Last weekend was historic in U.S. sports and Major League Soccer observers won’t soon forget it.
D.C. United forward Patrick Mullins entered the MLS record book with a breakout game for the ages. Actually, he needed just over a half-hour to bury the San Jose Earthquakes.
The U.S. Open Cup final took place during Week 29, with the winner emerging as a dominant force in U.S. Soccer’s premier knockout competition.
Finally, MLS didn’t ignore the wave of NFL protests against police brutality and racial injustice and the U.S. president’s targeting of athletes’ rights to free speech.
We examine all this and more in our weekly MLS review.
Latest MLS Scores
Atlanta United 4, Los Angeles Galaxy 0
Toronto FC 3, Montreal Impact 5
U.S. Open Cup Final: Sporting Kansas City 2, New York Red Bulls 1
New York City FC 1, Houston Dynamo 1
New England Revolution 2, Toronto FC 1
D.C. United 4, San Jose Earthquakes 0
Philadelphia Union 3, Chicago Fire 1
Columbus Crew 3, New York Red Bulls 2
Minnesota United 4, FC Dallas 1
Real Salt Lake 2, Seattle Sounders 0
Vancouver Whitecaps 2, Colorado Rapids 1
Sporting Kansas City 2, Los Angeles Galaxy 1
Atlanta United 2, Montreal Impact 0
Portland Timbers 3, Orlando City 0
Key talking points
Atlanta United won twice in Week 29 but lost Miguel Almiron’s services for at least three weeks when he suffered a hamstring injury Sunday in his team’s win over the Montreal Impact. The Paraguayan playmaker had featured in all of Atlanta’s games to that point but he’ll struggle to return before the final regular-season game and also will miss his nation’s final two 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Portland Timbers forward Diego Valeri extended his MLS-record streak of scoring goals in consecutive games to nine. The Argentine has notched 10 goals during this epic hot streak.
Mullins hadn’t scored in 15 games for D.C. United in 2017, but he exploded Saturday, scoring four goals in 31 minutes. He joins 10 other players in MLS’ four-goal-game club but he accomplished the feat faster than the others.
MLS players can protest  during the playing of the U.S. national anthem, as many in the NFL and other sports have done.
“The march of players, officials and children into our stadiums and singing of the anthem has been a pre-match tradition since our first game in 1996,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said in a statement, per MLSSoccer.com. “The national anthem provides our clubs and fans an important and time-honored opportunity to salute our country and stand up for its principles — whether in the United States or in Canada.
“At the same time, freedom of speech — and the right to peaceful protest — are the hallmarks of both countries. Though we encourage our players to stand during the national anthem, we respect and support their right to express their personal beliefs.”
The MLS Players Union backed their players’ free-speech rights more forcefully than the league did.
MLS standings
Here are the MLS latest MLS standings with four game-weeks remaining.
And these are the playoff probabilities.
Upcoming MLS games (home team listed first)
Atlanta United vs. Philadelphia Union, Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. ET
Montreal Impact vs. New York City FC, Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m. ET
New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United, Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m. ET
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution, Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m. ET
FC Dallas vs. Colorado Rapids, Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 8 p.m. ET
Houston Dynamo vs. Los Angeles Galaxy, Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 8:30 p.m. ET
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Colorado Rapids, Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 10:30 p.m. ET
Orlando City vs. FC Dallas, Saturday, Sept. 30, at 4 p.m. ET
Toronto FC vs. New York Red Bulls, Saturday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. ET
Columbus Crew vs. D.C. United, Saturday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m. ET
New England Revolution vs. Atlanta United, Saturday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m. ET
Chicago Fire vs. New York City F.C., Saturday, Sept. 30, at 8:30 p.m. ET
Houston Dynamo vs. Minnesota United, Saturday, Sept. 30, at 8:30 p.m. ET
Colorado Rapids vs. Montreal Impact, Saturday, Sept. 30, at 9 p.m. ET
Sporting Kansas City vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, Saturday, Sept. 30, at 9 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake, Saturday, Sept. 30, at 10:30 p.m. ET
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Portland Timbers, Saturday, Sept. 30, at 10:30 p.m. ET
Philadelphia Union vs. Seattle Sounders, Sunday, Oct. 1, at 1 p.m. ET
Week 30 will be busy, with most teams playing twice.
Toronto can clinch the Supporters Shield, which goes to the team with the most regular-season points, with a win or if New York City FC loses or draws.
Thumbnail photo via Brad Mills/USA TODAY Sports Images
