Just as we were settling back into Major League Soccer action after the World Cup break, the American league will pause again briefly for the Leagues Cup, where 18 MLS teams will compete against 18 teams from Mexico’s Liga MX in an international tournament that runs through early September.
Unfortunately for Inter Miami, they will be without Luis Suarez for the opening of the tournament. Despite this, the SBOTOP Major League Soccer 2026 odds remain slightly in their favour because they’ve built momentum ahead of tomorrow, having gone undefeated in their last seven league matches (D1).
The same can’t be said for Nashville, whose lead at the top of the Eastern Conference has been reduced to two points due to their lacklustre stretch of Major League Soccer 2026 results. And speaking of recent league matches, the Vancouver Whitecaps and LAFC played an entertaining draw.
Suarez is not the only key absence for Inter Miami
Inter Miami will be without two of their top scorers against San Luis in their Leagues Cup opener, as Luis Suarez is banned for the entirety of this year’s tournament while German Berterame is still recovering from an injury.
Suarez will continue to serve his lengthy Leagues Cup suspension, which he earned following Inter Miami’s 3-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders in last year’s final. The match ended with a brawl as tempers flared, and Suarez was one of the instigators after spitting on security chief Gene Ramirez.
It’s a big blow for the Herons to lose Suarez, as the Uruguayan striker has been in superb form, scoring seven goals in the past four games. Meanwhile, Berterame remains on concussion protocol after a hard hit to the head in their 1-0 win against Montreal, which saw him leave the field in an ambulance.
With Suarez and Berterame unavailable, Lionel Messi will be tasked with carrying Inter Miami (again). The 39-year-old forward is fresh from a historic World Cup, where he led Argentina to their second consecutive final before eventually losing 1-0 to Spain. According to head coach Guillermo Hoyos, Mateo Silvetti will likely join Messi in the final third against San Luis.
Messi and Rodrigo De Paul returned from their post-World Cup vacation during their 2-2 draw against the Columbus Crew on Saturday, with the former coming off the bench and the latter starting in the middle of the park.
Muller and Son shine in key Western Conference battle
Two Western Conference powerhouses went toe-to-toe at BC Place last Saturday, as the Vancouver Whitecaps held LAFC to a 1-1 draw. Thomas Muller scored on a penalty kick late in the second half to preserve a point.
The Whitecaps controlled most of the first half, but Son Heung-Min’s goal gave LAFC the lead before the halftime break. Son, who recently won the MVP award in his Major League Soccer All-Star Game debut, spun, sent a shot into the short side of the net past Yohei Takaoka to open the scoring, and celebrated with a large Korean contingent in the crowd.
Muller’s penalty came in the 76th minute after he was brought down inside the box by defender Yevhen Cheberko. The former Bayern Munich forward now has five league goals and four assists this term.
The Whitecaps and LAFC are both on top of the Western Conference this season with 34 points each, but Vancouver have the advantage because they have two games in hand on LAFC. However, Jesper Sorensen’s men are now winless in three consecutive league matches, taking just two points from a possible nine since returning from the World Cup break.
To make matters worse, the Whitecaps opened their Leagues Cup campaign with a 1-0 loss to Atlante FC, as they conceded a 40th-minute goal from Jhojan Julio. Vancouver will aim to bounce back when they host Juarez on Friday.
Nashville continue their post-World Cup slump
Since returning from the World Cup break, Nashville have seen its first-place cushion in the Eastern Conference dwindle. For starters, BJ Callaghan’s side eked out 1-0 wins over Atlanta United and Montreal – two of the league’s worst teams – before losing to Orlando City via the same scoreline and dropping points in a 2-2 draw against DC United.
The DC United match in particular was disappointing because they squandered a two-goal advantage late in the second half. The Boys in Gold have now scored four goals in as many games – their fewest in that span all season.
Nashville will use the beginning of the Leagues Cup to get their act together before their blockbuster clash against Inter Miami later this month.
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