What We Learned: New England's X-factor, Jack McGlynn's USMNT value | OneFootball

By Joseph Lowery

Matchday 12 is in the books.

What did we learn? Did the games confirm what we already knew or change the complexion of the league?

Let’s dive into some key takeaways from another weekend of MLS action.

WATCH: Every goal from Matchday 12!

1. Jack McGlynn is back

With USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s top assistant – Jesús Pérez – watching from the stands, Jack McGlynn pulled out one of the best performances of his young career on Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire. 

The 22-year-old’s brace helped secure a 4-1 road win over LAFC for Houston Dynamo FC. Enjoying his second-straight league start since returning from a lower-body injury, McGlynn absolutely uncorked from distance to give his team the lead:

Discussing his performance after the match, McGlynn called his 25th-minute opener a “banger." It's safe to say he’s right about that.

Even before he entered the professional ranks, the central midfielder’s best quality was his golden left foot. Whether from set pieces or from open play, the Philadelphia Union product can strike a ball unlike just about any other player in MLS – and certainly unlike any player in the USMNT pool ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Whether the second-year Dynamo man makes the USMNT squad is another matter, given he’s only played about half of the available minutes for Houston this year due to injury. But if he makes the cut, there’s little doubt that McGlynn would bring something different to the table this summer.

2. Carles Gil is flying

The New England Revolution’s 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday was just the latest in a long string of positive results. Unbeaten in seven games with 19 points from those matches, life is good for the Revs.

For much of the season, goalkeeper Matt Turner’s heroic exploits have helped guide the club to results. According to American Soccer Analysis, only Austin FC's Brad Stuver has saved more goals above expected than Turner’s 6.98 so far this year. 

But against the Union, Turner had little to do. Instead, it was maestro Carles Gil who helped turn the game in New England’s favor.

Involved in both goals for Marko Mitrović’s side, Gil nabbed the straightforward assist for Luca Langoni’s far-from-straightforward equalizer before calmly slotting home the game-winner late in the match:

With eight goal contributions (4g/4a) in 11 games this year, Gil has been productive as the main man in the attack for a team that’s far exceeding expectations.

Of course, the schedule will get more difficult for New England ahead of the World Cup break, via matches against Nashville SC, Minnesota United FC and Charlotte FC. But if Gil’s form continues, the Revs will be a hard team to beat.

3. Red Bull New York’s evolution

Cast your mind back to opening weekend. Having traveled to Orlando, Red Bull New York’s first starting lineup under head coach Michael Bradley featured more than a few surprises – and not just because of the young players included.

With Justin Che and Dylan Nealis, two perhaps more natural fullbacks, playing in the middle of a four-man backline, RBNY were going for it. The result? A dazzling 2-1 win.

After that victory, however, teams began to pick on the undersized Red Bull backline. Che going down with an injury didn’t help, either. Ahead of their matchup on Saturday with Chicago Fire FC, the defense had become a glaring issue for Bradley: only two teams had given up more than RBNY’s 2.45 goals per game, and only three teams had given up more than their 2.24 expected goals per game, as per American Soccer Analysis. Bradley knew he needed to shake things up.

Against Chicago, the first-year head coach made a savvy change to help shore up his team’s defense. By shifting Nealis back to right back, a role he’s played previously, Bradley gave his team extra defensive cover between a more stay-at-home right back and two larger center backs. The altered balance paid off, with RBNY allowing just one goal for the first time since March, en route to claiming their first win in over a month.

Things are looking up for RBNY.

WATCH: Red Bulls snap winless skid at Chicago Fire

4. FC Dallas can hang with the best

Since Eric Quill took over as head coach ahead of last season, it’s been fairly commonplace to see FC Dallas cede possession to the opposition. 

With a strong striker corps and athletic outside backs who like to spring forward on the break, defending deep and hitting in transition has been a calling card for Dallas since they transferred Lucho Acosta to Brazil midway through 2025.

Quill has diversified his tactical approach over much of the first third of this year, but went back to a tried-and-true defense-first setup against Real Salt Lake on Saturday. In fact, FC Dallas’ 27% possession, per FBref, was their lowest single-game total since Quill took charge.

That commitment to defensive compactness paid off to the tune of a 3-1 victory against one of the league’s best teams. All three of Dallas’ goals came via quick transition attacks, including former Portland Timbers attacker Santiago Moreno’s first goal for his new team:

Because FC Dallas can flex between using possession to play through Moreno, Petar Musa, and others and using deep defending to rifle past you in space, they’re far from an easy team to play against.

They hung with one of the best on Saturday, and will have more chances to do just that with Vancouver Whitecaps FC and San Jose Earthquakes – second and first place, respectively, in the Supporters' Shield standings – up next on the schedule.

5. Preston Judd can’t stop scoring

Coming into Saturday’s clash with the Vancouver Whitecaps, the big story was how the San Jose Earthquakes would fare without the injured Timo Werner and Niko Tsakiris conducting the attack. The answer? Just fine, thanks.

Of course, the Quakes weren’t at their best without their two best providers. But they managed an early goal through breakout striker Preston Judd and held on for a 1-1 draw with the team right behind them in the Supporters’ Shield race. Thanks to Judd’s eighth goal of the season, San Jose could afford to adopt a more combative approach through the rest of the game. 

Few strikers in MLS are playing at a higher level than the 26-year-old, who’s more than seized his chance to be Bruce Arena’s every-game starter up top. After collecting seven goals in just over 1,000 minutes as a spot-starter in 2025, Judd has scored eight in just under 1,000 minutes in 2026.

With a mixture of impressive athleticism and savvy off-ball movement, he’s proven to be a handful for opposing defenders. Both of those traits came to light on his fourth-minute strike over the weekend:

In the buildup to the goal, you can see Judd point to where he wants teammate Paul Marie to play the ball. That’s a tell-tale sign of a player who understands his own movement and the game as a whole at a high level. With that knowledge and the speed to break away from the Whitecaps’ backline, Judd tapped the ball home.

The man can’t stop scoring.