Week 17 of MLS delivered an action-packed experience with several games showcasing impressive offensive displays, and multiple goals were scored throughout the league.
Here’s the three best games of a weekend full of goals and entertainment.
Orlando City secured a 3-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls in a fairly even but lopsided matchup.
The game was held at Red Bull Arena, which should’ve made for a hostile environment for the Lions, but they were able to power through and seal all three points.
With both teams lining up in a 4-2-3-1, there weren’t too many numerical advantages for either side on the field.
New York started off strong, dominating possession and taking control of the match early in the first half. The first five minutes saw Orlando unable to get out from their side of the field and the Red Bulls took advantage of that to probe for an offensive opening.
However, Orlando held on and their attacking play proved to be too much for the Red Bulls, who struggled to keep up with the pace of wingers Facundo Torress and Ivan Angulo. It was Angulo would strike first in the 18th minute with a well-worked through ball by Wilder Cartagena to put the Lions a goal up within 20 minutes.
The second goal of the match came in the 52nd minute, with Facundo Torres comfortably taking a penalty that was given up by Red Bull defender Sean Nealis.
Torres was able to step up and comfortably slot it home for Orlando’s second of the night.
Despite some promising opportunities for the Red Bulls as the game progressed, Orlando continued to dominate the match, with their center-back pairing Robin Jansson and Antonio Carlos holding strong and preventing any genuine scoring opportunities for the home side. The Red Bulls only managed two shots on goal for the entire match.
In the 65th minute, the Lions kill the game and extend their lead with another goal from Torres, who scored his second of the night and Orlando’s third.
With a 3-0 lead, Orlando continued to play with control, frustrating the Red Bulls and preventing them from mounting any serious comeback.
Overall, Orlando’s win over the New York Red Bulls was a statement victory.
They showed teamwork and determination and with a little help from Torres, Oscar Pareja’s side was able to grab three points.
In another impressive display of skill and teamwork, St. Louis City once again showed that they’re the real deal and emerged victorious against Houston Dynamo.
The entire team performed well, both offensively and defensively, which allowed them to dominate the match and secure a well-deserved win.
Setting up his side in their typical 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1 that morphed into a back three in the buildup, St. Louis implemented their high-pressing style to disrupt the Dynamo attack.
Though the Dynamo controlled possession, it was St. Louis that had the better offensive chances, with an expected goals (xG) tally blasting Houston out of the water 2.39 to 1.42.
The game started off at a frantic pace, with both teams having semi-chances before the 10th minute mark.
However, the home side would strike first through an Eduard Lowen penalty in the ninth minute.
St. Louis often follows a pattern of scoring early, maintaining pressure, and attempting to score again quickly. Yet, in this game, the Dynamo did an excellent job of preventing that from happening…to a certain extent.
Unfortunately, the Houston defense would crumble in the 51st minute as winger Tomas Ostrak netting in a right-footed shot to the bottom of the box to put his team up 2-0.
Houston would try to mount a comeback, but it was too late as Nicholas Gioacchini would convert St. Louis’ third and last goal of the match in the 83rd minute.
St. Louis’ performance was highlighted by its three goals, each of which – including the penalties – were executed with precision and finesse.
Their defense was also impenetrable. Tim Parker and Lucas Bartlett managed to keep Houston to just four shots on goal.
In the end, St. Louis’ win was a result of their hard work, determination, and ideal tactical set-up put out by head coach Bradley Carnell.
It was a challenging weekend for Charlotte FC as they suffered a 4-2 defeat to the Columbus Crew away at Lower.com Field in Ohio.
Though Charlotte hoped to continue its winning ways after beating the LA Galaxy on May 27th, they fell completely flat against an in-form Crew team boasting the likes of forward Cucho Hernandez, midfielder Lucas Zelarayan, and striker Christian Ramirez.
The first couple of moments of the match were evenly contested, with both teams pushing to score, but the Crew took the lead in the fifth minute through a Ramirez strike off a counterattack.
In the 21st minute, Columbus increased the pressure on Charlotte and scored another goal, with Ramirez leading the way. The Crew showed no signs of slowing down, and Charlotte’s defense struggled to keep up. Columbus was quick in their passing patterns and controlled most of the game through the middle of the field.
Charlotte conceded yet another goal in the 43rd minute when Hernandez scored.
After half-time, Charlotte would respond with a Karol Swiderski strike in the 56th minute and Justin Meram in the 58th minute. They were, however, unable to mount a comeback as the Crew would continue to dominate the match and add one more goal as Ramirez scored his second of the night just before the game hit 60 minutes.
The Crew’s win over Charlotte was a well-deserved.
They showed great control and were clinical in the final third throughout the match. This win sees the Crew hop to fifth in the East, tied on points with Atlanta United.
