Atrás
The 2026 MLS season wrapped with a drama-filled Decision Day on Saturday, seeing several teams secure last-gasp playoff spots and others cast aside until next year.
Nashville SC etched their name into MLS history with a big win over FC Cincinnati, while Sergi Solans ignited Real Salt Lake’s heroic playoff bid against all odds.
Here are the top five goals from the weekend.
Lukas MacNaughton leaves it LATE for @stlCITYsc as they finish the season 3rd in the West! 👏 pic.twitter.com/cx2MiMfsr7
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 8, 2026
St. Louis CITY had one final chance to score before the stoppage-time clock ran out, and they made the most of it.
Center back Lukas MacNaughton, in a frantic run forward, picked the pocket of Houston Dynamo substitute Duncan McGuire, before finding teammate Alexandru Mațan barreling toward the box. Faced with two defenders, Mațan cut the ball back and returned the ball to the feet of MacNaughton, who buried the shot with exactly 40 seconds to spare.
St. Louis walked away with a 1–0 over the Dynamo at Shell Energy Stadium to lock down third in the Western Conference heading into the playoffs. They will face LAFC in Round One.
What a hit from Kristoffer Velde! 😮💨@TimbersFC double their lead courtesy of Velde's long distance banger! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/jsUuE6lhLh
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 8, 2026
Kristoffer Velde doubled Portland Timbers’ lead over Austin FC in the 70th minute, firing a beautiful shot from roughly 25 yards out into the upper-90.
It proved a damning finish, allowing the Timbers to not only walk away with victory, but also clinch a spot in the playoffs. Not only did they punch their ticket, but they also avoided the wild card match. In part due to LA Galaxy’s loss on Saturday, the Timbers narrowly secured seventh in the West and will face FC Dallas in the Round One best-of-three series.
SAM SURRIDGE SCORES AGAIN FOR @NASHVILLESC!
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 7, 2026
Surely they're closing in on MLS history with 77 points in a single season! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/oJgsLsd5yJ
Although Nashville SC had already locked down the Supporters’ Shield and first place in the Eastern Conference, history was still on offer in Saturday’s bout with FC Cincinnati.
Thanks to Sam Surridge’s brace of goals, which included a right-footed banger, the Music City squad secured a 2–0 victory at TQL Stadium and sealed MLS history for the most points in a single season (77). It was an emphatic end to easily the most comprehensive regular season performance in MLS history.
Nashville now turn their attentions to the winner of the wild card match between Orlando City and Cincinnati.
The steal. The finish. The equalizer! 🔥
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 8, 2026
Tomás Chancalay pulls @MNUFC level, keeping their postseason hopes alive. pic.twitter.com/rp9kdUPMT4
It ultimately wouldn’t last, but for a brief moment of time, life was sweet for Minnesota, with dreams of playoffs alive and well.
In one of the most individually impressive goals of the weekend, winger Tomás Chancalay snatched a bouncing ball from his opponent in Minnesota’s own half before racing past two San Jose Earthquakes defenders into the opponent’s 18-yard box. His driven far post shot in the 57th minute knotted the match in front of an energized home crowd and ignited an impressive comeback.
Although Minnesota saw out a 3–1 victory, the result ultimately proved not enough to surmount the Sounders and RSL for a wild card spot. The Loons’ season may have come to a disappointing end; however, a big comeback win at home against the No. 4 ranked team in the West is not a bad way to go out.
Sergi Solans! WOW.
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 8, 2026
A massive goal for @realsaltlake that as it stands, puts them in the Wild Card match!
📺 Apple TV: https://t.co/YWNc6Rt7z6 pic.twitter.com/TFSadwrebJ
Real Salt Lake knew it was win or go home, and they came out blazing.
Sergi Solans needed less than 10 minutes to get on the board, dashing onto the end of a through ball that split LA Galaxy’s center backs. A quick skirt around goalkeeper James Marcinkowski allowed for a simple finish.
Solans’s teammate Zach Booth added another just three minutes later, enough for a 2–1 win at home. The victory, along with several other favorable results and perhaps a bit of magic, punched Salt Lake’s playoff ticket. They will clash with the Sounders in the wild card match on Nov. 19, with a Round One series against the Whitecaps on the line.