How We Voted, the column recapping each round of Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday voting, attempts to not carry too heavy of an East Coast bias. This is the 29th installment of this column and it's the 13th time my vote was cast for a player from a Western Conference club.
It's not all viewed with a New York City and an MLS Eastern Conference tint over here, though this Matchday 29 did feature a bunch of deserving Eastern Conference players who missed out on a vote in favor of the No 9 for the Colorado Rapids.
Both players on my ballot after this round of games got their teams extremely important wins as they push late in this 2025 season to make sure they qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs. The two vote-getters aren't on teams sitting near the top of their conference tables, so the match-winning performances they delivered were even more important, as their clubs are just fighting to qualify for the 18-team tournament to decide who lifts MLS Cup.
Playoff implications are big from here on out this season and these two players did wonders for their teams. The hardest choice made on this Player of the Matchday ballot: Omitting Evander of FC Cincinnati after he returned to Portland and silenced the disgruntled Timbers faithful by scoring and assisting for his new team. A nice performance from the Brazilian playmaker, but it had to take a back seat to another Brazilian who had an even bigger say in his team's win.
The HRB Ballot, Matchday 29
1. Rafael Navarro, Colorado Rapids
Two goals and one assist in a 3-1 win means Navarro had a role in all the scoring for the Rapids. One of the goals was a penalty kick, one of the goals was the result of a comical spill and error by Atlanta United FC goalkeeper Brad Guzan, but that doesn't really diminish the all-around dominance displayed by Navarro at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
His strong headed pass to Darren Yapi got directed home by Yapi on the volley in the 18th minute, and got the Rapids into the lead, though Atlanta responded and canceled out that goal two minutes later. The teams remained locked in a 1-1 stalemate until Navarro dribbled past newly-acquired Atlanta defender Juan Berrocal and drew a foul in the 18-yard box, earning himself a trip to the penalty spot. He'd convert in the 64th minute to restore the Rapids lead, then earned his brace just seven minutes later when a low strike got through Brad Guzan and into the net.
Navarro got the two goals and an assist and was busy making plays all night long against Atlanta. The Brazilian forward was credited with two key passes, completed four passes into the penalty area, completed three crosses into the penalty area, and successfully completed five dribbles – leading the Rapids in each category in this game.
The win over Atlanta wasn't a given until Navarro took over in the second half, and it's a win that helps the Rapids move up to 7th Place in the Western Conference, and five points above the playoff qualification line. Influential performance from Navarro, who now has 11 goals and three assists this season in MLS play.
2. Philip Zinckernagel, Chicago Fire FC
Chicago was on the verge of squandering an early lead and losing what felt like a must-win home match to lowly St. Louis City SC, until Philip Zinckernagel sprung into action in the second half.
The Danish winger scored an excellent equalizer in the 67th minute at Soldier Field. Zinckernagel came into possession not super close to the goal but drove forward into unoccupied space between multiple St. Louis defenders, made a few of those defenders miss and broke some ankles as he entered the penalty area, then tucked his shot inside the near post of Roman Bürki's goal.
Video via @ChicagoFire on Twitter.
Zinckernagel then set up Brian Gutiérrez's late winner, though the assist was secondary to Gutiérrez's deflected finish. Still, the Fire badly needed these three points just to pull themselves back up above the playoff line in what's looking like a three-team race for the 7th-9th Place positions in the Eastern Conference. He was the engine pushing Chicago forward in this game, with Zinckernagel credited with 11 shot-creating actions, six key passes, and three passes completed into the St. Louis penalty area.
He was pulling the strings all night against St. Louis and got the late rewards for his efforts. It's another high note in what's been a breakout first season in MLS for Zinckernagel, as this game put him over 20 goal contributions in league play this season – he's now got 11 goals and 10 assists in 24 MLS matches. Zinckernagel ranks in the 97th percentile of MLS attacking midfielders and wingers with an even 1.00 combined goals+assists per 90 minutes this season, and he delivered another elite performance in the second half when the Fire needed him most.
It was enough to earn him a spot on this ballot over the aforementioned Evander, and also over the likes of Son Heung-min of LAFC, or Lionel Messi of Inter Miami CF, each superstar names who had big roles in wins for their respective teams. Those wins, though, weren't as big as the one authored by Zinckernagel with the Fire, hence why he's here.
Official Player of the Matchday: Rafael Navarro
Somewhat surprising to see Navarro actually get this win, knowing the dramatic nature of Evander's return to Portland and antagonistic turn after scoring a banger against his ex-team. Still, Navarro simply did more in his all-around performance against Atlanta to get his team a win, though that's no shade thrown in the direction of a serious MLS MVP contender in Evander. Colorado doesn't produce many Players of the Matchday – Djordje Mihailovic won this honor way back on Matchday 6, but even he's now an ex-Rapids player, since they shipped him north-east to Toronto FC.
Colorado is in a weird post-Mihailovic moment, appearing to straddle the borders of contending and not-contending. More performances like this from Navarro and they'll find their way into the MLS Cup Playoffs even without the influence of their ex-Designated Player No 10 who's now with Toronto.
MLS Team of the Matchday
Starters: Kristijan Kahlina (CLT) - Jordi Alba (MIA), Tim Ream (CLT), Dylan Nealis (RBNY) - Lionel Messi (MIA), Pavel Bucha (CIN), Evander (CIN), Philip Zinckernagel (CHI) - Marcus Ingvartsen (SD), Rafael Navarro (COL), Son Heung-Min (LAFC)
Coach: Mikey Varas (SD)
Bench: Carlos Coronel (RBNY), Luca Petrasso (MTL), Artur (HOU), Mark Delgado (LAFC), Owen Wolff (ATX), Brian Gutiérrez (CHI), Martín Ojeda (ORL), Luis Suárez (MIA), Kevin Kelsy (POR)
So many of the league's biggest-name stars made it into this Team of the Matchday, and deservedly so. Doesn't lessen the fun of voting for less-heralded players from Colorado and Chicago, but I don't know if I would have believed you five years ago if you told me that an MLS Team of the Matchday in 2025 would feature each of Son Heung-min, Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suárez.
Also must take a moment to stop and respect the back-to-back performances from Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina. I had him in the No 2 spot on my Player of the Matchday ballot for Matchday 28 when he made eight saves in a 1-0 road win over Cincinnati, but he followed that up with another seven saves and another shutout in another 1-0 win on Matchday 29, this time against Real Salt Lake. The most in-form keeper in MLS, and he happens to be the reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, which might not be great news for the teams battling Charlotte for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.
