MLS Winners and Losers: Lionel Messi wakes up to lead Inter Miami comeback, Timo Werner shines - doubts grow over Tata Martino with Atlanta United

Who else? The thing is, Inter Miami were genuinely very bad in the first half of their Sunday fixture with Orlando City. Their midfield was wide open, and even the individual quality of Yannick Bright - usually so good at covering spaces - wasn't enough to stop a well-coordinated Orlando attacking unit. They were, quite frankly, fortunate to only trail by two after 30 minutes. 

Messi, meanwhile, wasn't a total absentee. But he wasn't exactly pulling the strings, either. And then, in the second half, he woke up. He dropped deeper to receive the ball, and when he had it, he was far more effective. He scored Miami's first, a wonderful ping into the top corner from outside the box. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner also curled home a delightful fourth to put the game beyond doubt in the 90th minute. Sure, he was helped out by an Orlando side that rather tired out as the game wore on. But Messi came alive, and, as he has done countless times, saved Miami on Sunday. 

Martino preached patience before he took the Atlanta job. The Argentine manager admitted that second acts can be tough, and Atlanta had a lot to work on after undergoing a fairly disastrous 2025 campaign. 

The goal, he insisted, was merely to make the playoffs - which should, frankly, be an absolute minimum for a side that has spent the third most in Major League Soccer in the last 18 months. And sure, there were always going to be some concerns here. Atlanta are lacking in balance, and don't have much at the back. This team is going to concede goals.

But what they should be able to do, though, is score - a lot. There are very few teams in MLS who have their array of attacking talent, or can boast the individual weapons that the Five Stripes enjoy. Yet through two games, they have failed to find the back of the net. 

On Saturday, they put just one shot on target against a San Jose side that is still figuring itself out. Martino, it would seem, still has plenty of work to do. 

Who says you can't win anything with kids? It would only make sense, in truth, for Michael Bradley to put his faith in youth at the helm for New York Red Bulls. After all, he showed just how rich their academy is last season by winning MLS Next Pro. He already trusts these guys. 

But what no one really expected was how big of a role a number of teenagers might play in what has been a solid start to the season. In truth, Hall is not an unknown. He has been highly rated for some time now, a versatile forward a step below the top talents in the U.S. youth system, but certainly one for the future. Yet 17-year-olds don't start up front for MLS sides. It seems, though, that this is no normal MLS side - and the manager doesn't care too much about conventions. 

Hall has now started two and scored three to open the season, including the winner against New England on Saturday. Bradley is not reinventing the wheel. Hall is not a total unicorn of a talent. But he is a youngster proving that he can perform at a high level. That can only be a good thing for a Red Bulls side with big ambitions. 

It's been a mixed start for the Timbers. They are an MLS side with a fine heritage, an immensely likeable team with a top fanbase who have typically found a way to compete. Last year, they went without star man Evander, scraped into the playoffs, and gave San Diego a really good go of things in the first round. But it was a rough offseason - for any number of reasons. David Ayala was a big loss, and with only Cole Bassett - a solid yet not spectacular MLS talent - as the sole midfield replacement, the Timbers look a bit short.

Week 1 was encouraging, as they managed a 3-2 win over a Columbus side in flux. But last week was pretty tough. Colorado are full of ambition under new head coach Matt Wells, but are still a young side that Portland would figure to take points off - even on the road. Yet Portland were battered at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Colorado, and finished the game with 10 men. Zoom out, and the Timbers are a fringe playoff team who will probably win as many as they lose. But it's these kinds of games - against the teams around them - where they simply have to pick up points. 

Who knew the top-quality striker could also assist? When in form, Timo Werner is a goal machine - at his most dangerous attacking space from the left, where his pace turns simple patterns into chances. He has shown across multiple Bundesliga seasons that he can clear the 20-goal mark.

What we didn’t expect was for him to make his mark from the opposite flank.

In truth, this felt like something of a free hit. San Jose were in control when he entered on the hour, even if Atlanta had spells of possession. The visitors were repeatedly exposed in transition, and Werner - short on consistent minutes in recent seasons - was handed a simple brief: stretch the field and run at a retreating back line.

He did just that, albeit from unfamiliar territory. Werner drifted across the front line but spent much of the half on the right, where he repeatedly beat his marker and supplied a delightful assist for San Jose’s second - the goal that effectively ended the game. There will be growing pains as sharpness returns. But this was a very encouraging debut.

Yikes. Columbus were always going to have a bit of a tough transition under their new manager in Henrik Rydström. Say what you will about Wilfried Nancy's time at Celtic, but the former boss was Columbus. This is a legacy franchise with a top history, but the Frenchman was central to their success over the past few years. Losing him and then a top assistant was always going to make 2026 tricky. Dropped points were inevitable. 

The season-opening 3-2 loss to Portland on the road is forgivable. Providence Park is a fortress, and will be basically the sole reason Portland do any damage this season. But a tie with Sporting KC? Even away from home? Not good. The Crew weren't outplayed as such, but Sporting KC, who, let's face it, are a pretty bad team, had their moments. 

And when it counted, big-money striker Wessam Abou Ali fell short, missing a vital penalty that would have given them three points. Diego Rossi's 82nd-minute goal salvaged a point, but anything more would have flattered them. The Eastern Conference is very, very good. The Crew, it seems, might struggle a bit. 

Berhalter ball was loads of fun last year. The Fire scored a bunch, but they also conceded a bunch. At times, they were electric to watch. At others, they were pretty hopeless. It looked a lot like a new manager coming into a team that had plenty of flaws, handed a bunch of money, and told to figure it out. That certainly wasn't loads of fun for Fire fans. But it felt right. 

This year, though, expectations are a little higher. 

This group has had some more time together. The pieces should be back in place. Berhalter, too, after his time away from MLS, has no excuses. Adjustment periods are gone. And things certainly look a little cleaner. A 2-1 loss to Houston on opening night doesn't feel great, but the Dynamo retooled in fine fashion this offseason. A 3-0 win this weekend over Montreal was far more promising. It's those games, against lowly opposition, where the Fire simply cannot afford to drop points if they are to be a solid playoff team this season. Putting three past an inferior team and navigating the game despite playing with 10 men for 30 minutes isn't bad at all.