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Los Angeles Football Club v New York City FCGetty Images Sport
Jacob Schneider

The Kickoff, MLS Matchday 5: Vancouver Whitecaps look to stay atop MLS' throne, LAFC push to end slump and Atlanta United search for identity

GOAL takes a look at emerging trends and storylines ahead of MLS Matchday 5

Matchday 5 of the 2025 MLS is here, and both conferences are starting to take shape, with frontrunners emerging and strugglers settling towards the bottom of the table.

Most impressively, the Vancouver Whitecaps are the lone side to win their first four matches of the season - but this weekend presents them with their biggest roadblock yet due to injuries and international call-ups. Can their manager Jesper Sorensen steer the ship to another victory? Or will their lack of player availability be too tall of a task to overcome?

Then, there's two heavyweights in Atlanta United and LAFC that are hitting a patchy period of form. Both clubs roster superstar talent - with the Black and Gold sporting Olivier Giroud and the Five Stripes with both Miguel Almiron and Emmanuel Latte Lath. As both teams look to compete with the elite of their respective conference, can they overcome some potential early woes?

Elsewhere, Nashville SC star Hany Mukhtar is on the verge of history, while St. Louis CITY SC's defense is, too.

GOAL dives into all that and more in The Kickoff, a weekly preview of each MLS Matchday.

  • Brian White Vancouver WhitecapsGetty

    Vancouver's biggest test yet

    The Whitecaps are the only MLS team to win their first four matches of the season, but Matchday 5 arrives with a tall task ahead of them. They take on Gregg Berhalter's Chicago Fire, but the biggest issue ahead of them is the XI they are going to be able to roll out.

    The club already lost Ryan Gauld to injury for the foreseeable future, but due to the international break, Jesper Sorensen has been decimated with international call-ups.

    All four of Ali Ahmed (Canada), Andrés Cubas (Paraguay), Pedro Vite (Ecuador), and Brian White (USA) will miss the match on top of their star Scottish midfielder who is sidelined.

    The Fire, meanwhile, have won two-straight and are unbeaten in their last three matches dating back to Matchday 2. Berhalter has them in fine form, and in every single game this season, they've scored at least two goals. Can the Whitecaps hold their momentum, plant their feet, and keep their spot atop the Supporters' Shield Standings? Or will five large absentees loom large, ending their unbeaten start to the season?

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  • Los Angeles Football Club v NYC FCGetty Images Sport

    LAFC's internal struggle

    With two-straight losses in the regular season, LAFC are looking like a shell of themselves at the moment. Denis Bouanga has not scored in MLS action to begin the season, nor has Olivier Giroud. The brightest parts of their attack have come from defensive or midfield runs - rather than their forwards themselves.

    Manager Steve Cherundolo has been tasked with getting the best out of the group, and he's struggled so far this season. However, Matchday 5 presents them with an opportunity to change their fortunes. They take on Peter Vermes and Sporting Kansas City - a team that has yet to notch a victory under their belt to begin the season and a squad that has leaked goals dating back to 2024. SKC have conceded eight goal in just four matches to start the season.

    READ MORE:Cherundolo among coaches on the hot seat

    One issue they'll run into, though, is Bouanga will not be available due to international duty. So who fills his boots? Likely, it will be up to Homegrown attackers Nathan Ordaz and David Martinez to lead the way, along with an experienced Giroud in the middle, and new Designated Player Cengiz Under. Can the quartet take the road and upset Sporting? Or will their attacking woes continue, as Cherundolo searches for answers on how to unlock his attack?

  • Emmanuel Latte Lath Atlanta United IMAGN

    Atlanta's identity

    Atlanta will be without eight players—including Miguel Almirón—for Matchday 5 due to the international break, but the bigger issue is their form. They’re winless since Matchday 1 and have gone three straight matches without a result against Eastern Conference playoff contenders.

    New manager Ronny Deila, an MLS Cup winner, carries high expectations, and after the club’s heavy spending this offseason, the pressure is even greater. The results need to start coming.

    A key part of that will be unlocking Emmanuel Latte Lath, who arrived in February for a record MLS transfer fee. The Ivorian striker has two goals in four matches and has shown flashes of quality, but he has yet to fully impose himself over 90 minutes.

    This weekend, the Five Stripes face a talented but out-of-form FC Cincinnati side in their search for three points. Taking down a team led by manager Pat Noonan won’t be easy, but the matchup is shaping up to be a thrilling contest.

  • Roman Burki St. Louis CITY SC 2024IMGAN

    What's trending?

    + With three points on Saturday, Vancouver would become just the fourth team in MLS history to begin the season with five-straight wins off the bat. The last to do so was St. Louis CITY SC in 2023, and all previous three teams who achieved the feat went on to win their conference's regular season title.
    + If CITY can keep a clean sheet through the first 68 minutes of their Matchday 5 contest against the Philadelphia Union, they will own the title for the longest shutout streak to begin an MLS season after starting the campaign with four-straight clean sheets.
    + With a goal-contribution on Saturday, Nashville SC star Hany Mukhtar will tie U.S. legend Landon Donovan for the eighth-most goal-contributions through 150 games in league history. The German attacker is set to make his 150th appearance on Saturday and currently has 67 goals and 48 assists to his name in MLS action.