Below is a selection of the notable performances and moments from the 14 matches played on Matchday 4 of the 2023 MLS season on Saturday, March 18.
History Made as St. Louis CITY SC Continues Season-Opening Surge
Not even the freezing temperatures could stop red-hot St. Louis CITY SC, as the expansion club continued their remarkable run to open their inaugural season. With a 3-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes at CITYPARK, St. Louis became the first expansion team in MLS history to start their season with four consecutive victories. Additionally, they became just the fifth club in MLS history (excluding the shootout era) to win four or more consecutive matches to begin a season and the first since the 2013 Montreal Impact (four consecutive wins).
22-year-old forward Nicholas Gioacchini and 23-year-old midfielder Tomás Ostrák both opened their MLS accounts with their first career scores in the match, while João Klauss kept his name in the early-season Landon Donovan MLS MVP conversation, scoring his third goal in four games. In total, St. Louis has seen a league-high seven different players score in 2023 and the club sits tied atop MLS with Atlanta United at 11 goals scored this season.
St. Louis will look to continue their reign at the top of the Supporters’ Shield standings on Matchday 5 as they travel to face Real Salt Lake (Saturday, March 25, 9:30 p.m. ET).
Almada, Wiley Lead Atlanta United to the Top of the East
The early-season favorite for the Landon Donovan MLS MVP continued his torrid start to the 2023 season, as Atlanta United’s Thiago Almada registered two goals, including a world-class direct free kick golazo (Watch Here) in the first half, and two assists in Atlanta’s 5-1 victory over the Portland Timbers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The World Cup-winning midfielder has four goals and four assists in his club’s first four games of the season, while helping guide Atlanta United to a 3-0-1 mark and a place atop the Eastern Conference table. Almada is the first player in MLS history with at least four goals and four assists in his team’s first four matches of a season.
Almada has been joined in the Atlanta attack by 18-year-old Caleb Wiley, who recorded a goal and an assist for the second consecutive match. At 18 years and 86 days old, Wiley, who was named the Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire for Matchday 3, became the second-youngest player in MLS history to score a goal and provide an assist in consecutive matches and just the third player under the age of 20 to accomplish the feat. Only Diego Fagúndez (17 years and 199 days) of the New England Revolution accomplished the feat at a younger age in 2014.
Ferreira Joins Legendary Company with Game-Winning Goal for FC Dallas
FC Dallas forward Jesús Ferreira has once again found himself in tremendous company in his young, but robust MLS career. With his game-winning goal in the 84th minute of FC Dallas’ 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City, Ferreira (61 career goal contributions) tied MLS legend Landon Donovan (61) for the third-most goal contributions in league history by a player aged 22 or younger.
Ferreira, who turns 23 years old on December 24, has recorded 39 goals and 22 assists in 118 career regular season matches and will look to continue moving up the goal contribution leaderboard. Only Diego Fagúndez (73, 41 goals and 32 assists) and Diego Rossi (62, 42 goals and 20 assists) have accumulated more combined goals and assists prior to turning 23 years old.
CF Montréal Stuns Philadelphia with Late-Match Heroics
Trailing 2-1 entering the 90th minute, CF Montréal gave their home fans something to celebrate in the waning moments of the match, as Chinonso Offor’s game-tying goal in the 90th minute and Romell Quioto’s game-winning goal in the 98th minute gave the club a 3-2 victory – their first of the young season.
Saturday night marked the first time in CF Montréal history in which the club scored both a game-tying and game-winning goal in the 90th minute or later. Quioto’s game-winning goal – his second score of the match – was the second-latest game-winning goal in club history, behind only Victor Wanyama (97:34, August 14, 2021 vs. New York Red Bulls).
MLS Icons Chara and Zusi Reach Career Milestones
Saturday night’s Matchday 4 action included a pair of significant career milestones for Portland Timbers midfielder* Diego Chara* and Sporting Kansas City defender Graham Zusi, with both now among just six players in MLS history to reach 300 starts for one club.
With his start against FC Dallas, Zusi became the sixth player in MLS history to start 300 games for one club and became the first player to do so while playing for Sporting Kansas City. The seven-time MLS All-Star was drafted 23rd overall by the then Kansas City Wizards in the second round of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft and made his club debut that same season. In 15 seasons with the club, Zusi won the 2013 MLS Cup and three Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups, as well as earning two MLS Best XI honors (2012, 2013).
In the club’s match against Atlanta, Chara started his 337th game for the Timbers, equaling former Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman for second-most starts for one club in MLS history. He also became just the second player in MLS history to reach 30,000 minutes for one club, behind only former Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando (33,078 minutes). Since joining the Timbers in 2011, Chara has helped lead the club to their first-ever MLS Cup title in 2015 and earned MLS Best XI and MLS All-Star honors.
