Moments of Matchday

By Anonymous (not verified), June 9, 2025

For Immediate Release
MLS Communications

Moments of Matchday 18:
Chicago Fire Hit Lucky Number Seven

Below is a selection of the notable performances and moments from the five matches played on the 18th matchday of the 2025 MLS regular season on Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8.

Fire Attack Cannot Be Extinguished

Despite missing leading scorer Hugo Cuypers to injury, Chicago Fire FC exploded for seven goals on Matchday 18 in their 7-1 win on the road over D.C. United. The seven goals scored by the Fire matched the most in a single game in club history, which it previously accomplished on July 4, 2001 when Chicago defeated the Kansas City Wizards, 7-0.

Without Cuypers in the lineup, Tom Barlow stepped into the No. 9 role and did not miss a beat, recording first career hat trick. Barlow is also the first Fire player to score a hat trick in a regular season match since Nemanja Nikolić on October 15, 2017 against the Philadelphia Union. Barlow’s three goals lifted a Fire attack which also featured a goal contribution from eight other different players in the win.

Chicago’s 35 goals scored are the second-most in MLS and they will look to continue their high-flying scoring run on June 14 at home against Nashville SC (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).

Stuver Spectacular in 150th Game in Green

Austin FC traveled to the Mile High City on Matchday 18 and left with all three points as the club took down the Colorado Rapids, 2-0, thanks to a Mikel Desler goal and Rapids own goal. The win propelled the Verde & Black back into an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs position and was the club's third win away from home this year. Since Austin entered the league in 2021, it is the only club to win three different regular season matches in Colorado.

Goalkeeper Brad Stuver was tremendous in his 150th game for the club, making five saves and shutting Colorado out despite the home side accumulating 3.66 expected goals in the match. Already a club legend, Stuver became the first player in Austin history to appear in 150 regular season games on Matchday 18.

Austin will look to continue their ascent up the Western Conference next Saturday when they host the New York Red Bulls (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).

Valiant Vancouver Knocks Off Seattle

Vancouver Whitecaps FC overcame a week filled with adversity to knock off Cascadia Cup rival Seattle Sounders FC, 3-0, behind the first-career goal from 19-year-old midfielder Jeevan Badwal. The Whitecaps (35 points, 10-1-5) retook the Supporters’ Shield lead with the victory and joined the Philadelphia Union as the only clubs with 10 wins this season. Vancouver is unbeaten across its last 11 matches in league play, dating back to March 29.

Making his second career MLS start, Badwal opened his league account with the game’s first goal in the 40th minute. At 19 years and 89 days old, Badwal became the fourth-youngest player in club history to score his first game-winning goal, trailing only Alphonso Davies, Kekuta Manneh, and Kianz Froese. Both Davies and Manneh recorded two game-winning goals prior to turning 20 years old.

The Whitecaps hit the road on Saturday, as the club travels to face the Columbus Crew at Lower.com Field (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / Apple TV+).

Bouanga Reaches 70 Contributions in LAFC Victory

Behind two assists and a goal from 2023 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi winner Denis Bouanga, LAFC overpowered Sporting Kansas City, 3-1, on Sunday night. With the win, LAFC (26 points, 7-4-5) climbed to fifth place in the Western Conference table and extended their unbeaten run to nine matches in MLS play.

After Sporting Kansas City took a 1-0 lead in the 39th minute, Boaunga contributed to all three of LAFC’s goals, assisting on Eddie Segura’s equalizer in the 45’+1’ and Olivier Giroud’s goal in the 90’+3’, while also scoring from the penalty spot in the 59th minute. With his first assist, Bouanga broke a tie with Diego Rossi (69 career goal contributions) and joined Carlos Vela (137) as the only players in club history to record 70 goal contributions. The Gabon international has 49 career goals and 23 career assists in 85 career MLS matches.

LAFC enters play in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup on June 16, as the club faces off against English giant Chelsea at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (3 p.m. ET, DAZN), before facing off against ES Tunis (Tunisia) on June 20 (6 p.m. ET, DAZN) and Flamengo (Brazil) on June 24 (9 p.m. ET, DAZN).

Timbers Take Down St. Louis CITY SC

Behind second-half goals from Antony and David Ayala the Portland Timbers took down St. Louis CITY SC, 2-1, at Providence Park on Sunday night. Portland (29 points, 8-4-5) has won back-to-back games and maintained a top-four spot in the Western Conference standings with the win.

Assisting on Ayala’s game-winning goal was forward Santiago Moreno, who recorded his 10th career game-winning assist, joining Diego Valeri (23), Sebastian Blanco (19), and Diego Chara (12) as the only players in club history with at least 10 game-winning assists. Moreno, who has 58 career goal contributions, moved into sole possession of fifth place on the club’s all-time goal contribution leaderboard with the helper.

The Timbers return to action on Friday, June 13, as the club welcomes the San Jose Earthquakes to Providence Park (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / Apple TV+ / FS1 / FOX Deportes) in a Western Conference showdown.