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• 3️⃣ MLS Match Day 3

• 🇺🇸 Yanks Abroad

• ❓️ MLS Executive’s Predictions

• 🇺🇸 USMNT Nations League Roster

• ⚽️ Goal of the Week

• 😂 Meme of the Week

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MLS Match Day 3

We’re three weeks in with 2 perfect starts, 8 undefeated teams, and 3 clubs still looking for their first point.

It had been almost four years since the Seattle Sounders last beat LAFC in league play. Saturday’s resounding 5-2 win was their first of the season and proved they can beat their perennial foes from SoCal. Five different goal scorers contributed, including Jordan Morris's 87th goal for the club, making him the all-time leading goal scorer in Sounders history.

LAFC have looked great to start the year but after a big win over the Crew in the Concacaf Champions Cup mid-week, they laid an egg in this one. We can’t expect teams with busy schedules to win tough road games like this consistently.

DC United handed Sporting KC their 3rd straight loss and 10th straight in all comps since last year. It’s now been 175 days since KC’s last point. Sigh. We are likely seeing the beginning of the end of the Peter Vermes era. DC United have looked better than most thought they would, but I’m skeptical of that continuing.

St. Louis City SC beat the LA Galaxy 3-0 on the road to get their first win under Olof Mellberg. They have yet to concede this season as Roman Burki continues to prove he’s the best keeper in MLS. As for the Galaxy, phew, they’re the first Cup winners to lose the first 3 games the following season. It’s tied for their worst start in club history and they’re not getting back to full health anytime soon. At least they have a shiny trophy!

Nashville SC beat the Timbers 2-0 at Geodis Park for their first win of the season. I still don’t think this team has the talent to compete for trophies this year but you can see BJ Callahan’s influence slowly seeping into the squad. They controlled 58% of possession and had 15 more shots and 8 more shots on target than Portland.

Yanks Abroad

Sergino Dest has returned! He was subbed on in the 67th minute for American teammate Richie Ledezma in PSV’s 2-1 win. In 23 minutes he went 4/4 on ground duels, 1/1 on tackles, 2/2 successful dribbles, and 9/9 passes completed.

Tyler Adams was named Bournemouth’s player of the month. He’s dominating the midfield, only scoring below a 7.0(per Fotmob) once in February. With Tanner Tessman and Johnny Cardoso playing well, Adams must keep this up to cement his place as the starter. This highlight clip from his game against Tottenham is 🔥.

Josh Sargent scored another, making it 8 goals in his last 8 games. He now sits third in the Championship with 12 goals. He has the highest goal conversion rate and goals per 90 in the Championship, England’s second division. Expect him to be our starting 9 for our upcoming Nations League games with his current form.

Christian Pulisic continued his record year with an 8-minute brace to give Milan the 3-2 win. His first was a PK and his second was this game-winner volley off a beautiful cross. He was the top-rated player in the game, scoring a 9.3, a full point ahead of anyone else.

MLS Executive’s Predictions

The Athletic published their annual anonymous MLS executive survey for the 2025 season. It’s behind a paywall but don’t worry, we’ll summarize the best parts for you.

Last season, not a single one of the 30 execs polled picked the Galaxy to win the MLS Cup, so it’s a friendly reminder that even the experts have no clue how the season will unfold.

First up, the Cup. One MLS exec said of FC Cincinnati, “They’re scary. The Evander move for me is a game-changer. He’s going at half-speed right now. And Denkey looks the part too. He’s a monster.”

Inter Miami has one of the deepest rosters we’ve ever seen in MLS. But will it be enough to combat the crowded schedule and repeat as Shield winners? They’re being extra careful with Messi’s minutes early on to keep him ready down the stretch.

It seems league insiders love Evander more than the media and fans do. And after watching his assist over the weekend, they’re probably right too.

“They sold (Lucho Acosta) when his value was at its highest,” one exec said. “They were the first to kind of crack the seal on the internal transfer market.” Another CSO said, “I think (Evander) is really f---ing good and that’s why I think Cincy’s going to win MLS Cup.”

Another exec said of Sporting KC nabbing Dejan Joveljić, “It’s outrageous to get a 21-goal scorer, 24 years old, for $4 million.”

USMNT Nations League Roster

The USMNT Nations League roster dropped yesterday. The US will start its quest for our 4th straight Nations League title against Panama on March 20th in the Semifinal. If we win, we’ll play the winner of Canada and Mexico on March 23rd.

There are no huge surprises on this roster. It’s comprised of 6 MLS players with the rest playing in Europe. Brenden Aaronson, Miles Robinson, and Alex Zendejas are the three notable snubs. After strong January camp performances, Diego Luna and Patrick Agyemang fill the spots of Aaronson and Zendejas.

Usual suspects like Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, and Sergino Dest are out injured or still returning to full strength, leaving the door open for guys like Brian White and Marlon Fossey to step in.

Josh Sargent will be relied upon more than anyone on this roster. Thankfully, he’s in incredible form right now. But throughout his career, his club form hasn’t translated to his country. That must change for us to win this tournament.

Goal of the Week

Rothrock won Man of the Match with this beauty.

Meme of the Week

This is a hilariously well put together video 🤣 

Credit: u/IWMSvendor on Reddit

Quick Hits

• The 2026 World Cup final will have a Super Bowl type halftime show (Link)

• AC Milan sign 16-year-old Astin Mbaye from NY Red Bulls (Link)

• US Soccer will submit a bid to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup (Link)

• U-15 USYNT player Finn McCraney scores a banger (Link)

• Lucho Acosta is still in the process of obtaining US citizenship so he can play for the USMNT (Link)

• USMNT announces June friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland (Link)

This one took over 7 hours to create! Give us some hard-earned feedback below so we can keep improving. Thanks 👊 

Max & Mason