Evander_-_asn_top_-_cincinnati_goal_vs._miami_-_7-17-25
MLS Analysis

MLS thoughts: Evander brilliant in Cincy win, Yank trio helps Vancouver, LAFC gets big win, & more

ASN's Brian Sciaretta breaks down the midweek slate of games in MLS, starting with FC Cincinnati's brillian game against Messi and Miami. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
July 22, 2025
1:10 AM

ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, MLS had a nearly full slate of games which featured a bunch of matchups between top teams. The big winner on the night was FC Cincinnati after its convincing win over Inter Miami but Nashville, LAFC, and Vancouver were also top performers in the midweek slate.

Here are a few thoughts on what transpired.

 

Evander & Cincy brilliant in win over Miami

 

After squandering a 2-0 lead at home to Ohio rivals Columbus Crew 4-2 loss over the weekend, FC Cincinnati responded in terrific form with a 3-0 win over Inter Miami. Cincy was able to shut down Messi and friends while picking apart the team’s porous defense.

Cincinnati’s performance was one of the best in MLS this season. They were terrific in every area of the game.

Evander scored two goals and now has 15 goals and seven assists this season. He has eight goals in his last five games and is a clear MVP candidate along with Lionel Messi, Sam Surridge, and Anders Dreyer.

 

Also of note in this performance was that young American forward Gerardo Valenzuela scored the opening goal. The 20-year-old forward is from South Florida and left the Inter Miami academy in 2020 to join Cincinnati.

But other Americans were also in great form. Matt Miazga and Miles Robinson were both good. Roman Celentano made two saves, and DeAndre Yedlin had a strong shift.

For Miami, the questions remain the same. Will this team break down over time due to age? They were a step behind in this game.

Still, with Cincinnati sitting second and Miami sitting fifth but with a lot of talent, this could be a preview of the Eastern Conference final.

Meanwhile, the crowd in Cincinnati was terrific for this game.

 

Nashville woops Columbus 3-0

 

Sam Surridge now has 17 goals on the season to lead the league after he scored for Nashville in a convincing 3-0 win over the Columbus Crew.

Between Surridge, Hany Mukhtar, Andy Najar (who now has 10 assists), and Walker Zimmerman, the team is incredibly balanced.

Columbus looked drained after its big 4-2 comeback win over Cincinnati over the weekend. But Columbus remains a force in the Eastern Conference.

Let’s face it, the top of the East is stacked: Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Nashville, Columbus, and Inter Miami are all way above everyone else. Everyone else is way behind.

 

Philly beats Montreal, remains in first

 

The Philadelphia Union defeated Montreal 2-1 on Wednesday night in Pennsylvania. The game was tougher than expected for the Union, which continues to stay atop the table in the Eastern Conference.  The Union opened the scoring from Tai Baribo before finding the winner in the 50th minute on an outstanding header from Olwethu Makhanya.

Montreal had a chance to equalize in the end but hit the post.

Philadelphia’s has a lot of balance, and it has a lot of people contributing, but is this team built for the postseason when it comes down to designated players. Can Baribo be the type of player that does what elite players in the league do?

 

Red Bulls rally past Revs

 

The New York Red Bulls were playing terrible soccer in the first half and were lucky to be down just 2-0 at halftime. Following the ugly 2-0 loss to the Union over the weekend, RBNY needed a spark.

But the Red Bulls turned in a memorable second half enroute to a 5-3 win. RBNY scored five straight goals and Emil Forsberg was the driving force with two goals and an assist.

The win keeps the Red Bulls on the inside of the playoff bubble but needing a rally to beat a lowly New England team doesn’t move the needle. The Red Bulls still lack talent and are dependent on Lewis Morgan getting back, which is troubling given how injured Morgan has been. Their defense just gives up too much space.

Will this be the year the Red Bulls see their playoff streak end? It’s a coin flip. Either way, another good run is unlikely. The top of the East is just too good.

