Every sports writer dreams of a rhyming duo showing some real chemistry on the field. Imagine the possibilities: The goals! The poems! The prose! Thank you, Marcus Caldeira and Joaquín Pereyra, for giving me an excuse to have a whole lot of fun with this week’s Storylines. We’ve only seen it work for a limited amount of time, but I’m pretty dang excited to break down why the combo of Caldeira-Pereyra worked so well in the closing stages of the Atlante game.
We’ll start with a few trends, move through the bends, and then see how this ends. That’s just a fancy way to say this: I’m going to lay out the problem, get super excited about the most recent solution, and talk about possible next steps. That’s a pretty satisfying Storylines arc, if you ask me.
The Problem
First things first: Your Loons have struggled to score in 2026, no matter what competition they’ve played in. In 23 games across three competitions (MLS, U.S. Open Cup, and Leagues Cup), they’ve scored 26 goals, averaging just over a goal a game. The most they’ve scored in a single game is three, and they’ve been shut out seven times. That means they’ve failed to score in nearly a third of their games. Fortunately for the Black and Blue, their defensive prowess has kept that lack of production from being a catastrophic problem — but it’s not ideal.
And, it might only be a matter of luck if you believe in that sort of thing.
Across regular season and Leagues Cup games, the Loons have earned a very respectable expected goals tally of 35.52. If they’d cashed in as often as the stats suggest they should have, their goals per game tally would go from 1.13 to 1.5. That’s not the best in the league, still, but it’s the difference between being 10th versus fifth place in the Western Conference, at the bare minimum. The problem? It’s finishing.
Breaking the Dam
The second half against Atlante tied for the Loons’ most productive 45 minutes of soccer in 2026, and while the whole team got involved, midfield magician Joaquín Pereyra had his fingerprints all over the attacking explosion.
First, it was his excellent individual run in the 59th minute to set up Mauricio González for the equalizer, during which he beat his man, wove across the endline, and dragged the defense out of position to give his teammate a tap-in. Then, it was a pair of combinations with Caldeira that really showcased Pereyra’s range, with fine finishing and perfectly timed runs to complete a truly mesmerizing half hour of soccer.
This isn’t new, though — we already knew Pereyra was talented. He’s directly contributed to 11 of MNUFC’s 26 goals (scored or assisted), meaning he’s produced more than 40% of his team’s attacking output in 2026. Eight of those contributions have been assists, and with 42 key passes in league play (tied for seventh in all of MLS), it’s clear that he’s one of the best chance creators plying his trade in North America.
But, when paired with the right partner, we’ve seen that he could be even more than a world-class creator — he could be a ruthless finisher.
Expect Goals
Whereas both Kelvin Yeboah and Mamadou Dieng offer rapid counter-attacking threats, the introduction of Marcus Caldeira gave the Loons — and Pereyra specifically — a more static focal point up top, allowing the hosts to play both to and through him, rather than hitting it into space and sprinting forward. This leant itself to more combination play, and when you’ve got a playmaker as creative as Pereyra on the field, that means goals.
No matter who’s on the field, we know the Loons are at their best when Pereyra is getting touches and finding joy on the ball. When he’s able to combine with his teammates with the understanding that he’s pulling the strings, the team has an energy and dynamism that’s impossible to replace. He’s an engine, technician, and visionary wrapped into one wonderful player, and that’s why he’s been added to the list of Loons captains this season, on top of his professional approach and natural leadership ability.
The solution to the goal-scoring problem? It might be as simple as giving Pereyra the keys to the car, letting him drive, and sticking your head out the window to enjoy the breeze because you trust him so much. Who knows which strikers we’ll see up top in the games to come; Yeboah, Dieng, and Caldeira all have unique skillsets that make them valuable, threatening additions to the lineup. That said, no matter who takes the pitch, a more consistent, central position may very well be the best way to get the best out of Joaquín Pereyra, as evidenced by his rhyming partner in crime, Mr. Caldeira.
