Red Bull kids ball out, Timbers dial up drama & more from Matchday 7 | OneFootball

By Charles Boehm

Lionel Messi's Vice City galácticos frustrated by a bunch of plucky kids. An eight-goal barnburner in suburban Denver. And the unmistakable scent of desperation in Portland and Montréal.

MLS Matchday 7 was, as the kids say, a movie. Let’s sift through the clips.

Red Bull New York

RBNY kids stymie the stars

As lovely as Inter Miami CF’s Nu Stadium looks, the Herons are still seeking their first victory in the brand-new facility, after 17-year-old wunderkind Adri Mehmeti bagged his first career MLS goal to secure a hard-earned 2-2 road draw for Red Bull New York on Saturday.

Miami rallied from an early deficit to snatch the lead 10 minutes after halftime via Mateo Silvetti and the long-awaited first goal from their big-ticket winter signing, Germán Berterame.

Yet it was Julian Hall, one of three homegrown teenagers in the RBNY XI alongside Mehmeti and Matthew Dos Santos, who really grabbed the spotlight with two assists, setting up Jorge Ruvalcaba via a surging solo run before leaving Rodrigo De Paul in his wake to center a telling pass for Mehmeti to bundle in.

“We’re really proud of these guys,” Red Bulls head coach Michael Bradley said of his teen trio. “We have challenged them in big ways, to step on the field and show everybody how good they are, to not be fazed by anything, to not be overawed by the moment, by an opponent, by anything.

“We’re going to keep doing everything we can to push these guys, to move these guys forward. They continue to show that they’re going to respond in every moment and be up for everything that gets thrown at them.”

Portland Timbers

Rose City cinema

There’s just something about a big game at Providence Park.

Thanks to rich supporter culture, the city’s deep soccer history and its truly special downtown setting, the Portland Timbers’ century-old home offers unparalleled atmosphere, especially when the stakes are high. Which they certainly were on Saturday afternoon.

A five-game winless skid had Timbers head coach Phil Neville feeling the heat as star-studded, undefeated, league-leading LAFC – just the type of glitzy adversary the Rose City faithful love to hate – hit town. And even with the visitors rotating their lineup heavily ahead of a Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal Leg 2 trip to Mexico’s mighty Cruz Azul, this occasion did not disappoint.

WATCH: At the death! Timbers stun LAFC with late winner

Kristoffer Velde opened the scoring and leaped onto Timber Joey’s iconic log to celebrate. LAFC responded with a gorgeous debut MLS goal from 17-year-old homegrown Jude Terry, and saw a late Ryan Porteous winner chalked off by a tight Video Review offside decision, the Black & Gold hanging tough despite a raft of youngsters and reserves on the pitch.

Then, just when it seemed the reeling Timbers had missed their chance to exploit a vulnerable opponent, substitute Kevin Kelsy nodded home the 2-1 game-winner deep into second-half stoppage time to raise the roof, and maybe even save the Neville era in Portland. Pure entertainment!

CF Montréal

Truth and consequences in Québec

Across the continent in Montréal, the setting was similar at Stade Saputo, albeit with a much harsher outcome for the hosts.

Québec’s long, frigid winters and an ongoing renovation at alternate venue Stade Olympique made CF Montréal road warriors to start 2026. After a 1W-5L-0D record on those travels, the Bleu-blanc-noir (‘Blue-white-black’) were beyond eager for their home opener – the league’s latest – on Saturday afternoon, and winless, point-less guests Philadelphia seemed like a promising opportunity for a positive result.

Iván Jaime’s composed early strike fueled those hopes. Yet it all came tumbling down for Montréal in the second half, as goals from Japhet Sery Larsen and Jesús Bueno snatched away the three points and deepened the mood around CFMTL.

WATCH: Philadelphia Union rally for first win of 2026

Neither head coach Marco Donadel nor his players were made available after the 2-1 defeat, and on Sunday morning, we learned why: Montréal parted ways with Donadel and two of his assistants, signaling another new start for a club that’s cycled through managers at a higher rate than anyone in MLS since their arrival in 2012.

