Below is a selection of the notable performances and moments from the 14 matches played on the fifth matchday of the 2023 MLS season, Saturday, March 25.
Jordan Morris Makes Sounders History With Four Goals in 4-1 Victory
Seattle Sounders FC forward Jordan Morris took care of all of his team’s scoring, netting a club-record and career-best four goals in the Sounders’ 4-1 victory at Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night (Watch All Four Goals Here). Morris’s effort was the 16th game in MLS history where a player scored four or more goals and the first since Charlotte FC’s Daniel Ríos four-goal match against Philadelphia on October 1, 2022.
Morris, who leads Major League Soccer with seven goals this season, has the second-most goals by a player in his team’s first five games in league history. Only Landon Donovan (eight) of the 2008 LA Galaxy scored more goals in his club’s first five games of a season.
With his four goals, Morris also passed a significant figure on the club’s all-time scoring leaderboard. Morris, who now has 49 goals with the Sounders, supplanted MLS legend Clint Dempsey (47 goals) for the third-most goals in club history. Only Raúl Ruidíaz (59 goals) and Fredy Montero (58 goals) have scored more regular-season goals in a Sounders uniform.
Adding to Seattle's impressive victory was 22-year-old Léo Chú, who assisted each of Morris's four goals, becoming the first player in Sounders history to record four assists in a single match. Chú and Morris became just the second duo in MLS history to see one player score four goals and his teammate assist on each of those four goals in the same match. The Houston Dynamo duo of Brian Ching (four goals) and Dwayne De Rosario (four assists) accomplished the feat against the Colorado Rapids on April 2, 2006.
St. Louis CITY SC Continues Dream Run, Moves to 5-0-0 in Inauguaral Season
Continuing a dream start to their inaugural MLS season, St. Louis CITY SC notched yet another impressive result in their club’s brief, five-game history, defeating Real Salt Lake 4-0 at America First Field on Saturday night. With the victory, St. Louis CITY SC, which already owns the best start by an expansion club in league history, became just the second team in MLS history (post-shootout era) to win each of their first five games of a season, joining 2012 Sporting Kansas City, which won each of their first seven matches.
Once again, St. Louis’s dynamic attack was led by João Klauss, who scored two goals in the victory and currently ranks second in Major League Soccer with five goals in 2023, trailing only Seattle’s Jordan Morris (seven). Klauss is the only player in MLS to record at least a goal or an assist in each of his club’s first five games this season.
The upstart club in St. Louis has scored multiple goals in each of their first five matches and have a league-high 15 goals this season. Their 15 goals are tied for the most in MLS history through the first five games of a season, joining the 2019 and 2020 LAFC squads. They will look to continue making history next week, as the club returns home to take on a streaking Minnesota United FC team on Saturday, April 1 (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).
Columbus’ Young Scorers Spark Six-Goal Win
The Columbus Crew put all the pieces together in their 6-1 victory over Atlanta United, marking the fourth time in club history that they scored six goals in a match. The Crew last scored six times in a single contest nearly 20 years ago on October 26, 2003, against the Chicago Fire. Columbus’ 11 goals this season are the third-most in MLS.
One of the unique parts of Columbus’ dominant victory was the fact that so many different players got onto the score sheet. The Crew tied an MLS record with four players (Max Arfsten, Aidan Morris, Philip Quinton, and Jacen Russell-Rowe) scoring their first career MLS goal in the same match, marking the only time that this has happened outside of the leauge's inaugural season in 1996. Additionally, Christian Ramírez produced a brace in front of the Columbus faithful, which were his first two goals as a member of the club.
FC Cincinnati Unbeaten Again on the Road
FC Cincinnati’s consistency away from home has turned them into one of the most difficult teams to play in MLS.
The Orange and Blue went on the road to face Nashville SC with an eight-game unbeaten run and pulled out a 1-0 victory at GEODIS Park. Their current nine-game stretch without a defeat is now tied for the fourth-longest streak in MLS history – a run that extends back to July 30, 2022.
In their victory over Nashville SC, 2022 MLS All-Star Brandon Vázquez scored the decisive goal, becoming the first player in club history to record 25 non-penalty kick goals in MLS play.
Carles Gil Reaches 50-Assist Milestone
On the club’s equalizing goal in the 63rd minute, New England Revolution midfielder Carles Gil played a beautiful cross-field pass to teammate Gustavo Bou, who took one touch and buried a shot past a diving goalkeeper in the club’s 2-1 victory over D.C. United. With his assist, Gil reached a significant milestone, both in club and MLS history, with his 50th career assist.
The 2021 Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player became the third player in New England history to register at least 50 career assists, joining Steve Ralston (73) and Lee Nguyen (50). He also became the fifth-fastest player to reach the milestone in MLS history, hitting the 50-mark in his 105th career game. Only Carlos Valderrama (63 games), Marco Etcheverry (76 games), Preki (97 games), and Mauricio Cienfuegos (100) reached the milestone in fewer matches.
