In a league with a forgiving playoff format, slow starts aren’t insurmountable obstacles for MLS teams. Just ask last year’s Sporting Kansas City, as they advanced to the second round of the postseason despite failing to win any of their first 10 games.
But an early unbeaten run can set the tone for a great season. In 2023, four teams had found themselves without a loss at this point last year. Conference winners FC Cincinnati and St. Louis City SC dominated the regular season. MLS Cup finalist LAFC set the tone for its eventual runner-up finish. And Minnesota United had a calamitous second half that saw it miss the playoffs and move on from its coach. In short, it’s all about how you build on that strong start.
As the calendar turns to April, three teams have yet to suffer defeat in the regular season. Which will remain in contention for hardware at the season’s end?
Three undefeated teams remain. How have they done it?
Los Angeles Galaxy (3-3-0; 12 points)
For a full decade now, Los Angeles has been on the outside of MLS’s upper echelon, unable to get the calculus right as it tries to return to its lofty heights from the early 2010s.
So it’s with some hesitation that we proclaim that the Galaxy could indeed be back — and it doesn’t hurt that they’re starting hot in a West that’s balanced but lacking a clear favorite for a second straight season.
Advertisement
One of the most fun teams in the league to watch, the LA Galaxy has started the season strong thanks to an elite attack. Riqui Puig and Dejan Joveljic returned as two of the remaining roster’s bright spots, while newcomers Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Pec have swiftly integrated to contribute as hoped — and then some.
Stylistically, this team suits Puig and his proactive possession habits. The Galaxy is averse to route one heaving and, as seen in the graphic above, has the third-lowest rate of passes at least 35 yards (9%). Thanks in large part to Paintsil, they have the league’s second-most ‘direct attacks’ (open play sequences that start from just inside their own half and have at least 50% movement towards the opponent’s goal), with 3.8 per 90 minutes.
If there’s a reason for apprehension, it’s once again their defense. The Galaxy have never been a fervent forward-pressing operation under Greg Vanney, and concede far more shots (16.2 per 90) than a typical top-end side, even if they’re largely consigning opponents to shooting in less dangerous areas (0.09 xG per shot).
The Galaxy did keep its first clean sheet of 2024 on Saturday with a 1-0 win over the Seattle Sounders, though. If that’s the start of a trend, the Galaxy may (finally) be back.
Philadelphia Union (2-3-0; 9 points)
A disappointing run of form can quickly morph into an “impressive” unbeaten streak, eh?
The Philadelphia Union drew its first three MLS games — plus a humiliating 6-0 loss to Pachuca in Champions Cup play — but bounced back for two straight wins. They’ve done it by looking like the Philly we’ve come to know in this era: strong defense and killer transition play.
No team does more to maximize its distribution, sending 18.3% of their passes long to coincide with the league’s third most rapid rate of ball progression, as seen in the graphic above. Defensively, head coach Jim Curtin and his staff have them playing as sturdily as usual, conceding a low volume of shots from an average level of danger.
Advertisement
Julian Carranza and Daniel Gazdag both scored against Minnesota on Saturday, bringing each designated player to three goals in the young season. Their third DP, Mikael Uhre, also has two goals and an assist to date.
So often, the Union has gotten big games and fallen just short as other teams’ stars provide that proverbial edge. If Carranza, Gazdag and Uhre can consistently deliver in front of goal, this may finally be the year that sees the Union win its first MLS Cup.
FC Cincinnati (3-3-0; 12 points)
FC Cincinnati has blitzed to an unbeaten start to 2024 with a new identity. Despite returning reigning MLS MVP Lucho Acosta and high-priced forward Aaron Boupendza, the attack is middling, with six goals (T-24th in MLS) on 7.75 xG (16th).
Even more worrying is that none of the team’s underlying numbers in attack suggest this should be a team in contention for another Supporters Shield. In fact, they’re downright pedestrian with a sixth of their season already in the books.
Through six games, the team’s new approach has come with some growing pains. After trailing only LAFC with 3.13 direct attacks per 90 last season, that rate has dropped to the league’s 14th best among 29 teams. They’ve increased their shot volume slightly from 12.8 last year to a current clip of 14.2, but they’re coming from far less advantageous places. Last year’s team led MLS with an average of 0.124 xG per shot, while this year’s 0.91 rate is the eighth-worst in the league.
Some of this is to be expected when a team sells its two star strikers in consecutive windows and doesn’t replace them with a similarly prolific center forward. Instead, this winter’s emphasis was fortifying the defense, adding Miles Robinson and DeAndre Yedlin to an already strong unit. That’s proven wise to keep pace as they work out the attack, as the group has conceded just three goals this year — and only one of those has been from open play.
Thus far, Cincinnati looks a bit more mortal than last spring. If they can get their attack back on course, however, a roster with this defensive depth should remain in contention for hardware on multiple fronts.
Chicho Arango: A Colombian in good form
Real Salt Lake made the playoffs last season despite winning more games on the road (eight) than at home (six). It seemed, on Saturday night, like the home woes would continue, as RSL gave up a third-minute goal to St. Louis City.
