Below is a selection of the notable performances and moments from the 14 matches played on the second matchday of the 2023 MLS season, Saturday, March 4.
St. Louis CITY SC’s Sensational Start Continues
In their debut home match at CITYPARK, St. Louis CITY SC continued their sensational start to the 2023 season, defeating Charlotte FC, 3-1, in front of a sellout crowd of 22,423. After scoring three goals in their inaugural victory over Austin FC on Matchday 1, St. Louis became the first team in MLS history to score at least three goals in both of the first two matches in club history.
With the victory, St. Louis became the fourth expansion club in MLS history to win both of their first two matches. The three previous clubs to accomplish the feat – 2018 LAFC, 2009 Seattle Sounders FC, and 1998 Chicago Fire FC – all advanced to the playoffs in their inaugural campaign.
Four different players have scored for St. Louis across the first two matchdays, led by Designated Player João Klauss, who has scored in each of the club’s first two matches.
Four Clubs Open Season with Consecutive Victories
With 13 match winners on Matchday 1, only four teams – Inter Miami CF, New England Revolution, St. Louis CITY SC, and Seattle Sounders FC – advanced to 2-0-0 on the second weekend of the MLS season. For the Revolution, it marked the first time in the club’s 28-year history that it opened a season with consecutive wins.
Dating back to 2015 when MLS expanded to 20 teams, MLS teams with two consecutive wins to start the season made the playoffs 78% of the time (21 of 27 teams).
LAFC, who began the 2023 season with their sixth-consecutive season-opening victory on Saturday, and Minnesota United FC, who was not in action on Matchday 2 after a season-opening win over FC Dallas, will look to advance to 2-0-0 next weekend.
LAFC’s Title Defense Gets Off to Historic Start
The 2022 MLS Cup champion Los Angeles Football Club opened their title defense with a 3-2 victory over the Portland Timbers in front of their supporters at BMO Stadium on Saturday. The win was LAFC’s sixth-consecutive season-opening win, which tied FC Dallas (six, 2012-17) for the most consecutive season-opening wins in MLS history.
Veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini kicked off the scoring in the 24th minute with his first career MLS goal. 2022 MLS Best XI presented by Continental Tire selection Carlos Vela did the rest for LAFC, scoring one goal from the penalty spot and assisting on another to help the home side secure all three points in their 2023 debut match. Vela’s goal was the 70th of his MLS career and he became only the eighth active player to reach that mark.
Zelarayán Registers Brace to Carry Crew to Victory
In their home opener at Lower.com Field, the Columbus Crew emerged victorious, 2-0, over D.C. United behind a pair of scores from midfielder Lucas Zelarayán.
Zelarayán, who has scored 30 goals for the Crew since entering MLS in 2020, has recorded 12 games with multiple goal contributions since the start of the 2021 season, the second-most in MLS over the span. Only five players in Major League Soccer have recorded at least 10 such games since the start of the 2021 season, led by 17 from Nashville SC midfielder and 2022 Landon Donovan MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar. The others to accomplish the feat include Philadelphia’s Dániel Gazdag (11), LA Galaxy’s Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández (11), and former NYCFC forward Valentín ‘Taty’ Castellanos (11).
Yarbrough’s Heroic Performance Earns Crucial Point for Colorado
Against Western Conference rival Sporting Kansas City, Rapids goalkeeper William Yarbrough turned in a terrific performance to preserve a scoreless draw in the club’s home opener. Yarbrough (11 saves) became the first goalkeeper in club history to produce at least 11 stops in a shutout and his 11 saves were the most in a game by a Colorado ‘keeper since Scott Garlick (13) on July 4, 2001.
Yarbrough’s 11 saves were the most in MLS this season and marked the first time he has recorded double-digit saves in a single game in his career.
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