Samwise North American Soccer Newsletter
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Hany Mukhtar Reaches 100 Nashville Goals with Hat Trick Masterclass, Coyotes Lead Supporters’ Shield
Nashville SC’s Hany Mukhtar reached 100 goals for the club in stunning fashion on Sunday, scoring a hat trick — including two direct free kicks — to power a 3-2 home win over Los Angeles Football Club. The German midfielder’s fifth regular-season hat trick made him just the seventh player in MLS history to accomplish that feat, with two goals coming from direct set pieces, putting him in equally rare company. Nashville, who completed the win despite missing four starters — Sam Surridge, Andy Nájar, Patrick Yazbek, and Eddi Tagseth — now lead the Supporters’ Shield standings with 30 points from 13 matches (9W-1L-3D).
Sources: MLSSoccer.com, MLSSoccer.com (Match Report)
Inter Miami Finally Win at Nu Stadium as Hoyos System Clicks in 2-0 Portland Rout
Inter Miami CF broke their home winless run at Nu Stadium with a composed 2-0 defeat of the Portland Timbers on Sunday Night Soccer, finally giving interim head coach Guillermo Hoyos a victory at the club’s new home. The win follows a tactical shift toward a narrow front three: Germán Berterame through the middle, Luis Suárez to his left and Lionel Messi to his right. That combination has produced 3.5 goals per game across the last four matches, yielding nine points and lifting Miami to second in the Eastern Conference as they look to defend their 2025 MLS Cup title.
Sources: MLSSoccer.com (What We Learned)
Sam Sarver Steals the Show as FC Dallas Stun San Jose in Wild 3-2 Comeback
FC Dallas produced one of the performances of the MLS season so far at PayPal Park, staging a 3-2 comeback win over the San Jose Earthquakes during Matchday 14. Twice the Texas club found themselves level after conceding, and twice they responded before substitute Sam Sarver buried the winner, capping the result with an emphatic celebration in front of San Jose’s supporters’ section that is already becoming one of the defining images of the 2026 season. The result hurt San Jose, who had briefly shared the Supporters’ Shield top spot, and handed FC Dallas a valuable three points in the Western Conference standings.
Sources: MLSSoccer.com (Matchday 14 Recap)
Sporting KC’s Remarkable Recovery: Six Points from Six Games Lifts Club Off the Bottom
Sporting Kansas City’s 2026 season has undergone one of the most dramatic reversals in the league, with the club collecting six points from back-to-back wins over the LA Galaxy and Austin FC during Matchday 14. Only weeks ago, SKC were derided in headlines as having hit rock bottom, stranded at the foot of the overall standings. Now they are out of elimination territory and back in Western Conference playoff contention. Striker Stephen Afrifa’s looping top-corner goal against Austin FC was one of Matchday 14’s most aesthetically impressive moments, emblematic of a squad that has found belief under head coach Peter Vermes.
Sources: MLSSoccer.com (Matchday 14 Recap)
Cruz Azul Eliminate Guadalajara, Advance to Liga MX Clausura 2026 Final
Cruz Azul advanced to the Liga MX Clausura 2026 final after eliminating Guadalajara across both legs of their semifinal, ending Chivas’ title aspirations for the tournament. The first leg, played May 13 at Estadio Banorte in Culiacán, ended 2-2 — goals from Carlos Rodríguez and Osinachi Ebere for Cruz Azul, and Santiago Sandoval and Ángel Sepúlveda for Guadalajara. La Máquina secured the aggregate victory in the second leg, booking a place in the Clausura final scheduled for May 24. Cruz Azul will face the winner of the parallel semifinal between Pachuca and Pumas UNAM for the title.
Sources: ESPN Deportes, ESPN (First Leg)
NWSL Power Rankings: Washington Spirit Hold Firm at No. 1 Despite San Diego Defeat
Washington Spirit remained the top-ranked team in ESPN’s NWSL Power Rankings following Matchday 8, despite suffering a 2-1 defeat to San Diego Wave in a top-of-the-table match. Kimmi Ascanio scored her first goal of the 2026 season from a set piece in the 89th minute to hand San Diego all three points, yet Washington’s dominance in possession — nearly 60 percent — and their superior chance creation kept them ahead of the Wave in the rankings. San Diego move to second in both the standings and the power rankings, setting up what is shaping as the defining rivalry of the 2026 NWSL season.
