Nashville can set MLS points record as Decision Day playoff race peaks

Nashville can set MLS points record as Decision Day playoff race peaks

Nashville SC can set an MLS single-season points record with a draw or win against FC Cincinnati on Nov. 7, according to MLSsoccer.com. The Supporters’ Shield winners have reached 74 points, matching Inter Miami’s 2024 total, and have also recorded an unbeaten 15-0-2 home season. Cincinnati sit seventh and are trying to avoid the Wild Card round.

The West’s final three playoff places are still open, with the LA Galaxy, Portland Timbers and Colorado Rapids currently holding them and Seattle, Real Salt Lake and Minnesota United seeking to catch them. RG.org reported that six Western teams are chasing three spots, while the Eastern Conference’s nine-team playoff field is set but its seeding is not.

Pochettino names eight MLS players to USMNT Nations League roster

Mauricio Pochettino named eight MLS players to the United States’ 25-player roster for its Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal against Haiti, Yahoo Sports reported. Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun return, while teenagers including Cavan Sullivan, Julian Hall, Adri Mehmeti, Justin Ellis and Neil Pierre are also in the squad.

The U.S. will play Haiti on Nov. 14 in Miami and Nov. 17 in Cincinnati. Yahoo Sports reported that New York City FC goalkeeper Matt Freese joined Nashville SC’s Brian Schwake and Reed Baker-Whiting among the MLS call-ups. Pochettino said the roster offered a chance to combine young and experienced players.

Gotham and New York City offer 3,000 $12 playoff tickets

Gotham FC and New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced a limited release of 3,000 tickets priced at $12 for Gotham’s NWSL quarterfinal against Seattle Reign at Sports Illustrated Stadium. The tickets will be available first come, first served starting at 10 a.m., the club said.

Gotham, the top seed and first-time NWSL Shield winner, will host Seattle at 12:30 p.m. The club said it earned home-field advantage through the semifinals after a regular season in which it set team records for points, wins and shutouts.

Louisville City’s Simon Bird wins USL Championship Coach of the Month

Louisville City FC interim head coach Simon Bird was voted USL Championship Coach of the Month for October after leading the club through an undefeated final month of the regular season, the league announced. Louisville won the Prinx Tires USL Cup and finished fourth in the Eastern Conference, conceding once in five matches across all competitions.

Louisville carried an eight-game unbeaten streak into its Eastern Conference semifinal against Miami FC, according to the league’s playoff preview. The No. 4 seed has won all five of its previous home meetings with Miami, which advanced by beating top-seeded Tampa Bay in a penalty shootout.

Messi leads final MLS MVP rankings, MLSsoccer.com says

Lionel Messi is the clear choice for a third consecutive Landon Donovan MLS MVP award, MLSsoccer.com’s final power rankings said. The Inter Miami forward leads the league with 42 goal contributions, including 26 goals and 16 assists, according to the rankings.

The rankings also named Evander, New England’s Carles Gil, FC Dallas striker Petar Musa and Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar among the top five candidates. Vancouver’s Brian White and Nashville’s Sam Surridge were among the honorable mentions.

NWSL attendance rises 3% as Denver Summit draws big crowds

The NWSL’s average attendance increased 3% in 2026, with expansion club Denver Summit helping lift the leaguewide figure, the Daily News reported, citing Sports Business Journal. Denver averaged 16,635 fans per game, second among league teams, while the league drew a record 2.64 million fans across its expanded 30-match schedule.

Portland led the league for a second straight season, averaging 19,073 fans per match. The Daily News also reported that Gotham’s average rose 23% to 10,943, boosted by a 42,175-fan match at Citi Field.