By Favian Renkel and Justin Ruderman
Welcome again to Week No. 7 of Justin and Favian’s Weekly MLS Awards the place SBI workers writers Justin Ruderman and Favian Renkel deliver you a glimpse at the very best of every week in MLS.
This weekend historical past was each made and remembered in San Jose whereas Sporting Kansas Metropolis started a brand new period with out Peter Vermes.
Here’s a look again at Week 7:
Participant of the Week
Justin Ruderman: Josef Martínez (San Jose Earthquakes)
In a rematch of the league’s first-ever sport, San Jose Earthquakes hosted D.C. United to have a good time MLS’s historic thirtieth season. Fittingly, league legend Josef Martínez offered the record-breaking fireworks within the 6-1 demolition.
Martínez prolonged his league file to seven profession MLS hat methods, catapulting himself above fellow MLS icon Bradley Wright-Phillips into sixth on the all-time MLS goalscoring charts on 120 regular-season objectives.
Favian Renkel: Chucky Lozano (San Diego FC)
He’s again! Chucky Lozano has returned from the damage that sidelined him for the previous few weeks, rejoining a surging San Diego facet. SDFC managed to maintain the momentum going with out the Mexican worldwide, however they’re a totally completely different group with him again within the beginning eleven. Lozano recorded a objective, an help, and a secondary help in opposition to top-of-the-line defenses in MLS this previous weekend versus the Seattle Sounders. His objective, the primary of his MLS profession, served because the nail within the coffin, capping off a dominant first half with San Diego’s third objective of the match.
Younger Participant of the Week
JR: Diego Luna (Actual Salt Lake)
Firstly of final season, Diego Luna did an notorious interview through which he made clear his intention to play in Europe sooner slightly than later. I’m beginning to get the sensation that sooner is correct.
After an all-star choice final season, Luna has hit the bottom working in 2025 with three objectives and two assists in six matches up to now, headlined by his game-winning brace in Actual Salt Lake’s 2-0 win over LA Galaxy over the weekend.
I’ve seen Emeka Eneli as an important piece of RSL’s success because the starting of final season, however Luna is definitely the group’s most proficient participant. He can be integral to the Utahn’s playoff chase this 12 months…if he sticks round that lengthy.
FR: Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo)
Houston Dynamo followers lastly have one thing to cheer about this season. Jack McGlynn’s objective may simply have been my choose for Aim of the Week because the 21-year-old unleashed a rocket from outdoors the field, beating LAFC’s Hugo Lloris with a surprising strike. That is precisely why the Dynamo introduced in McGlynn—to take over matches and turn into the go-to man in Houston. It’s occurring proper in entrance of our eyes, and MLS followers must take pleasure in him whereas they will earlier than the USMNT worldwide inevitably makes the leap throughout the pond.
Aim of the Week
JR: Federico Bernardeschi (Toronto FC)
Lionel Messi scored from lengthy vary in South Florida, however Federico Bernardeschi outshone the GOAT with a good higher objective in Toronto FC’s 1-1 draw with Inter Miami.
In first-half stoppage time, Bernardeschi obtained a cross from fellow DP Lorenzo Insigne, pirouetting towards objective earlier than including ballet-esque footwork, together with a depraved Cruyff flip, to keep away from Miami defenders and stab his side-foot shot into the again of the web.
The technical talent of the objective was spectacular sufficient, but the attention of Bernardeschi in visitors on the prime of the six-yard field is most evident of his unbelievable capability.
FR: Jacen Russell-Rowe (Columbus Crew)
The Columbus Crew haven’t skipped a beat with dropping their greatest participant this offseason Cucho Hernandez, who’s making a distinction over at Actual Betis. Final matchday, it was Diego Rossi, and this matchday, it was Jacen Russell-Rowe. The 22 12 months outdated has been on a tear these days with the alternatives left open by Cucho and has been in a position to rating 4 objectives in all competitions. Russell-Rowe is including all these expertise into his bag, and this objective versus Montreal, is not any completely different. Check out this magnificence.
Staff of the Week
JR: San Jose Earthquakes
Led by a hat trick from Josef Martínez, my Participant of the Week, the San Jose Earthquakes despatched out a warning to the league by battering D.C. United, 6-1, at dwelling.
Nonetheless, it was a group efficiency. Creator Cristian Espinoza offered an help for every of his strikers, Martínez and Chicho Arango, whereas including a objective of his personal. Between the sticks, Daniel was nonetheless referred to as upon repeatedly, making an unbelievable 9 saves to take care of the rout.
Regardless of Hernán López’s unlucky shoulder damage, San Jose’s rebuilt assault resides as much as the hype.
FR: Vancouver Whitecaps
Who would have thought that seven matchdays into the season—with out Ryan Gauld for many of it, balancing CONCACAF Champions Cup video games, and adjusting to a brand new head coach—the Vancouver Whitecaps can be sitting on the prime of the Supporters’ Defend standings forward of MLS powerhouses just like the Columbus Crew, FC Cincinnati, and Inter Miami CF? Definitely not me. But week after week, the Whitecaps proceed to shock everybody, together with with their newest win in opposition to a superb Colorado Rapids group.
The principle cause Vancouver has been in a position to keep this stellar tempo with out their greatest participant on the pitch is their exceptional scoring depth. Up to now, they’ve had 10 completely different goalscorers in MLS play—a feat not seen by way of seven video games because the 2022 MLS Cup-winning LAFC group. Vancouver is prospering off being missed, and with a wide-open Western Convention, this is likely to be the season the place they draw back on the prime if they will keep wholesome and keep their scoring type.
Did I point out that this group is up on the market as effectively?
Second of the Week
JR: San Jose vs. D.C.
I do know I’ve targeted on the Earthquakes rather a lot this week, however it’s laborious to not once they win a historic match 6-1!
As talked about, the match between San Jose and D.C. United was a rematch of the first-ever MLS sport between the San Jose Conflict and D.C. United on April 6, 1996 at Spartan Stadium. Precisely 29 years later, the renamed Earthquakes hosted D.C. of their comparatively new soccer-specific PayPal Park. It was a second that encapsulated simply how far our league has come.
That was proven on the pitch, too.
D.C. United legend Marco Etcheverry, who performed in that inaugural match, and U.S. soccer legend Eric Wynalda, who scored the lone game-winning objective within the inaugural match, had been each in attendance to observe. On the sideline, the person who took cost of D.C. United of their first-ever sport, Bruce Area was now teaching San Jose within the rematch.
As a substitute of one other uninteresting, scrappy sport begging for a single objective like we noticed 29 years in the past, San Jose placed on a present for the loyal followers celebrating the historic thirtieth 12 months of MLS soccer.
Including a little bit of banter to the memorable event, the Earthquakes displayed banners for all 30 MLS groups of their pregame festivities, flipping one of many flags the wrong way up. After all, that was for bitter rivals LA Galaxy.
FR: My tweet talked about on MLS Wrap Up
This can be a little bit of a private second of the week, but it surely was actually superior to see. Final week, Luis Suárez went on stream with an Argentinian content material creator, speaking about all facets of his profession. Suárez spoke about Inter Miami and talked about how each group offers 150% once they play in opposition to them. Understanding how massive of a quote this was—and the way related it’s to how Miami has been enjoying this season—I made certain to translate it for the American media, because it was initially stated in Spanish. Toronto FC almost stole all three factors from Inter Miami at Chase Stadium, and the quote felt extra related than ever. Kevin Egan even opened a section paraphrasing it. I used to be actually flattered and felt extraordinarily proud that my translation reached the MLS highlight.