MLS Takeaways: Week 11
Photo by Darren Yammashita from USA Today Sports
Sometimes, the story just writes itself.
Let’s dive right in.
Charlotte defeats New York City FC 3-2
Charlotte’s resilience shown through in this matchup.
Got a one goal lead and lost it. Got it right back.
Got another lead, lost it, and got it right back with a late winner.
And that’s not an easy opponent, either.
Cincinnati defeats DC United 2-1
Cincy just keeps on rolling.
They’re on pace to potentially win the Supporter’s Shield, which is crazy considering just two years ago they had finished dead last in the league for the third straight season.
It’s been a remarkable turnaround.
Miami defeats Atlanta 2-1
It’s not debatable.
Atlanta has been a better team than Miami this year.
But isn’t it just perfect that, on their first matchup of the year, Atlanta United legend Josef Martinez comes off the bench for Miami and gets his first two goals for the club to take down his former team.
It’s like it was scripted.
Montreal defeats Orlando 2-0
Is it maybe time to start wondering about Oscar Pareja in Orlando?
It’s less than one calendar year from him winning a trophy for the Lions, but this start to the season has been very challenging, and this was a terrible loss to Montreal.
Philadelphia defeats New York Red Bulls 1-0
The Union are finally finished with CCL, and can get their season started pushing towards MLS Cup.
But it still wasn’t a very convincing victory over the Red Bulls, who now sit dead last in the East and without a coach.
That playoff streak is surely done now.
San Jose defeats LAFC 2-1
There will be no invincible’s in MLS this year, as LAFC are the last team to lose a match this season.
Still, I think LAFC is fine with one loss considering they’re first in the West and in the CCL Final.
New England defeats Toronto 2-0
New England is really, really good this year.
Toronto is really, really not.
Houston draws Real Salt Lake 0-0
Eh.
You didn’t miss a lot.
Nashville defeats Chicago 3-0
Hany Mukhtar continued where he left off last week with a dominating performance towards an easy Nashville win, and Chicago is also now without a coach as they fired Ezra Hendrickson.
Ezra actually had them performing better than Toronto and Charlotte in terms of points per game despite a horrible front office and a terrible roster, but sure, Chicago.
This will surely fix things!
Colorado defeats LA Galaxy 3-1
The Galaxy are bad.
Their problems have not been fixed.
They’re just bad.
Portland draws Austin 2-2
There’s really no such thing as a “must draw” but man. Austin really, really needed that late goal to give them a point on the road.
Without it, they’d be hanging out with the Galaxy and SKC at the bottom of the west and single digit points.
You do not want to be there.
Vancouver defeats Minnesota 3-2
Emanuel Reynoso comes back to Minnesota and the Loons end up losing.
Coincidence? Who’s to say???
Sporting Kansas City defeats Seattle 2-1
Sporting Kansas City had not won a game since October 2022.
They had horrible issues scoring goals.
They looked putrid all year, and it seemed clear that Peter Vermes needed to transition out as head coach.
So it makes total sense that they would go into Seattle, and win 2-1 while controlling the game for their first win of the year.
There’s something about Lumen Field that SKC just loves as of late.
Oh, and their most recent win before this one in 2022?
It was in Seattle.
