MLS Matchday 2 took place this past weekend after another week of Concacaf Champions Cup play.
The Florida Derby between Inter Miami and Orlando City highlighted Sunday Night Soccer, and the match certainly lived up to its hype.
The Philadelphia Union had their home opener Sunday afternoon against NYCFC. The Union equalized in the 89' from a penalty, but NYCFC won it late in the 90+9'.
New York Red Bulls stayed sharp with a win over New England Revolution. Seventeen-year-old Julian Hall scored the lone goal for Red Bulls, his third of the year.
This is the toughest time of the year for most clubs due to slower-than-expected starts and maybe some tired legs from other competitions.
Nonetheless, the second Matchday of the season provided more great entertainment.
There's always drama between these two when they face each other. Hannes Wolf put NYCFC on the scoreboard first in the 36', and they held on to lead until the 89' when Indiana Vassilev converted on a somewhat controversial penalty call.
It looked like the match was going to end in a 1-1 draw until Olwethu Makhanya was sent off with a red card following a gesture towards the referee in the 90+2'. With Philly down to 10 men, NYCFC stayed patient, and Tayvon Gary scored the go-ahead goal in the 90+9'.
NYCFC has been composed in bigger moments just two weeks into the season, and disciplinary issues have cost the Union points early on.
Orlando City jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead against Miami, but Miami scored four consecutive goals in the second half, including two from Lionel Messi, to leave with a 4-2 win.
Miami seemed a bit rattled in the first half by Orlando's early pressing and energy, but the press eventually subsided, and Miami took control. Messi dictated Miami's tempo in the second half, allowing them to score at will.
After a 3-0 loss to LAFC to start the season, Miami didn't panic when being down 2-0 Sunday night. They showed that they remain the best MLS has to offer.
New York Red Bulls started hot against Orlando City in Matchday 1, winning 2-1. Seventeen-year-old Julian Hall scored a brace in the win, and he scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over New England Revolution on Saturday.
This was really classic Red Bulls ball. They pressed high, played vertical, and were relentless. The youngsters have been shining for Red Bulls early, and hopefully it means good things to come for the club.
He missed Matchday 1, but Timo Werner made his MLS debut for San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday. Werner was subbed on in the 61' for Preston Judd and provided his first assist in the 79' on a goal by Ousseni Bouda.
Werner's addition gives the club more pace and the ability to stretch the opposition's backlines. Werner will also be drawing double teams, allowing San Jose's players to play wide with space.
San Jose's two wins can draw skepticism because they took down lowly Sporting Kansas City during the first week and Atlanta United in the second, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that they have played well early on.
The LA Galaxy picked up their first win of the season with a 3-0 win over Charlotte FC. Last year, the then-defending MLS Cup Champions didn't win their first game until Matchday 17!
They don't have to worry about a historic losing streak this year. They scored all three goals within the first 15 minutes as well. Just an unreal start that they held onto.
Charlotte has been outplayed massively to open their 2026 campaign. Their next five matches will be at home, but this isn't the ideal start for a club that plans to be a contender in the East.
Chicago Fire 3-0 CF Montreal
New York Red Bulls 1-0 New England Revolution
Colorado Rapids 2-0 Portland Timbers
Minnesota United 1-0 FC Cincinnati
Real Salt Lake 2-1 Seattle Sounders
San Jose Earthquakes 2-0 Atlanta United
FC Dallas 0-0 Nashville SC
Houston Dynamo 0-2 LAFC
Sporting Kansas City 2-2 Columbus Crew
Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0 Toronto FC
LA Galaxy 3-0 Charlotte FC
Austin FC 1-0 DC United
Philadelphia Union 1-2 NYCFC
Orlando City 2-4 Inter Miami
San Diego FC 2-0 St. Louis City
New York Red Bulls - 6 pts
Nashville SC - 4 pts
NYCFC - 4 pts
Chicago Fire - 3 pts
FC Cincinnati - 3 pts
DC United - 3 pts
Inter Miami - 3 pts
Columbus Crew - 1 pt
Charlotte FC - 1 pt
Philadelphia Union - 0 pts
Orlando City - 0 pts
Toronto FC - 0 pts
New England Revolution - 0 pts
Atlanta United - 0 pts
CF Montreal - 0 pts
San Diego FC - 6 pts
LAFC - 6 pts
San Jose Earthquakes - 6 pts
Vancouver Whitecaps - 6 pts
LA Galaxy - 4 pts
Austin FC - 4 pts
FC Dallas - 4 pts
Minnesota United - 4 pts
Seattle Sounders - 3 pts
Colorado Rapids - 3 pts
Real Salt Lake - 3 pts
Portland Timbers - 3 pts
Houston Dynamo - 3 pts
St. Louis City - 1 pt
Sporting Kansas City - 1 pt
