For Immediate Release
MLS Communications |
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Moments of Matchday 29:
San Diego Snags Supporters’ Shield Lead
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Below is a selection of the notable performances and moments from the 15 matches played on the 29th matchday of the 2025 MLS regular season on Saturday, August 16, and Sunday, August 17.
Highlights of the matchday included:
- The Supporters’ Shield race continued to get tighter as San Diego FC took the lead after winning on the road and the Philadelphia Union falling to the New York Red Bulls. At the conclusion of Matchday 29, nine teams are separated by just seven points and six clubs are within five points. No expansion team has ever won the trophy in their inaugural season.
- In his second MLS appearance, Son Heung-Min starred once again, which included his first MLS assist on Canadian Men’s National Team midfielder Mathieu Choinière’s first LAFC goal. LAFC defeated the New England Revolution on the road, 2-0, to continue their charge up the Western Conference.
- Lionel Messi added a game-winning goal and an assist off the bench for Inter Miami CF as they took down the LA Galaxy, 3-1. Messi’s goal was his 40th in league play, becoming the second-fastest player to achieve the milestone.
- With a late game-winning assist in Orlando’s Saturday night victory, Martín Ojeda recorded his 12th straight game with a goal contribution, tying Sebastian Giovinco (2018) for the second-longest streak in MLS history. Ojeda is three games shy of tying the MLS record, which is held by Josef Martínez (15 in 2019).
- Two different players scored within three minutes of their club debuts – Orlando City SC’s Tyrese Spicer and Toronto FC’s Jules-Anthony Vilsaint. Spicer opened the scoring in the 2nd minute for Orlando while Vilsaint came off the bench and equalized for Toronto just two minutes later. Vilsaint’s goal was the fastest by a player making his Toronto debut, eclipsing Justin Braun (13 minutes in 2013).
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San Diego FC Take Supporters’ Shield Lead with Dramatic Road Comeback
Twenty-nine matchdays are done in MLS and surprisingly, the team atop the Supporters’ Shield standings is none other than first-year expansion side San Diego FC . Despite falling behind late in the second half against California rivals the San Jose Earthquakes, San Diego showed their trademark resiliency, scoring twice after the 80th minute to win 2-1. The victory took them to 52 points (16-7-4) and in the lead of the Supporters’ Shield for the first time this season as they look to become the first expansion club to win the Supporters’ Shield in their debut season.
San Diego’s ascent up the Supporters’ Shield standings has been fueled by their strong road form. Sunday night was no different as they earned their sixth-straight away victory by beating San Jose. San Diego is just the fourth team in MLS history to win at least six consecutive road games in a single season and one shy of the league record (excluding the shootout era).
The expansion side’s chase for the Shield will continue next Saturday when they host the Portland Timbers at Snapdragon Stadium (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
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Exquisite Evander Paints Portland Orange and Blue in Return
After being traded to FC Cincinnati from the Timbers in a blockbuster offseason deal, Evander made his return to Portland on Saturday night in the marquee matchup of the weekend, which did not disappoint. The Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidate was sensational despite a chorus of boos, registering the game-winning goal and an assist in Cincinnati’s 3-2 win that saw them move up the Supporters’ Shield standings (52 points, 16-7-4) behind San Diego on only goal differential.
Evander’s game-winning goal came in the 36th minute on a thunderous strike from just over 24 yards out, resulting in Cincinnati taking a 3-0 lead early in the match (Watch Here). The goal was Evander’s ninth from outside the box in 2025, which is the second most in MLS over the past 10 years and only one behind Sebastian Giovinco in 2015 (10). The Brazilian is up to 16 goals and nine assists this season and now has at least 25 goal contributions in back-to-back seasons.
The Orange and Blue now control their destiny in the Supporters’ Shield race and will look to continue their push for the trophy next Saturday when they host New York City FC at TQL Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
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Messi Magic In Return to the Pitch
After missing Matchday 28 to injury, Lionel Messi returned to MLS action on Saturday and did not miss a beat. The 2024 Landon Donovan MLS MVP entered at halftime with Inter Miami leading 1-0, but the visitors LA Galaxy would equalize shortly after his introduction. With the game trending toward a draw, Messi pulled out two moments of magic with a goal in the 84th minute (Watch Here ), followed by a tremendous assist to Luis Suárez in the 89th minute (Watch Here) to earn the victory.
With his second-half goal, Messi hit 40 career regular-season MLS goals in his 44th game, becoming the second-fastest player in league history to do so, behind only Josef Martínez (42). Messi is now up to 19 goals and 10 assists in 2025 as he cements himself among the top MVP contenders. Next up for Miami is a Leagues Cup Quarterfinal showdown against LIGA MX giants Tigres on Wednesday (MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / Apple TV+ / FS1 / UniMás).
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Rafael Navarro Carrying Load for Colorado
After Colorado dealt Djordje Mihailovic to Toronto FC in a record deal, the question became who would step up for the Rapids. In the two games since then, that question has been resoundingly answered by forward Rafael Navarro. The Brazilian Designated Player had an assist on Matchday 28 and followed that up with a dominant two-goal, one-assist performance against Atlanta United on Saturday night, as the Rapids won 3-1.
Navarro’s two goals were his 10th and 11th in the regular season as he became the fourth player in club history to produce at least 10 goals in consecutive seasons and the first since Deshorn Brown in 2013-14. No Rapids player has ever scored 30 regular-season goals in a two-season span, which is what Navarro will be chasing in the final seven matches. The win was crucial for Colorado as they moved into seventh place in the Western Conference (36 points, 10-11-6) and four points above the final Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs position.
Navarro and the Rapids will return to action next Saturday when they travel to face the LA Galaxy (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
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Two Eastern Conference Sides First to Hit 10 Home Wins
With the Eastern Conference playoff race heating up, every home match carries added importance in securing three points and keeping pressure on conference rivals. Both Charlotte FC and the New York Red Bulls got the memo on Matchday 29, recording their 10th home victories this season, which are the most in MLS.
Charlotte currently owns the longest active winning streak as Idan Toklomati’s lone goal gave the Queen City side their sixth-straight victory. Their 10th home win also tied for the most in a single season in club history (2022), despite still having four more home matches to go.
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| Up the east coast, the New York Red Bulls finally got a victory against the Philadelphia Union after failing to register a win against the Union since 2019. Defender Dylan Nealis was the unlikely goal scorer for the Red Bulls, who produced 10 wins at Sports Illustrated Stadium for the first time since the 2018 season when they won the Supporters’ Shield.
These two clubs will meet next weekend on Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire in Charlotte as the Red Bulls aim for a significant road win in their chase for the postseason (7 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / Apple TV+).
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