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What We Learned: Peyton Miller shines, RBNY kids step up
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- What We Learned: Peyton Miller shines, RBNY kids step up
What We Learned: Peyton Miller shines, RBNY kids step up
By Joseph Lowery
Matchday 27 is in the books.
What did we learn? Did the games confirm what we already knew, or did they change the complexion of the league?
Let's dive into some key takeaways from another weekend of MLS action.
WATCH: Every goal from Matchday 27!
1. Peyton Miller 's impressive rise continues
I'd wager few people reading this had a better week than Peyton Miller . Fresh off making his first USMNT roster on Thursday, the 18-year-old homegrown bagged a brace for New England in their 4-2 win over Orlando City on Saturday, pushing the Revs to second in the Eastern Conference.
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It's been a magical season for New England, one filled with the club defying expectations.
First-year head coach Marko Mitrović deserves credit for his stabilizing presence on the sidelines – he's drawn up a balanced system that plays to the strengths of many of his players, while providing room for young talent to develop. Matt Turner and Carles Gil are still, well, Turner and Gil. They remain among the best players in MLS. And Jack Harrison , when he returns from injury, should pick up where he left off after arriving in the summer window.
Then there's Miller, whose blazing speed has added another dimension to New England's attack in 2026. See for yourself, via the teenager's first goal against the Lions:
Or, if you prefer, you can see Miller's immense line-stretching ability on his game-winning strike in second-half stoppage time:
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Though Miller's ceiling remains highest as a left back, managing seven non-penalty goals and four assists in roughly 1,700 minutes this season is truly impressive. That averages out to over half a goal contribution every 90 minutes. Through that lens, you can see why Mitrović has kept the rising star in the attack: he won't stop producing.
With his top-tier athleticism, off-ball movement and final-third instincts, Miller has helped take the Revs towards the top of the East. His rise won't stop there.
2. RBNY kids keep on thriving
Fresh off their inclusion on Mauricio Pochettino's fall USMNT roster , Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti started for Michael Bradley in one of Red Bull New York 's most important games of the season: the Hudson River Derby.
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Up against New York City FC , with both teams around the Eastern Conference's Audi MLS Cup Playoffs bubble, Friday's battle may be the defining match for both New York sides in 2026.
The Red Bulls pulled out a 1-0 victory , thanks to Hall's second-half breakaway winner. Sure, a NYCFC giveaway cleared the runway for the 18-year-old striker. But Hall's ability to find chances is undeniable. Now with 10 goals in MLS play, Hall is the youngest player in league history to bag double-digits in a single season.
Hall wasn't the only one to lead the way on Friday. Mehmeti controlled so much of the game from his deep-lying midfield position. The 17-year-old was up to his usual tricks on the ball, but also proved valuable in duels when RBNY defended inside their own half. Ending the night with just 38.4% possession, Bradley's outfit was content to absorb rather than leave themselves open for NYCFC to charge through. For a team that's struggled to keep the ball out of Ethan Horvath 's net this year, dropping their lines and being less adventurous in possession might be the key to finishing above the playoff line.
Whatever happens for the Red Bulls this year, one thing is certain: the kids are alright.
3. The top of the West shines
While Eastern Conference-leading Nashville SC have one hand on the Supporters' Shield and became the first team to clinch a playoff spot with their 3-0 win over Chicago Fire FC on Saturday, the top of the Western Conference might be more dangerous during the stretch run.
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In Vancouver Whitecaps FC and St. Louis CITY SC , the West boasts two teams that look every bit good enough to lift MLS Cup presented by Audi later this year.
Vancouver , for their part, may have taken out some frustration from their midweek Canadian Championship exit on Real Salt Lake .
Even on the road, the Whitecaps dominated Saturday's match en route to a 3-0 win . Perhaps the standout takeaway from the game was summer signing Yadaly Diaby bagging a goal and an assist in his first league start for the 'Caps. With an astonishing amount of attacking depth, now bolstered by Diaby, head coach Jesper Sørensen has a tool at his disposal for just about every occasion.
If depth is Vancouver's superpower, flexibility is St. Louis 's. Fresh off a midweek victory over the Colorado Rapids that booked a spot in the US Open Cup Final against the Columbus Crew , St. Louis bested Toronto FC 3-1 over the weekend. With new Designated Players Rafael Navarro and Carlo Holse comfortable in a myriad of spaces across the attack and even deeper in midfield, head coach Yoann Damet has an incredibly versatile roster at his disposal. Toss in Alexandru Mățan and Conrad Wallem 's ability to occupy several spots, and St. Louis have become nearly impossible to pin down.
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The Whitecaps sit atop the West. St. Louis have gone 18 games unbeaten across all competitions. No one is angling to play either team in the playoffs.
4. San Jose find their footing
The summer was rough for the San Jose Earthquakes . With star No. 10 Niko Tsakiris and left winger Timo Werner out injured, a change in goal, and Eduard Löwen 's arrival altering the midfield dynamic, plenty changed from May to August. The result of those shifts? Bruce Arena's outfit picked up just one win in 13 games during a four-month stretch.
Now, however, the Quakes are roaring back. Though they trailed California rivals LAFC during Walmart Saturday Showdown, San Jose muscled their way to a 2-2 draw to earn their third-straight result over a dangerous Western Conference foe. Really, the turnaround started with a win against San Diego FC on Matchday 25. A victory over the Houston Dynamo FC followed, along with Saturday's draw.
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What's changed for San Jose?
Getting their two best players back and healthy has certainly gone a long way. Tsakiris has been a one-man wrecking crew dismantling opposing defenses, and it won't be long before he joins the cohort of young MLS players getting a look with the USMNT . Werner's return from injury also saw him notch an assist vs. LAFC . If those two attackers are working their magic, the Earthquakes immediately become a threat.
But it's more than just Tsakiris and Werner. New goalkeeper Angus Gunn has begun to settle between the posts, while Löwen is playing in his optimal No. 8 role, rather than the No. 10 position Arena initially handed him.
Long story short: San Jose are back on the right track.
5. Columbus building blocks emerge
The Columbus Crew 's path to the playoffs is murky. They're 13th in the East and seven points back of the final spot, with ninth-placed FC Cincinnati also enjoying a game in hand.
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However, Columbus still have much to play for in 2026. First, and most crucially, they're still in the running for the US Open Cup. After topping Orlando City in last week's semifinals, the Crew will host St. Louis in next month's final. Amid a regime change, an awkward start to the season, a coaching swap, and a summer transfer window filled with shifts, being just one game away from silverware is promising.
Zooming out, the rest of the Crew's season is also about laying a foundation for 2027. In Brais Méndez , who arrived from LaLiga, and fellow summer signing Santi Rodriguez , a former NYCFC standout, Columbus seem to have found two cornerstones.
Méndez, who scored a stunning free kick in the Crew's 2-0 win at CF Montréal on Saturday, sits in the 88th percentile among his positional peers in expected assists per 90 minutes, according to FotMob. Rodríguez, for his part, has already brought some of the outstanding final-third runs and deeper playmaking that made him so dangerous during his first stint in MLS.
While Columbus may need more roster moves up the spine to reclaim their former glory, they have plenty of top-end talent. And in the meantime? There's a trophy on offer.
