As you probably know well by now, #MLSisBack, with a hectic opening weekend of 10 matches from coast to coast. Here’s a quick rundown of some events and angles you might have missed.
Crew SC checkmate the champs
Columbus Crew SC and Toronto FC opened the season with a fascinating battle between two of the most tactically astute teams in the league on Saturday afternoon, and the Yellow Football Team walked away with a well-earned conquest of the reigning champions.
TFC boss Greg Vanney won MLS Coach of the Year honors in 2017, and deservedly so, but he was outmaneuvered by Gregg Berhalter on this occasion. Columbus calmly soaked up pressure before swooping forward with pinpoint precision in the attacking third, exploiting the sluggishness of a Reds side that showed the effects of their midweek CONCACAF Champions League duties.
Off the field, Crew SC’s future is cloaked in uncertainty, but on it, they’re a legit MLS Cup contender.
A Texas torching for Atlanta
Fans in other MLS cities probably long ago got tired of hearing all the hoopla about Atlanta United – their spending, their ambition, their stylish attacking soccer. So there were surely some smug grins at the sight of the Five Stripes getting humbled in stunning fashion down in Houston, where the Dynamo laid four goals on ATL in the first 45 minutes en route to a 4-0 whipping at BBVA Compass Stadium.
ATLUTD’s costly offseason loss of tough-as-nails defensive mid Carlos Carmona was well and truly exposed here. But it’s only fair to focus on the effervescent excellence of the Dynamo’s front line, spearheaded by Alberth “La Panterita” Elis, an elite MLS striker on his best days and always a menace for inattentive defenders. La Naranja are no longer a surprise, but they're still pulse-racing fun to watch, especially on the run in transition.
Insanity in Orlando
The 1-1 scoreline between Orlando City and D.C. United doesn’t begin to tell the full story of the barnburner that unfolded down in the Sunshine State Saturday night. There was a first-half red card, saved penalty kick, furious shorthanded rally, injury-time equalizer – all of it playing out in front of maybe the most jacked-up, euphoric crowd of the weekend.
Sure, there were plenty of sloppy moments, and both sides have reason to rue the final result, especially United, who were utterly dominated by the 10-man Lions for most of the second half. But as a spectacle for the viewer, well, let’s just say that if you’re not already an MLS LIVE user, sign up now so you can watch #ORLvDC on replay.
LAFC stun Sounders
You could certainly make a case that results like the Columbus win over TFC and LAFC’s upset victory at Seattle should have asterisks attached, given the vulnerable state that CCL participants can find themselves in between their international clashes. But no one in LAFC black and gold will have any interest in that today as they savor a road win over an established power in their inaugural MLS match.
The expansion side were paced by ex-Sounders goalkeeper Tyler Miller, and attacking stars Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi – but also by holding mid Mark-Anthony Kaye, a Canadian U-23 international who helped Louisville City to the USL championship last year and signaled on Sunday that he’s ready to make the step up. LAFC boss Bob “the Builder” Bradley could hardly have dreamed of a better way to christen Year 1.
Fonzie goes off
There were many individual performances worth hailing this weekend: Elis, Miller, Danny Hoesen and Kevin Molino in San Jose vs. Minnesota, Justen Glad and Jefferson Savarino for Real Salt Lake at FC Dallas, CJ Sapong in Philadelphia, NYCFC's icon David Villa, Columbus’ Pedro Santos, the LA Galaxy’s Ola Kamara.
But we’re going to single out Vancouver’s Alphonso Davies for extra love here. Because not only did the kid the Whitecaps call “Fonzie” bag a decisive goal – his first in MLS – and a lovely assist in his team’s 2-1 win over Montreal, he did so at the tender age of 17, becoming one of the youngest goalscorers in league history.
And in a year where #PlayYourKids promises to become a mission and a mantra for many in MLS, that’s something to celebrate indeed.
