Below is a selection of the notable performances and moments from the nine matches played on the 27th matchday of the 2023 MLS season, Sunday, August 20.
Matchday 27 concludes on Wednesday evening, as LAFC hosts the Colorado Rapids (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass) in a match that was postponed due to safety considerations resulting from inclement weather and forecasted storms in the Los Angeles area stemming from Hurricane Hilary.
Additionally, the match between the LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake originally scheduled for Sunday, August 20 has been postponed to Saturday, October 14 (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass) due to inclement weather and forecasted storms in the Los Angeles area stemming from Hurricane Hilary.
Houston Notches Five in Return to Regular-Season Action
Houston Dynamo FC returned to MLS regular-season action in style on Sunday night, earning just the second five-goal MLS regular-season victory in club history courtesy of a 5-0 win over the Portland Timbers.
Midfielder Amine Bassi got things rolling early in the first half, scoring his 10th goal of the season in the fifth minute from the penalty spot. The penalty-kick goal was Bassi’s sixth of 2023, surpassing Erick Torres (5) for the most penalty-kick goals in a season in club history. He is the first Dynamo midfielder to reach double digits in goals scored since Giles Barnes (11) in 2014.
Midfielder Héctor Herrera also added to his early legacy in Houston with his 10th assist of the season on Houston’s second goal of the night, scored by forward Nelson Quiñónes (Watch Here). Herrera is the first Dynamo player to record 10 assists in a season since Darwin Quintero (10) in 2020.
Defender Brad Smith put the cherry on top of an emphatic victory with the team’s fifth goal of the night in the 63rd minute, curling a long-range effort around the goalkeeper and into the net following a sensational pass from his own goalkeeper, Steve Clark (Watch Here).
With the win, Houston propelled themselves into a playoff position with 10 games remaining in their regular-season schedule. The Dynamo return to MLS regular-season action on Saturday, August 26 at Real Salt Lake (9:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).
St. Louis CITY SC Puts on Scoring Masterclass
Sitting atop the Western Conference entering play today, St. Louis CITY SC showed the league that they have no interest in surrendering their pole position, as they defeated Austin FC, 6-3, in front of 22,423 fans at CITYPARK. The expansion club holds a seven-point advantage in the Western Conference with 44 points (14-8-2) and trails only FC Cincinnati (51 points, 15-3-6) in the Supporters’ Shield standings.
With goals scored by Tim Parker, Nicholas Gioacchini (two), Samuel Adeniran (two), and Tomás Ostrák, St. Louis scored at least three goals in a match for the 10th time this season. The only other expansion teams to record at least 10 games with three-or-more goals in their debut seasons are the 1998 Chicago Fire (10 games) and 2017 Atlanta United (12 games) squads, both of which advanced to the postseason. The 1998 Chicago Fire remain the only expansion team to win MLS Cup in their debut season.
Scoring his ninth and tenth goals of the season tonight, Gioacchini (23 years, 27 days old) became the fifth-youngest player to score at least 10 goals for an expansion team, trailing only Cyle Larin (20 years, 106 days with 2015 Orlando City SC), Diego Rossi (20 years, 208 days with 2018 LAFC), Fredy Montero (22 years, 20 days with 2009 Seattle Sounders FC), and Hector Villalba (23 years, three days with 2017 Atlanta United).
Columbus’ Cucho Makes History in Hell is Real Derby Victory
The Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati celebrated the return to MLS regular season play with a bang, as the two Ohio rivals faced off in the 12th regular-season edition of the Hell is Real derby. The Crew, however, quickly made their presence felt, as a pair of first-half goals by defender Aidan Morris (Watch Here) and forward Cucho Hernández (Watch Here) gave the club an early lead in a decisive 3-0 victory over their interstate rival.
In the 23rd minute, Hernández stepped up to the penalty spot and delivered the club’s second goal of the match and his sixth of the season. With his score, Hernández became the second player in the Hell is Real derby to record a goal contribution in four consecutive meetings betweetn the two clubs, joining FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta, who accomplished the feat in four straight games vs. Columbus from July 9, 2021 to May 20, 2023.
Red Bulls Earn Late Win in Tolkin Time
The New York Red Bulls appeared to be headed for a draw in their return to MLS regular-season action, but Homegrown defender John Tolkin had other ideas, as he delivered the game-winning strike in the 88th minute with a direct free kick goal in a 1-0 win over D.C. United (Watch Here). The goal also secured victory in the 100th meeting between the Red Bulls and D.C. United, inclusive of both regular season and postseason matches.
With his first goal of the season, Tolkin became the youngest player in club history to score directly from a free kick at 21 years and 20 days old. Tolkin is the third-youngest goal scorer for the Red Bulls overall this season behind midfielders Daniel Edelman and Wikelman Carmona.
The Red Bulls sit three points outside of a playoff position with 29 points through 24 games played. CF Montréal and Chicago Fire FC hold the eighth and ninth Eastern Conference seeds, respectively, and the Red Bulls will look to continue their surge as they aim to become the first team to beat the Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami CF on Saturday, August 26 (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).
Giakoumakis’ Brace Leads Atlanta Past Seattle
Atlanta United entered a challenging road enviroment at Seattle’s Lumen Field and walked away with a 2-0 victory over the Sounders, courtesy of the second-career brace from Atlanta forward Giorgos Giakoumakis.
The 28-year-old Greek striker is tied for second in the race for the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi with 12 goals this season. His 12 goals are the second-most by an Atlanta United player through his first 18 career games, trailing only club legend Josef Martínez, who had 18 goals in his first 18 MLS games.
