Wonderkids go international and another Messi golazo isn’t enough for Inter Miami
By James Nalton
Lionel Messi leads the highlight reels once again, and two of the best teams in the division continued their good performances.
But the most notable MLS story from this round of games comes not from those league matches, but from the international window itself and the United States team that defeated Peru 4-1 on Saturday.
MLS’s international success
Mauricio Pochettino selected a squad of promising young players, including one who’s been a regular feature in this column of late, Cavan Sullivan.
The Philadelphia Union teenager, who turned 17 today, made his national team debut versus Peru and put in an impressive display, having been selected in the starting XI.
There were performances throughout the US team that showcased the homegrown talent coming through in MLS in 2026.
The opening goal was scored by Orlando City 19-year-old attacker Justin Ellis, while the 18-year-old New England Revolution winger, Peyton Miller, started at left-back and grew into the game.
There were then numerous MLS-based international debutants off the bench, with one of them, Red Bull New York’s 18-year-old striker Julian Hall, getting the third goal in the 4-1 win.
There were also international debuts for young MLS stars Adri Mehmeti (17 years old, Red Bulls), Neil Pierre (18, Philadelphia), Brooklyn Raines (21, New England), and Frankie Westfield (20, Philadelphia).
Other foreign-based youngsters, Mathis Albert (17, Borussia Dortmund), Zavier Gozo (19, Crystal Palace), and goalkeeper Diego Kochen (20, Lyngby) also made their first senior international appearances.
But from an MLS perspective, it was encouraging that so many homegrown players have made the step up this season.
Not just to first-team football at club level, becoming regulars and in some cases key players for their teams, but also being recognised by Pochettino for international call-ups and then playing their part in a good win.
FC Dallas make their move
FC Dallas’ good form started to show in the overall MLS table following their 1-0 win at home to Los Angeles FC this weekend.
Both sides were missing key attackers, most notably Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-min for LAFC and Petar Musa for FC Dallas, but the team from Texas managed to keep their run going, making it four wins from their last five games.
Musa has been the outstanding player for Dallas this season. He’s ahead of Messi for goals per 90 minutes, at 0.95, and is second only to Messi for shots on target per 90.
In his absence, the FC Dallas goal came via a header from centre-back Osaze Urhoghide from a Joaquín Valiente corner.
Goalkeeper Daniel has been one of the better stoppers in MLS for several years now, and has performed well in his last two games, having joined FC Dallas from San Jose this summer.
This latest win saw them overtake St. Louis City, Houston Dynamo, New England Revolution, and Inter Miami to claim third spot in the Supporters’ Shield standings.
On the other side of the coin, this latest defeat saw LAFC make the decision to sack head coach Marc Dos Santos.
Nashville edge closer to league title
Nashville were able to keep much of their usual lineup intact despite the number of international call-ups across the league this week, and put in a solid showing at home to edge closer to the Supporters’ Shield title.
The standout forward line of Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge, and Cristian Espinoza combined in this 2-0 win at home to Toronto FC,
Espinoza headed back across goal for Mukhtar to tap in the opener, and Surridge got the assist for Mukhtar’s second, hit well from outside the area to make it 2-0 before halftime.
Surridge might have had a couple of his own were it not for the saves from Toronto goalkeeper Luka Gavran, who finished as the game’s third-highest-rated player.
“This team is special,” Mukhtar said after the game.
“We fight for each other; we have a clear plan of how we want to play.
“We want to play aggressive football, with the ball, and we have shown it in recent games. I’m very proud of the team.”
Union make it six in a row
No Sullivan, no problem for Philadelphia Union as they made it six wins in a row with a convincing 4-2 win against Orlando.
The Union were missing their young American stars Cavan Sullivan, Neil Pierre, and Frankie Westfield, but another American, 27-year-old Milan Iloski, stepped up with a hat-trick.
The home team were 4-0 up within 51 minutes, scoring twice just after halftime, with Indiana Vassilev contributing the other goal on top of his two assists for Iloski.
It was an impressive performance from a team who were also missing their regular starting goalkeeper, and one of the best in the league no less, Andre Blake, who is on duty with Jamaica.
Union’s success was shown on the international stage with three of their players making their USA debuts, and also back in the league, as Ryan Richter’s team continued their impressive post-World Cup form.
Columbus defeat Inter Miami despite Messi golazo
The Columbus Crew picked up a much-needed win with an encouraging showing against Inter Miami.
The 2-1 victory featured a late winner from Jamal Thiaré and marked just the second time this season that the Ohio side have registered consecutive MLS wins.
That they did so against Messi’s Miami was all the more impressive.
The Crew have benefitted greatly from the mid-season signing of former New York City FC attacking midfielder Santi Rodríguez from Botoafogo, who has been in good form since returning to the league.
There may have been a Messi golazo, and there may have been Messi fans in the Crew supporters’ section, but Columbus won the game and now have a real chance of reaching a playoff spot.
(Cover Image from IMAGO)
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