44 goals and two major upsets tighten MLS Regular Season - 25

Sporting Kansas City’s 3-1 win reshapes the leading places

Sporting Kansas City produced the round’s biggest surprise by beating sixth-placed Los Angeles FC 3-1. André Luiz and Taylor Calheira put the hosts ahead before Denis Bouanga pulled one back for LAFC. Jacob Bartlett restored Kansas City’s two-goal advantage in the second half. The result leaves LAFC sixth on 41 points, while Sporting Kansas City’s victory stands out as the round’s most significant result outside the top six.

Austin also claimed a notable result away to Vancouver Whitecaps, the leaders on 49 points. C. Ramirez scored twice, while Ryan Gauld and B. White also found the net. Vancouver remain top despite the defeat, four points clear of Houston Dynamo and St. Louis City.

Five players share the round’s scoring spotlight

K. Denkey scored twice as FC Cincinnati drew 3-3 with Charlotte, adding a 90th-minute equaliser after P. Bucha, L. Abada and P. Biel had also scored for Cincinnati and Charlotte responded through K. Denkey and I. Toklomati. S. Surridge also struck twice for Nashville SC in a 2-2 draw at Inter Miami, with Lionel Messi scoring Miami’s other goal.

Rafael Navarro Leal registered a brace in St. Louis City’s 4-2 win over Minnesota United FC. Tomás Chancalay and Carlo Holse completed the St. Louis scoring, while Daniel Edelman and Kelvin Yeboah replied for Minnesota. Philadelphia Union’s Cavan Sullivan scored twice in a 5-0 win at San Diego, joined on the scoresheet by Bruno Damiani, Aníbal Godoy’s own goal and Malik Jakupovic.

The rest of a 44-goal round

Orlando City SC defeated Toronto FC 3-0, with Antoine Griezmann, Harvey Sarajian and Iván Angulo scoring. New York Red Bulls edged Columbus Crew 1-0 through R. Donkor, while DC United and Atlanta United FC finished 0-0.

FC Dallas beat Portland Timbers 2-1 after late goals from Joaquín Valiente Cioli and Ariel Lassiter followed Logan Farrington’s opener. New York City FC won 2-0 at Real Salt Lake through Nicolás Fernández Mercau and Luighi Hanri Sousa Santos. Colorado Rapids defeated CF Montreal 1-0, Paxten Aaronson scoring from the penalty spot, and San Jose Earthquakes beat Houston Dynamo 1-0 through Daniel Munie.

Marco Reus gave Los Angeles Galaxy the lead from a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Seattle Sounders, who levelled through Paul Arriola. New England Revolution won 2-1 at Chicago Fire after goals from Peyton Miller and Maren Haile-Selassie overturned Dor Turgeman’s opener. Across the round’s remaining fixture, Austin took the points at Vancouver, with C. Ramirez scoring twice.

Three-way pressure behind Vancouver

Houston, St. Louis and Dallas all sit on 44 points, although their records and goal differences separate them. Houston are second with a 13-5-8 record and plus-four goal difference. St. Louis are third at 12-8-6 with plus-nine, while Dallas are fourth at 12-8-6 with plus-seven. San Jose follow on 42 points, and LAFC remain two points further back.

That concentration at the top keeps the leading-place race tightly packed. Vancouver’s four-point advantage is the largest margin among the top six, while the results of Austin and Sporting Kansas City prevented the leaders and LAFC from strengthening their positions.

Pressure at the bottom

Columbus and Atlanta are level on 26 points in 13th and 14th, with identical records of seven wins, five draws and 14 defeats. Columbus have the better goal difference at minus-five, compared with Atlanta’s minus-13. CF Montreal sit 15th on 21 points after losing to Colorado, with a minus-22 goal difference. The gap between 13th and 15th is five points, giving the lower table a clear competitive divide after 15 matches produced 44 goals.