holding on to that final playoff spot and just lost Patrick Agyemang to Derby County. But they might already have his replacement in-house, in U-22 signing Idan Toklomati. He scored his third goal in his last four starts against NYCFC on Saturday. They still have an open DP spot and now $8M in dough to go splurge on someone. Expect them to be in the playoffs.

The New England Revolution have one win in their last 12 games across all competitions. They’ve been missing a few key pieces with injuries, but it’s going to be an uphill climb to clinch a playoff spot.

DC United fired Troy Lesesne last week after their 5-2 loss to Nashville in the US Open Cup. Their -23 goal differential is the worst in MLS. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2019 and haven’t made it past round one since 2014. They’ve reportedly hired Swiss manager Rene Weiler to be the next head coach. Once again, back to the drawing board in the nation’s capital.

Goal of the Week

A little glimpse into the future.

Meme of the Week

Seattle does it again😂 

Quick Hits

• Boston Legacy of NWSL reveals renderings for $27M training facility (Link)

• USMNT’s fall friendly schedule (Link)

• Atlanta United President Garth Lagerwey diagnosed with cancer (Link)

• Austin FC forward Brandon Vazquez suffers a torn ACL (Link)

• LAFC center back Aaron Long to miss the remainder of the season with a torn achilles (Link)

• Clubs with the highest payrolls in all the Americas (Link)

If anyone’s going to the NY Red Bulls vs Inter Miami game this Saturday, I (Max) may be there. Reply to this email if you are, and I’d love to meet up.

Max & Mason