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MLS Analysis

MLS: Young players shining, Berhalter surging to free agency, Luna responds

ASN's Brian Sciaretta writes about the top stories in MLS, including the breakout of several young American players including Zavier Gozo, Julian Hall, and Niko Tsakiris. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
April 06, 2026
3:05 PM

THIS PAST WEEKEND in MLS touched upon many of the themes we have seen in the season's opening weeks. Young players continued to do well, teams like Philadelphia and Atlanta continued to disappoint, while Diego Luna made a big response after being left off the USMNT March roster. 

Here are some breakdowns. 

 

MLS American Youth

 

One of the top storylines form the first six weeks of the 2026 season has been the numerous impressive performances turned in by young American players, most of them homegrowns through academy pipelines.

This past weekend was a good snapshot of that.

Zavier Gozo: Back in February, ASN predicted Gozo to be the top young American in the league this season. Six weeks in, we are feeling good about this prediction. He moves so well with the ball and is extremely dangerous in open spaces. The rest of the team benefits from him on the field.

On Saturday, Real Salt Lake pounded a bad Sporting Kansas City team 3-1. Gozo scored the final goal in the 82nd minute in stunning fashion with a powerful shot from outside the box.



But that only tells part of the story. In the 54th minute, his run and assist on Real Salt Lake’s second goal was perhaps even more impressive as it showcased his skillset. In the open field, Gozo was too much for Sporting KC and then slid the ball perfectly for Sergi Solans for a 2-0 lead.



Real Salt Lake manager Pablo Mastroeni cited Gozo’s youth as something that benefits him when he lets his instincts take over.

“There's not a shot that Gozo turns down in training,” Mastroeni said postgame with a chuckle. “Sometimes I am always saying find the better pass, there is a pass to be made here. But that's the beauty of youth. They don't care what their teammates are going to say if they take a shot from 25 yards out from a very difficult angle. But Gozo, credit to him, has been working on his game and it showed where it's almost instinctual. He's not overthinking anything. That's what young players don't do. They just go.”

Gozo is picking up steam and he now has two goals and two assists in 539 minutes this season.

So what’s next? Some are saying he could be a darkhorse candidate to make the USMNT World Cup team. That is big reach given what Mauricio Pochettino has said about it being too late for new players. If the World Cup was six months later, maybe.

But Gozo will likely make the USMNT sooner than later after the World Cup. He is also eligible for the 2027 U-20 World Cup and played in the 2025 edition as well up a cycle. But expect him focus on the Olympic team heavily. He might come back to the U-20 team for the World Cup, but he could start and be an impact player for the Olympic team which would be a great platform for him to transition into the full national team on a regular basis.

Niko Tsakiris has been a top prospect for a long time but hasn’t really broken out yet on a consistent level. On Saturday, Tsakiris had maybe his best ever performances for San Jose with two goals in a 3-0 win over San Diego (who were down to 10 men after the 32nd minute). Tsakiris opened the scoring in th3 13th minute before scoring a penalty just after San Diego saw Manu Duah sent off.



San Jose is one of the most surprising teams in MLS to start the season and if Tsakiris continues to play a role, it would be a great stage for him to breakout. He’s another player who should be expected to play a role in the Olympic team.

 Julian Hall, 18, scored his fifth goal of the season for the New York Red Bulls in a 4-2 win over Cincinnati. That goals ties him for third in the league.  It was a goal that seems easy but requires sophistication with the run to get close to goal for an open shot.

There were times last year when Hall didn’t look ready for a high level. But he’s made some adjustments and is clearly ready right now. He’s readying the game much better. He should be a key piece of the equation for the U.S. U-20 team this cycle.



Peyton Miller is another player who was part of the 2025 U-20 World Cup team while playing up a cycle. Unfortunately, he was dealing with an injury to start this season. But he’s getting back into form and scored the final goal for New England in a 3-0 win over Montreal. The New England product came off the bench in the 63rd minute and chipped the goalkeeper after receiving a pass from Jackson Yueill.



