MLS weekend wrap: Orlando City lost a game, a goalie, and A Griezmann? | MLS

BBefore we begin our MLS weekend tour, a trivia question to ponder: Which team was the last to win the Supporters’ Shield to begin the following season with three consecutive defeats? Read till the end for the answer.

The fight in New York Orlando

Since their simultaneous debuts in 2015, the New York City and Orlando clubs have established themselves as mainstays in the upper third of the Eastern Conference. Their game on Saturday, however, featured only one team looking like this. Both teams barely had time to get into rhythm before Orlando goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau was sent off for handling the ball beyond the top of his box, and NYC FC was quick to make the visitors pay with Agustín Ojeda’s opening goal.

It ended 5-0. New York midfielder Keaton Parks scored a second-half brace a few months after undergoing a third procedure to resolve a blood circulation problem in his right leg, while Nicolás Fernández Mercau and Maxi Moralez cushioned Saturday afternoon’s rout. It’s the culmination of a strong start to 2026 for NYC FC, who lost to Miami in the Eastern Conference finals last year.

Orlando also reached the conference finals just two years ago, but they now appear far from being in a similar situation. Few teams have looked so irresponsible in MLS’s young season.

Defender Alex Freeman was expected to be difficult to replace after his sale to Villarreal, especially given his rapid rise from fringe prospect to one of the team’s most important players last season. Defensive stalwart Robin Jansson was also greatly missed and isn’t expected to return until later this spring after undergoing foot surgery in February. Crépeau was brought in to replace long-time starter Pedro Gallese and gave up five goals in his first two starts before Saturday’s blunder.

Perhaps the most poignant absence is that of a player who, at this rate, may never even make it to Orlando. The club went all-in on bringing Antoine Griezmann to MLS, looking to capitalize on his waning involvement with Atlético Madrid and his desire to live in the United States at some point. Hours before Saturday’s five-goal loss, Marca announced that Griezmann would not be traveling to Florida anytime soon. Atléti president Mateu Alemany told Marca that the France international has “still two years” after the end of the season and that he does not “see any major news” that would change those plans.

Orlando will have to study alternatives. Holding out for Mr. Right is a gamble; Toronto FC made a similar gamble this offseason with Josh Sargent, finally arriving from Norwich at the end of February. With the main MLS window set to close on March 26, time is running out for Orlando to add the talent they need to better compete in the East.

Nashville Mint an instant success

Speaking to the Guardian about Nashville’s signing of Cristian Espinoza, director of football Mike Jacobs didn’t hold back, calling the winger “the right guy” to justify “a full-court press trying to acquire him.”

Somehow his early returns exceeded those expectations, with the Argentine scoring his first goal with his new club in Nashville’s 3-1 win over Minnesota United. His goal was sandwiched by a double from Sam Surridge; the England striker is now tied at the top of the Golden Boot race with MLS weekend regular João Klauss.

The days when Nashville’s results depended on Hany Mukhtar are long gone. The 2022 MLS MVP has contributed to just one goal despite starting Nashville’s first three games, with his co-stars more than up to the task of leading the attack. If Mukhtar can achieve his usual scoring verve, few teams in the league seem ready to keep them at bay.

Minnesota enjoyed arguably the most impressive goal of the night, as Nectarios Triantis corralled an impressive 31-yard effort to dim Brian Schwake’s hopes of a clean sheet. Arriving last summer from Sunderland, Triantis has already become one of the best defensive midfielders in MLS, enjoying a 2024-25 loan spell with Hibernian. Born in Sydney, he committed his international future to Greece late last year.

Loons fans appreciate Triantis’ composure and panache best when he’s here. His professional journey certainly seems to bring him back to Europe.

Free-spending Atlanta falls to thrifty RSL

Atlanta United hoped to leave its good football in Tata Martino’s briefcase, bringing the veteran Argentine manager back to Mercedes-Benz Stadium after leaving the 2018 MLS Cup champions to take charge of Mexico and then Inter Miami. The first returns are not positive. After suffering two 2-0 defeats on the road, Atlanta’s home opener saw Real Salt Lake take a 2-0 lead within half an hour. The hosts managed to score a few goals, but a 3-2 home defeat leaves the club with the worst start in their history: three games, three defeats.

In his second stint, Martino inherited a team largely cobbled together by his predecessors Gonzalo Pineda and Ronny Deila, and the combination of players that followed – mostly thinner than tough – showed little steel or teeth.

Their Saturday counterpart, Real Salt Lake, doesn’t carry a star with the same appeal as Atlanta’s Miguel Almirón; The club also never managed to match Atlanta’s announced spending on forward Emmanuel Latte Lath, which was $22 million. Under the leadership of sports director Kurt Schmid, RSL to have has assembled an impressive collection of young talent. While Diego Luna is in contention for the U.S. World Cup team, the point guard has yet to participate this year due to a knee injury.

RSL have been better equipped to handle his absence thanks to Schmid’s team building over the past few windows. Striker Zavier Gozo, 18, is already coveted by Europe’s big clubs, a dynamic threat on the right side who scored the winner in the 40th minute.

Another local striker, Aiden Hezarkhani, scored RSL’s second goal of the day, while 23-year-old Sergi Solans (a Girona product) opened his MLS account. New winger Juan Manuel Sanabria quickly acclimatized after arriving from Atlético de San Luis, while new Designated Player Morgan Guilavogui scored his first goal with the club by assisting Solans’ opening goal.

To get to this point, Schmid has done a great job of not only operating in one of the league’s smallest markets, but also managing two ownership changes over the past half-decade. The result is that the team can be even more careful in handling Luna’s return and keep pace in a competitive Western Conference.

US World Cup hopes fuel Whitecaps

While the future of the Vancouver Whitecaps is uncertain given their stadium situation, the on-field product hasn’t diminished at all since their MLS Cup run.

Vancouver came to Providence Park and humiliated the Portland Timbers, 4-1. Brian White connected with the outside of his boot to finish a perfect cross from Sebastian Berhalter to open the scoring, and Tristan Blackmon doubled the lead in the 49th minute with his face, easily the most hilarious goal of the weekend.

Berhalter scored his own goal with a late strike from the edge of the box that has become part of his trademark. All three scorers hope, to varying degrees, to make Mauricio Pochettino’s U.S. squad for the World Cup. Berhalter continues to go from strength to strength and is most likely to represent the United States on his current form. This season, he has shown even greater confidence in midfield, sending the ball in all directions to maximize Vancouver’s efficiency in possession. White’s ability to draw goals on nasty chances is invaluable, even given the depth of the program’s forwards.

Such was the state of the Timbers that Thomas Müller felt the need to take pity on the hosts. As White capped the score and completed his brace, the German great asked his teammates to tone down their celebrations.

“When you play against a good team like Vancouver, you have to play like men, not like little boys,” Timbers coach Phil Neville said afterward. “And tonight, some players played like little boys.”

In fact, Portland’s young players seemed to be the only ones in a game Saturday, as their only scorer was an 18-year-old (Eric Izoita) recalled from Timbers 2.

A weakened shield defense

Bradley Carnell’s Philadelphia Union lost 1-0 at home to the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, their third league defeat in as many weeks. Even more worrying, and with all due respect to DC United, New York City FC and San Jose, it’s not like they play the MLS Cup favorites all the time.

The result saw Philadelphia become only the second team in MLS history to open their Supporters’ Shield defense with three defeats. The first: DC United in 2007. If Union fans want a lifeline, this 2007 DC team moved to the top of the standings, losing just four of their remaining 27 matches.

The Union travel to Atlanta on Saturday in a clash between two teams desperate to get a result.