Colorado Rapids

A Mile High mauling

Pop quiz, no cheating: Who’s the highest-scoring club in Major League Soccer?

Two teams are tied atop the goal charts at present, with 19. Relatively few would be shocked that Vancouver, last season’s third-most prolific attack, are one of them. What’s less expected is that the Colorado Rapids are the other – and it’s all about their dominance in the thin air of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

WATCH: Colorado Rapids drop SIX goals on Houston Dynamo

The Mile High Club smashed Houston, 6-2, Saturday night, paced by a brace each from Rafa Navarro and debutant Kosi Thompson, and a relentless hunger across the entire squad. Matt Wells’ side have taken all nine points from their three home games, scoring 12 goals along the way and playing some legitimately intricate, attractive soccer in the process.

“It was incredible. What a night here,” said Rapids midfielder Josh Atencio, who notched his first career tally at DSGP. “From minute 1 to minute 90, I felt like the crowd was doing an amazing job giving us energy on the field. It was a special win.”

Colorado will aim to keep that energy flowing next week in one of Matchday 8’s marquee fixtures, as they host defending Lionel Messi and his reigning MLS Cup champs Miami at their former home, Empower Field at Mile High, in a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Rapids’ inaugural home match, with a bumper crowd expected to pack the NFL venue.

Around the grounds

Like LAFC, Nashville SC rotated their lineup significantly ahead of a demanding midweek CCC journey to Mexico City as they swung through Charlotte for a clash of Southern near-neighbors.

The Boys in Gold, however, secured all three points on their travels with a 2-1 victory – and sit alone atop the Eastern Conference standings as a result – thanks in large part to a 1g/1a outing from Australian 2026 FIFA World Cup hopeful Patrick Yazbek. His exploits were such that his teammate Eddi Tagseth cited a Norwegian turn of phrase to compare him to a potato (complimentary). Confused? My esteemed colleague Ben Wright has the full story you need.

WATCH: World Cup hopeful Patrick Yazbek lifts Nashville over Charlotte

Nashville’s closest pursuers are the Chicago Fire, who grabbed their third straight win by stifling Atlanta United, 1-0, at Soldier Field on the strength of a Maren Haile-Selassie finish. That’s the fourth clean sheet in seven games for the Men in Red, and a drastic turnabout from a group that only mustered six shutouts in 34 league matches last season. Is Gregg Berhalter dialing in the defense?

With LAFC tasting defeat for the first time this year, we have new leaders in the West: the Whitecaps and San Jose Earthquakes, who both extended their best-ever starts to the campaign with well-taken wins on Saturday vs. New York City FC and Sporting Kansas City, respectively.

While Brian White, who bagged his sixth of the year to salt away the 2-0 triumph for the ‘Caps, is a familiar hero, the Quakes gained a brace from the unexpected source of Jack Skahan, a midfielder who’d scored just three goals in 68 career regular-season appearances before this weekend's 3-1 road win. It’s the epitome of the resourceful, team-first attitude head coach Bruce Arena has installed to turn things around so dramatically in San Jose.

WATCH: Vancouver Whitecaps legend Brian White clinches win in heavyweight clash

The Columbus Crew’s home scoring drought is over, and for one night at least, Orlando City SC are no longer a sieve. That’s about the most optimistic view on offer from the two East strugglers’ 1-1 draw in Ohio on Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire, a tense affair with plenty of endeavor and also lots of palpable angst.

It’s a point they both can use, albeit not at the price paid. The Crew’s star striker Wessam Abou Ali appears to have sustained a serious knee injury, and the Lions’ linchpin defender Robin Jansson made a much-needed return only to limp off again in the second half… and where these teams go from here is anyone’s guess.

HIGHLIGHTS: Columbus Crew vs. Orlando City | April 12, 2026