MLS REVIEW 9 Sep 2026: Six from fourteen, as the away sides did the model's damage

A losing night for the model, which landed six of its fourteen calls on a card that ran either side of midnight. The safest of them held true at Subaru Park, where Philadelphia Union's 5-0 win over ten-man FC Cincinnati produced the day's outlier: Bruno Damiani's first MLS hat-trick, in the 45th, 49th and 61st minutes, each goal set up by Cavan Sullivan, with a Quinn Sullivan penalty (43') and a second penalty for Milan Iloski (89') completing the rout. Cincinnati played almost the whole match a man light after Obinna Nwobodo was sent off in the 16th minute.

Three more of the model's home picks landed. D.C. United beat Columbus Crew 2-1, Tai Baribo scoring twice before the break (24', 37') before Santiago Rodriguez pulled one back early in the second half. Houston Dynamo saw off Real Salt Lake 2-1, Guilherme's 57th-minute opener holding until Saba Lobzhanidze equalised in the 76th, before Mateusz Bogusz settled it in the 87th. And at BMO Stadium, LAFC ended a run without a win by beating New York Red Bulls 2-0, seventeen-year-old academy product Jude Terry opening the scoring in the 21st minute and substitute Armindo Sieb, on his club debut, adding a second deep into stoppage time.

Vancouver's 3-0 win over LA Galaxy was the model's clearest call of the round and it delivered in full: Brian White volleyed the Whitecaps ahead in the 8th minute, Ryan Gauld doubled it in the 57th, his 50th MLS goal for the club and the first time any player has reached 50 goals and 50 assists in the Whitecaps' MLS-era history, and a stoppage-time penalty completed the scoring. Charlotte FC won 2-1 at CF Montreal, Daniel Rios's early opener cancelled out by Liel Abada before Idan Toklomati's 81st-minute strike settled it.

The away sides did most of the damage to our card elsewhere. Orlando City won 3-2 at Atlanta United despite trailing inside seven minutes, both of Atlanta's goals coming from Orlando players turning the ball into their own net while Antoine Griezmann supplied the actual scoring with a 26th-minute equaliser and a 77th-minute winner either side of Ivan Angulo's go-ahead goal in the 58th. Toronto FC came from behind to beat Nashville SC 2-1: a third-minute own goal gave Nashville the lead before Daniel Salloi levelled in the 72nd and substitute Emilio Aristizabal won it in stoppage time. New England Revolution won 2-1 at NYCFC, Carles Gil's 12th-minute penalty pegged back by Luighi Hanri in the 71st before substitute Daniel Gazdag settled it in the third minute of stoppage time, having had an earlier effort ruled out on review. FC Dallas won 2-1 at Minnesota United, Kaick's 62nd-minute opener cancelled out by Kelvin Yeboah before Santiago Moreno's 84th-minute goal won it, and San Jose Earthquakes held on to beat San Diego FC 3-2 after racing into a 3-0 lead inside 35 minutes through Niko Tsakiris, Preston Judd and Ousseni Bouda, Anders Dreyer and a stoppage-time Cedric Bakambu penalty making the finish nervy but no more.

Three matches the model favoured a winner in finished level. Austin FC and Colorado Rapids drew 1-1, Paxten Aaronson's 22nd-minute opener for Colorado cancelled out by Facundo Torres's 79th-minute header. Chicago Fire and Inter Miami shared a 1-1 draw in front of a club-record Soldier Field crowd, Robert Lewandowski's 10th-minute opener answered three minutes into the second half by a Casemiro header from a Lionel Messi corner. And Portland Timbers drew 2-2 with St Louis City, Rafael Navarro scoring twice on his home debut for the visitors either side of a Kristoffer Velde equaliser, Velde completing his own brace in the 89th minute to stretch St Louis City's unbeaten run further.

San Diego's head coach did not dress up the afternoon that undid the model's home pick. "We played far away from our best," Mikey Varas said afterward. "I just want to apologize to the fans, to Frontera and to everybody who follows the club, because it's really not a good performance."