5 Things You Need To See In MLS: Week 11
Week 11 of this MLS season had a lot of fireworks, on and off the field. We had new stadiums, goals, fans, love - you name it! If you missed any of these things, don’t worry - I got you. Check out my Top 5 Things You Need To See in MLS for week 11.
1. Austin is Verde
It took 3 home games, but Austin FC finally got their first goal (and some) at Q2 stadium. In the 28th minute of Austin’s Thursday night game versus the Portland Timbers, forward Jon Gallagher tapped in a ball off a beautiful setup from Tomas Pochettino. The stadium erupted with excitement - shirts came off, smoke billowed out, the lights dimmed, fans were waving around glow-in-the-dark green drums. Put simply, it was unbelievable. In fact, the stadium was so loud, someone on Twitter said their iWatch was warning them about high decibel levels around them. It felt like a huge load off the shoulders of the supporters, the players, and Head Coach Josh Wolff as well. The first goal itself wasn’t world class, but that stadium and that environment sure was. Good going, Austin FC. Stay verde!
For a look at all of Austin FC’s goals from this historic night, check out this article by Andrew Schnitker of KBVO Austin.
2. A Touchdown In Washington D.C.
It’s not very often that we get to see an absolute on-pouring of goals in the modern era of MLS, but during this past weekend, D.C. United put up 7 goals against a struggling Toronto FC side. Honestly, the most impressive thing about this game was the fact that there were 7 different goal scorers – in fact, this was the first time in MLS history that it has ever happened. Going into the half, D.C. were up 3-1 thanks to goals from Kevin Paredes and Nigel Robertha, as well as an own goal by Ralph Prizo. D.C. wouldn’t score their 4th until Paul Arriola entered the match in the 71st minute. Shortly after, Toronto FC defender Eric Zavaleta received a second yellow / red card and the onslaught continued, with goals from Ola Kamara, Yamil Asad, and Griffin Yow. This thrashing from D.C. United ended with an embarrassing score line, which resulted in Toronto FC Head Coach Chris Armas being flung from his hot seat.
To see some of the goals scored during D.C. United’s record-breaking performance, see this article by Raheem Bashire of LWOS.
3. She Said Yes!
Minnesota United and San Jose Earthquakes had a four-goal firework show over Fourth of July weekend, but it wasn’t just during the field of play. This matchup saw some immerging MLS stars score, like Cade Cowell and Roman Abila. We also saw some lesser-known names notch some goals, like Brent Kallman and Benji Kikanovic. However, the biggest moment came postgame: Minnesota United star Hassani Dotson approached his girlfriend on the sideline, got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. It was a beautiful moment and a reminder that these players have real lives as well and there are some things that are bigger than soccer. Congratulations to Hassani & Petra on their engagement. Love rules all!
To see this precious moment as it happened, check out this article from Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune.
4. A Beautiful Team Goal By LAFC
There were several moments over the course of this week that I felt deserved a spot on this list. The pressing play from Daryl Dike that led to the Chris Mueller goal in Orlando City’s loss to RBNY was close to making the cut. However, this goal from LAFC was special - it truly showed the beauty of Bob Bradley’s style of play and what he has implemented in the black and gold part of LA. This LAFC goal started, and ended, with Jose Cifuentes. Cifuentes gave the ball to Kim Moon-hwan at the top of the box, who passed the ball out wide to Carlos Vela, who rolled it back to an on-running Eddie Segura. Segura tapped the ball back into the box, where Cifuentes was positioned and waiting - Cifuentes slotted it past David Ochoa to finish off a dazzling team play. It was a clean, free-flowing build up with crisp, intuitive passing, which is something any soccer tactical nerd loves to see.
To see a replay of this magnificent goal check out this tweet from LAFC.
5. Lower.com Field’s Crew-tastic Opening
My final must-see moment from week 11 was Major League Soccer’s third new soccer-specific stadium opening of the season. After the #SaveTheCrew movement, an ownership change, a pandemic, an MLS Cup championship, a brand change (yep, this is in chronological order), and saving the literal word “Crew”, Columbus rounded out a turbulent 24 months with a brand-new stadium. Lower.com Field, which features a 20,000-seat stadium right in downtown Columbus, looked absolutely beautiful on game day. There was a sea of yellow and black, the Crew Cat, a Frankie Hejduk appearance, an Elvis Presley sing-along, a goal celebration a-la the Portland Timbers that includes a recreation of the original “Working Crew” logo in the form of construction workers and a jackhammer, and some great goals from two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. What else could a Crew fan want? Oh, right, a win – that would have been nice.
To get a look at Columbus Crew’s Lower Stadium and watch a special moment before kick-off, check out this tweet/video by ESPN FC.
