MLS Winners and Losers: Son Heung-min is on fire again, Antoine Griezmann finds his groove, but Robert Lewandowski needs time

Some players are just too good to keep quiet. Son struggled throughout the first half of the season and failed to find the net before the World Cup break. He told GOAL that he was saving his production for the World Cup. That quip wasn't exactly how things worked out at the tournament as South Korea disappointed and were knocked out in the group stage. But it has held more than true since then.

Son didn't take a break post-tournament. Instead, he was right back into the thick of things with LAFC. And he has looked like a player on a mission to provide his best football. In three games, he has three goals and looks far more relaxed in the final third. This is no longer a striker forcing things when the ball isn't going in the net. His finish against Sporting KC on Saturday was vintage: a step away from the defender, a cool pass into the bottom corner. LAFC will hope there is more to come.

Bradley Ball was a revelation at the start of the year. The Red Bulls were full of creativity, youthful energy, and attacking verve. No one could quite deal with them - high pressing, quick transitions, and all. They are not, to be clear, a bad team all of a sudden. But it's been a rough back-to-back for Michael Bradley's side, and they have lost two in a row.

The stats would seem to show that they dominated Charlotte FC. The reality is different. They lost 2-0, conceded two pretty preventable goals early on, and never quite had an answer for Charlotte's stout defensive setup. This is, of course, the flipside of being a team that thrives in transition: when the game slows down, things get trickier. A late red card shown to star defensive midfielder Adri Mehmeti only added insult to injury.

Was this ever not going to work? Orlando were a bit of a mess in the first half of the season, but given Antoine Griezmann a striker to run off and a structure to work with, and magic happens. There probably isn't a smarter player in football when it comes to orchestrating an attack. Griezmann is a master of the fundamentals, with an extra bit of creative spark thrown in for good measure.

He pulled the strings for Orlando against Nashville. No attacking player had more touches or completed passes, and no outfield player tallied more defensive recoveries than his seven. And even if Tyrese Spicer scored the much-deserved winning goal, Griezmann should get the plaudits. He has been fantastic for two games now, and Orlando might just be turning things around a little bit.

Ryan Richter screamed "interim manager" when Philadelphia Union hired him in May 2026. He had been in charge of the Union 2, and Philly basically needed a quick fix after parting ways with Bradley Carnell. Richter was there, and the Union were desperate.

Yet since he has taken charge, the Union have won two in a row, and are playing some compelling stuff. The reasons here could be many. Firstly, it is entirely possible that the Union are just energized. This is basically what a new manager bounce is: new guy comes in, the football gets better. But Richter could also be onto something here. He's made the right moves. Milan Iloski has retained his place up front - and now bagged in five straight. Cavan Sullivan, 16, is an undisputed starter. Basically, Richter has let the kids play. And it's working.

Alright, it's not necessarily time for a full-scale freak-out because Robert Lewandowski has failed to score for two straight games. Sometimes, footballers need a little time to adapt, and a few things are true here. The first is that Lewandowski hasn't played consistent football in two months. The second is that Chicago Fire were pretty good without him. They were, perhaps, fringe Supporters' Shield contenders, and Hugo Cuypers was well in the Golden Boot race (even if a drop-off in form was inevitable).

So, throw a new striker in the mix, one less mobile and a little out of touch, and things get shaky. Such is the Lewandowski conundrum. The Polish striker started against Miami and came off the bench against NYCFC - and failed to score in both. He has only put one shot on target across those two games. Chicago have lost both, too. Give it time, but the early stats are a little unconvincing.

It hasn't always been pretty, but it remains effective.

Since returning from the World Cup break, Inter Miami have won back-to-back games, edging the Chicago Fire and CF Montreal by a combined margin of two goals. Those results extended Miami’s winning streak to six matches. Lionel Messi has rightly won the past two Landon Donovan MLS MVP awards due to his immense impact for the Herons, but with him and Rodrigo De Paul recovering after the World Cup, the supporting cast has shown it can step up.

Luis Suarez has scored three goals across the two victories, while Casemiro slotted seamlessly into midfield on his club debut against Montreal. It isn't all good news, though, as Designated Player Germán Berterame is beginning his recovery after suffering injuries to his left shoulder and nose in a frightening collision against Montreal. Overall, however, interim head coach Guillermo Hoyos is showing he can help Miami find ways to win and hold the fort until Messi and De Paul return.