Top MLS Game Week 2 stories we saw on Saturday: Michael Bradley's great start, Timo Werner debuts for San Jose, and LAFC's dynamism

By Brian Maurer

Photo courtesy of Maciek Gudrymowicz/ISI Photos

While we struggled through Charlotte FC's 3-0 defeat late night on Saturday, several other moments and teams around MLS caught my eye that are worth highlighting as the stories begin to build and the 2026 season takes shape.

Here are the top three stories from Saturday's Game Week 2 in MLS:

Michael Bradley's Red Bull New York Youngsters

Red Bull New York Head Coach Michael Bradley has hit the ground running in his debut MLS season at the helm. He made an immediate impression last week when he started three teenagers, including 16-year-old Adri Mehmeti, and earned three points on the road. This week, Bradley started nine US players and kept his young core together, who combined for the game-winner. Through the first two weeks, RBNY has an unexpected lead at the top of the Eastern Conference.

Timo Werner debuts for San Jose Earthquakes

The German forward made his MLS debut tonight, coming on in the 61st minute and contributed to San Jose's second goal. San Jose had an easy stretch to start their 2026 campaign, but keeping two clean sheets to start the year, given their 63 goals against last year. Two home wins, two clean sheets, and their new star signing making his debut with an assist is just about as perfect a start as Quakes fans could ask for.

LAFC's possession evolution

LAFC hired Marc Dos Santos to help evolve the way the club plays, and early signs show that this group can now control games with strong possession play, not just in transition as they had done for years. Of course, the two red cards against Houston help the possession stats, but LAFC was already at 65% possession through the first half before going up a man. The Black and Gold have five different goal scorers, and none of them is named Heung-Min Son. The group is finding multiple ways play and multiple players to score.

While the primary focus through the winter was on the super team Inter Miami was building, the depth and dynamism displayed by LAFC through the first couple of weeks highlight that there may be another super team being built in MLS in 2026.