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Hope your week is going well. We’ve got 1,493 words for you. This is a juicy one. Please enjoy!

• 2️⃣ MLS Match Day 2 Recap

• 🇺🇸 Yanks Abroad

• 👶 MLS Youth Movement

• 🇺🇸 USMNT World Cup Striker Options

• ⚽️ Goal of the Week

• 😂 Photo of the Week

MLS Match Day 2 Recap

Two match days in the books! Let’s get you caught up.

The San Jose Earthquakes got their first contributions from Timo Werner in their 2-0 win over Atlanta. Werner came on as a second-half substitute in his debut and assisted Ousseni Bouda. The Earthquakes look good through two games, but they’ve played two of the worst teams in the league. It will be interesting to see how they fare against Philadelphia this weekend. Atlanta is 0-2 to start the year and hasn’t scored a goal. It’s looking like the problems are more than just coaching.

Minnesota United picked up a big 1-0 home win over FC Cincinnati in the frigid cold. Cincy had heavy legs after playing 4 games in 10 days, but give credit to the Loons, who are actually playing with the ball a bit more so far this year.

The LA Galaxy took 17 games to get their first win last season. It took just two this season. They beat Charlotte FC 3-0 behind a brace from new DP Joao Klauss. They scored all three goals within the first 15 minutes of the game. Gabriel Pec easily ran past Tim Ream to deliver the cross for Klauss’s first goal. This isn’t last year’s Galaxy.

Any MLS power rankings have to start with LAFC at the top. Son Hueng-Min drew two red cards. Mark Delgado scored a ripper from 20 yards out, then Stephen Eustaquio did the same with your goal of the week (scroll down). Houston never had a chance.

The weekend was capped off by an electric Florida Derby. Inter Miami came back from two goals down at halftime to beat Orlando City 4-2 (goal highlights here). Messi had two goals and an assist. His second goal was a free kick from about 25 yards out, in which he celebrated by gesturing to the Orlando City bench that he’d sign autographs for them after the game. Messi has never played the villain in his career, but I’m not going to lie, it’s kind of fun to see. As long as you’re not an Orlando fan. MLS needs another bitter rivalry like this.

Home teams have only lost 4 of 29 games so far this season. Orlando City accounts for two of those losses.

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