MLS Match Week 1 – A Hooligan Take | OneFootball

I just don’t have the bandwidth to do justice to each MLS opening game, so I’ve selected a handful to provide some, erm, color. Yeah. Color.

Inter Miami 2 – 2 NYCFC

This was the match that kicked off the season, and boy was it a doozy. As the old adage goes… “Q: how much stoppage time is there? A: Just enough until Inter Miami scores.” This is not to take away from the quality of the ‘90+10 equalizer. Lionel Messi delivered a perfectly weighted through pass onto the sprinting Telasco Segovia, who executed a lovely chip over the sliding keeper. It was Messi’s second assist of the night, and what a blow to the visitors, who played a man up after Tomás Avilés was issued a red for DOGSO in the 24th minute. Which is proof that the league really ISN’T trying to engineer everything Messi’s way. Kinda.

Atlanta United 3 – 2 CF Montréal

The 65,000+ fans at the Mercedes Benz stadium. Stop. Look at that attendance. Think soccer isn’t popular? Hell, the only Premier League game that came close to that number was Arsenal with 60,000+. Now back to our report… Atlanta supporters were treated to a heavyweight bout of a match, as each side traded goal for goal until the 85th minute winner from Edwin Mosquera. Anyone doubting whether Emmanuel Latte Lath was good business should eat their socks. Go on, get some ketchup.

Columbus Crew 4 – 2 Chicago Fire SC

It’s fair to say this was not the opening day Greg Berhalter desired. The explosive start from the pairing of Brian Gutiérrez and Jonathan Bamba must’ve given Fire fans glimmers of hope, only to have those dashed before the half-time whistle by a Carlos Táran own goal and last-second header from Diego Rossi. Crew supporters will be pleased as punch to see their DP Rossi in fine form; Fire fans will be used to seeing their club at the bottom. As usual.

D.C. United 2 – 2 Toronto

This battle of the 10th and 11th place finishers in the East ended, unsurprisingly, in a draw. United were bright on the start, with Boris Enow grabbing the team’s first after nine minutes. Toronto’s Jonathan Osorio leveled it in the 27th but that big ol’ Belgian (and 2024 MLS MVP candidate) Christian Benteke popped in a header to give the hosts the one-goal lead at halftime. Kim Joon-Hong made five saves to keep his team in the match, but couldn’t stop a Federico Bernardeschi PK.

Seattle Sounders 2 – 2 Charlotte SC

So much disappointment here. First, there was the news that Wilfried Zaha would not be in the starting XI for Charlotte due to “personal reasons.” For Sounders fans, that stoppage time own goal had to be crushing, especially when Jordan Morris was in such fine form and recorded a brace. Kudos to Charlotte’s commentator Brian Dunseth for describing Charlotte’s debut goal scorer Adilson Malanda as a “rising salmon” as he towered over the Seattle defense to head the ball home off a Pep Biel corner. That’s the type of creativity we need in the broadcast booth.

LAFC 1 – 0 Minnesota United

Did the Loons do enough during the offseason to shore up their offense? Based upon this game, the answer is a resounding NO. They produced one shot on frame from twelve attempts. LAFC had the same attempts but six on target, forcing Dayne St. Clair into five saves.

San Jose Earthquakes 4 – 0 Real Salt Lake

That is not a typo. Quakes keeper Daniel made seven saves to blank the visitors, but it was the home side’s attacking that surprised me. Arena’s 3-5-2 is an offensively minded formation, but the crispness and execution in the attacking third was something the squad sorely missed last season. Nine of their 14 shots were on frame, and goals were scored by four different players (two of them 2nd half substitutes). Cristian Espinoza provided two assists. The Earthquakes truly dominated despite having only 38% possession.

Warning to Quakes fans: don’t get big britches just cause your team is on top. Take a picture to remember it by later when the slide comes.

Austin FC 1 – 0 Sporting Kansas City

If SKC thought they’d be warmer heading south, they were mistaken. Austin fully dominated the first 45, running rampant up the left flank, but it was SKC’s William Agada who skied the best chance of the half above the crossbar. When Osman Bukari poked in the game-winner off a corner, it meant the superior team would take all three points.

Portland Timbers 1 – 4 Vancouver Whitecaps

Nothing like a spicy derby to kick off a season, eh? In the wet and wind of Providence Park, the Timbers got off to a bad start when centerback Kamal Miller was deemed guilty of a DOGSO in the 11th minute for pulling down Brian White just outside the box. Ironically, had that foul been committed IN the box, the resulting PK might have tempered the referee’s card to a yellow. We’ll never know. The Whitecaps would go on to easily win.

LA Galaxy 0 – 2 San Diego FC

My colleague Drew Thompson did a fantastic write-up on this. Read it here.

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