Soccerwise Minutes

October 27, 2026

First and foremost, while we are focused mostly on American soccer, congratulations are in order for Harry Kane winning the Ballon d’Or. Well overdue, becoming the first Englishman to win the award in 25 years.

Another weekend of MLS and NWSL action in the books. Nashville finally secured the Shield; up next, the points record. In the NWSL, the Shield will come down to Decision Day, but a whole lot of playoff spots were secured. It’s starting to smell like the playoffs, and we’ve got more Wednesday night action before Halloween weekend. 

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🥅 Goal of the Weekend:

The turn, then a pure strike from Boston Legacy’s Alba Cano.

🥳 The Best Thing We Saw :

Elite goal celebrations are a must when you are a center back that rarely scores.

⏪ MLS Weekend Rewind:

It was a quiet one by MLS standards, but also an impactful one as we catch you up on this weekend’s action. Two trophies were lifted, and a major six-pointer saw Cincinnati strengthen their playoff hopes.

🏆 Nashville SC are your 2026 Supporters’ Shield Winners, tying the MLS record as the fastest team to capture the regular season title. It's been a season nothing short of spectacular, and their 2025 Open Cup trophy now has a new friend after a 2-0 win over CF Montreal. Already at 70 points from 31 matches with 21 wins, next up is the chance for the MLS points record. Yeah, the one Inter Miami and Messi set only two years ago with 74 points. Nashville only needs five points from three games after their latest win. Sam Surridge, with his 18th goal of the season, and Hany Mukhtar, scoring his seventh in his last six matches, stepped up to secure the trophy. And the best defense in MLS stood tall again with its MLS-leading 14th shutout behind goalkeeper Brian Schwake’s six saves. With just two losses in their last 25 matches, they are surely the frontrunners to lift another trophy come December.

🚦El Trafico brought all the drama and then some. First came the VAR decision on Son’s disallowed goal, then referee Armando Villareal's confusing explanation, followed by the LA Galaxy grabbing the lead through Joseph Paintsil, who was only starting because Marco Reus got sick. Paintsil then had one of his best games in a while, doubling the Galaxy’s lead early in the second half to complete his brace. But in rivalry fashion, LAFC mounted a comeback, with Denis Bouanga owning the Galaxy again before newcomer Leo Walta scored his first-ever Derby goal. But oh my goodness, the pure chaos at the end, when it looked like LAFC was going to take all three points…but nope, an offside decision killed the vibes. As a consolation prize, LAFC did take home a playoff spot in the 2-2 draw. And the Galaxy, despite the disappointment, have only lost once in their last seven games and sit just above the playoff line. 

🫎 FC Dallas said unleash the Moose as Petar Musa isn't going quietly in the Golden Boot race after leading his squad to a massive 3-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes. With that win and a Vancouver loss to Colorado, the race for the top spot in the West isn't done yet, as Dallas now sits just one point behind Vancouver in the standings. A brace for the sensational Croatian striker brings his season total to 22 goals; he's a goal machine now, with 56 goals since arriving in Frisco in 2024. With a win over the Quakes, that’s five straight at Toyota Stadium, and Dallas plays two of its last three games at home.

🗽Red Bull New York: Classic MLS UNO reverse card of momentum this game. After back-to-back Red Bull losses, they bounced back at home with a 2-0 win against Inter Miami. And yes, the reigning champions were without Lionel Messi in the starting lineup. The best MLS team in New Jersey benefited from an early Casemiro own goal, and Emil Forsberg sealed the deal late with his fourth goal of the season to secure a vital 2-0 win. For now, New York sits above the playoff line, but only by the smallest of margins: a single point ahead of Columbus, three points clear of Toronto, and four points above New York City FC. It won’t get any easier for Michael Bradley’s squad, as their next two games include visits to New England and Nashville.

MLS Rapid Fire: New England snapped Philadelphia’s 15-game unbeaten streak with a 2-1 win…CF Montreal was officially eliminated from playoff contention…Alonso Martinez scored his first goal since returning from injury for NYCFC…Real Salt Lake kept its playoff hopes alive thanks to a St. Louis red card and Sergi Solans brace in a 3-0 win…Columbus bounced back from their Open Cup disappointment with a 4-2 win over Toronto FC, powered by a hat trick of assists from Dylan Chambost…Providence Park magic prevailed as Alexander Aravena’s 96th-minute winner gave Portland a 3-2 win…And the great Diego Chara announced on Monday he’s hanging it up after the 2027 MLS Sprint season. 

Plus, don’t forget to check out Monday’s Soccerwise episode. Tom, Doyle and Gass break down Nashville’s dominant season thus far, the best games from the weekend, and talk a little MLS end-of-season awards.

🇺🇲 Yanks Abroad:

There were a whole bunch of guys who got on the scoresheet over the weekend, so let's run you through what you might have missed.

Alex Freeman has carried his stellar form from the World Cup into the La Liga season, and now he’s scoring goals for club as well. The USMNT defender scored his first career La Liga goal, delivering a critical equalizer in the 69th minute against Valencia to spark a 2-1 comeback win. 

Christian Pulisic linked up with Luka Modric to score his second goal of the season just six minutes in, helping AC Milan to a 2-0 win over Udinese on Sunday. The American’s impressive track record against Udinese continued as he now has six goal contributions in six matches against them.

Tim Weah captained his Marseille side in a thrilling 4-3 win over Le Havre on Sunday. A week after dropping a pair of assists, the right back scored his first goal of the Ligue 1 season in impressive fashion.

