MLS weekend wrap: a St Louis golazo and a free-scoring Englishman

St Louis CITY SC ended a turbulent fortnight with a moment of pure theatre on Saturday, as Marcel Hartel’s audacious 83rd-minute chip sealed a 3-1 victory over the New England Revolution and delivered the first win of the Yoann Damet era.

The hosts had waited five matches for three points, one of only three clubs still winless entering the weekend. When Brayan Ceballos under-hit a back-pass, Hartel punished the error with a loft that arced over goalkeeper Matt Turner and rippled the net beneath the Missouri sky. The strike felt cathartic for a club in transition: chief soccer officer Corey Wray, appointed in November, dismissed predecessor Olof Mellberg after 15 games and entrusted Damet with rebuilding the side around a new-look American midfield pairing of Chris Durkin and winter signing Daniel Edelman.

The emotional backdrop heightened the release. Before kick-off, Energizer Park paid tribute to Ilona Löwen, wife of midfielder Eduard Löwen, who died of cancer on 9 March. Players wore black armbands; many supporters arrived in gray to honour her memory. “It’s been emotional,” Damet admitted. “The guys wanted to show those values we embody as a team—for him.”

While one spectacular finish lifted spirits in the Midwest, another English marksman is compiling a season-long highlight reel. Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge bagged a hat-trick on Saturday to propel his club three points clear atop the Eastern Conference, days after eliminating Inter Miami from continental competition. The 27-year-old, whose 45 goals in 75 MLS matches include the decisive strikes in last year’s US Open Cup final, sits alone at the summit of the league scoring chart with at least four goals—one of 11 players to reach that mark through five weeks.

Surridge’s prolific form is attracting attention from his homeland. Signed through the 2028-29 campaign, the Bournemouth academy graduate has been candid about a potential Premier League return. “Eventually I want to be playing in England,” he told the Tennessean in February, “but I’m playing my best soccer here now.”

Elsewhere, the Philadelphia Union’s nightmare start became historic. The Supporters’ Shield holders became the first in league history to lose their first five matches after falling 2-1 at home to a resurgent Chicago Fire. Hugo Cuypers and Jonathan Bamba scored either side of halftime, extending the Union’s winless run and leaving Bradley Carnell’s side on one point alongside only the Columbus Crew.

Chicago’s victory underscores the Fire’s upward trajectory under Gregg Berhalter and continued investment from owner Joe Mansueto, whose $750 million stadium project in the 78 neighborhood is under construction. The Fire’s three designated players combined to swing the contest, offering early returns on ambitious off-season spending.

At the opposite end of the confidence spectrum, Marc Dos Santos has engineered a flawless opening at LAFC. The Canadian coach, promoted after Steve Cherundolo’s departure, has overseen nine unbeaten matches to begin his tenure, including a league-record five consecutive clean sheets. Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Austin FC preserved that defensive streak despite a midweek Champions Cup quarter-final. Denis Bouanga, Son Heung-min and David Martínez started together but were denied by Brad Stuver, leaving LAFC atop the Western Conference on goals conceded.

The weekend also served up three goal-laden spectacles. Charlotte FC routed Red Bull New York 6-2 after defender Gustav Berggren’s 53rd-minute red card opened the floodgates, Wilfried Zaha capping the rout with his first goal of 2026. FC Dallas edged the Houston Dynamo 4-3 in a Texas derby that saw Logan Farrington score twice inside 14 minutes, Petar Musa net a late winner, and four goals traded inside a manic four-minute span. Meanwhile, the Colorado Rapids made it three wins in four matches under Matt Wells, Paxten Aaronson’s brace spearheading a comprehensive victory over an injury-ravaged Sporting Kansas City. Only Nashville and Vancouver have created more big chances than Colorado’s 19 this season.

With five weeks gone, the table is beginning to take shape, but the stories—St Louis’ emotional triumph, Surridge’s scoring streak, Dos Santos’ defensive mastery—hint at plot lines still unfolding across a 30-team league where a single strike can still blow the roof off any given stadium.