MLS Matchday 1 is officially in the books.
The first weekend of MLS is always the most fun, and it's always good to see some early overreactions from fans. It was just 10 weeks ago that we saw Inter Miami hoist the MLS Cup, and now their title defense is on.
There was tons of action to kick the year off. LAFC dominated Inter Miami at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Nashville showed why they will be contenders in the East. Michael Bradley's head-coaching debut with the New York Red Bulls also showcased an exciting youth movement in the squad. Tai Baribo got back at his former club, and so much more!
Leg Two of the Concacaf Champions Cup will take place on Tuesday, Wednesdaym and Thursday, followed by Matchday 2 on Saturday and Sunday. Before we start looking at this coming Matchday, let's revisit some of my top matches from this past weekend.
Here are my top five matches from MLS Matchday 1:
In his debut match for DC United and against his former club, Tai Baribo scored the lone goal against the Philadelphia Union in a 1-0 win. Baribo's first goal of the match was called offside, but he found the back of the net in the 23', and this one stood.
The Union finished the match with a higher ball possession percentage (51%-49%) but were unable to generate legitimate chances. Ezekiel Alladoh was given a red card in the 59' after exchanging words with an official, which severely hindered the Union's chances of finding an equalizer. We'll see what the disciplinary outcome will be for Alladoh.
The Union was the clear favorite coming into the match after winning last year's Supporters' Shield, but a fresh DC United side battled hard and hung on for a 1-0 win.
The biggest match heading into Matchday 1 was LAFC hosting Inter Miami at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Lionel Messi vs. Heung-min Son. No better way to start the season. But in their first match defending their MLS Cup crown, Inter Miami fell flat, losing 3-0.
David Martinez opened the scoring for LAFC in the 38' courtesy of an assist by Son. Denis Bouanga found the back of the net in the 73', and then the final stamp from Nathan Ordaz in the 90+4' sealed the match.
Miami hounded LAFC in ball possession (68%-32%), but only generated one big chance, compared to six for LAFC.
After the match, Messi was seen entering the officials' locker room. After speculation, Messi did not violate league policy after review of the alleged incident.
The San Jose Earthquakes also picked up a 3-0 win of their own over Sporting Kansas City. Newly signed striker Timo Werner did not make his debut for the Quakes due to visa complications. But no Werner, no problem.
Daniel Munie put the Quakes up first in the 42'. Preston Judd doubled the lead in the 45+2' right before the halftime whistle, and then Munie added a brace in the 54'.
San Jose will be an interesting team to watch this season. They were intriguing to watch at times in 2025, but ultimately fell flat and missed out on easy points more than once. Hopefully, Timo Werner can help them reach the next step/
There's a lot of hype surrounding Nashville SC this year. The addition of Cristian Espinoza in the offseason will most likely make them extreme contenders in the Eastern Conference. Knowing what Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar will bring makes Nashville an exciting team to follow in 2026.
Speaking of Surridge, he wasted no time scoring. He added a brace within the first 20 minutes (5', 16') to give Nashville a quick lead. Mukhtar then tripled the lead in the 39'.
Leonardo Campana put the Revs on the board in the 47th minute, but the hope for a comeback was short-lived after Warren Madrigal added a fourth goal for Nashville. Madrigal added the dagger in his MLS debut.
New England was missing two of their top centerback's, so it's not really that surprising Nashville hounded them all night.
After a stunning inaugural season in 2025, San Diego FC came firing out of the gates against CF Montreal to begin 2026. They found the back of the net five times and walked away with a clean sheet.
Predictions already have Montreal finishing near the bottom of the East again in 2026, and this start did not do them any favors early on.
Christian McVey (14') and Amahl Pellegrino (45+2') scored for San Diego in the first half, then the club piled on for three goals in the second half from Onni Valakari (53'), Marcus Ingvarsten (59'), and Bryan Zamble (85'). Montreal's Tomas Aviles was sent off in the 50' after receiving a red card.
San Diego looks good again!
Nashville SC - 3 pts
FC Cincinnati - 3 pts
New York Red Bulls - 3 pts
DC United - 3 pts
Charlotte FC - 1 pt
NYCFC - 1 pt
San Diego FC - 3 pts
LAFC - 3 pts
San Jose Earthquakes - 3 pts
Seattle Sounders - 3 pts
Portland Timbers - 3 pts
FC Dallas - 3 pts
Houston Dynamo - 3 pts
Vancouver Whitecaps - 3 pts
Austin FC - 1 pt
Minnesota United - 1 pt
St. Louis City - 1 pt
LA Galaxy - 1 pt
Real Salt Lake - 0 pts
Colorado Rapids - 0 pts
Sporting Kansas City - 0 pts
