For 94 minutes and 10 seconds, Sebastian Berhalter had been his typical self.
He patrolled the midfield for the Vancouver Whitecaps, looking to disrupt things. His heat map was a splash of orange stretching from the top arc of his defensive box to the arc of the Portland Timbers’ box.
This is what Berhalter does. It’s how he turned himself from a fringe player into an MLS Best XI midfielder last season. And it’s why, when the Timbers turned forward on a counterattack that looked like it might lead to something in the dying seconds, it was Berhalter who came crashing through for what looked like a draw-preserving tackle on forward Felipe Mora.
It didn’t look totally clean. Berhalter might have gotten his cleat stuck in the turf a bit. He was actually slow to get up and gingerly jogged back into the attack as the Whitecaps pushed forward for one last chance. But he wasn’t going to let the sequence go without making one more run, without looking for one more place to contribute. And when Emmanuel Sabbi’s shot was blocked, it was Berhalter arriving at the top of the box to curl a right-footed shot inside the near post for a game-winner.
As he ran toward the corner flag and pumped his fist toward the crowd, it was impossible not to think of what Mauricio Pochettino said last week in Atlanta.
Something about Sebastian Berhalter and stoppage time tackles 😶🌫️ pic.twitter.com/HJRDEaYusb
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) April 5, 2026
“They know that it’s going to be a competition,” the U.S. men’s national team manager told reporters after the 2-0 defeat against Portugal. “They know we are going to see every single game and we are going to assess one year and a half or more and make the decision on who makes the roster.”
And what he said the week before that.
“It’s important to be careful,” Pochettino said after Belgium’s 5-2 win against his side. “We have all the information. They cannot cheat us. It’s important to be focused on the World Cup. It’s important to always train, giving your best. It’s not to say, ‘OK, I am at my club, I’ll give 50 percent. Because after, in the national team, I am going to play 100 percent.’ No. I want the player to play his best.”
Pochettino and his staff — all national team staffs, for that matter — will be watching their players these next two months as they sort through their final World Cup squad decisions. They want consistency. They want to see heart. They want to see at the club level exactly what you can bring to a World Cup stage.
Saturday night stood out for Berhalter because that’s exactly who he is. It’s why he has value for this national team. Even if he doesn’t step on the field once during a World Cup, you can count on Berhalter to bring that level of intensity and commitment to every training session.
Beyond Berhalter, Pochettino had plenty to watch — and like — about the weekend across MLS.
Diego Luna grabbed his first goal of the season for Real Salt Lake. (Aaron Baker / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)
That answer about not cheating? That came in response to a question about Diego Luna’s absence from the national team. Luna, who missed the start of the MLS season due to injury, got his first goal of 2026.
The Real Salt Lake winger is competing for a roster spot against Brenden Aaronson, who earned a penalty in Leeds United’s shootout win over West Ham United in the FA Cup quarterfinals; Gio Reyna, who played six minutes off the bench for Borussia Mönchengladbach; and Alejandro Zendejas, who went 78 minutes for Club América.
Luna has to fight himself back into the picture with the U.S. group. He needed a goal — this one a left-footed shot from distance — to get things rolling again.
What a start! Diego Luna opens the scoring early for @realsaltlake! 🌙
📺 Apple TV: https://t.co/DgwGR8JHsm pic.twitter.com/XrNwUYUxUI
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 4, 2026
USMNT left back Max Arfsten, who was shaky against Belgium and Portugal, didn’t look rattled at all coming back into the club fray. Playing as a left winger in Atlanta – opposite Paraguay international Miguel Almirón – Arfsten got an assist on a cross from the right side of midfield, then finished on the far post at the hour mark to put the game away for the Columbus Crew.
Arfsten answers immediately for Columbus to regain the two-goal lead! 😳 pic.twitter.com/eOdV7WrAeF
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 5, 2026
Matt Turner, who was unfortunate to be in net as Belgium put five past him, responded with a shutout for New England Revolution despite facing 18 shots (four on target) with an expected goals (xG) of 1.9 in the 3-0 win against Montréal. Turner had a nice one-time ball out to the wing to set up a nice chance for Luca Langoni, and although Montréal twice hit the post, it appeared Turner had it covered on Iván Jaime’s first chance, if not also Dawid Bugaj’s gorgeous volley off the frame in the second half.
A quick mention for Folarin Balogun in France, too. He scored a beautiful chip for Monaco in their 2-1 win against Lyon that lifted them to fifth in Ligue 1.
𝐏𝐨𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 😳
𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐧, what a goal. pic.twitter.com/3sgwNWnpK0
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) April 5, 2026
It is, of course, not just USMNT players trying to make an impression.
FC Dallas forward Petar Musa had some great looks as a substitute for Croatia against Colombia, twice hitting the woodwork in the March window. He returned to MLS and immediately scored again for Dallas, tying Nashville’s Sam Surridge atop the Golden Boot race.