Sources: ESPN (NWSL Power Rankings)
Denver Summit Down Houston Dash 4-1, Extending Houston’s Winless Run to Four
Denver Summit FC continued their extraordinary debut campaign with a 4-1 victory over the Houston Dash in NWSL Matchday 8, extending Houston’s winless run to four consecutive matches. The Colorado expansion club, which drew a record NWSL crowd of 63,004 to their inaugural home game earlier this season, have proven to be one of the 2026 season’s genuine surprises, their squad depth and attacking fluency belying their first-year status. Houston, meantime, are struggling with defensive inconsistency and a lack of clinical finishing at a difficult moment, with the World Cup break approaching in late May and limited time on the schedule to recover form.
Sources: ESPN (NWSL Power Rankings)
Kansas City Current’s Three-Game Surge Raises Title Hopes After Sluggish Start
Kansas City Current have moved past their sluggish 2026 start in convincing style, winning three consecutive NWSL matches to climb firmly into playoff contention. Two-time NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga, who missed the Current’s opening match through injury, has found her goalscoring form and was at the heart of the club’s recent run, including a dominant home victory over Houston. The turnaround — from a club looking fragile in the opening weeks to one now capable of pressing the top two — is one of the early storylines of NWSL Matchday 8 and gives Washington Spirit and San Diego Wave a credible third challenger to track.
Sources: ESPN (NWSL Power Rankings)
Racing Louisville Down Portland Thorns 3-1, O’Kane Brace Hands Thorns Third Straight Loss
Racing Louisville earned a commanding 3-1 home victory over the Portland Thorns during NWSL Matchday 8, with midfielder Katie O’Kane scoring twice — including a precise direct free kick that drew wide praise — to hand the Thorns their third consecutive defeat. Portland, who briefly held the No. 1 spot in ESPN’s NWSL Power Rankings earlier in 2026, have now slipped out of the top four and face a difficult run of fixtures. The win is significant for Louisville, a club that has historically oscillated between the league’s upper and lower halves, as it signals a consistency of performance not always associated with the club in recent seasons.
Sources: ESPN (NWSL Power Rankings)
MLS Enters Final Stretch Before World Cup Pause with Nashville Leading the Way
Major League Soccer enters the final stretch before a seven-week pause, with just four matchdays remaining until the league suspends play on May 24. The break runs from May 25 through July 16, allowing more than 50 MLS players to represent their nations across 48 World Cup countries. Nashville SC hold the Supporters’ Shield lead at 30 points, pursued by Vancouver Whitecaps and San Jose Earthquakes in the West and Inter Miami in the East. Head coaches across the league are managing workloads carefully, as the pre-World Cup window also doubles as a high-stakes showcase for national team selectors with roster deadlines approaching.
Sources: MLSSoccer.com (Power Rankings), ESPN
MLS Eastern Conference
Through Matchday 14
1. Nashville SC — 30 pts (9-1-3)
2. Inter Miami CF — 24 pts (7-4-2)
3. FC Cincinnati — 22 pts (6-4-3)
4. New England Revolution — 20 pts (6-5-2)
5. New York Red Bulls — 18 pts (5-5-3)
6. Toronto FC — 16 pts (4-5-4)
7. CF Montréal — 15 pts (4-6-3)
8. Orlando City SC — 14 pts (4-7-2)
MLS Western Conference
Through Matchday 14
1. San Jose Earthquakes — 28 pts (8-2-4)
2. Vancouver Whitecaps FC — 27 pts (8-3-3)
3. LAFC — 24 pts (7-4-2)
4. Houston Dynamo FC — 20 pts (6-5-2)
5. FC Dallas — 19 pts (5-5-4)
6. Colorado Rapids — 17 pts (4-5-5)
7. Real Salt Lake — 16 pts (4-6-4)
8. Sporting Kansas City — 15 pts (4-7-3)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency