Inter Miami lose top of table clash as wonderkid steps up
By James Nalton
For many, this involves trying to finish high enough to secure home matches in the playoffs; for some, simply qualifying for the playoffs in the first place is the goal, while for others, simply winning one game counts as a sign of progress.
The return to action saw the bucking of some previous trends, a Man City-bound wonderkid hitting his stride, and one team consolidating their position at the top of the overall standings.
Nashville and Mukhtar see off Miami
The statement win of Matchday 20 was Nashville’s 4-1 victory at home to fellow title challengers Inter Miami.
It was a convincing scoreline and a result that gives them a cushion at the top of the table ahead of the star-studded Miami side.
Nashville have a useful team of their own, though, with some star names emerging within it.
Elias Saad impressed with a couple of great assists, and Sam Surridge got his name on the scoresheet, as is regularly the case for Nashville, with a neat finish, but the real difference-maker was Hany Mukhtar, who achieved the highest FotMob rating for this matchday.
The Nashville SC legend, who won the MVP award back in 2022 when they secured the Supporters Shield title, might yet emerge as a contender to be named the league’s best player again in 2026 despite a fairly slow start by his standards.
His last goals came back in May against another of the league’s best teams, LAFC, when he scored a hat trick. This brace at the weekend against Nashville’s Supporters’ Shield rivals confirmed their place at the top of the overall MLS table.
They now lead the way by five points and will be looking for some consistency to end the season. Mukhtar maintaining these performances will be key to that.
16yo Cavan Sullivan steers Union comeback in NYC
New York City FC looked to be continuing their unbeaten run post-World Cup when they went up by two goals in the first half against Philadelphia Union.
The Union had other ideas, though, scoring three goals in a dramatic comeback in the second period.
Man City-bound wonderkid Cavan Sullivan had previously shown glimpses of his talent in MLS, but has really kicked on this season, and especially so since interim head coach Ryan Richter took over in May.
The 16-year-old’s post-World Cup displays have been consistently impressive, and he played an important part in this comeback win with two assists, making the FotMob team of the week.
There has been plenty of hype around Sullivan for some time, but now there are also the performances at senior level to back it up. He still has plenty of work to do, but the early signs are that the hype is justified.
Atlanta United finally win
It has been a difficult summer for Atlanta United, who were without a win since May 3.
They returned from the World Cup break and continued to find it difficult, losing five games and drawing two, but they finally picked up a win this weekend against New York Red Bulls.
When Emil Forsberg scored the opener for the Red Bulls within the first five minutes, it looked like there would be more of the same for Atlanta.
Despite the slump, Atlanta’s average attendances remain the highest in the league, and those who had turned up and hung around until the end on Saturday night were rewarded for their patience and loyalty.
Tristan Muyumba levelled the scores on 70 minutes with a cool and precise finish into the top corner from outside the box, before Fafa Picault headed the winner in the 82nd minute from close range at the far post.
Atlanta remain bottom of the Eastern Conference, but this win gives those loyal fans something to cheer and a sign that things can improve.
St. Louis and Houston are currently the best in MLS
Inter Miami’s stumbles in recent weeks mean both of the in-form teams in MLS are now based in the Western Conference.
Houston Dynamo continued their good run with a win against a struggling LA Galaxy, and have emerged at the top end of the conference ahead of LAFC and just behind leaders Vancouver Whitecaps.
Just as Houston have made their presence felt at the top of the standings, their Brazilian winger Guilherme has made his way up the goalscoring charts into fourth.
His penalty to give the Dynamo the win against LA Galaxy put him alongside Lionel Messi on 12 goals for the season so far.
Another forward who caught the eye this weekend was St. Louis City striker Simon Becher, who scored twice in their 3-1 win at San Jose.
He was the second-highest rated player in our team of the week, and the only other player, along with Mukhtar, to achieve a match rating of nine or more.
St. Louis were one of the worst teams in the league at the start of the season but have now moved more comfortably into a playoff spot and are edging up the Western Conference table.
Their now 10-game unbeaten run includes progress to the semifinals of the US Open Cup, and has seen them go from one of the worst teams in MLS to currently the best in the form table, just ahead of Houston.
(Cover Image from IMAGO)
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