Petar Musa gets in on the Dallas scoring party 🇭🇷 pic.twitter.com/GAJES5OahZ
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 5, 2026
Musa might be MLS’s best bet for a breakout player at this summer’s World Cup. (With all due respect to Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who returned from a strong window with South Africa and put in a man-of-the-match shift for the Chicago Fire.)
As we ramp up toward the World Cup, watching players trying to carve out a spot on rosters will be one of the most intriguing sideplots of the first half of the season. It is undoubtedly going to factor into players’ performances.
The future of the USMNT?
While we keep one eye on the players trying to make this summer’s World Cup roster, it’s becoming a lot of fun seeing young American players make an impact early in this MLS season.
It started early in the day when right back Peyton Miller scored the final goal in New England’s win over Montréal. The 18-year-old came on in the 63rd minute and won the ball near midfield, made a solo run and neatly dinked the ball over goalkeeper Thomas Giller. It was a pretty goal from a player who continues to draw significant interest from overseas.
We moved from there to Utah, where 19-year-old Zavier Gozo put a defender on skates to set up Sergi Solans’ 55th-minute goal, then secured RSL’s win in the 82nd minute by flicking the ball up and volleying a gorgeous finish to the far post from 18 yards out in the win. Yes, the first touch was intentional. And it was beautiful.
OH MY, GOZO! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/RDnmWJVIlG
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 4, 2026
The fun then continued to the Baby Bulls in New York, where 18-year-old Julian Hall netted his fifth goal of the season. Hall just looks the part. He gets into the right spaces so easily.
The weekend ended with another young American scoring, as San Jose’s 20-year-old midfielder Niko Tsakiris netted twice and created seven chances for Bruce Arena’s resurgent side. Tsakiris got a new deal going into this season and clearly has Arena’s trust. He has started all six games for an Earthquakes team that sits one point off the lead in the Western Conference. Arena continues to prove why he’s the best coach in MLS history with what he’s done in San Jose, and Tsakiris could end up being one of the main beneficiaries.
He had a beautiful left-footed finish in the 13th minute, then buried a penalty to make it 2-0.
Besides the goal scorers, there were other young players on the field getting chances. Adri Mehmeti got another start in midfield for Red Bull New York, 19-year-old Snyder Brunell started for Seattle and 17-year-old center back Christopher Cupps got a 28-minute run-out for the Chicago Fire. Cupps got beat on Nashville’s best chance of the night, but he has potential at a major position of need on the U.S. depth chart — now and in the future.
Again, whether you’re a fan of these teams or not, these young players are becoming a reason to keep an eye on other games. That’s good for MLS, especially in a year when the national team (and the future of the national team) are front of mind.
Toronto-Colorado hits ‘Peak MLS’
People who have watched this league for a long time know when a game truly hits ‘Peak MLS.’
(Think Vancouver-San Jose at MLS is Back.)
Toronto-Colorado gave us that type of energy this weekend. From Zack Steffen’s absolutely wild own goal to the 3-2 final score and three red cards handed out, not to mention the names on the scoresheet: Richie Laryea, Paxten Aaronson, Keegan Rosenberry, Steffen (OG) and Josh Sargent.
no complaints here 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/t1CahIhbaA
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) April 4, 2026
It just had very, very strong MLS vibes — and that’s how a 15-game Saturday kicked off!
There are times when we get frustrated by the league’s overall quality compared to where it could or should be. But there are still some moments when we should give in to the demand to enjoy the insanity.
This game made you succumb to that call.
Ugly in Orlando
You know things are getting dicey when you get a text from someone after LAFC’s first goal that the Western Conference leaders might score seven … and then they almost do.
That’s how bad it is in Orlando.
Antoine Griezmann is not going to solve all of the problems. I’m not sure how they figure out how to fix it in time for this season to matter, but this is MLS, and it was just three seasons ago that Sporting KC went winless in its first 10 games and then made the playoffs, so let’s not count anyone out just yet.
Denis Bouanga had a hat trick and Son Heung-min had four assists in this one, by the way. Sonny sits top in MLS with seven assists this season. You don’t want to read too much into this one result, but LAFC – which still hasn’t conceded a goal this season (540 minutes and counting) – continues to look like the class of a good Western Conference.
The East, especially if Nashville advances in Concacaf Champions Cup and Miami remains less-than-dominant, looks totally up for grabs early on.
Concachampions Judgment Time
Speaking of: There are four MLS vs. Liga MX quarterfinal matchups starting this week with enormous stakes, as MLS seeks to field another participant in the next FIFA Club World Cup.
Tuesday, it’s Nashville-Club América in Tennessee and LAFC-Cruz Azul at BMO Stadium, followed by Wednesday’s double of Seattle at Tigres UANL and LA Galaxy at Toluca.