The scoreline remained the same for more than an hour, but was flipped on its head in 21 minutes by the club’s star striker Chicho Arango. The Colombian scored a hat trick with all three goals coming late in the second half: an equalizer in the 70th, the game-winner in the 84th and his third in the 91st to lead RSL to a 3-1 win.
Chicho Arango bagged a hat trick to lead @realsaltlake over St. Louis CITY SC. 🎩🇨🇴 pic.twitter.com/6bvxnYY7Ys
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 31, 2024
Arango has five goals this season after scoring six in 11 appearances after joining RSL last year.
St. Louis City fans had hoped Arango might see a harsh punishment for throwing his hand down at Tomas Totland in the box just a few minutes before the run of goals started. It would have been an extreme decision by the referee, however.
The hat trick was the first by an RSL player since Damir Kreilach on Sept. 1, 2018. It was Arango’s second MLS hat trick. He completed the feat for LAFC on Oct. 20, 2021 in a 3-2 win over FC Dallas.
Luis Muriel: A Colombian in bad form
Orlando City’s slow start to 2024 continued with a 1-1 draw against the New York Red Bulls at home. The Lions, who were seen as MLS Cup contenders with a shot at the Supporters’ Shield, have just five points from six league matches and currently sit 13th in the Eastern Conference.
A microcosm of the club’s disappointing start is new forward Luis Muriel. The Colombia international’s signing was well received across the league, with Muriel having just wrapped up a prolific stint in Serie A with Atalanta. He joined an Orlando squad returning the vast majority of the core that delivered a club-record second-place finish in 2023.
To start 2024 it’s just been … off.
Muriel has not scored in league play or in three appearances in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, bringing his goal drought to his first 541 minutes with Orlando across all competitions. In league play, Orlando has only five goals, the fourth-worst in MLS at this early stage.
“At the end, as forwards, we have to make the quality pass, that quality finish,” head coach Oscar Pareja said. “At this point, we’re not finding that moment. Not just Luis, but we haven’t had that final punch.”
Muriel has most often been deployed as a second forward, with an idea to thrive in the half spaces, but in practice, he’s meandered around like a No. 10. He often doesn’t make dangerous runs into the box, instead picking up the ball further from goal than teams want from its DP forward.
Though the season is young, Muriel has also been MLS’s most underperforming central attacker. Among 65 strikers and attacking midfielders, his -0.55 xG underperformance is second-worst, only ahead of Miami’s Robert Taylor.
“Luis showed glimpses of his quality in the pocket underneath the forward,” Pareja said. “We’re trying to get the best out of these players (Muriel, Duncan McGuire, Jack Lynn). But certainly, we have a lot of work to do.”
GO DEEPER
How MLS referees and the league feel about CBA negotiations and the deal to return
Muriel, 32, had 68 goals and 28 assists in 184 appearances in his career with Atalanta, but was limited to a bench/rotation role this season before joining Orlando. He had two goals and one assist in 394 Serie A minutes plus four goals in 269 minutes in the Europa League. Muriel has a track recording for goalscoring but he hasn’t found that “punch” — as Pareja called it — with Orlando.
“We need to score goals if we want to win games,” Pareja said.
Cucho Hernandez: A Colombian in absentia
Columbus Crew star Cucho Hernandez was a surprise absence this weekend, having not been listed on the Crew’s matchday squad in its 2-2 draw against Nashville SC. The absence wasn’t injury-related, sources told The Athletic on Saturday, and head coach Wilfried Nancy didn’t reveal much more.
“Team policy,” Nancy told media after the match when asked about Hernandez.
Upon multiple follow-ups — including the nature of the “policy”, whether it was a suspension and if it had anything to do with his reaction to being subbed off in the Crew’s last match — Nancy declined to expand: “I will not answer,” Nancy said.
Cucho was visibly upset last weekend when he was subbed off by acting head coach Kwame Ampadu in the Crew’s 2-0 loss to Charlotte FC in the 89th minute. Ampadu was the matchday manager as Nancy missed the game due to illness. Cucho initially started walking towards the locker room rather than the bench when he exited the pitch, but ultimately turned around and returned to the bench with the rest of the subs.
Advertisement
It’s unclear if that incident led to Cucho being unavailable on Saturday.
Columbus host Tigres UANL in leg one of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday. Nancy would not confirm whether or not Hernandez will be available for selection.
“We’ll see,” Nancy said.
It’s a potentially huge absence. Hernandez is the Crew’s talisman and leader. The Colombian hit another level down the second half of last season and into the playoffs as the Crew made its surge. He scored five goals in the playoffs and was named MLS Cup MVP as he led Columbus to winning MLS Cup.
GO DEEPER
How Olivier Giroud fits at LAFC and when he could make his debut
This year, Cucho has picked up where he left off in 2023 with four goals and one assist across all competitions (seven appearances, 553 minutes). Cucho had 16 goals and seven assists in the 2023 regular season, good for 24 goals and 10 assists in 37 appearances in all competitions.
Anibal Godoy: A Panamanian with the goal of the weekend
Nashville SC may have dropped two points at home to the Crew, but Anibal Godoy’s acrobatic strike ensured this would be a notable weekend for players from nations on both sides of the Darien Gap.
(Top photos: Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports / Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports)