MLS Matchday 18 Roundup

The emotions of the 2025 MLS season continue, and this weekend, we witnessed the 18th matchday, where the teams played three golden points in each of their games.

Philadelphia remains at the top of the East, adding a new victory to their record, while Cincinnati does not want to lose their footprint also winning their game. In addition, Nashville also had an excellent away win, leaving everything as it was before the start of this matchday.

On the other hand, the Whitecaps lost to Columbus Crew, allowing the teams to get as close as possible in the standings. San Diego beat Minnesota away, while the Timbers drew to stay close to the fight for the top of the standings.

Here is a summary of Matchday 18 of the 2025 MLS season.

MLS Matchday 18: Games

MLS Matchday 18 Roundup: NYC FC vs. Atlanta United

Atlanta United was crushed by the Big Apple team, NYC FC 0-4.

However, this is not the first time they have lost to New York teams, as they suffered a 0-2 loss to the Red Bulls at the end of May, and in their next match on Thursday, they were thrashed 0-4 at Yankee Stadium by NYCFC.

The match started with an early chance for Atlanta, as the VAR denied them a penalty kick. However, toward the end of the first half, NYCFC capitalized on a mistake by Brooks Lennon, allowing Maxi Moralez to score.

Despite Moralez’s solid performance, Atlanta failed to mount a comeback in the second half. Mounsef Barkar and Hannes Wolf scored for NYCFC in six minutes, securing a dominant victory. Atlanta United now sits 13th in the Eastern Conference with 17 points, while NYCFC has moved up to fifth place with 28 points.

Result: NYC FC 4–0 Atlanta United

MLS Matchday 18 Roundup: New England vs. Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati earned a 1-0 victory, ending the New England Revolution’s nine-game unbeaten streak. Kevin Denkey found the net in the 26th minute to secure Cincinnati’s victory on Saturday night.

The win not only halted Cincinnati’s four-game winless streak but also marked its first clean sheet of the regular season against New England. The Revolution, who came into the match unbeaten in their last nine games, last suffered a loss at the hands of FC Cincinnati on April 5.

Denkey, Cincinnati’s leading scorer, scored his 11th goal of the MLS regular season with a shot from the center of the box after a pinpoint pass from forward Luca Orellano. Despite New England enjoying a significant advantage in possession and recording 10 shots, with two on target, they were unable to find the back of the net. Cincinnati’s passing accuracy of 86.3% significantly influenced the game’s outcome, contrasting with New England’s 77.8% accuracy.

Both teams showed offensive intent early in the first half, with Orellano’s shot hitting the right post after beating New England goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic in the 12th minute. Roman Celentano stopped a well-place left-footed shot from the New England midfielder Tomas Chancalay.

Although the Revs had a chance to equalize in the 71st minute with Maxi Urruti’s shot from the right side of the box that narrowly missed, the match ultimately ended in a 1-0 victory for FC Cincinnati.

Result: New England 0–1 Cincinnati

MLS Matchday 18 Roundup: Columbus Crew vs. Whitecaps

In MLS Matchday 18, Columbus Crew defeated Vancouver Whitecaps in a home match.

Columbus Crew’s first goal was scored by Darlington Nagbe in the 1st minute of the first half, giving his team an early lead. Vancouver Whitecaps managed to equalize the score momentarily in the 5th minute of the same half. However, Diego Rossi’s goal in the 23rd minute of the first half secured the final result in favor of Columbus Crew.

Diego Rossi’s outstanding performance in the match made him the standout player, having scored a goal. Another notable performance came from Darlington Nagbe, who also scored a goal for Columbus Crew.

In the upcoming matches, Columbus and Atlanta United will meet at Columbus home, while Vancouver will face San Diego FC at home.

Result: Columbus Crew 2–1 Whitecaps

MLS Matchday 18 Roundup: Minnesota vs. San Diego FC

Minnesota United suffered a 2-4 loss at home to San Diego FC in an eventful match on Saturday night. Despite early goals from Kelvin Yeboah and a San Diego own goal, Minnesota United was unable to hold on to its lead as San Diego FC responded with two second-half goals to secure the victory.

Early in the game, in the 5th minute, San Diego FC had a chance to score with an attempt by Alex Mighten, but Wessel Speel made the save. Minnesota United then took the lead in the 8th minute due to a defensive mishap by San Diego FC goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos. However, San Diego FC quickly equalized and then took the lead in the 11th minute on a goal by Dreyer.

The match featured several key moments, with both teams creating chances and standout plays from players such as Joaquin Pereyra and Anders Dreyer. San Diego FC ultimately sealed their victory with additional goals from Dreyer, Milan Iloski, and a late counterattack goal from Iloski in the 90th minute.

Despite their efforts, Minnesota United was unable to secure the home victory and will now look to regroup for their upcoming matches.

Result: Minnesota 2–4 San Diego FC