MLS REVIEW 15 Aug 2026: Mukhtar Double Sinks Messi's Miami as Nashville Rout 4-1

Nashville produced the result of the day, beating Inter Miami 4-1 despite Lionel Messi missing a first-half penalty. A. Najar put the hosts ahead in the 17th minute, and Miami levelled through T. Segovia right before half-time, but the match turned early in the second half: Hany Mukhtar made it 2-1 in the 49th minute, Sam Surridge added a back-heeled third in the 56th, and Mukhtar struck again in the 63rd for 4-1. Messi's spot kick, taken in the 23rd minute with Nashville still 1-0 up, was saved, and Sergio Reguilon's follow-up was disallowed for encroachment after a video review. It left Messi without a scoring penalty for a third attempt in a row, something research shows had not happened to him since 2014, after also missing from the spot for Argentina against Austria and Egypt at this summer's World Cup. Our model had made Nashville only the 46% favourite, and the pick came in.

Toronto beat New England 2-1 despite finishing with ten men. W. Sands turned into his own net in the 43rd minute to put the hosts 1-0 up, and N. Dorsch doubled the lead before the interval; Toronto then had D. Mihailovic sent off in the 76th minute, and W. Harris pulled a goal back for New England in the 90th, but it wasn't enough - our model had given Toronto only a 40% chance, and the pick still landed. Atlanta came from behind to beat New York Red Bulls 2-1: E. Forsberg's sixth-minute opener held until T. Muyumba equalised in the 69th and F. Picault won it in the 82nd, a result our model had favoured at just 39% for the home side.

Charlotte beat Columbus 3-1, B. Bronico scoring inside the first minute and L. Abada converting a penalty in the ninth; C. Adams pulled one back for Columbus before half-time, and P. Biel added a third for Charlotte after it. Our model had Charlotte at 52% and got it right. Houston edged past LA Galaxy 1-0 on a Guilherme penalty in the 21st minute, in a match that produced two red cards - C. Garces for LA Galaxy in the 58th minute and I. Aliyu for Houston in the 90th - with the model's 56% call for the home side coming off. Colorado beat Sporting KC 2-0 through R. Cannon in the 65th minute and Rafael Navarro in the 90th, doing so against ten men from the 38th, when K. Agyabeng was sent off, and with Sporting reduced further after M. Mosquera also saw red in the 90th; it was the highest-rated model call of the day, Colorado backed at 66%. LAFC lost 0-1 at home to San Diego, beaten by an 89th-minute penalty from A. Dreyer, who was then sent off in the 90th.

Elsewhere, CF Montreal drew 1-1 with D.C. United, P. Owusu's penalty cancelled out by T. Baribo; Orlando drew 1-1 with Cincinnati, P. Bucha's first-half opener matched by T. Spicer after the break; Real Salt Lake drew 1-1 with Minnesota through late goals from S. Solans and J. Pereyra in the final ten minutes; and St Louis City won 3-1 at San Jose, D. Edelman opening the scoring inside ten minutes before S. Becher struck either side of a B. Leroux reply for the hosts, netting in the 27th and 55th minutes.