MATCH DAY 13 IN REAR VIEW

Sam Mbonu

Hello soccer fans!

Get ready for some midweek MLS action – Rivalry Week, match day 14.

Orlando City SC host Inter Miami CF in search of Florida derby. Austin FC host Houston Dynamo FC as Copa Tejas takes center stage.

D.C. United and New York Red Bulls revisit the Atlantic Cup. 

But before we delve into match day 14 preview, let's look at match day 13 in rear view mirror

What an electrifying night it has been in the MLS as club captains took charge to score crucial goals for their teams on Match Day 13.

Let's dive into the action-packed highlights!"

A total of 55 goals was scored, 7 teams won away from home, Houston Dynamo won 2-1 at SKC, San Jose Earthquakes won 3-2 at Colorado Rapids, NYCFC won 3-2 at Toronto FC, Orlando City won 3-2 at Philly Union, Inter Miami won 3-2 at CF Montreal, Seattle Sounders won 2-1 at Portland Timbers and FC Cincinnati won 2-1 at Columbus Crew. These are the 7 teams that won away games.

In a Western Conference showdown at the Children Mercy’s Park, Houston Dynamo halted a 3-game winless skid to grab 3 points from Sporting KC.

In the Nights of the captains, Hector Herrera opened the scoring from a corner kick that was perfectly executed. Hector who made a comeback from season long injury took charge of the match.

Herrera's 31st-minute strike jumpstarted Houston's 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City, setting the stage for Aliyu Ibrahim's late finish to snap a three-game winless skid.

Just how important was Saturday's win for Houston? Olsen explained in great detail, alluding that it builds momentum before Wednesday's trip to Austin FC as part of Rivalry Week.

Nigeria young FW, Aliyu Ibrahim grabbed his 4th goal of the season when he finished calmly from close range as Houston took the maximum points.

Houston is away on this midweek match day 14 at Austin FC, another rivalry game, Dynamo will seek to revenge the 1-0 Austin defeated them in Houston last month when they met earlier this season.

Houston are coming off their first win in nearly a month, a massive 2-1 result at Sporting Kansas City in Matchday 13 that was spearheaded by Mexican star Héctor Herrera's first goal of 2024 following a prolonged injury spell on the sidelines.

With Herrera looking more and more like the dominant player who earned MLS Best XI honors last season, the Dynamo have their talisman back pulling the strings and reigniting the spark with fellow midfielders Coco Carrasquilla and Artur that helped guide the club to the 2023 US Open Cup title and the Western Conference Final.

In Carson, California for the game between La Galaxy and Real Salt Lake.

It was the captain himself, Chicho Arango who led by example, scored a stunning header in the 20th minute to put RSL 1-0 up against LA Galaxy, that was Arango 10th of the season. He got his 11th of the season when he doubled the lead in the 40th minute but at the end both teams shared the points.

Arango now leads the race for the golden booth as he is tied with DC United striker, Christian Benteke on 11 goals.

Real Salt Lake, who are still top of the western conference, will be at home to Seattle Sounder on match day 14 this midweek.

Let’s go to Atlanta, at the Mercedes Stadium, another club captain who showed up and showed out for his club.

It was a Christian Benteke show as he smashed his 2nd hat trick this season.

The former Liverpool striker, Christian Benteke got the first goal in the 19th, 40th and 55th minutes all with his head

D.C, meanwhile, have put together a little three-game unbeaten run

Almost unbelievably, the Belgian star scored all three goals with his head. He is by far and away the best player in MLS in the air, with nobody yet figuring out a way to stop him. His connection with Jared Stroud is special. They really understand how to play to each other's strengths, as Stroud set up two of Big Ben's goals at the Benz.

There might not be another player in MLS who has a bigger influence on how their team plays than Benteke.

DC United are at home to the Red Bulls of New York on match day 14.

The Red Bulls got a 4-2 home win over New England Revs on match day 13. Eastern Conference matchup against two teams that are inform at the moment. We gonna see how that gonna play out.

What a night of thrilling soccer action it has been, meanwhile, at the Lower.com Stadium, Hell is Real derby between Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati,

FC Cincy were 0W-4L-1D all-time in Columbus heading into last Saturday’s clash at Lower.com Field, and had been outscored in Ohio’s capital city 13-4.

Columbus Crew were on 27-game home unbeaten streak into this clash, and the gut-wrenching nature of the sides’ last meeting – a stunning 3-2 Columbus extra-time win in last year’s Eastern Conference Final, in which Cincy blew a 2-0 halftime lead with a ticket to MLS Cup 2023 on the line – and you begin to understand the scale of the mental burden that Pat Noonan has going into this fixture.

Another captain, Lucho Acosta gave his side all the 3 points where he sublimely converted in the 76th minute.

With the result still hanging in the balance, Cincy star playmaker Lucho Acosta stepped up yet again, Acosta was unmarked when he got a pass from new player Paval Bucha and the reigning MVP converted with ease to give FC Cincy the win.

Columbus Crew who will face Pachuca in the CON CA CAF Champions Cup finals. FC Cincinnati will continue their quest for another Supporters Shield win when they host Atlanta at the TQL

Atlanta lost to DC United on match day 13 at home.

Other News from around the MLS

Jesse Marsch has been named head coach of the Canadian men’s national team, the federation announced Monday. Marsch, who previously led MLS sides CF Montréal and New York Red Bulls, has taken over with immediate effect.

The appointment comes at a pivotal time, with Canada set to open the 2024 Copa América on June 20 against Inter Miami CF superstar Lionel Messi and Argentina. They’ll also co-host the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico (all three countries auto-qualify).

Before entering Copa América, Marsch will steer the CanMNT in friendlies against FIFA-ranked top-10 opponents Netherlands (June 6) and France (June 9).

Also,

France's men's all-time leading goal scorer Olivier Giroud has signed for LAFC and he will join in the summer.

Giroud, in an interview published on AC Milan's official channels, announced Monday he'll depart the Italian Serie A club for MLS once his contract expires this summer.