MLS weekend wrap-up: Key takeaways from Matchday 15

Inter Miami isn't dead yet.

When Miami lost 3-0 to its local rival Orlando City last weekend, the vibes in South Florida were bad enough to inspire team captain Lionel Messi to give a rare public interview. 

“When everyone wins, it’s easy, but now that difficult times are coming, that’s when we have to be more united than ever, be a true team, and move forward," Messi told AppleTV reporter Michele Giannone. "Because we have what it takes.”

Matchday 15 proved that just might be true. Miami took on the conference-leading Philadelphia Union and battled back from a two goal deficit to tie the game, 3-3, in added time.

Is this the world-beating Miami that took MLS by storm in 2024? No. Is this a team that can realistically challenge for this summer's Club World Cup? Definitely not. But Miami is a solid MLS squad with a lot of grit, and it remains a dangerous opponent. Doubt it at your peril.

The L.A. Galaxy's winless streak isn't funny anymore. 

When the defending champion L.A. Galaxy failed to win its first three MLS games, fans chuckled at the team's misfortune and celebrated the league's famous parity. When it failed to win its first six games, fans guffawed at the comedy of errors that got it there. When it failed to win its first 12, fans started raising their eyebrows; this weekend, when it failed to win its 15th, fans began looking away from the tragedy in shame.

It's all fun and games when a defending champion stumbles, but the Galaxy's predicament right now is deeply serious. The team hasn't been playing poorly, exactly, but individual mistakes have caused its results to shatter all the worst kinds of MLS records. 

The Galaxy looked set to draw with San Diego this weekend — still not a win, but progress nonetheless — until another one of those mistakes popped up in the 95th minute. Defender Carlos Emiro Garces misplayed a clearance, San Diego captain Chucky Lozano got ahold of the ball and the rest was unfortunate history. 

The Galaxy is now winless in its first 15 MLS games, and what used to be funny is now just downright sad.

When Wilfried Zaha is on, he's really on.

It's been a tough few months for Charlotte FC's Wilfried Zaha: the Crystal Palace legend has struggled to meet the high standard set for him by MLS fans. 

"Typical. We lost a game and somehow it's Zaha's fault,” he posted on Snapchat a few weeks ago. “I dribble ... I'm selfish. I keep it simple ... I'm not doing what I'm being paid to do. I shoot ... I should [have] passed. I pass ... I should finish my chances.”

Honestly, Zaha had a point there. Joining a new league, particularly one as idiosyncratic as MLS, is a huge challenge. Players like Zaha need time to settle and Matchday 15 proved that he's back to his terrifying best. Faced with a gnarly opponent in the perennial favorite Columbus Crew, Zaha looked reborn, and his assists to USMNT striker Patrick Agyemang were downright filthy. This Zaha is the Zaha Charlotte fans wanted; this Zaha was well worth the wait.

MLS will return on Wednesday for Matchday 16 of the 2025 season.