Matchday 11 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.
Via one of the most lopsided 2-0 victories you can imagine, Real Salt Lake pushed past the Portland Timbers at home to continue their top-tier run of form.
At the very center of RSL’s dominant outing was none other than… Diego Luna.
Likely feeling pressure to perform and make USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad (one that will be announced May 26), Luna has been a genuine standout across five starts this season.
After missing the March international window and the start of the MLS campaign due to injury, Luna has notched five goal contributions in those five starts. His goal against Portland helped put the match out of reach:
Beyond that finish, Luna was constantly on the precipice of breaking the Timbers’ defense wide open.
According to American Soccer Analysis’ goals added metric, Luna was the most impactful player on either side of Saturday’s contest. His outlet passes to kickstart transition attackers were spotless – as was his one-v-one dribbling in tight spaces:
With performances like his against the Timbers, Luna doesn’t look ready to simply crack a World Cup roster. He looks ready to play on the world’s biggest stage.
After a brutal start to the season, one that featured 23 goals conceded in their first six games and a coaching change, Orlando City are suddenly surging back into form.
The Lions have won three of their last four games across both MLS play and the US Open Cup, most recently roaring back from a three-goal deficit to best Florida Derby rivals Inter Miami CF by a 4-3 scoreline.
The undisputed star behind Orlando’s recent uptick in form? Martín Ojeda, who bagged a hat trick against Miami just more than a week after scoring a brace in a 4-1 win against Charlotte FC that kickstarted a better run of results in the league.
With top-tier timing off the ball and a wand of a left foot, the Argentine No. 10 was a thorn in Inter Miami’s side. His long-range effort in the first half gave life to a team that desperately needed it at Nu Stadium:
Between Ojeda’s status as a truly elite attacker in MLS, the return of captain Robin Jansson, and interim head coach Martín Perelman’s tactical tweaks that have seen Orlando adopt a tight reset defense base, the Lions are tougher to beat now than they have been at any point this season.
And with just four regular-season games before the World Cup break and Antoine Griezmann’s arrival, Orlando City have made one thing clear: they’re not going to lie down.
Life in MLS didn’t start too smoothly for Louis Munteanu.
D.C. United’s club-record signing, acquired in January from the Romanian top-flight, didn’t make head coach René Weiler’s starting lineup in league play until late April.
Now fit and having started back-to-back league games, the Designated Player striker has begun firing in front of goal. With three goals in those two games – one via a deflection in a 3-2 win over Orlando City and a brace in Sunday’s 2-0 win at New York City FC – Munteanu is showing signs of why the club reportedly spent up to $10 million on him.
Against NYCFC over the weekend, Munteanu helped United execute their hyper-direct approach. The Black-and-Red, who ended with just 35% possession, sat deep, looked to attack on the break, and tried to enter the opposing box at every turn.
Off a long throw-in from Jared Stroud, the Romanian international pounced on a loose ball to give his team the lead:
Later, a converted penalty kick helped D.C. United see out the result. With Munteanu and Tai Baribo still yet to forge a partnership due to injury, it’s intriguing to imagine how the Black-and-Red could look with their first-choice strike partnership.
Few teams demand more attention right now than FC Cincinnati, whose last eight league matches have averaged 5.4 goals per game.
Saturday’s 3-2 victory at Chicago Fire FC was, predictably, a spectacle. Chicago had a chance to win in stoppage time via a Hugo Cuypers penalty, but couldn’t convert and opened the door for Evander to sink a 97th-minute, game-winning penalty at the other end.
With injuries depleting the team’s center back corps, Cincinnati’s matches are still far more open than head coach Pat Noonan would like. However, Noonan has found several answers to help his team’s attacking play. Specifically, with 17-year-old homegrown center back Andrei Chirila’s ball progression in the backline and Dado Valenzuela now part of the double pivot in a familiar 3-4-1-2 attacking setup, the Orange & Blue move the ball forward with a previously unseen level of ease.
And in the final third, Evander has sparked to life. The Brazilian scored his first two non-penalty goals of the year against Chicago en route to his first career MLS hat trick:
There’s still work to do to balance the team. But as key defenders regain full fitness, some of the tactical lessons learned amid the raft of injuries may benefit Cincy in the long run.
We’ve got ourselves one heck of a Golden Boot presented by Audi race, folks.
With FC Dallas striker Petar Musa and Chicago Fire striker Hugo Cuypers tied atop the scoring charts with 10 goals apiece, there are two legitimately elite goal threats leading the charge in 2026.
For his part, Musa opened the scoring in FCD's 2-0 win at Red Bull New York with a well-timed finish from the right side of the box:
"Personally, it would mean a lot for me to win the Golden Boot,” said Musa, who, if the last two FIFA international windows are any indication, could be at the World Cup with Croatia this summer. “But I always focus on the team. I want to help with goals and help out defensively."
While Cuypers failed to convert the Fire’s late penalty against FC Cincinnati, it’s impossible to criticize the Belgian’s form in front of goal. He has scored a brace in three consecutive league games for Chicago and is enjoying a club-record seven-game scoring streak.
Nashville SC striker Sam Surridge is behind Cuypers and Musa with nine goals, while NYCFC forward Nicolás Fernández Mercau, Vancouver Whitecaps FC striker Brian White and Inter Miami icon Lionel Messi all have eight goals.
With that list of names, there’s little doubt that we’ve got a Golden Boot race on our hands.
