Matchday 35 Highlights

By Anonymous (not verified), September 22, 2025

For Immediate Release
MLS Communications

Moments of Matchday 35:
Bouanga Steals the Show on Sunday Night

Below is a selection of the notable performances and moments from the 15 matches played on the 35th matchday of the 2025 MLS regular season on Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21.

Highlights of the matchday included:

New York City FC punched its ticket to the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs with a 2-0 victory over Eastern Conference foe Charlotte FC, snapping the club’s MLS-record nine-game winning streak. New York City FC has won three consecutive matches and six of its last seven overall.
In helping the club clinch a postseason berth, LAFC forward Denis Bouanga scored his 20th, 21st, and 22nd goals of the season, becoming the first player in MLS history to score at least 20 goals in three consecutive seasons and only the second player to score at least 20 goals on three separate occasions, joining Bradley Wright-Phillips (2014, 2016, 2018). Bouanga, who also had a hat trick against San Jose of Sept. 13 at San Jose, is the first player to record two games with three-or-more goals in a three-game span since Cucho Hernández in 2023.
A trio of clubs completed six-point weeks after midweek and weekend victories: Inter Miami CF, LAFC, and New York City FC. Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi notched his 16th game with at least one goal and one assist since entering the league in the summer of 2023, tied for the second-most such games in MLS history by a player in his first three seasons.
Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidate Evander assisted on all three goals in FC Cincinnati’s 3-2 victory over the LA Galaxy – a win that established the club as the second in MLS history to win at least 18 games in three consecutive seasons (D.C. United, 1997-99).
Three players – LAFC’s Denis Bouanga (30), FC Cincinnati’s Evander (30), and Orlando City SC’s Martin Ojeda (30) – eclipsed the 30 goal contribution milestone this season, joining Messi (34) and San Diego’s Anders Dreyer (33). Only one season has featured more than five players in the 30 goal contribution club (2024, seven) and three more players sit within striking distance as the season races to the finish – Chicago’s Philip Zinckernagel (27) and the Nashville duo of Hany Mukhtar (26) and Sam Surridge (26).
Playoff Picture: In addition to clinching efforts from LAFC and New York City FC, the LA Galaxy, Sporting Kansas City, and the New England Revolution were eliminated from playoff contention. View the complete Eastern and Western Conference tables HERE.

LAFC’s Bouanga Records Second Hat Trick in Three Games

Perhaps no one has benefitted more from the LAFC arrival of Son Heung-Min than teammate Denis Bouanga, who notched his second hat trick in three games in the club’s 4-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on Sunday night (Watch Highlights from His Performance Here ). LAFC (50 points, 14-7-8), which punched its ticket to the postseason via results on Saturday night, has won three consecutive matches, scoring four goals in each of the victories, and have eclipsed 50 points for the fourth consecutive season.

Bouanga’s night was full of history, as the forward, who has 22 goals on the season, became the first player in MLS history to score at least 20 goals in three consecutive seasons and just the second player in league annals to score at least 20 goals in three different seasons, joining Bradley Wright-Phillips (2014, 2016, 2018). He became the eighth different player in league history to record two hat tricks in a three-game span and the first since Columbus’ Cucho Hernández, who accomplished the feat from Sept. 2-20, 2023. Bouanga’s 22 goals this season are tied with Lionel Messi atop the Golden Boot presented by Audi leaderboard as the season races towards the finish.

LAFC also became the first team in MLS history to have a player score a hat trick in three consecutive matches: Bouanga (Sept. 13 at San Jose and Sept. 21 vs. Real Salt Lake) and Son (Sept. 17 at Real Salt Lake). The South Korean star, who scored and added a pair of assists on Sunday, has six goals and three assists in seven regular-season games with the club.

Bouanga and LAFC travel to face St. Louis CITY SC at Energizer Park on Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV), as the club looks to continue its late-season surge.

New York City FC Snaps Charlottes Streak, Punches Ticket to Postseason

In a Saturday afternoon shutout win over Charlotte FC, New York City FC (53 points, 16-9-5) poured cold water on the MLS's hottest streak, climbing to fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings in the process and punching its ticket to the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs.

The action kicked off in the 11th minute, when a counterattack from a Charlotte corner led to a New York City FC penalty kick, which was expertly dispatched by Alonso Martínez (Watch Here). New York City doubled their lead in the 58th minute after a handball in the box gave Martínez the opportunity to score his 17th goal of the season, which he took emphatically (Watch Here ). Martínez’s first goal saw him become just the third player in MLS history to record at least 10 game-winning goals in a single season, joining Chris Wondolowski (11 in 2012) and Josef Martínez (10 in 2018) who both took home MVP honors in their respective seasons.

