The first half of the 2026 MLS campaign is complete, and now it's time for the World Cup!
MLS Matchday 15 wrapped up on Sunday night with two Sunday Night Soccer matches. Inter Miami took down the Philadelphia Union, 6-4, in what was the second-highest-scoring game in MLS history and the highest-scoring first half in league history! The Union will enter the World Cup break still sitting last in the league with seven points.
LAFC picked up a 1-0 win over the Seattle Sounders in the second match of Sunday Night Soccer. LAFC picked up a much-needed three points after a previous four-game losing streak, with three losses in league play. LAFC leapfrogged Seattle to move into fifth in the Western Conference with the win.
Nashville SC sits at the top of the Eastern Conference and the Supporters' Shield table entering the break. Nashville picked up a 2-1 win over NYCFC on Saturday. Their historic start continues to roll on.
Out West, the Vancouver Whitecaps are sitting at the top of the table with 32 points, tied with the San Jose Earthquakes, but Vancouver has the goal differential in its favor. The Caps beat San Diego FC, 4-2, on Saturday to remain at the top.
FC Dallas will enter the break in fourth in the West. A 2-1 win over Colorado and Seattle's loss to LAFC saw Dallas move up one spot. Dallas has been a surprise team, along with Real Salt Lake, who are in third with 26 points.
With no MLS action until Friday, July 17, all focus is now on the World Cup. But before we jump into World Cup action, here are some of the matches that highlighted MLS Matchday 15.
Nobody expected this on Sunday Night Soccer. Maybe almost everyone expected a Miami win, but not in this fashion.
The Philadelphia Union entered Nu Stadium for the first time and wasted absolutely no time. The Union has struggled to score goals all season, but Milan Iloski found the back of the net just in the 4'. Six minutes later, he doubled the lead from the penalty spot. Who would have thought it would be 2-0 Union just 10 minutes in?
But then Miami started to claw back. German Berterame scored in the 13' to bring the match within one, until Bruno Damiani scored in the 20' for Philly. His first goal of the season!
Luis Suárez made it 3-2 in the 29', then Berterame scored a brace in the 42', and Suárez then scored his brace in the 44'. In the first half stoppage time, Iloski was given another penalty and scored a hat trick in the 45+8'. The first half would end 4-4; the most goals scored in a first half in league history.
In the second half, it was all Miami. Suárez scored his own hat trick in the 81', and then Rodrigo De Paul sealed the match in the 90+3'. The Union had a few chances but couldn't get anything going.
Another wild match from the weekend, DC United hosted CF Montreal in a 4-4 draw at Audi Field. Prince Osei Owusu scored a hat trick for Montreal in the draw.
DC was flying at the start of the match and controlling the opening stages of the first half. Louis Munteanu scored in the 9', and then Jared Stroud doubled the lead in the 28'. Owsus got Montreal on the board in the 45+1' to head into the half with growing momentum.
Montreal didn't fade out in the second half, trading goals with DC back and forth. Montreal scored twice in stoppage time to pull out one point in the 4-4 draw.
The Portland Timbers hosted the San Jose Earthquakes in the Walmart Saturday Showdown at Providence Park. The Quakes came out firing with two goals from Preston Judd in the first 12 minutes.
Antony pulled one back for Portland in the 18', then Daniel Munie doubled San Jose's lead again in the 24'. Portland controlled ball possession in this match, but couldn't add anything else to the scoresheet after Antony's goal. Portland sits in 13th in the West, while San Jose is 11 spots ahead.
Following the loss and poor start to the year, Portland parted ways with head coach Phil Neville.
Nashville SC's blistering start to 2026 sees them entering the break at the top of the East and Supporters' Shield table. A 2-1 win over NYCFC sees Nashville two points ahead of Miami in the East.
NYCFC was competitive in this one. They had long stretches of strong buildup play, but their weakness on defense cost them three points. NYCFC sits in eighth heading into the break
The past couple of weeks have been rough for LAFC, but they finally managed a win over the Seattle Sounders on Sunday Night Soccer. It looked as though this was headed to a 0-0 draw until Timothy Tilman scored for LAFC in the 86'.
This match probably felt like a sigh of relief for an LAFC squad that started the year at the top of the West but then faded out rather fast. It won't be a surprise to see them inching to the top of the West again in the second half.
St. Louis City SC 3-0 Austin FC
Minnesota United 1-1 Real Salt Lake
Charlotte FC 1-0 New England Revolution
DC United 4-4 CF Montreal
FC Cincinnati 6-2 Orlando City
Chicago Fire 2-1 Toronto FC
Nashville SC 2-1 NYCFC
Sporting Kansas City 1-2 New York Red Bulls
Colorado Rapids 1-2 FC Dallas
Portland Timbers 1-3 San Jose Earthquakes
San Diego FC 2-4 Vancouver Whitecaps
LA Galaxy 1-1 Houston Dynamo
Columbus Crew 2-0 Atlanta United
Inter Miami 6-4 Philadelphia Union
LAFC 1-0 Seattle Sounders
Nashville SC - 33 pts
Inter Miami - 31 pts
Chicago Fire - 26 pts
Vancouver Whitecaps - 32 pts
San Jose Earthquakes - 32 pts
Real Salt Lake - 26 pts
FC Dallas - 25 pts
LAFC - 24 pts
Seattle Sounders - 24 pts
Houston Dynamo - 22 pts
Minnesota United - 22 pts
LA Galaxy - 20 pts
San Diego FC - 17 pts
Colorado Rapids - 16 pts
St. Louis City - 16 pts
Portland Timbers - 14 pts
Austin FC - 14 pts
Sporting Kansas City - 11 pts
MORE: Philadelphia Union lose 6-4 to Inter Miami in last game before World Cup break
