Safe to say Houston Dynamo 2 were ready to play in front of their fans in Matchweek 18.
On the road since March, they made good use of the big stage at Shell Energy Stadium with a whopping 4-0 win over MNUFC2, earning their second Team of the Matchweek honor of 2026.
Also no stranger to weekly honors, Philadelphia Union II striker Eddy Davis III notched a dominant hat trick that led the way in a 4-0 win over New England Revolution II for his first Player of the Matchweek nod of the season.
The MLS NEXT Rising Star of the Matchweek crown stays with Chicago Fire Academy winger Damyan Villanueva, who came up huge again for Chicago Fire FC II.
Read more about Matchweek 18's winners below.
A hearty 4-0 homecoming was just what Dynamo Dos needed after suffering a three-game losing skid in June.
Brazilian winger Alan Martins kicked things off with an absolute golazo in the 35th minute to get things going. JJ Bell made it 2-0 with a successful penalty just before the half.
Defender Reese Miller was a man on a mission when he subbed on in the 67th minute, quickly grabbing a goal for himself in the 70th and unselfishly dishing an assist to Austin Brummett in the 81st to cap off a dominant performance.
Sunday was Dynamo Dos' return to H-Town following a 10-game road streak during which they maintained a playoff position. Sitting in second in the Western Conference with a home-heavy back half of the season, D2 will aim to run down in-state rival Austin FC II for first place.
Davis III was the hat-trick hero in Union II's dominant 4-0 win over Revs II on Sunday.
The 20-year-old Union Homegrown striker scored early and often, starting with a blistering run down the right side of the field in the 17th minute, where he beat the Revs II line into the box for an expertly-handled far-post finish.
He won the foot race again in the 65th minute, where he got the ball in stride and calmly sent it in to put the game out of reach. Not satisfied with the brace, Davis III was on the break once again in the 84th minute, where he bested the Revs II keeper one-on-one to complete the hat trick.
The clutch performance brings Davis to five goals in MLS NEXT Pro in 2026.
As an Academy player, Davis III led Union II in scoring with 13g/3a in their 2024 Eastern Conference championship run. He was rewarded with his Homegrown deal in February 2025 and made his MLS debut in June of last season.
The MLS NEXT Rising Star honor stays in the Windy City as Davis came up clutch once again for Chicago Fire II.
The 17-year-old Fire Academy winger scored and assisted to ensure a valuable road point in a rollercoaster 2-2 contest at Huntsville City FC.
He rose above the Huntsville back line to head home a corner in the 31st minute, serving as an early equalizer, and dished the helper in the 48th minute to bring his MLS NEXT Pro season tally to 3g/5a in just 708 minutes.
