For the pack of Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls, it's time to shine.
And Toronto FC II did just that by taking care of business with big wins in both tests of their busy double-fixture week, earning their first Team of the Matchweek honor of the season.
Similar battles are taking place out West, where Darius Randell kept MNUFC2 in the battle with a brace in a critical 2-0 win over Colorado Rapids 2 for Player of the Matchweek.
Austin FC Academy winger Erick Feliciano showed out yet again for Austin FC II this week with a goal against top-tier defense Houston Dynamo 2, collecting his second MLS NEXT Rising Star of the Matchweek selection this season.
Read more about Matchweek 27's winners below:
Beating both of the league's Ohio clubs in a four-day span made a big statement for the Young Reds.
First, a comeback 2-1 win over FC Cincinnati 2 on Friday night saw TFC II rally back with goals from Bryce Boneau and Damar Dixon.
They both kept their hot form with goals in the 4-2 follow-up against Columbus Crew 2 on Monday, in addition to Daniel Stampatori and Luca Costabile opening their TFC II accounts.
The six-point week leaves TFC II in 10th place after Matchweek 27, getting ahead of the momentum they're going to need in the final two weeks to crash into a playoff position.
Randell's brace was vital to keeping MNUFC2's playoff hopes alive this week.
He left it late, breaking the stalemate with crafty close-range finishes in the 72nd and 78th minutes to steal the win, while improving his season tally to 9g/3a.
Randell, 19, is a true Minnesota pathway player after climbing the ranks of Academy, MNUFC2, and first-team Homegrown contracts in the last three years. He became the youngest player to score debut and score in the Loons' 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup campaign and made his MLS debut in June of last season. As a U-17 player in 2024, Randell earned an MLS NEXT All-Star selection.
Born in Monrovia, Liberia, and bred in Minnesota since the age of 12, Randell joined the United States U-19 camp earlier this year.
When an Academy kid consistently produces in MLS NEXT Pro, it tends to be a sign a team has something special.
Feliciano brought his breakout Austin FC II debut season tally to 4g/3a with a second-minute opener over in-state rival Dynamo dos.
The 16-year-old had become a reliable option for first-place ATXFC II, making 15 starts in 20 appearances en route to collecting MLS NEXT Rising Star of Matchweek 11 and the monthly honor in May.
