Analysis
New York City FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Inter Miami CF
New England Revolution
LA Galaxy
Houston Dynamo FC
Matt Freese stands tall for New York City FC with four-save performance
In the MLS games played on Thursday, October 15, goalkeepers ruled the PickALeague board, with Matt Freese at the top.
By the PickALeague Newsroom · Published · Source: PickALeagueSummary written with AI assistance — how we workLire en français →
For the MLS matches played on Thursday, October 15, our read on the action is driven entirely by PickALeague’s in‑house WAR and PAL metrics. The WAR a player gains in a single day puts a number on how much value he added over a replacement at his position. PAL, meanwhile, ranks his season among regulars at the same spot across the league and moves as new performances come in.
October 15: the best performances by WAR
Matt Freese delivered a big night in goal for New York City FC, banking a 0.64 WAR gain to lift his season total from 1.8 to 2.4. Over 104 minutes he turned away 4 shots while conceding 2 goals, a solid enough showing to bump his PAL from 54 to 68 and clearly separate him from the average MLS goalkeeper so far.
Yohei Takaoka kept things tight at the back for Vancouver Whitecaps FC with a 0.51 WAR boost, pushing his season mark to 2.5. His 4 saves in 106 minutes without conceding underline how steady he has been, and his PAL holding firm at a lofty 85 matches the profile of a reliable top‑end starter in net.
Dayne St. Clair took a step in the right direction for Inter Miami CF, adding 0.49 WAR to move his seasonal line from -0.6 up to -0.1. With 5 saves in 104 minutes and no goals allowed, this outing looks much cleaner than his early‑season returns, though his PAL staying at 10 shows he still has ground to make up on his positional peers.
Matt Turner continued his standout season for the New England Revolution, tacking on 0.48 WAR to an already strong 3.6 and reaching 4. Across 102 minutes he faced plenty of work, recording 7 saves while allowing 2 goals, a heavy load that keeps his PAL pegged at an elite 99 among MLS goalkeepers.
JT Marcinkowski produced a tidy performance in goal for the LA Galaxy, earning 0.48 WAR to raise his season total from 1.9 to 2.4. His 3 saves in 98 minutes with a clean sheet further cement his solid campaign, and his PAL staying at 82 leaves him firmly in the upper tier of regular MLS keepers.
One to watch
Franco Negri logged 105 minutes at fullback for Houston Dynamo FC without a goal or an assist, which nudged his WAR down from 0.1 to 0. That outing coincides with a sharp PAL drop from 87 to 44, mainly signaling that this latest performance tracked closer to positional average after a start the model had rated very highly. He still profiles as a respectable regular for now, and upcoming matches will show whether his season level settles here or ticks back up.