🔬 The Debrief to bookend week three of the 2025 MLS season | OneFootball

The book has been closed on the second weekend of action across the 2025 MLS season in the wake of some intriguing fixtures on Saturday evening.

Here is how it all went down across all the grounds from Sunday's match program, which featured Lionel Messi's Inter Miami host Charlotte FC, and league powerhouse LA Galaxy welcoming St. Louis City to the West Coast.

What happened

Inter Miami once again responded well to adversity across the opening few weeks of the 2025 MLS season during their 1-0 win against visiting Charlotte FC at Chase Field.

The Herons found themselves down to ten men for the third time in three league matches under new boss Javier Mascherano, when goalkeeper Óscar Ustari brought down Wilfried Zaha to deny The Crown star a clear goalscoring chance.

Despite the disadvantage and Messi being left on the bench, a goal from Tadeo Allende one minute after the restart was all that Inter Miami would need to seal all three points in South Florida.

In the only other match on the docket, former Swedish international star Olaf Mellberg oversaw his first MLS after St. Louis City ran riot during a 3-0 win against LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park.

Greg Vanney and company continue to struggle with a depleted squad and the key absence of talismanic midfielder Riqui Puig as they failed to pick up a first win of the campaign of their own, with goals from Cedric Teuchert, Marcel Hartel, and Simon Becher putting them to the sword.

Player of the day

Former Borussia Dortmund standout Roman Bürki produced one of the performances of the season thus far in 2025, making eight saves against LA Galaxy to keep St. Louis in a position to come away with their huge away win.

St. Louis has yet to surrender a goal three weeks into the new season, with a fantastic point-blank save against Christian Ramirez highlighting his Man of the Match performance.

Stat of the day

LA Galaxy are in a real rough patch in the opening weeks of the 2025 season and have now become the first holding MLS Cup champion to lose three in a row to begin their title defense.

What this means

Inter Miami makes it two wins on the bounce after their opening draw against NYCFC to climb up to second in the Eastern Conference table despite Lionel Messi's bit-part influence to begin the season. Charlotte ends the weekend sitting sixth.

On the left coast, LA Galaxy languishes at the foot of the Western Conference table as alarm bells ring in Southern California, with St. Louis jumping up to sixth while looking to be a tricky customer under Mellberg along the way as the Swede's defensive influence is clear to see.

What comes next

Inter Miami, LA Galaxy, Vancouver Whitecaps, Columbus Crew, LAFC, Seattle Sounders, and Cincinnati FC will all feature in midweek action during the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 ahead of another full weekend of MLS fixtures.

📸 Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images