MLS Winners and Losers: Nashville SC get their big win over Inter Miami, San Diego FC rebound, and how far can the Philadelphia Union go with Cavan Sullivan?

The Miami-Nashville matchup was a tantalizing thing.

Here were two teams in markedly different spots. Nashville's only real slip-up this season came in Leagues Cup, when they were unable to overcome a trio of difficult matchups against top Liga MX teams. They have been, by some distance, the most complete side in MLS. They have conceded the fewest goals, and comfortably had the best goal differential in the Eastern Conference. The Sam Surridge-Hany Mukhtar duo is as effective as ever.

Miami, meanwhile, came into the game in a state of rampant uncertainty. Lionel Messi, less than two weeks removed from the passing of his father is back on the pitch, but the pieces still were not clicking around him. But also, the Messi guy remains pretty good. Nashville first. Miami second. Fireworks, right?

Not so much for Miami. Nashville battered them. Mukhtar scored two and had a key role in the other two as Nashville bagged four. Messi produced a quite sublime assist for Telasco Segovia. But he also missed a penalty at a crucial juncture in the game. Yes, he hit the post twice. Yes, Miami had 16 shots. But they somehow never really looked like scoring. Meanwhile, Nashville were so, so clinical. And Mukhtar was better than Messi on the night.

There was perhaps always going to be a Red Bulls wobble of sorts. This is the problem when you play such expansive, open football. You can have all the Adri Mehmetis of the world, but at some point, you just get found out. And that's what happened. The Red Bulls took the lead in Atlanta, and, given the run of play, might have had one or two more.

But there was too much space on the break. And as the high-pressing Red Bulls tired, Atlanta were full of quality in transition. Tristan Muyumba, who has a penchant for the spectacular, curled one into the top corner to knot the game at one. And then Fafa Picault scored a rare headed goal on 82 minutes. It was Atlanta's first home game since May 9, and they gave the Mercedes-Benz crowd something to cheer about.

Bradley, meanwhile, will have to ponder things. RBNY aren't bad so much as erratic. They will give anyone a game, but their 41 goals conceded stand as proof that they could do with tightening things up a bit.

San Diego FC needed something to shout about. It has been a bit of a reality check of a season for last year's feel-good story. Remember, they were 180 minutes from lifting the MLS Cup in their first season. That would have been a remarkable achievement and a masterclass in roster construction.

Yet things aren't so simple, and Mikey Varas' side have come crashing back to earth in 2026. The reasons for that are numerous. To be sure, controversy around Chucky Lozano hasn't helped. But San Diego haven't done themselves too many favors, either, playing possession soccer and making too many mistakes while being too cute with the ball. But these past few weeks have been relatively encouraging. They're on a tidy little undefeated streak, and managed a big win over LAFC on Saturday.

It wasn't the prettiest thing. They were outshot by LAFC, and an unfortunate handball on a Denis Bouanga goal in the first half could have seen the game tilt the other way. But Anders Dreyer, who has yet to hit the heights of last season, showed up at the right moment. The Danish winger buried an 88th-minute penalty to give his side a tidy 1-0 win against a team that could have gone top of the West with three points of their own (we are conveniently ignoring his brain-dead second yellow in the 96th minute here).

And on the other side of things... It's been a strange season for Dos Santos. Steve Cherundolo was always going to be a hard act to follow in the LAFC dugout - even if he struggled to get a tactical tune out of LAFC at the start of last season. Yet fan reaction to Dos Santos has been mixed. It's clear that things aren't quite right tactically.

Son Heung-Min has not scored goals at the rate many have expected. The new signings haven't brought balance. Even a third-placed spot in the West - with plenty of scope to continue to improve - has not prevented a high-profile fan petition to have the manager sacked.

So what now? Well, a 1-0 loss to San Diego didn't help. Nor does the fact that Son has scored just four goals this season in MLS play. It would be difficult for LAFC to justify parting ways with a coach who could still win them the MLS Cup. But the fans are not happy.

Well, then. Turns out the kid can play a bit.

With every Cavan Sullivan showing, former manager Bradley Carnell looks worse and worse. Philadelphia, it has become clear, were too controlled under their old manager. There was too much caution, not enough freedom. Whether that is Carnell's nature or the directive from higher up isn't clear. Yet the Union look freer now. Sullivan isn't the sole reason - there have been improvements all-around, while the signing of Kai Wagner looks like a masterstroke. But he is surely the main beneficiary, a teenager who was wrapped in cotton wool playing without fear.

There are shades of a young Bukayo Saka here. The Union have nothing to lose. And their creative wide midfielder is happy to shoulder the load. Thus far, it's working pretty well. Sullivan assisted twice against NYCFC, and the Union overturned a 2-0 deficit to secure a fourth straight MLS win. Time for the Union to dream?

Seattle Sounders manager Brian Schmetzer tends to be a pretty level-headed guy. He is also not afraid to speak his mind. In 2025, for example, he told GOAL that he expected his young star midfielder Obed Vargas to be sold to Atletico Madrid after the two sides met in that year's Club World Cup (the deal was completed in early 2026).

Yet on Sunday, Schmetzer went a step further. When asked about the potential of calling up players from the Sounders' MLS Next Pro team, Schmetzer, quite candidly, said the Sounders "need a little bit more than that." He also criticized his bench options. It all appeared to be subtle dig at Seattle Sounders Sporting Director Craig Waibel. And he has a point, especially as the Sounders are without their immensely reliable star Jordan Morris.

But veteran attackers Paul Arriola and Jesus Ferreira are also missing. Toss in the absence of USMNT midfielder Cristian Roldan, and things look thin. Seattle lost 2-0 to a good Vancouver side on Sunday - and turned in an agreeable performance. Yet it's quality, not effort, that's missing here.