Cavan Sullivan notched his first assist for Philadelphia in yet another loss, a 2-1 defeat to Charlotte. Still, it was a nice moment for Sullivan in the early stages of his career.

 


 

Luna’s big return

 

When Diego Luna was left off the March roster for the USMNT, it almost seemed as if Mauricio Pochettino was challenging him. When asked by the media, Pochettino said Luna was struggling in his return from injury but gave a long winded response talking about the broader player pool and that he and his staff kept track of everything.

If it was a challenge, Luna responded very well with a shot from distance to give Real Salt Lake a 1-0 lead on Sporting KC in its 3-1 win.


"It was always going to be tough starting your first game, especially with the weight of expectations - not only for us here at the club, but also for the national team," RSL head coach and former USMNT World Cup midfielder Pablo Mastroeni said. "I don't think anyone, unless you lived it, understand how heavy that is. To be able to perform and score that goal took a lot of the pressure off of him... He's a difference maker.

Luna has a lot of work to do to make the World Cup team, but this was a great start. If you remember back when he was cut from the Olympic team in 2024, he responded by playing very good soccer in the weeks afterward. Maybe this is how he responds well, when things are tough.

 

Berhalter wins it

 

Sebastian Berhalter returned from international break with a big performances for Vancouver when he found a stoppage time winner in a 3-2 victory over Portland Timbers.



Also, his hustle on defense is also something the team is actively promoting, most likely to help build up his case to be on the World Cup team. Mauricio Pochettino has said he wants to see intensity, and the team has been pointing that out.



As of now, the best guess is that Berhalter goes to the World Cup. It doesn’t seem likely he will start, but he has had a good year and can deliver offense and set piece deliveries if needed. He was very up and down against Portugal, but it is not like the other central midfielders made a better case either.

But another issue around Berhalter is that he is in the final year of his contract. As of this summer, he can sign with any team he wants to begin play in January. At this stage, it is easy to see him maybe wanting to give it a try. As a U.S. international, he will have offers and his Irish passport could help in some countries.

Berhalter is in a great position. He is peaking as a player at a time when he has contract leverage and is ready make a World Cup roster.

 

Arfsten not a wingback

 

Staying with the U.S. national team, Columbus won its first game of the season with a 3-1 win over a seriously disappointing Atlanta United team. Max Arfsten had a goal and an assist in the win but in a major departure from recent years, he returned to his wing position as opposed to wingback.

 

Arfsten is a good player who can dribble well and get involved in the attack. Unfortunately, his defense has been lacking at times, evident with the national team. He has improved, but it is a major question whether he can play defense at a level that makes wingback his best position.

As a straight winger with less defensive responsibilities, it might help him more.

 

Philadelphia’s misery

 

Philadelphia lost to Atlanta United and still has no points from six games. Head coach Bradley Carnell is likely having bad flashbacks with his second season for St. Louis after a great first year. But blame for this goes to everyone.

First, Philadelphia lost a lot in the offseason. Jakob Glesnes, Tai Baribo, Mikael Uhre, Kai Wagner, and even Daniel Gazdag in the middle of the season.

Second, the replacements and current group have been underwhelming. The identified players who were brought into the team, from abroad and from domestic channels, aren’t producing.  

 

Third, Carnell’s approach is not working with the new group.

That leaves us with a mess with blame to the front office, scouting, Carnell, and the players.

The latest setback for Philadelphia is a 2-1 loss to Charlotte, who played well. The good news is that Tim Ream played about as well as he has all season.

 

LAFC continues to romp

 

LAFC trounced a bad Orlando team 6-0 and Marc Dos Santos continues to see his squad not concede a goal. They are organized and determined in defense. Then when you have superior attackers who are near undefendable in this league in Denis Bouanga or Son Heung-min, it makes them the best team in the league.

 

The big test for LAFC will be trying to defend Cruz Azul in the Champions Cup. The first leg is at home tonight. Cruz Azul sits second in Liga MX with 24 goals scored in 13 games.

LAFC needs a big performances at home to establish themselves as a contender.

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