The defending champs flexed their grit in Matchweek 16.
Red Bull New York II's whopping 5-0 win over Toronto FC II takes the cake for their second Team of the Matchweek selection of the year.
Minnesota United 2 striker Marcus Caldeira also picked up his second Player of the Matchweek nod thanks to a hat-trick performance on Saturday that keeps him at the top of the Golden Boot race.
Also grabbing a second weekly honor this year, Vancouver Whitecaps BMO Academy midfielder Carson Rassak showed out yet again for Whitecaps FC 2 in a much-needed win as the focus turns to catching up with the Western Conference playoff contenders.
Read more about Matchweek 16's winners below.
RBNY II made quite a statement with their big win on Sunday.
The defending champs' 5-0 rout was built on an early goal from Mijahir Jiménez, plus a second-half outburst with breakout performances from a trio of Red Bull New York Academy players Benjamin Rodriguez (2g), Josh Munson (1g), Sean Baitinger (1g/1a), Connor Faello (1a), and Dennis Nelich (1a).
In the other net, 17-year-old goalkeeper Tobias Szewczyk came up clutch with six saves.
The huge win improves RBNY II to third place in the Eastern Conference and puts the baby bulls in control of several tiebreaker stats in the race for a pick-your-opponent spot.
Caldeira was a man of many hats, so to speak, in MNUFC2's 5-2 win over St Louis CITY2 on Saturday with his 3g/1a shift.
Through the lens of what his performance did for his team, getting one back against a perennial Western Conference heavyweight is a huge momentum boost in the home stretch of the season. The win also puts MNUFC2 right back in the thick of the race for a hosting seed.
Individually, the 21-year-old Mississauga, Ontario native is tied for the top of the Golden Boot race with 10 goals. Scoring five in June, he's put together a strong case for Player of the Month consideration as well.
Caldeira also notched a hat trick to earn Player of Matchweek 1 of 2026.
Rassak, the 17-year-old Whitecaps FC BMO Academy midfielder, kicked off the week with a bang.
In an important result for WFC2, his goal and assist were vital in a 3-2 win over Earthquakes II in the playoff race.
Quakes II got on the board first with a second-minute goal, but Rassak put on the cape by rifling in a Goal of the Matchweek-quality golazo off a corner two minutes later. He also played helper for Daniel Ittycheria's account-opener in the second half to help stage the thrilling finish.
Also earning the Rising Star nod in Matchweek 6, Rassak's breakout season continues with 1g/5a in 16 MLS NEXT Pro appearances.