Aidan Morris helped lead Middlesbrough to a 5-1 win over Bolton on Friday night. Morris opened the scoring for Boro in the 13th minute. His second goal of the season keeps his squad atop the Championship table, now unbeaten in their last 10 league games.

Weston McKennie broke his goal-scoring drought with Juventus, scoring the game-winner and his first goal of the season in a 2-0 win over Lecce on Sunday. It was his first goal since April, snapping a 13-game goalless run in all competitions. 

Joe Scally not only scored but also added an assist to help Borussia Mönchengladbach stop their six-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over VfB Stuttgart. His 38th-minute goal was an insane equalizer, and his assist led to the game-winner in the 66th minute.

📺 Midweek Watchlist:

High stakes and drama are on the horizon; here’s our guide to the weekend as you settle in to enjoy your footy.

Inter Miami vs. FC Cincinnati, MLS (Wed., Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m. ET, Apple TV): We picked this one because we think there juussstttt might be some goals. Messi + Evander = fun. Two of the highest-scoring teams in the Eastern Conference, plus Cincinnati needs points to stay in the playoff hunt. The last time these two teams met, we got eight goals and a brace from Messi, so it seems like a good bet.

Nashville SC vs. Philadelphia Union, MLS (Wed., Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m. ET, Apple TV): Nashville is on history watch, and this is a chance to see where second-half darlings Philadelphia stack up amongst the playoff teams out East. Neither team scored last time they met in May, and Nashville has been virtually unbeatable at home this season. It will be a tough task for the Union, with Cavan Sullivan’s status questionable and Milan Iloski and Bruno Damiani both missing. 

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Colorado Rapids, MLS (Wed., Oct. 28, 9:30 p.m. ET, Apple TV): This one might be for the sickos; it's an old-school series. A win for the Quakes keeps them in the top four, while one for the Rapids would get them out of a dreaded play-in game. San Jose rallied to earn a point when these two teams played in October out in Colorado with goalkeeper Earl Edwards standing on his head, making nine saves.

📰 Other Things You Might Have Missed:

• It was the goal heard round NWSL on Friday night. Marie Muller’s emphatic strike from the edge of the box secured Portland’s spot in the NWSL postseason with a 1-0 win against North Carolina. It also locked up spots for Angel City, Kansas City, and Utah Royals FC. It’s Utah's first-ever trip to the postseason; check out the reactions. 
• The NWSL Shield has, is and forever shall be up for grabs on Decision Day. This is the fifth season the Shield will be decided on the final day, along with 2013, 2016, 2022, and 2023. Gotham FC is in pole position after a 2-1 win over Orlando on the weekend, while San Diego is three points off the pace; they squandered a 2-1 lead at home to Boston and settled for a 2-2 draw.
• At the other end of the table, it’s a race for the final playoff spot, and it all comes down to Denver Summit (41pts), North Carolina (42pts) and Seattle Reign FC (44pts). The Summit rolled Louisville 6-1 to stay in the playoff conversation. They now lead the league in goals scored (53) while also being on the outside looking in at 10th place. The league’s top-scoring offense has never missed the postseason. 
• The USL Championship playoff field is set: San Antonio FC and Phoenix Rising FC clinched the last two Western Conference playoff spots on the final day, and Miami FC locked up their spot in the Eastern Conference. And they open their playoffs on Friday; you can find the full schedule here.
• 🇺🇲 The U.S. U-17 WNT dropped their final group game at the World Cup, falling to China PR 3-2 on Sunday in Morocco. Up next: a date with group-winners Spain in the Round of 16 on Thursday at 2 p.m. ET. Incredibly, Maddie DiMaria netted her 11th goal of the tournament, setting a USYNT, USWNT, and FIFA Women’s World Cup record for most goals by a player at any level in a FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament. The new mark (which might continue growing) bested Michelle Akers’ 10 goals from the 1991 Women’s World Cup.

Quick Links, Kickback:

• Soccerwise: David Gass and your Kickback family have you covered all things MLS, NWSL and U.S. Soccer.
• First Touch: Your American home for the global game. Join us every week for First Touch Dispatch and First Touch Weekly with Susannah Fuller for the stories and conversations shaping soccer around the world.
• Tom Bogert, The Athletic: No one better to keep you up-to-date on all of the silly season news from MLS!
• Tactics Free Zone: Matt Doyle is your go-to analyst for all MLS action.

Quick Links, Kickback Partners:

• Happy Foot, Sad Foot is your go-to podcast for LAFC. Check out their weekly pod and some pretty sweet merch. 
• Out West, San Diego Futbol has you covered for all things San Diego FC. San Diego’s #1 source for all things soccer.
• Five Stripe Final  has your coverage of Atlanta United. Check out their Substack and listen to their podcast to keep up to date.
• And for our friends on the East Coast, The Blazing Musket covers soccer across New England, from the Revs to Legacy and a whole lot of love for the USL.
• SixOneFive Soccer has you covered as they continue to recap Nashville’s historic run. The Music City men are headed to Toronto midweek and they have you covered.
• Check out Sounder at Heart as they provide all the coverage for the Boys in Rave Green, keeping you up-to-date as Seattle looks to make a playoff push.
• TopBin90 is your main source for Charlotte FC and beyond. Also, with college soccer season now in full swing, they can keep you up to date with College Soccer News.