What We Learned: David Martínez gives LAFC an attacking trio

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Matchday 3 is in the books.

What did we learn? Did the games confirm what we already knew or change the complexion of the league?

Let’s dive into some key takeaways from another weekend of MLS action.

There’s little doubt about LAFC’s status as a two-headed dragon. 

Immediately after Son Heung-Min arrived last summer, the South Korean superstar and Denis Bouanga emerged as a high-chemistry, high-impact duo of the likes we’ve rarely seen in MLS. With those two players running the show, LAFC spent plenty of time in a 3-5-2 shape to close out last season with Son and Bouanga as dual strikers. 

This year, though, assistant-turned-head coach Marc Dos Santos has fully adopted a front-three setup in possession after we saw glimpses of it late in 2025. Who, then, has he inserted into the attack alongside two of the league’s biggest stars? Young David Martínez.

After making just 13 starts last season, the 20-year-old Venezuelan has started each of LAFC’s regular-season games so far this season. He’s been given the keys to the right wing spot, and he’s used them to great effect.

With two goals on the season, including the dazzling game-winner in a 1-0 win against FC Dallas on Saturday, Martínez has shown consistent quality. Few players in the league are talented enough to draw even a sliver of attention away from Son and Bouanga. But Martínez is one of them:

DAVID MARTINEZ FROM DISTANCE! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/lWUgRTfMXf

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 8, 2026

Never fully unleashed by former head coach Steve Cherundolo but clearly dangerous in the attack during limited minutes, a regular run out (combined with improved defensive effort) has made Martínez – and LAFC – even scarier this year than last.

One of only two unbeaten teams in the Eastern Conference and one of six in MLS, Nashville SC are exactly what we thought they would be: really, really good.

With seven points from three games, followed by a 3-1 home win over Minnesota United FC on Saturday, B.J. Callaghan’s team is sitting second in the East behind New York City FC on goal differential. Even while balancing the additional strain of Concacaf Champions Cup games, Nashville have thoroughly impressed.

They haven’t been perfect, of course. Dropped points last weekend against FC Dallas sting. The attack is still visibly coming together, too, with a new-look right side featuring Cristian Espinoza and frequent rotations at the base of midfield.

But the numbers love Nashville so far: according to American Soccer Analysis, they have the fourth-best xG differential in the league this season. We’ll toss out the usual small sample size caveat here; plus, a big opening weekend win over the New England Revolution is inflating things. The tape, though, aligns with the numbers.

Against Minnesota, Nashville’s devastating right-sided combinations broke the game open – the exact sorts of combinations that seemed possible when Espinoza was acquired this winter. Between the Argentine attacker, Andy Najar, Hany Mukhtar and Patrick Yazbek, Nashville did a delightful job of pulling apart the left side of the Loons’ backline. The result? Well, see for yourself:

Patrick Yazbek finds Sam Surridge for a quick finish in front of the goal!@NashvilleSC leads 1-0 at home.

Watch on Apple TV: https://t.co/fbaGBOsJh1 pic.twitter.com/ZeNXyxOmzm

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 8, 2026

With players continuing to build chemistry, it’s easy to imagine Nashville pulling off more (and even better!) versions of the goal up above. The right side already looks devastating, as does pretty much the entirety of Callaghan’s outfit.

There are very few teams in MLS that I expect to dominate virtually every game, regardless of location or opponent. Vancouver Whitecaps FC are one of those teams.

Perfect in MLS play and through their first hurdle in Concacaf Champions Cup action, the ‘Caps picked up right where they left off last season as one of the league’s absolute best outfits. Most recently, Vancouver took the Portland Timbers to task at Providence Park to the tune of a 4-1 win on Saturday night.

The word dominantperhaps doesn’t fully capture how good the Whitecaps were on the road. They allowed just three shots in the box all evening, all while controlling the game with and without the ball and creating a bevy of chances along the way.

Perhaps more than anything else, what stands out about Vancouver – and has since head coach Jesper Sørensen arrived for the start of last season – is that they’re good at everything. In possession, they ripped Portland’s press to shreds, progressed to the final third with ease, and found looks against a low block. In defense, they battled in the counter press and stayed compact in a block of their own.

On set pieces, they scored yet again (in hilarious fashion) and have a league-leading three goals via dead balls, as per American Soccer Analysis.

Tristan Blackmon putting it all on the line to double @WhitecapsFC lead 😱 pic.twitter.com/8Pks38NPiR

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 8, 2026

The ‘Caps put together one of the best seasons in MLS history last year. They look ready to do it again in 2026.

After a drama-filled transfer saga with Norwich City, Josh Sargent is officially a Toronto FC player.

With a proven track record in the English Championship and more than two-dozen caps for the US men’s national team under his belt, Sargent is primed to bring crucial, reliable goalscoring to Robin Fraser’s front line in Toronto. While the 26-year-old wasn’t ready to debut on Sunday evening at FC Cincinnati, he watched as his new team picked up their first set of three points this year via a 1-0 road win.

Along the way, Toronto FC played their best game of the season. With Fraser’s switch-up to add another center back into the lineup and use a 3-4-3 setup, the visitors minimized FC Cincinnati’s chances and kept the game even before a winner from Dániel Sallói in the 86th minute tipped the scales. While Cincinnati missed Evander’s brilliance from the start due to his injury, it was a balanced contest due to Sargent’s absence. That Toronto FC kept pace is an encouraging sign for what’s on deck with Sargent on board.

This team isn’t the finished product yet, by any means. But with just about every addition during the Primary Transfer Window (Walker Zimmerman, who worryingly left in the second half on Sunday due to a head injury, Benjamín Kuscevic, Sallói, and Sargent), Toronto look more competitive. The best for this team in 2026 is still to come.

Two games for the San Jose Earthquakes, two assists for Timo Werner. You couldn’t imagine a much better start to life in MLS for the German star than what’s unfolded over the last two weekends for the still-perfect Quakes.

With Werner working his way up to full fitness, Bruce Arena brought the Bundesliga veteran off the bench at halftime of his team’s 1-0 win at the Philadelphia Union on Saturday.

Yet again, the forward changed the game. There were differences, though, in how Werner spearheaded the San Jose attack on Saturday compared to his debut vs. Atlanta United. Against the Five Stripes, Werner’s assist followed a sharp vertical run in behind the opposing defense – the exact sort of run Werner made a living on in Europe.

This time around, it was his on-ball work that broke open the opposing defense. Just look at this sumptuous turn and through ball assist from Werner, who played strictly as a left winger in Philadelphia, to Ousseni Bouda:

Timo Werner being a genuine +++ player on the ball in MLS is a huge, huge victory for the San Jose Earthquakes.

This is a downright filthy assist for the winner in Philly last night.

Werner has looked excellent in MLS so far. pic.twitter.com/TJr9yOvt49

— Joseph Lowery (@joeclowery) March 8, 2026

There’s a breakdown on the Union’s backline here that leaves Bouda in space, but San Jose still needed a moment of true quality to punish their hosts for that error. Werner brought exactly that. With an ability to impact play both on and off the ball, the former RB Leipzig man looks like an ideal Designated Player signing for the Quakes.

• Voices: Joseph Lowery
• Match Reaction
• David Martínez
• Los Angeles Football Club
• What We Learned

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