Leaders Cincinnati rally for point, St. Louis power on in the West

In the West, leaders St. Louis City and second-placed Seattle Sounders both enjoyed victories but champions Los Angeles FC were held at home to San Jose - their fourth game without a win. Cincinnati, the top-ranked team in MLS, are now without a win in three games but were staring at a third defeat of the season after two early strikes from Polish forward Karol Swiderski.

Swiderski headed the home side into the lead in the 14th minute, angling in a shot from a Kerwin Vargas cross after good work from a new signing, former Glasgow Rangers and Burnley midfielder Scott Arfield. Swiderski doubled the advantage 10 minutes later, the Pole directing a deep cross from Jaylin Lindsey into the far corner.

A 52nd-minute penalty from Luciano Acosta brought the Ohio side back into the game before Alvaro Barreal grabbed the equalizer with a solo run and cute finish with the outside of his left foot. Cincinnati played the last 15 minutes with 10 men after defender Ian Murphy was sent off for a second yellow card following a late challenge.

 

July 9, 2023

Inter Miami, bottom of the East, will unveil Lionel Messi next Sunday and continued to show a slight improvement with a third straight draw, this time on 2-2 at Wayne Rooney's DC United. Teenager Benjamin Cremaschi fired Miami into the lead with a superb strike from 25 yards after he was set up well by Robert Taylor.

But United hit back in similar fashion with a sweetly struck drive from outside the box by Greek striker Taxiarchis Fountas. Noah Allen restored Miami's lead in the 68th minute with a low free-kick that evaded everyone in the box and snuck in the far bottom corner. But United earned a share of the points thanks to two substitutes - Ruan bursting down the right and putting in a low cross that was turned in by Dutch forward Nigel Robertha.

Atlanta United won 1-0 at Montreal with Brooks Lennon slotting home after Argentine Thiago Almada's free-kick struck the upright. The New York Red Bulls continued their climb towards a playoff spot with a 2-1 win over third-place New England. Two minutes after Frankie Amaya had put the Red Bulls ahead in the 58th minute, the Revolution had Latif Blessing sent off.

Wikelman Carmona blasted in the second for New York but the visitors were left frustrated after what appeared to be a last-second equalizer from Andrew Farrell was ruled out for offside after a VAR review.

 

July 9, 2023

Western Conference pace-setters St. Louis City continued their excellent debut season with a 1-0 win at struggling Toronto giving them a third straight victory. Aziel Jackson, who began the season with St. Louis's reserve team, grabbed the 50th minute winner, firing home after being found by another of the club's youngsters Akil Watts, for his first goal in MLS.

"When I got the shot off, everyone was telling me 'shoot shoot shoot,' but I had to just be composed with myself and just find the right opening because I wanted to be patient in that moment," said Jackson. "It felt super like I didn't hear anything around me. I felt just me and the ball, just like me in the park. It comes natural to my foot and I just believed in myself, and I was able to get the goal," he added.

Seattle rekindled their Pacific North West rivalry with the Vancouver Whitecaps, a clash that goes back to the days of the old North American Soccer League, with a dramatic 3-2 win at B.C. Place. The Sounders came from behind twice with Leo Chu cancelling out goals from Serb Ranko Veselinovic and Ryan Gauld.

Vancouver had Mathias Laborda sent off in the 89th minute and a minute later Colombian defender Yeimar Gomez Andrade grabbed a dramatic winner with a left-foot effort after good work from the influential Chu. LAFC's poor run of form continued with Steve Cherundolo's side falling behind to a well-taken Christian Espinoza goal after a swift counter from the Earthquakes.

Denis Bouanga blasted in a penalty in the 37th minute to restore parity but although San Jose had their Brazilian goalkeeper Daniel sent off in the 56th minute for handling outside the area, the win proved elusive for Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Galaxy continued their upturn in form with an impressive 3-1 win at home to last season's runners-up Philadelphia Union.