Charlotte FC had the chance to get back into the match in the 69th minute when Wilfred Zaha was fouled in the box, but his penalty was saved securely by Matt Freese (Watch Here), who celebrated the announcement of a new five-year contract with the club this week.

New York City FC will look to continue its climb up the Eastern Conference standings when the club hosts Lionel Messi's Inter Miami CF at Citi Field on Wednesday, Sept. 24 (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).

Messi’s Continued Excellence Lifts Miami

Another virtuoso performance from Lionel Messi (two goals, one assists) powered Inter Miami CF’s 3-2 victory over D.C. United, which saw the Herons reassert themselves in the Supporters’ Shield conversation and saw the Argentine legend jump to the top of the Golden Boot presented by Audi race. Miami (52 points, 15-6-7) sits in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings with six games remaining on its schedule – three more than the top-three teams in the conference table. Miami can control its own destiny in the Eastern Conference race.

Miami started the scoring in the 35th minute, when Tadeo Allende latched onto and finished Messi's perfectly placed through ball (Watch Here). After Christian Benteke equalized for D.C. United in the 53rd minute (Watch Here) saw both teams go into halftime level, Messi decided to take charge in the second half. After testing the goalkeeper several times, Messi broke through in the 66th minute, finding space in the box from Jordi Alba's pass and finishing calmly with his left foot (Watch Here). Messi finished Miami's scoring in the 85th minute, when his shot from just outside of the 18-yard box curled into the top corner before DC pulled one back in stoppage time (Watch Here).

Messi’s heroics marked his 16th game with at least one goal and one assist, tying Carlos Vela (16) for the second-most such games in a player’s first three MLS seasons and trailing only Preki (17). His first-half helper also marked the 30th of his MLS career, as he reached the mark in the third-fewest games in league history (47) behind only Carlos Valderrama (34 games) and Marco Etcheverry (45 games).

Miami travels the Big Apple for a key midweek match against New York City FC at Citi Field on Wednesday, September 24 (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).

New York Red Bulls Deliver in a “Must Win” vs. CF Montréal

Goals from Tim Parker and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting powered the New York Red Bulls to a crucial 2-0 road victory over CF Montréal on Saturday night, keeping the club’s postseason hopes alive. The Red Bulls (43 points, 12-12-7) sit in 10th place in the Eastern Conference table, just two points behind Chicago Fire FC (45 points, 13-11-6) for the ninth and final postseason spot.

The Red Bulls traveled to the Stade Saputo in "must win" mode, with nothing less than a win required to keep them within touching distance of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. After a tight start to the match, New York took the lead when Parker headed in a corner kick at the back post in the 23rd minute of the match (Watch Here ). Choupo-Moting doubled the Red Bulls lead just five minutes later, receiving a throw-in inside of Montréal's penalty box before skillfully dribbling through a couple of defenders and finishing at a tight angle for his 16th goal of the season (Watch Here).

Assisting on Parker’s opening goal was Emil Forsberg, who notched his 10th helper of the season. Forsberg (10 goals, 10 assists) became the fifth different player in club history to record at least 10 goals and 10 assists in a single season and the first since Thierry Henry in 2014.

The Red Bulls will host inner-city rival, New York City FC, in the Hudson River Derby on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV) with bragging rights and playoff hopes on the line.

Ojeda Leads Orlando to Thrilling Victory Over Nashville SC

Led by Martín Ojeda's two-goal performance, Orlando City SC secured a thrilling win over Nashville SC to pick up the club’s first MLS win in over a month, while leapfrogging Nashville in the Eastern Conference table. Orlando (51 points, 14-7-9) currently sits in sixth position in the Eastern Conference and within two points of third-placed Charlotte FC with four games remaining on its schedule.

After a scoreless first period, Ojeda broke the deadlock with a beautifully struck free kick in the 30th minute (Watch Here). The Argentine then doubled Orlando's lead just two minutes later, when his first-timed finish nestled accurately into the bottom corner (Watch Here), making him the first player in club history to record 30 goal contributions in a single MLS season.

Nashville would not go down easily, however, as the club fought back behind goals from Hany Mukhtar (Watch Here) and Jacob Shaffelburg (Watch Here) on either side of the half. Just when the game looked to be headed towards a draw, substitute Duncan McGuire finished a low-driving cross from Tyrese Spicer to take all three points for Orlando deep into second-half stoppage time ( Watch Here).

Orlando will head to TQL Stadium to take on FC Cincinnati on Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire on September 28 (7 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / Apple TV+).