As for New England, Caleb Porter might be in trouble.

 

Atlanta rallies for draw with Chicago

 

It’s not good that Atlanta has needed late equalizing goals for draws in their last two games against two struggling opponents – Toronto and now Chicago. It was a good moment to see young American Will Reilly score in the fourth minute of stoppage time lift Atlanta to a result. But a draw still leaves them 12 points out of the playoff line. They are quickly approaching a point where the games are meaningless.

For Atlanta, it has been a brutal month with the play of the field and Garth Lagerwey taking a hiatus due to cancer. Now, big decisions must be made. They playoffs might be lost, but they have to shed the gut of this team and a decision will have to be made on Ronny Deila, who isn’t getting his team to perform.

One encouraging note for American fans is that U.S. U-20 winger Luke Brennan is starting to play more for Atlanta and is looking dangerous in his minutes.

As for Chicago, it was a disappointing end as it kept them outside of the playoff line. But the team is improving this season under Gregg Berhalter. They’ve had a difficult schedule recently (loss vs. San Diego and Cincinnati before this), but I like how they are playing now and their next two games (at Montreal, vs. Red Bulls) are more manageable.

 

Vancouver ends skid vs. Houston

 

Vancouver finally played up to their potential in Wednesday’s 3-0 away win over Houston. The big reason is Sebastian Berhalter and Brian White are back and fully focused after the Gold Cup. Vancouver isn’t deep, but they are good when all their top players are around (and remember, Ryan Gauld isn’t even back yet). Both Berhalter, White, and Emmanuel Sabbi scored in this game that was convincing.

Vancouver is now back into second place and, most importantly, is playing better. If Gauld returns, this team can challenge in the West.

As for Houston, they were held scoreless for the second straight game and are three points behind the last playoff spot.

 

LAFC wins big game in Minnesota

 

In a matchup between two good Western teams, LAFC traveled to Minnesota and came away with a 1-0 win. Jeremey Ebbobisse drew a penalty and Denis Bouanga converted it just before halftime.

If LAFC were a stock, buy it. They’ve won four of five games and have three games in hand due to the Club World Cup. They are in fourth place but should continue to climb. The club’s poor start was because Bouanga wasn’t scoring, but that was always going to be a temporary problem.

The injury to Aaron Long is a setback, but one where the club knows what it needs to fill that void.

 

Seattle chokes away win vs. Colorado

 

Seattle had a 3-0 lead at home only to see the Rapids claw back and get a 3-3 draw. Frustrating draw for the Sounders who conceded two penalties to let Colorado back into the game (it was interesting that Djordje Mihailovic took the first kick and Cole Bassett took the second). It was a nice final equalizer from Darren Yapi.

For the Rapids, one takeaway is that Zack Steffen made a terrible error on the second Sounders goal when he botched a clearance and then did not get back to his goal in time. At a time when the USMNT goalkeeping position is up for grabs, he is hurting his case.

Rapids remain in the mix for a playoff spot and Armas has their group playing hard.

This was just a loss of focus for a Seattle team that is very inconsistent and cannot seem to field a fully healthy team on a regular basis. They will finish in the top six, but they don’t scare anyone.

 

Other notes

 

Toronto stunned San Diego with a 1-0 win in California. San Diego has been punching above their weight and still sit in first. But they’re not good enough to look past anyone.

Orlando is not playing well and conceded a late goal in a 2-1 loss to NYCFC. Orlando has the attacking power to be among the better teams in the league but things have been coming unglued. As for NYCFC, they should improve with summer reinforcements as they start adding DP’s.

Austin defeated the LA Galaxy 2-1 to remain on the inside of the playoff bubble.

Things are starting to trend upward for RSL with their fourth win in five games, this time a quality 1-0 away at Portland. Every game is a battle right now for RSL, but Mastroeni has this team fighting.

San Jose played FC Dallas to a 2-2 draw between two struggling teams.

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