GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in MLS, including Luna's excellent playmaking performance
Real Salt Lake’s playoff hopes were hanging by a thread. Against an Austin FC team on the verge of clinching their own spot, anything short of a win would have ended Pablo Mastroeni’s push. Fortunately for the manager, and for RSL, they have Diego Luna.
The 22-year-old midfielder was at his creative best Saturday, helping the Claret and Cobalt to a stunning upset of Austin, setting up two of the home side's goals to cement a 3-1 win. Yet, RSL's triumph wasn't the only surprise result over the weekend.
Tim Ream's Charlotte FC, who looked like MLS Cup favorites just three weeks ago, were brought back to reality with a 4-1 loss to CF Montreal. You read that correctly, the 13th-placed Le CFM ran every which way against a team that crushed Lionel Messi's Inter Miami on Sept. 13. Life in MLS. Meanwhile, Vancouver's Brian White is also back, scoring on his return.
GOAL looks at the major takeaways from USMNT players in MLS.
Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowLuna approaching milestone
Before Saturday's match, Luna had actually gone back-to-back games without a goal contribution. He ensured, at a critical time, the streak wouldn't extend to a third game.
Yes, Luna's first contribution was very much a MLS version of a hockey assist as he fed the ball to Diogo Gonçalves, who found U.S. international DeAndre Yedlin charging toward goal to score. But the game-sealing goal was all Luna.
Surrounded by three defenders, the No. 10 saw Victor Olatunji with yards of space behind him and fed a beautiful diagonal through ball. The Nigerian striker converted past All-Star goalkeeper Brad Stuyver to put the home side ahead 3-0.
The two assists mean Luna is inching close to the coveted 20-goal contribution mark on the season, which he also notched last year. He's now at nine goals – a career-best – and seven goals, which are five short of his top mark of 12 last season. It's important to note that Luna will have fewer appearances than last year – he played in 31 matches. This year, the most possible is 28 due to his involvement with the Gold Cup.
More importantly, Luna's heroics keep RSL's slim playoff hopes alive. The team is one point back of the San Jose Earthquakes, and they have a game in hand. Luna and RSL face a crucial potential six-pointer against rivals Colorado Rapids at home.
Colorado sit in eight place on 40 points with an extra match played. A win for either side could determine fates.
AdvertisementImagnTumbling at the wrong time
Two weeks ago, everything appeared to be going Charlotte's way. They had reeled off nine-straight wins, matching an MLS record, and put an exclamation mark on it all by routing Inter Miami 3-0 two weeks ago.
However, in MLS, a lot can change in 16 days, and now The Crown find themselves reeling after successive losses to NYCFC, and more surprisingly, CF Montreal on Saturday. For an ambitious club looking to make noise in the postseason, you can't lose by three goals to one MLS' most challenged teams.
After taking an early lead from a Wilfried Zaha goal at home, Charlotte quickly became undone by a careless red card from Ream's centerback partner, Adilson Malanda. Once Malanda came off, Ream struggled with one of his worst games of the season. While he made four clearances, he had zero tackles and couldn't stop Montreal – tied for the worst scoring output in MLS this season with D.C. – from scoring four.
Of equal concern, Charlotte fall out of the top four home playoff seeding spots in the East, now sitting in fifth. Outside of their shocking loss to the Canadian side, Dean Smith's team is very good at home with a 12-3-1 record (W-L-T). Charlotte have just two games to try to reclaim the spot, but have Inter Miami ahead with two games in hand.
ImagnBrian White is back
Only the Gold Cup and injuries could slow down White, who was seemingly the best striker in MLS prior to the CONCACAF tournament. Vancouver have eased him back into action since his return in late September, and he delivered two strong performances in cameos against Cascadia rivals Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders.
He scored the game-tying goal in the 88th minute to force a draw against the Timbers on Sept. 24 and then followed that up to score the game-opening goal against the Sounders on Saturday.
The Whitecaps have become a different team. Daniel Ríos has started up top in the majority of the games since White last played on Aug. 23, and while his numbers aren't as guady as White's, his willingness to do the little things has opened up spaces for new star Thomas Muller.
Whether that remains the same for the rest of the season is uncertain, but if White remains productive, it will help Vancouver remain in the hunt for the Supporters' Shield and also keep him in the mix for a spot on the U.S. national team.
Stealing a point from Cincy
Is there anything Alex Freeman can't do in MLS? The 21-year-old continued his breakout season at right back for Orlando City with another big moment.
With FC Cincinnati all but assured three points in a home clash against the visitors, Freeman delivered in the clutch to help his side share the spoils. Freeman might play fullback, a position usually reserved for smaller, quicker players, but he's a towering for a soccer player at 6-2 and used his frame and head to leap up and score.
If it sounds familiar, it should. Alex's dad, Antonio, was an All-Pro receiver in 1998 with the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Alex has six goals and two assists in his first full season in MLS.
