MLS Winners and Losers: James Rodriguez and Josh Sargent make long-awaited debuts and is time to worry about Son Heung-Min?

Petar Musa isn't typically mentioned as an MLS must-see attraction. Odds are you aren't spotting Musa jerseys outside of the Dallas area, and FC Dallas matches usually aren't the hottest ticket in town when they visit other stadiums like Lionel Messi, Son Heung-min or now James Rodriguez.

Yet he might be the best attacker in the league who isn't wearing a No. 10 for Inter Miami. Musa proved that Saturday night against a vaunted San Diego FC defense in their own building, producing an unbelievable hat trick to force a 3-3 draw. It continues an impressive start for the Croatian international, who now has five goals in four matches.

Even if Musa isn't a household name stateside, he's certainly making an impression abroad. Last year, AS reported that Premier League clubs were circling the striker. A move didn't come to fruition, but if he keeps up this rate - especially if he makes Croatia's World Cup squad - he could become a big-ticket transfer target this summer.

To be fair, this is harsh on Rodríguez, who has been working his way to fitness ahead of his long-awaited debut for Minnesota. Yet it doesn't appear the Colombian superstar will be much help if the Loons continue to struggle like this.

Good teams don't lose by six goals. Even if it came against a well-oiled Vancouver Whitecaps side, the pressure has to be on new manager Cameron Knowles. Minnesota have conceded 11 goals in their opening four matches, tied for the second-worst mark in the league.

Outside of the loss of Dayne St. Clair, this roster is largely the same as the one that reached the Western Conference semifinals last season — only now it includes a massive upgrade in Rodríguez. Tactical organization and a stout defensive mentality fueled that run. So far this year, neither has been evident.

That falls on Knowles.

Sargent almost became a hero with his first touch. Toronto's new striker came off the bench and, on a set piece, got a touch right in front of goal, only for it to be immediately blocked by the New York Red Bulls defense.

That wasn't the only chance Sargent saw go begging. He also missed a one-on-one after latching onto a perfectly weighted throughball. Those missed chances proved costly as the visitors equalized late to force a 1-1 draw, but there were still reasons for encouragement. For a player who has had roughly eight days of training with the club, the fit within Robin Fraser's side was immediately apparent. Given Sargent's price tag, you would imagine the goals will come soon enough.

Just as importantly, the buzz was back in Toronto. Historically, the Reds have been one of MLS's most ambitious sides, with a fervent support that makes Canada's biggest city one of the best soccer markets in North America when the team is competitive. The problem is they haven't been for nearly a decade. Ill-fated moves like the Lorenzo Insigne era meant increasingly sparse seats became a common sight at BMO Field.

Yet on Saturday, the moment Sargent stepped onto the pitch, there was a tangible buzz in the stands. Moves like the Sargent signing - along with last year's trade for Djordje Mihailovic - mean expectations should now be higher. For Fraser, that likely means playoffs or bust. We'll see if he can get them there.

"Winning is the greatest deodorant."

For LAFC, John Madden's famous line feels especially fitting right now. Madden often used it to describe how winning can mask flaws that might later come back to hurt a team. At the moment, though, it's hard to find many problems for LAFC. They are a perfect 4-0-0 and sitting on 12 points, just behind the Vancouver Whitecaps on goal differential. They've conceded zero goals and have the look of potential champions this season.

Yet if there is an area of concern, it may be their attack. LAFC have scored a respectable eight goals on the year, but considering the attacking talent at their disposal, it's fair to wonder whether that number should be higher. Part of that question could be Son Heung-Min.

The South Korean star has yet to score this season, which seems almost preposterous considering his form last year. In 2025, he had nine goals and three assists in 10 appearances. This year, he already has three assists, but he hasn't been as clinical in front of goal, registering just two shots on target.

With the team otherwise clicking on all cylinders, it's a topic that has largely flown under the radar. But the moment LAFC drop points, the spotlight will surely grow on the Designated Player many expected to contend for MLS MVP. There have already been visible signs of frustration - particularly in the opener against Miami, when he vented toward new manager Marc Dos Santos after being substituted before the final whistle. Stay tuned.

The Athletic recently polled MLS general managers, and one of the more notable results was the high regard for New York City FC's Pascal Jansen, who finished second behind Jesper Sorensen as the league's best coach in their view. Based on NYCFC's start to the 2026 season, they may have hit the mark.

The Pigeons are flying, sitting atop the Eastern Conference with a strong 3-0-1 record. More impressively, Jansen is doing it with a squad that doesn't have a recognized striker after losing Alonso Martínez to injury during last November's international window and seeing a big move for Moussa Sylla collapse right before the season.

Instead, he's gotten creative, at times deploying the 5-foot-6 Nicolás Fernández Mercau as a false nine. The result? Mercau leads the team with four goals, and NYCFC boast one of MLS's most dangerous attacks with 11 goals in four games.

It's far too early to talk about Coach of the Year candidates, but Jansen is already cementing himself as one of MLS's premier managers.

If it weren't for the Philadelphia Union's surprising 0-4-0 start and St. Louis repeating the mistakes of their past two seasons, Columbus might be the worst team in MLS right now.

It's hard to believe, but the Crew have just two points through four matches. Columbus haven't done much well so far, but the issues in attack are the most concerning. The Crew have scored just four goals despite having a fully fit Wessam Abou Ali alongside Diego Rossi. Things simply aren't clicking for new manager Henrik Rydström.

While much of the attention has focused on Rydström, it may also be fair to question Daniel Gazdag. Brought in a blockbuster move to replace some of the production lost with Cucho Hernandez's departure, Gazdag has just eight goal contributions in 28 league appearances. The team needs more from their Hungarian star.

On the other side of the Hell is Real rivalry, FC Cincinnati are struggling as well - and they may be a case of what happens when running it back goes wrong. While the club will likely say otherwise, last year's shellacking at the hands of Inter Miami could not have gone down well considering the strength of this squad. FCC are arguably one of the most complete teams in MLS, yet they collapsed in a 4-0 loss to the eventual champions in the semifinals.

This season, outside of beating Atlanta United, Pat Noonan's team has lost to three struggling sides - Minnesota United, Toronto FC and New England - handing each of them their first win of the year.

Noonan remains one of MLS's most respected managers. But with proven winners potentially available - Eric Ramsay, Oscar Pareja, Patrick Vieira, and even Wilfried Nancy (though that would be difficult to imagine given the rivalry) - the pressure will mount if results don't improve soon.