MLS Matchday 26 Roundup

MLS emotions continue, and, this week, we enjoyed the actions of the matchday 26 of the 2024 season.

After the matches, we have that Inter Miami managed to take the top of the Eastern Conference again, taking advantage of FC Cincinnati’s defeat and, of course, their victory over Toronto FC. On the other hand, in the West, the LA Galaxy also did the same, as LAFC and Real Salt Lake drew, while the Californian team took three points and, thanks to this, they are alone at the top of the standings.

As we can see, the battles in both conferences continue to be very interesting, as several teams have real options to fight for the top of the table.

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MLS Matchday 26: Inter Miami vs. Toronto FC

Inter Miami took advantage of Luis Suárez’s return to the squad after his time with Uruguay at the Copa América 2024 to give them a boost of energy that led them to a comfortable 3-1 win over Toronto FC.

While the visiting team managed to dominate the ball (54% possession), their defense could not contain Inter Miami’s offense in this match.

Things started evenly, with both teams trying their best to take the lead. However, it was Inter Miami who managed to go into the break with a 1-0 lead, thanks to Diego Gomez Amarilla’s goal in the 43rd minute.

Then, at the start of the second half, the home team increased their lead with a double by Federico Redondo in the 53rd and 59th minutes.

Finally, in the 79th minute, Derrick Etienne scored Toronto FC’s consolation goal to put the game to bed.

Result: Inter Miami (3) – (1) Toronto FC

MLS Matchday 26: Cincinnati vs. Chicago Fire

One of the surprises of Matchday 26 was undoubtedly FC Cincinnati’s 1-0 loss to the Chicago Fire at home.

We were all sure that Cincinnati would make their home ground respected to stay at the top of the Eastern Conference. However, the team was not able to play at its best level, so they ended up losing on the scoreboard.

However, this does not mean that the team did not have opportunities to score several goals, as they had 19 scoring chances with 7 shots on goal. They also had 63% possession, so, we can give all the credit to the Chicago Fire defense and goalkeeper.

The only goal of the match was scored by Brian Gutierrez in the 69th minute to give the visitors the win in this tough match.

Result: Cincinnati (0) – (1) Chicago Fire FC

MLS Matchday 26: LA Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids

One of the most entertaining matches of the day was between LA Galaxy and Colorado Rapids, which left us with a shower of emotions and, of course, goals.

The match started very well for the Californian team, as they scored their first goal in the 12th minute through Diego Fagundez. However, Colorado reacted a few minutes later (31′), to equalize the score thanks to a goal by Kévin Cabral.

Then, 6 minutes later, Joseph Paintsil gave the LA Galaxy the lead again with a remarkable goal. This undoubtedly gave the team a lot of confidence as they pushed harder and in the 42′ minute, Riqui Puig scored the 3-1 that gave them peace of mind.

Finally, before the teams went to the break, in the 45+10′ minute, Cole Basset managed to bring Colorado closer to the scoreboard with a great goal, to put the game down.

Although the Galaxy had more chances to keep scoring goals, Colorado’s defense rose to the occasion in the second half.

Result: LA Galaxy (3) – (2) Colorado Rapids

MLS Matchday 26: LAFC vs. Real Salt Lake

Finally, the most important match of the day was a 1-1 draw between LAFC and Real Salt Lake. This result was terrible for both teams, as they ceded first place to the LA Galaxy, who won their match on the day.

LAFC started the game strongly at home and managed to score their goal in the same 5′ minute through Cristian Olivera Ibarra. From this point on, the Californian team began to generate scoring chances constantly. However, in the blink of an eye, in the 33rd minute, Real Salt Lake managed to equalize the score 1-1 with a goal by Brayan Vera.

The second half was a somewhat boring back-and-forth affair, where both teams were unable to find the necessary effectiveness in front of goal.

Result: LAFC (1) – (1) Real Salt Lake