Jordan Morris explodes for four goals
With Matchday 5 in the books, we are beginning to see just how chaotic the 2023 MLS season will be. Despite playing the league during an international break, there was plenty of quality football played and just as many classic MLS moments.
The cream will inevitably rise to the top, but there’s still a mix of teams that both surprised and underperformed, making for a deliciously unpredictable Supporter’s Shield table. Amid all this chaos, winners and losers crop up every week; here they are after this weekend’s slate.
Winner: The Power of Friendship
For the second time in MLS history, a player has scored four goals, all assisted by the same player. Jordan Morris and Leo Chù scored and assisted four times in Seattle Sounders’ 4-1 drummer game against Sporting Kansas City. Technically, Chù’s third goal assist may have been a secondary assist, but MLS is one of the few leagues that counts them, so who cares about Opta’s assists. Hats off to Jordan and Leo.
Losers: “Wait and see” offside calls
As an assistant referee, you are always taught to show patience before calling a player offside. You must first be 100 percent sure that the offside player is the only one who can get the ball before you raise your flag. With the introduction of the video assistant referee, that delay has been lengthened even further, with officials not raising their flag at all until given the go-ahead from the video booth, much to the annoyance of players and fans alike as it could allow a game to remain some seconds before you are called back.
This time, the result of this new habit was more than just a few players rolling their eyes. In the final moments of the LA Galaxy game against the Portland Timbers, Preston Judd was put through on goal but was clearly ruled offside. Timbers keeper David Bingham quickly came off his line as the flag stayed down and injured his thigh while clearing the ball. This could have been avoided if assistant referees had been encouraged to rule offside when players are flagged for offside.
Winner: The Hunt for History
With the title of “Greatest MLS Expansion Club Start” already secured, St. Louis City SC turns its attention to the historic 2012 Kansas City side that won their first seven games. That win against Real Salt Lake, who are currently at a perfect 5-0-0, was arguably his best yet, dominating the game and accelerating mistakes that mercilessly converted into goals en route to a 4-0 win. You’ll need to beat Minnesota United and Seattle to break the record, which would make this seem more like a movie than an actual MLS season.
Loser: father time
With all the commercial drama surrounding his CF Montreal departure and the Chicago Fire’s struggling start to the season, some people may have forgotten that Kei Kamara is one of the greatest to ever make it in MLS. In injury time, on the road and tied at two, Kamara did what he does best, getting back on the clutch and scoring for his 10th team that set their league record. The goal was also the 140th of his career and put him five minutes behind second-placed Landon Donovan in the all-time list. While Chris Wondolowski’s record of 171 goals is a little unmatched, there’s no doubt that Kamara will go down in history as one of the greatest MLS players of all time.
Winner: Wild Wild East
The Eastern Conference is in a bloodbath right now, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. No team is safe as everyone beats everyone else which could result in an amazing playoff race should this competition continue. Even by MLS standards – which are notoriously chaotic – the East is unpredictable. Philadelphia should top the table and crush all opponents, but currently sit eighth after starting the season with a disappointing 2-3-0 and losing a 2-1 lead to bottom-placed Montreal in added time last week had. This chaos will surely subside (it has to, right?), which is why we recommend enjoying the show before it’s over and Philly is winning 7-0 again every few games.
Loser: Mourinho Masterclasses
Prior to last week’s clash between Los Angeles FC and Seattle, MLS had gone 115 straight games without a 0-0 draw. Since then we’ve seen three 0-0 games and another four 1-0 games. MLS has always been an offense-dominated league, and while that still seems to be the case, more and more teams are finding success by playing low defensive blocks and frustrating opponents. Many veteran football fans appreciate the tactical acumen and defensive prowess required for such a feat. On a continent where football remains a burgeoning sport, reinforcing the unfair stereotype that football is a dry game with few goals could have some unforeseen consequences.