Trio of Stars Powering Galaxy
In their return to MLS regular-season action on Saturday, the LA Galaxy (52 points, 15-5-7) further extended their lead atop the Western Conference standings with a 2-0 victory over Atlanta United and are poised to enter the month of September in first place in their conference for the first time since 2015. Powering their strong run of form is a trio of young stars – Joseph Paintsil, Gabriel Pec, and Riqui Puig – all of whom have played a critical role in one of the league’s most dynamic offenses.
Each of the ‘killer P’s’ have at least 17 goal contributions this season, paced by All-Stars Pec (10 goals, 10 assists) and Puig (nine goals, 11 assists) with Paintsil following with eight goals and nine assists. With an assist from Paintsil against St. Louis CITY SC on Sunday (2:45 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / FOX), the Galaxy would become just the third team in the last decade to have three players with at least 10 assists in a single season, joining 2018 Houston Dynamo FC (Tomás Martínez, Romell Quioto, and Alberth Alis) and 2017 Atlanta United (Miguel Almiron, Yamil Asad, and Hector Villalba).
Only one team in MLS history has had three players record at least 10 goals and 10 assists in a single season: the 1998 Galaxy, who captured the Supporters’ Shield behind the play of Mauricio Cienfuegos (13 goals, 16 assists), Cobi Jones (19 goals, 13 assists), and Wélton (17 goals, 11 assists).
The MLS clubs since 2015 to feature three players with at least 10 assists each:
Moon Boy Ready for Main Role
Perhaps the most active MLS team in the Secondary Transfer Window was Real Salt Lake, who saw Diogo Gonçalves (Designated Player) and Dominik Marczuk (U22 Initiative) join the club, while Andrés Gómez and Fidel Barajas both departed in big-money outgoing moves. The constant in attack remains 20-year-old MLS All-Star Diego Luna, who will play a big role coming down the stretch of the 2024 season, as RSL (44 points, 12-6-8) looks to hold on to a top seed in Western Conference.
Luna, who turns 21 on September 7, has been one of the most dynamic, young attackers in MLS this season, scoring five times and adding 12 assists. In MLS history, only three players have had at least 19 goal contributions in a season before turning 21 – Diego Rossi (21 in 2018), Diego Fagúndez (20 in 2013), and Alphonso Davies (19 in 2018). With a strong performance against the New England Revolution on Saturday (9:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV), Luna could join that elite company.
The most goal contributions in a season prior to turning 21 years old:
New York Looks to Stay Unbeaten at Red Bull Arena
Currently sitting in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, the New York Red Bulls (42 points, 10-4-12) return home for a regular-season game on Saturday for the first time since July 20 and will look to keep an unblemished record at Red Bull Arena intact as they welcome the Philadelphia Union (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
New York boasts an undefeated 7-0-5 record at home this year and are the only team in MLS to not have dropped a home match in 2024. With a result against the Union on Saturday, the Red Bulls would tie the 2012 squad (13 matches) for the second-longest single-season home unbeaten streak in club history and sit just one game behind the club record of 14 matches unbeaten set in 2016. The club finished atop the Eastern conference in 2016, while landing in second in the East in 2012, trailing only D.C. United.
The longest single-season home unbeaten streaks in New York Red Bulls history:
Cherundolo Closing in on 50 Wins
Since becoming the head coach of the Los Angeles Football Club ahead of the 2022 season, head coach Steve Cherundolo has been one of the most successful coaches in Major League Soccer, leading the club to consecutive MLS Cup berths, including a win in the 2022 championship match. The club’s 49 regular-season wins since the start of the 2022 season are the most in MLS over the span.
With a victory over Houston Dynamo FC in his 93rd career game at the helm on Saturday (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV), Cherundolo would earn his 50th career regular-season win in the third-fewest games by a head coach in MLS history (excluding the shootout era). Only Octavio Zambrano (77 games) and Bob Bradley (89 games) have reached 50 career wins in fewer than 95 career games as a head coach.
The MLS head coaches to reach 50 career regular-season wins in the fewest games since 2000:
Prolific Portland Scorers Approaching MLS History
Last weekend, the Portland Timbers erased a 3-1 second-half deficit, including a 99th-minute game-tying goal by MLS All-Star Evander, to earn a critical point in a 4-4 draw against St. Louis CITY SC. The Timbers (37 points, 10-9-7) currently sit in seventh place in the Western Conference and will look to a prolific scoring trio to help continue their push to the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs.
The trifecta of Felipe Mora (13 goals), Jonathan Rodríguez (13 goals), and Evander (12 goals) has Portland on the verge of becoming only the fourth team in MLS history to feature at least three different players with 13-or-more goals in a single season. With Evander’s next goal, the Timbers would join the 1998 LA Galaxy (Mauricio Cienfuegos, Cobi Jones, Wélton), 2000 MetroStars (Alex Comas, Clint Mathis, Adolfo Valencia) and the 2022 Philadelphia Union (Julián Carranza, Dániel Gazdag, Mikael Uhre) as the only teams in league annals to accomplish the feat. All three of the previous teams that accomplished the feat won their respective conference or division.
The MLS clubs with at least three players with 13+ goals in a single season:
