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Welcome to a new segment from Sports Illustrated that breaks down the biggest winners and losers from the week's Major League Soccer action as the 2026 playoffs draw ever closer.
With the league's Nov. 7th Decision Day on the horizon, the weekend's fixtures were always going to feature plenty of nail-biting finishes and surprise results. It certainly delivered.
The Colorado Rapids barely held on above the playoff line with a victory over Western Conference leaders Vancouver Whitecaps. Meanwhile, Austin FC mounted a late comeback triumph at Sporting Kansas City, and San Diego FC and New York City FC grabbed equalizers in the dying moments against the Seattle Sounders and Orlando City, respectively.
Nashville SC claimed their first-ever Supporters' Shield with a dominant 2–0 victory over CF Montréal. The youthful New York Red Bulls brought an end to Inter Miami's three-match winning run, stopping Lionel Messi and company in their tracks. And as always, El Tráfico delivered the drama with a thrilling 2–2 draw.
Across North America, several players rose to the occasion for their sides, contributing crucial goals, sharp passes, match-saving tackles and outstanding saves. Equally, a number of others fell short, leaving supporters frustrated by their underwhelming individual performances.
Here are the week's standout winners and losers.
Winners
Dylan Chambost
Assisting all around 🤩⚽
Dylan Chambost became the sixth player in Crew history to deliver three assists in a match yesterday 🌟 pic.twitter.com/wdYPevGaSe
Following a heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to St. Louis CITY in the U.S. Open Cup final the previous week, Columbus Crew needed a strong response. They delivered exactly that, winning 4–2 against Toronto FC in a crucial clash between two sides hovering on the edge of the playoff spots.
Columbus burst out of the blocks with goals from Gonzalo Tapia and Malte Amundsen, the latter nodding home from Dylan Chambost's corner kick. More of the same followed after the break, with Chambost playing a short corner before whipping in a superb delivery for Amundsen to finish.
The French midfielder wrapped things up by unselfishly setting up substitute Brooks Lennon's goal, equaling his assist total for the entire season in just 90 minutes. Chambost became only the sixth player in club history to register three assists in a single game. Though Toronto mounted a late push following the dismissal of Sekou Bangoura, it proved too little, too late as Columbus recorded six wins from eight matches.
Petar Musa
With two goals in tonight's victory, @FCDallas' Petar Musa reached 56 goals across his first three @MLS seasons, tying Raúl Díaz Arce (1996-98) for the third-most goals by a player in his first three seasons in league history. pic.twitter.com/clWHsMkJLj
Lionel Messi has claimed nine Golden Boots throughout his time in La Liga and MLS, second only to Josef Bican in soccer history; however, if he is to secure a landmark 10th this year, he will face stiff competition from FC Dallas' Petar Musa, whose career-high 22 goals this season are closing in on Messi's tally of 25.
After netting a last-gasp equalizer at rivals Houston Dynamo the previous week, Musa kept his scoring form going. He broke the deadlock in the 82nd minute against the San Jose Earthquakes, composedly waiting at the edge of the area for a cutback before cleverly slotting into the right corner. He then doubled his tally from the penalty spot five minutes later, before teammate Santiago Moreno added a third unanswered goal.
Six years after becoming the Czech First League's youngest-ever top scorer, Musa finds himself in another intense Golden Boot battle. The Croatian striker has already shattered Dallas' single-season scoring record, but now the question is: can he edge out Messi for the Golden Boot?
Matt Turner
Until the final whistle. 😤
Matt Turner's massive save in the 16th minute of stoppage time is your @MichelobULTRA Superior Moment of the Match. pic.twitter.com/BpaoZFr1Wz
He may have lost his starting berth to Matt Freese and now faces a challenge from emerging talents like Diego Kochen, Chris Brady, and Brian Schwake. But even at 32, Matt Turner is proving he still has plenty left to offer and remains capable of reclaiming his status as the U.S. men's national team's first-choice goalkeeper.
Left out of USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino's squad last month, Turner endured a second-consecutive 3–0 loss with the New England Revolution immediately following the international break. However, he has since bounced back emphatically with heroic performances against FC Cincinnati, Chicago Fire and Philadelphia Union, accumulating 13 saves across that stretch.
For the third consecutive match, the New England Revolution claimed victory despite conceding more expected goals. Turner was at his very best in the City of Brotherly Love, tipping over a fierce effort from Agustin Anello and ensuring Philadelphia's unbeaten run came to an end after 15 games.
Losers
Tomáš Ostrák
Final in Utah. pic.twitter.com/rA4NTvuKuE
After going 19 consecutive league matches unbeaten, St. Louis CITY have now fallen to defeat in their last two regular season outings. A difficult turnaround was always expected for CITY following an exhausting U.S. Open Cup final midweek, but Tomas Ostrák made matters considerably worse.
The Czech midfielder was handed a rare start, and it may well prove to be his last for the club. Just two minutes after Santiago Solans put Real Salt Lake ahead in the first half, Ostrák was shown a second yellow card for an unnecessary hip-check on Luc de Fougerolles after the ball had already been played.
For a squad already stretched to the limit after five matches in 14 days, playing a man down for over 50 minutes was far from ideal. St. Louis went on to suffer a 3–0 defeat to the struggling Utah side, and they'll be eager to respond when they face Portland Timbers at the weekend.
Lucas Hoyos
High press pays off! 😤
Anzor Mekvabishvili, the Georgian international, scores in Georgia to give @ChicagoFire the lead! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4RDU87ACI0
Atlanta United look all but certain to miss the playoffs for the second season running, and goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos has done little to help their cause. Atlanta appeared on course for their first home win in two months after taking an early lead against the Chicago Fire, only for Anton Salétros to beat Hoyos at the near post with a well-struck effort in the 32nd minute.
While Hoyos escaped blame for the opening goal, there was no avoiding responsibility for the next two in the second half. Despite three Chicago Fire players lurking in and around the box, he chose to play it short, only for Anzor Mekvabishvili to intercept and calmly slot home the go-ahead goal. Hoyos then picked up a back pass, gifting Chicago an indirect free kick from inside the 6-yard box, which Philip Zinckernagel duly hammered home. The Fire departed Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a 3–2 victory.
Hoyos translates to "holes" in Spanish, and it's fair to say there are quite a few in his game. The 37-year-old has struggled to impress in his first season outside of Argentina, and it seems clear that the Five Stripes will be seeking a new goalkeeper when the offseason arrives.