With the playoff race heating up across all of MLS NEXT Pro, three performances stole the spotlight during Matchweek 22 action.
Out West, Real Monarchs made a statement with a dominant road win in the Space City. In the East, Mijahir Jimenez powered Red Bulls II back to the top of the conference, while Carson Locker’s match-winner pushed FC Cincinnati 2 above the playoff line.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the Matchweek 22 award winners:
MLS NEXT Pro Team of Matchweek 22: Real Monarchs
Real Monarchs turned in one of their most complete games of 2025 deep in the heart of Texas, marching to a 4-0 road win over Houston Dynamo 2.
The victory secured their first clean sheet of the year and back-to-back wins for the first time this season, leaving no doubt they had earned MLS NEXT Pro Team of the Matchweek 22 honors.
Newcomer Marcos Zambrano showed exactly why the Monarchs brought him to their squad, scoring his first two goals for the club in just his second appearance and spearheading an attack that never let up from the opening whistle.
Midfielder Tyler Wolff also added a goal and an assist, while Brayan Sandoval came off the bench to put the finishing touch on a 4-0 scoreline.
The Monarchs’ back line also proved resilient, allowing only one shot on target and just 12 touches in their box all match.
With the victory, the Monarchs wrapped up their three-game road trip with six points and now have plenty of momentum heading into the final stretch of the campaign.
They sit fifth in the West with nine matches remaining, but with just four points separating fifth from ninth in the Western Conference, Mark Lowry’s side knows there’s no room to ease up. If they can keep their current run of form going, a home playoff match could be within reach.
MLS NEXT Pro Player of Matchweek 22: Mijahir Jiménez, New York Red Bulls II
Bright lights, big city...and also big performances from Red Bulls II striker Mijahir Jimenez.
The eighteen-year-old first announced himself with a hat trick in a New York Derby a few weeks ago, and now he has followed it up with a brace against one of the best defenses in MLS NEXT Pro, leading Red Bulls II back to the top of the Eastern Conference and earning his first Player of the Matchweek award.
MLS NEXT Pro’s version of Monday Night Football (sorry, I had to) saw Red Bulls II host Philadelphia Union II in a top-of-the-table clash.
Both sides entered the night level on 42 points, with Union II boasting the league’s best defense and looking to silence one of the East’s most dangerous attacks.
Enter Mijahir Jimenez, who opened the scoring in the 12th minute, capitalizing on a mistake from goalkeeper Andrew Rick and scoring into an empty net.
He struck again in the second half, combining with fellow Panamanian Rafael Mosquera inside the box to seal all three points and first place for his side.
Since arriving on loan from CD Plaza Amador, Jimenez has scored six times in 11 matches, establishing himself as a difference-maker in big moments and the kind of presence Michael Bradley will be counting on come October.
MLS NEXT Rising Star of Matchweek 22: Carson Locker, FC Cincinnati 2
Carson Locker once again proved to be a difference-maker in late-game situations, striking in the 76th minute to give FC Cincinnati 2 a two-goal lead that ended up being the match-winner in a 4-3 victory over Crown Legacy FC.
The goal earned the 17-year-old his second MLS NEXT Rising Star award of 2025 after first claiming the award back in Matchweek 20.
Locker’s finish helped lift the Orange and Blue above the playoff line in the Eastern Conference, where just three points currently separate seventh from twelfth place.
It was Locker’s third goal of the season, moving him behind only Stefan Chirila and Kenji Mboma Dem in the team’s scoring charts.
