Talking points in MLS: the Sounders getting a break and a record in Chicago. There was a sizable attendance at the Chicago Fire vs. Inter Miami matchup, and Seattle’s season may not have suffered as much damage as we had feared. Jon Arnold, Joseph Lowery, Graham Ruthven, and James Nalton
Mon, April 14, 2025, 13.23 BST Share
The Sounders aren’t done quite yet
The Seattle Sounders’ season was supposed to begin here. The team had a nice path in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and several seemingly savvy acquisitions in the winter had fans hoping they’d be enjoying a 2025 season that went down as the best in the club’s storied history.
Like many resolution-makers who, in January, believe it’s their year, the panorama had changed by April. The Sounders entered the weekend-long elimination from the continental championship, with just one league win in seven tries and a rash of injuries making even simple-seeming matchups look daunting – before even thinking about this summer’s visits from Atlético Madrid, PSG, and Botafogo in the Club World Cup.
Consequently, Saturday’s 1-0 victory over FC Dallas is significant. It wasn’t a particularly memorable performance. The Sounders scored three points against a conference rival on the road, but they didn’t do so haphazardly like they did in their previous victory this season. Danny Musovski was promoted to the starting forward position after Jordan Morris complained of discomfort during a training session the day before the game. Musovski scored the winning goal, finishing with his first touch after a shot from outside the box smashed off the post but fell in his direction.
Winning is a skill, and previous incarnations of the Sounders have mastered that skill when it mattered. After last weekend’s 3-0 blowout defeat in San Diego made it four MLS matches in a row without a win, there was concern about whether or not this team could master it.
“The team never quits,” Sounders manager Brian Schmetzer said Saturday.
Now, the team will have a good time at training sessions this week because Ryan Kent, a new player, will also be there before the team returns to Lumen Field this weekend. Perhaps this year will be the one after all. JA
A much-needed break for Porter Caleb Porter was the only person who needed a win this weekend more than anyone else. Heading into Saturday’s road clash with Atlanta United, the New England Revolution had picked up just one win and one draw from their first six games. After overseeing one of the largest roster overhauls in recent MLS history, Porter had no idea what to expect from the start. In hopes of rebounding from a brutal 2024 campaign that saw New England finish second from bottom out East, the Revs returned just 37% of their minutes. Between the winter overhaul and a set of summer moves, nine of the top 10 minutes-getters for New England hadn’t played for the club at this time last year.
Porter expressed optimism for the year 2025, citing a slew of brand-new items. In January, Porter, who is in his second season in New England, told local Boston media, “We had good players here… they just didn’t happen to be the right players, once we got in here.” They are still excellent players, but we now have the right players. Now this is my team. My players are listed here. I’ve picked them, and I’m confident in the blueprint that I have.”
It is not difficult to pinpoint the source of poor results if you selected the players and the team is not performing well. Porter introduced a tactical innovation this weekend in Georgia as his seat began to warm. According to FBref, he switched to a 3-4-1-2 formation for the first time in 2025, allowed his wingbacks to push high, and watched as his team won 1-0, posting their second-highest xG total of the season. Even though the team did not have any standout wingers, it was fueled by a formation change that could become a regular occurrence for the Revs. It was exactly what Porter needed. Maybe Saturday’s win will galvanize New England. For Porter, perhaps it merely delayed the inevitable. They have three more points in a tough Eastern Conference. JL
Concerns in Philadelphia Ernst Tanner gets most things right. Many questioned the Philadelphia Union sporting director’s decision to fire Jim Curtin, yet Bradley Carnell has given the team a new high-energy identity quicker than anyone could have envisaged. Further proof was provided by three consecutive victories beginning in 2025. However, Dániel Gazdag’s departure could prove to be the biggest test of Tanner’s vision.
Fans who were dissatisfied with the departure of the club’s all-time leading scorer were not exactly comforted by Philly’s performance in the 1-0 defeat to New York City FC. At Citi Field, there was very little between the two teams, and only one Big Chance (as defined by Opta) was made by the visitors. Coincidentally (or not), Gazdag led the Union in Big Chances created so far this season. When Philadelphia dominated Orlando in Gazdag’s final match, nobody created more in front of goal than the Hungarian.
With a shot from 20 yards out, Quinn Sullivan came very close to scoring against NYC FC. Jovan Lukić had another effort from a similar range while Chris Donovan drew a save with a powerful header near the end. However, Philadelphia lacked spark in general. Only in the 65th minute was Matt Freese called into action. Philly still has good reasons to be optimistic about their start in 2025. However, they are counting on Tai Baribo to maintain his current momentum. And Quinn Sullivan proving his recent step up is more than just a flash in the pan. And Indiana Vassilev settling in quickly. And Kai Wagner returning to his best performance after a break. And the rumors that Cavan Sullivan is real. And Carnell’s approach is not being figured out by opponents like it was after a while in St Louis.
We changed things, and it turned out to be the right thing to do. People see it now,” Tanner told Backheeled in an interview before the Gazdag deal was struck. Will people still see it if the Union’s new identity doesn’t do enough to mask the lack of top-end talent in the team? Philly might now be a clearer reflection of their sporting director, but what is the true ambition of what he wants? According to Gazdag, he is currently “playing for a club that is playing for titles.” GR
A big day in Chicago
The presence of Lionel Messi at Soldier Field on Sunday was enough for Chicago Fire to break their all-time attendance record as 62,358 spectators filled the historic stadium for the visit of Inter Miami. That edged the Fire’s previous record of 62,124 set in anticipation of a Messi appearance back in October 2023, but the Argentinian missed the game due to injury.
When it came to Messi’s presence, fans were not let down this time around. “Messi, Messi” was chanted throughout the game even though he was playing for the away team. However, Chicago head coach Gregg Berhalter said that it was good just to see a packed house. “It’s nice to see this stadium filled up, and I think both teams put on a good effort and a good show for the fans,” said the former USMNT head coach.
Fans may have been disappointed with the game itself, which finished in a 0-0 draw, but Messi came close a couple of times to give them some of what they came for. He hit the bar on two separate occasions from free kicks, one of which produced a great fingertip save from Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady. A goal was scored, but it was flagged for offside after a nice pass over the top to Luis Suárez. However, even though the Fire had the better chances overall, they will have been disappointed not to have won against their star-studded opponent. This was demonstrated by the fact that Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, not Messi, was named Man of the Match.
For a team that has been in MLS since 1998 to be breaking attendance records in 2025 shows the power of Messi and the potential he has to bring new fans to these long-established MLS teams. It will be difficult to keep them interested in American soccer after Messi leaves the city and the league. JN
