OneFootball
Adam Booker·12 May 2024
OneFootball
Adam Booker·12 May 2024
MLS is back with a full weekend of matches, including some of the fiercest rivalries from around the league. Here are some of the standout fixtures of the weekend.
Scorers: Pec 54′, Berry 90+4′ ; Arango 20′, 41′
LA Galaxy snatched a point at the death against RSL to keep within two points of the Western Conference leaders.
It was a back-and-forth start from two teams who are keen to play attacking soccer, but RSL struck first to stun the home crowd.
Chicho Arango continued his red-hot start to the campaign, heading home the opener inside 20 minutes to snatch a crucial lead.
Amazingly, Arango found the back of the net once more in the final few minutes of the opening interval, doubling RSL’s lead and extending his tally to 11 goals on the campaign so far.
The Galaxy’s high-octane attack could not be kept out forever however, as Gabriel Pec pulled one back for the hosts after the break.
It looked as if RSL would hold on take a gutsy victory away from southern California, but drama ensued at death when Riqui Puig picked out Miguel Berry in front of goal with the last kick of the game to snatch a point.
Scorers: Olivera 18′, 36′, Bogusz 57′
LAFC showed that they are still one of the teams to beat in the West as they thumped Vancouver at BMO Stadium to move to within four points of first place.
It was a night for Vancouver to prove their Western Conference credentials, but it was a rocky start from the Canadian club as they went behind thanks to Cristian Olivera inside 20 minutes.
After being picked out by Denis Bouanga, Olivera fired home his second of the night before the break to give the hosts a comfortable lead as they headed down the tunnel.
After the break, it was more of the same for the hosts, and they extended their lead through a Mateusz Bogusz strike before the hour mark to cap off a dominant showing.
Scorers: Arfsten 88′ ; Kelsy 74′, Acosta 76′
FC Cincinnati stormed into the home of their bitter rivals and downed the reigning MLS Cup champions, Columbus Crew, with two late goals.
It has quickly become one of the fiercest rivalries in MLS, and that intensity was on full display in Columbus Saturday evening.
Neither team could find their feet in front of goal, but that didn’t stop either side from attempting to pour on the pressure and find the precious winner.
The opener finally came in the final 30 minutes when Luciano Acosta picked out new signing Kevin Kelsy at the back post to head home.
To make matters worse for the champions, Acosta popped up just two minutes later with a goal of his own to all but drive the final nail into the Crew coffin.
The Crew cut the lead late thanks to a superb curler from youngster Max Arfsten, but it was too-little, too-late for the hosts.
Scorers: Duke 22′, Vilsaint 32′ ; Rojas 44′, Suaréz 45+3′, Cremaschi 59′
Inter Miami came from behind once again to down Montréal away from home, keeping up their Eastern Conference leading start.
It was a stunning start as Montreal scored two quick-fire goals to take a seemingly healthy lead just past the half-hour mark, as Bryce Duke and Jules-Anthony Vilsaint wrote their names into the headlines.
Leads don’t ever seem to be healthy enough against Inter Miami however, as Matias Rojas and Luis Suaréz struck in the dying moments of the half to reclaim parity.
The Herons completed the turnaround after the break when Benjamin Cremaschi was slipped in behind before the forward bundled home to give the visitors a lead that they would not let slip.
Toronto 2-3 NYCFC
Philadelphia 2-3 Orlando City
New York Red Bulls 4-2 New England Revolution
Atlanta United 2-3 D.C. United
Charlotte 1-0 Nashville
St. Louis City 3-1 Chicago Fire
Sporting KC 1-2 Houston Dynamo
Colorado Rapids 2-3 San Jose Earthquakes
Portland Timbers vs Seattle Sounders