What We Learned: Seattle Sounders flex depth,soccer news Shield race is wide open

• Share on Facebook
• Share on X

This past weekend’s MLS slate had it all.

The new league-record signing debuted, the Supporters’ Shield race got even murkier, and there was a rivalry rout on Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire.

Let's explore some of the most interesting things we learned during Matchday 28. And if you want to read up on other key moments in detail, check out Matt Doyle’s latest column.

Onwards.

Should we all be talking about Orlando City as a Tier 1 threat to win MLS Cup? The Lions are starting to build an incredibly compelling case.

In the last few weeks, Orlando won at the Columbus Crew in their final regular-season game before Leagues Cup. Then in Leagues Cup, they bested Atlas and Necaxa and picked up a point against Pumas to earn themselves a date with Toluca in the quarterfinals. Upon their return to MLS action, Orlando City dropped a 4-1 scoreline on Inter Miami.

Sitting fourth in the league in expected goal differential per 90 minutes, as per FBref’s data, Orlando City have found a reliable recipe. With an impressive mixture of scoring and creation headlined by Martín Ojeda (who’s been downright elite in 2025 and is one of only five players in the league with at least 20 non-penalty goal contributions) and a top-10 defense based on non-penalty xG allowed, Orlando check all the big boxes. Plus, they’ve gotten deeper by adding winger Tyrese Spicer from Toronto FC and left back Adrián Marín from Braga.

Buy your Orlando City trophy stock now. They’re for real.

It will be fascinating to see how head coach Steve Cherundolo uses Son alongside star left winger Denis Bouanga, given that both players have been at their best cutting in from that left side.

That’s what I wrote about LAFC’s positional conundrum after the record-breaking signing of Tottenham and South Korea star Son Heung-Min. Following Son’s LAFC debut in a 2-2 draw at Chicago Fire FC on Saturday, we got some answers when he trotted to the top of his new team’s attacking line as a No. 9.

Son and Denis Bouanga did plenty of interchanging between the central and left channels, though Son spent most of his cameo playing through the middle. Showing off his blazing speed, the former Premier League star earned the game-tying penalty for LAFC, which Bouanga converted from the spot:

The Sonny effect. ???♂?

Son Heung-min subs in and earns the LAFC penalty equalizer in his MLS debut. pic.twitter.com/34bHUxqHry

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 10, 2025

Though Son and Bouanga still have chemistry to develop (that was apparent over the weekend and isn’t surprising), his off-ball movement caught the eye. With LAFC tending to stagnate in long possession sequences, they benefit from a spark plug who sees and moves into weak points in the opposition’s defensive structure.

Son will provide that – and more – for LAFC.

I’ll just come right out and say it: I have no clue who the best team in MLS is.

Do you?

Entering the weekend, six teams averaged at least 1.8 points per game. Five of those six teams dropped points, with San Diego FC (more on them later!) acting as the only holdout. The Philadelphia Union gave up a late equalizer at home against a rebuilding Toronto team, Nashville fell to St. Louis, Vancouver lost in San Jose, Cincinnati were bested at home by Charlotte, and Miami were played off the park by Orlando.

As things stand, those six teams are still the only ones averaging 1.8 points per game or more. They’re the strongest Shield contenders, though I can’t quite bring myself to rule out the Crew (1.76 ppg), Minnesota (1.69 ppg), or Orlando (also on 1.69 ppg).

The Supporters’ Shield race has set the stage for a fascinating two-month sprint until Decision Day. Buckle up, folks.

The Seattle Sounders were missing Jordan Morris, Albert Rusnák, Paul Arriola, Ryan Kent and Jo?o Paulo from their game-day roster on Sunday due to injury. Beyond that, Stefan Frei didn’t feature as he works his way back from a head injury. Jackson Ragen was rested, too. Combined, that makes seven players who range from “solid starter” to “legit star” who missed Seattle’s clash with the LA Galaxy over the weekend.

That didn’t matter for the Sounders. They won 4-0 on the road, with Danny Musovski bagging a brace and Snyder Brunell scoring on his debut (Paul Rothrock also helped force an own goal).

This is why Doyle called this version of Seattle the deepest team in MLS history. When all five of your subs are young players ready to contribute after arriving from one of three places – your academy, the SuperDraft and MLS NEXT Pro – as was the case against the Galaxy, you’re doing a ton of stuff right.

Sure, the Galaxy have struggled this year. But Sunday night is far from the only time this season that the Sounders have battled through a lengthy injury list and found success thanks to their impressive roster build and ability to bring players through their pro pathway. And through it all, while factoring in extra matches from the FIFA Club World Cup and Concacaf Champions Cup, Seattle sit fourth in the Western Conference.

If the season ended today, they’d enjoy home-field advantage in Round One of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.

The Sounders are proving that building a wildly deep squad is possible in the current version of MLS, and they’re doing it better than anybody.

Watch out, LAFC. There’s another expansion team eyeing your points record.

Back in 2017, LAFC set the MLS record for most points accrued in an expansion year — Bob Bradley’s outfit stacked up 57 points in the regular season. San Diego FC, this year’s newcomer, currently find themselves on pace to top that record by, uh, a lot. Based on their current 1.88 points per game rate, San Diego are on course for a 64-point season.

No matter how you slice it, San Diego are trending towards the record books and may well go down as the best expansion season in MLS’s modern era. Of course, the Chicago Fire’s MLS Cup and US Open Cup double back in their debut season in 1998 positions them as the mark to beat if San Diego FC want to claim the title of the best expansion team in the league’s entirehistory.

But with the Supporters’ Shield and a spot as the West’s top playoff seed both very much in reach, everything is on the table for Mikey Varas’ squad in 2025. They keep stacking wins – a 2-0 victory at Sporting Kansas City on Saturday was the latest example – and have added even more young talent in the summer transfer window.

It’s easy to be bullish about the new kids on the block.

CHUCKY LOZANO! ?? pic.twitter.com/SskxZyogL0

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 10, 2025

• What We Learned
• Voices: Joseph Lowery
• Match Reaction
• Orlando City SC
• Los Angeles Football Club
• San Diego FC
• Seattle Sounders FC

• Share on Facebook
• Share on X

Related Stories

• What We Learned: St. Louis CITY surge into new chapter

• What We Learned: Sporting KC show progress, Atlanta United find solutions

• What We Learned: David Martínez gives LAFC an attacking trio