MLS Matchday 32: Nashville win first Supporters’ Shield; Petar Musa closes on Golden Boot lead

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

A trophy-changing weekend in Major League Soccer’s Matchday 32 tightened the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs race while also delivering a first-ever Supporters’ Shield for Nashville SC. The MLS squad led by head coach B.J. Callaghan secured 70 points as they defeated CF Montréal 2-0 on Saturday, finishing atop the league’s single-season table and claiming Nashville’s first Supporters’ Shield title.

The Shield-winning result comes as the Coyotes continued their pursuit of MLS’s single-season points standard of 74, a mark set by Inter Miami CF in 2024. With the season’s playoff picture still in motion, Nashville’s top-of-the-table finish establishes them as the league’s regular-season benchmark while their remaining matches determine how high they can climb in the points race.

Nashville’s impact also carried into MLS’s official “Team of the Matchday presented by Audi,” with Callaghan named the coach of the team after the Shield-clinching performance. The starting lineup included Matt Turner (NE), Osaze Urhoghide (DAL), Malte Amundsen (CLB), Dominik Marczuk (RSL), Joseph Paintsil (LA), Dylan Chambost (CLB), Evander (CIN), Myrto Uzuni (ATX), Sergi Solans (RSL), Petar Musa (DAL) and Cédric Bakambu (SD).

FC Dallas’ Petar Musa highlighted the league’s goal-scoring race as he continued to press in the “Golden Boot presented by Audi” standings. The striker added to his tally with a brace in a 3-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes, bringing him to 22 goals and narrowing the gap to Lionel Messi to three tallies in the Golden Boot race.

Musa’s pair in Dallas’ victory also fed into the defensive storyline for the Matchday 32 group. Osaze Urhoghide, highlighted as a defender of the year candidate in the team selection, contributed to FC Dallas’ clean sheet as the club moved one point off the top of the Western Conference.

In the Eastern Conference playoff scramble, the Columbus Crew pulled closer to the postseason positions with a 4-2 victory over Toronto FC. The match featured a pair of goals by defender Malte Amundsen and a trio of assists from midfielder Dylan Chambost, helping the Crew remain one point below the final Wild Card spot.

Real Salt Lake made its own push toward the Western Conference Wild Card race with a 3-0 win over St. Louis CITY SC at America First Field. Dominik Marczuk scored once and Sergi Solans added a brace in the victory, which left Salt Lake within two points of the final Wild Card position.

Elsewhere in the West, the LA Galaxy played a high-scoring, point-sharing draw against LAFC. The teams finished 2-2, with Joseph Paintsil scoring both Galaxy goals, keeping LA Galaxy positioned in a competitive stretch of the standings as the playoff picture continues to tighten.

In the East, FC Cincinnati recorded a 2-0 road win over D.C. United for their second result over the opponent in four days. Evander contributed a goal and an assist, including a long-range strike described in the league’s match recap as a trademark stunner, as Cincinnati maintained its push while D.C. United continued to fight for position.

San Diego FC kept its playoff hopes alive with a 2-2 draw against Seattle Sounders FC, decided by a late equalizer. Cédric Bakambu earned the point for San Diego with a 96th-minute penalty equalizer, preventing the Sounders from securing a full three points and extending San Diego’s contention.

Austin FC also featured among the Matchday 32 highlighted performers as it avoided playoff elimination with a 2-1 win at Sporting Kansas City. Myrto Uzuni delivered a brace in the match, lifting Austin and adding crucial points in a crowded Eastern Conference playoff picture.

The league’s “Team of the Matchday” also recognized New England Revolution’s Matt Turner after he made six saves in a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union. The Revolution result continued their jockeying for playoff positioning near the top of the East as the MLS Cup Playoffs race narrowed further.

Rounding out the team selection, the bench included Jonathan Bond (HOU), Adri Mehmeti (RBNY), Anton Salétros (CHI), Jonathan Shore (NYC), Eric Izoita (POR), Carles Gil (NE), Morgan Whittaker (COL), Ariel Lassiter (POR), and Martín Ojeda (ORL). With Nashville already locked into the Supporters’ Shield celebration, the remaining matches will now focus on which clubs turn regular-season momentum into playoff qualification, and how closely individual scoring races continue to reshape the Golden Boot presented by Audi.